Reid Satterfield (5) and the Greeneville Green Devils won 74-53 over the Claiborne Bulldogs in a TSSAA District 2-AA tournament semifinal at Grainger High School in Rutledge, Tennessee, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By MIKE BLACKERBY
The evidence is compelling regarding Reid Satterfield’s evolution as a high school basketball player.
The question from here on out is just how far will his star continue to rise?
The Greeneville standout burst on the scene as a precocious freshman, showcasing uncanny 3-point shooting ability.
Satterfield improved his all-around game dramatically last season as a sophomore.
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He turned in a dominant performance against Fulton in the Class AA sectionals, scoring 42 points in a memorable 97-84 win over the Falcons.
As good as he was, the 5Star Preps Underclassman of the Year appears to just be scratching the surface of his talent.
“He’s so naturally gifted and I think he has even more athleticism than he realizes,” said Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey.
“I just really feel he has a much higher ceiling.”
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Satterfield averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals a game for the Greene Devils (26-6).
He shot 58 percent from the field, 38 percent from long range and 89 percent from the foul line.
Satterfield said one of his goals as a sophomore was to expand his game.
“Last year (as a freshman) I was mostly a 3-point shooter,” said Satterfield.
“This year, I improved my inside game, my mid-range game and really everything. If my outside shot wasn’t falling, I was able to drive and get to the free throw line. Getting to the free throw line always seems to get me going,” he continued.
“My rebounding also improved a lot from last year to this year. I’m always going to try and improve my game. I’m just going to try and keep improving my shooting, my defense and my quickness.”
Woolsey asked Satterfield to take his game to another level this year and he responded with aplomb.
“He was able to expand his game,” said Woolsey.
“He got physically stronger and was able to expand his game. With his athleticism he can rise up and shoot the ball and finish at the rim. He was our leading rebounder too.”
Satterfield was at his best on the big stage.
With a trip to the state tournament on the line, he tapped into his potential against Fulton.
Satterfield was 13 of 20 overall and 8 of 13 from 3-point range against the Falcons.
With a trip to Murfreesboro hanging in the balance, he scored 28 of his 42 points in the second half.
“I’ve always been pretty good in performing in clutch situations,” said Satterfield.
“I just try and stay calm and help my team.”
Greeneville’s postseason was cut prematurely short when the state tournament was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Satterfield said he’s already using that as motivation to come back even better next season.
Greeneville returns its entire backcourt next season as Connor DeBusk and Jakobi Gillespie join Satterfield as returnees.
“We were a pretty young team last year,” said Satterfield.
“We’re pretty much going to have the same pieces. We just have to keep our heads up and work hard.”