Gazzo gains steam
Briarcrest senior recovers from injury to rise into starring role
Jacob Gazzo had a simple list of goals he wanted to accomplish in his lone season at Briarcrest: get healthy and prove he was a Power 5, college basketball prospect.
The Ole Miss signee missed all of the offseason and fall from a spinal shock injury he had during a freak accident. So his first priority was to get healthy enough to get back on the court. Once he made his season debut on Dec. 2 against Collierville, the next step was to begin showcasing to the Memphis area — his new home — why he moved here.
“I just really liked the way they did things up here,” said Gazzo of choosing Briarcrest. “I had a real feeling that I could be successful with this team.”
The competition he played against at Parklane Academy in Mccomb, Mississippi, isn’t like the competition here in Memphis. While he did enough to earn an offer from Ole Miss, he still wanted to prove regardless of the talent he matched up against, he’s a Power 5 recruit.
And as the Division II-AA season approaches the state tournament, Gazzo more than believes he’s succeeded in proving his talent. But now he’s focused on helping Briarcrest win the program’s first state title since Kennedy Chandler led the Saints to the 2019 gold ball.
Briarcrest hosts Christ Presbyterian Academy on Saturday in a DII-AA quarterfinal with the winner playing in the semifinals next week at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.
“I just want to be the best teammate I can be for this team,” said Gazzo, who’s averaging around 17 points per game and shooting over 70 percent from the field this year.
But Gazzo’s arrival in Briarcrest was as much about him proving his skills as it was Briarcrest needing one final piece to put together a state championship run.
Without Gazzo’s arrival, Briarcrest isn’t the team it is this year, even with one of the most talented backcourts in the area.
“We don’t win the games we did without Gazzo,” said Jaye Nash, a fourstar, junior point guard.
The missing piece
It’s a common play Briarcrest runs, typically in the beginning of the game.
Nash brings the ball up the court, calls the play and the Saints begin their motion. Nash dishes it off to the wing. He then moves around the perimeter before cutting baseline.
Then he cuts through the middle, catches the pass at the top of the key and throws a lob to Gazzo.
Gazzo’s athleticism opens up Briarcrest’s offense.
“It’s a great feeling,” Nash said. “They have to respect the frontcourt as much as the backcourt.”
Briarcrest, which broke a school record for most wins in a season (31), is
already known for its talented backcourt. Nash and Cooper Haynes are as good of a 1-2 punch as guards that you could have. Nash is unselfish and looks to get everyone on the court involved. Haynes is an elite shooter that can find his shots all over the court, almost with ease.
But that made Briarcrest one-dimensional last season; the Saints struggled to consistently score.
With Gazzo, they now have the ability to score inside and out as well as having multiple scoring options.
“On any night, we’ve got two or three different guys that can get 20 points,” Briarcrest coach John Harrington said. “That’s unusual for us to have.”
Dynamic offense
Having Gazzo and freshman Fred Smith in the frontcourt, the Saints have been able to give a lot of different looks offensively for a more dynamic offense. Between Gazzo and Smith alternating in the high and low post and even rotating to the wings, Briarcrest’s offense doesn’t just go through the guards.
That’s how Briarcrest has been able to improve offensively this year.
“Jacob Gazzo and Fred Smith are two of the best bigs I’ve played with,” Nash said. “Having them two and having height is just amazing.”
And it could be the key in the Saints’ pursuit for a gold ball.
“I feel like (my goal) is accomplished,” Gazzo said.
“But again, just these three games, that’s all we’re focused on.”