Shane Cherry and the Austin-East Roadrunners faced the Powell Panthers during the Carter Christmas Classic presented by Drayer Physical Therapy at Jim Williams Gymnasium on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. The Austin-East boys won 68-59. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY MIKE BLACKERBY
Austin-East coach Denard Bertram predicts greatness is ahead for Roadrunners sophomore Shane Cherry – the 5Star Preps Underclassman of the Year.
Bertram said Cherry is cut from the same mold as some of the legendary A-E players of the past like Elston Turner, Rob Jones and Leroy Thompson.
“You’re only going to get a guy like him every 20 years,” said Bertram.
“Austin-East has a great history of great basketball, and he wants to be better than those guys. Shane wants to bring the program back to prominence and he is devoted to being the best basketball player he can be.”
Halfway through his high school career, the 5-foot-10 Cherry is already mighty good – and he has tradition-rich A-E headed in the right direction.
Cherry scored 898 points (28.1 scoring average) last season and already has 1,467 points for his career.
Cherry’s all-around game is progressing nicely as well.
He also averaged four rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 steals an outing during the 2022-23 season.
But it’s on offense where Cherry has them dazzled.
So much so that schools like Tennessee and Auburn have already offered the lightning-fast Cherry scholarships.
“What I do best is get to the basket and I like to score fast,” said Cherry, who was a Class 3A Mr. Basketball finalist.
Bertram said Cherry is already as explosive as any guard in the state.
“When he has the ball in his hands he’s dangerous,” said Bertram.
“Obviously, he can score at every level. He has all of the offensive tools to put the ball in the hole. You can’t guard him with just one (player). The way he contorts his body and jumps over people is crazy.”
Cherry’s uncanny athletic ability has been a constant during his high school career.
He said his game progressed in others areas last season.
“My attitude changed a lot,” said Cherry.
“I had to be more of a leader last year.”
Bertram said that was never more apparent following the Roadrunners’ slow start.
“We started league play 0-4 and he (Cherry) said ‘I got you coach,’” recalled Bertram.
“Then, we went to Catholic, which was a game everybody thought we’d lose.”
Instead, Cherry led the Roadrunners to a 65-63 upset at Catholic on Jan. 7.
That sparked a 12-4 run to end the season, which included three close losses to chief rival and eventual state champion Fulton.
The other defeat was a 54-53 setback at White County in the state sectionals.
Bertram said the groundwork has been planted for Cherry’s next two years at A-E.
“A lot of guys can score, but when you’re a winner that sells differently,” said Bertram.
“Shane will do whatever it takes for his team to win. He wants to see his teammates succeed. Shane could go (to high school) anywhere he wants, but he wants to bring a championship back to Austin-East.