B.J. Edwards (5), Knoxville Catholic. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Both entered the day favored to earn state tournament berths.
But that didn’t mean it was a given.
Nevertheless, the boys basketball teams from Catholic and Webb secured state tournament berths for next week’s Division II tournaments in Nashville.
Catholic (23-4), in its first season in Division II-AA, rose to the challenge and knocked off visiting Ensworth, 66-58, on Saturday. Sophomore point guard B.J. Edwards led the way with 28 points and eight rebounds, even picking up an offer from Georgetown following the game.
Senior forward Akeem Odusipe had 14 points, eight rebounds and five block.
Catholic led just 45-40 after three quarters. But Edwards poured in 11 of his points in the final quarter to seal the win.
“It’s just a blessing to be going to state,” said Edwards, a Mr. Basketball finalist. “Last year, when we lost in the (Region 2-AAA semifinals) to Oak Ridge, it really got to us.
“So this year, we knew what we had to bring and didn’t want that same feeling as last year. So we were focused.”
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Catholic hadn’t played a game since Feb. 18, so coming back after an 11-day hiatus was tough at first, Edwards said. But the Irish adjusted.
“The game was tough. (Ensworth) was up on us in the first quarter,” said Edwards. “But it’s always been close. And whenever (Handje) Tamba dunked on someone in the third quarter, that’s probably when our energy just went up and we went on a run.
“And that was the end of it.”
The Fighting Irish return to a state tournament for the first time since 2017, when they finished runner-up in Class AA. They have never won a state tournament.
Joining Catholic in the field will be Briarcrest Christian (23-5), Christian Brothers (18-10) and Bayl0r (16-9). The Division II-AA state semifinals will be held Friday afternoon at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.
WEBB SET TO DEFEND TITLE
The Webb School of Knoxville won it all in 2019, the first boys’ basketball state title in program history.
Via their 70-61 win Saturday, the Spartans will have a chance this coming week to defend that Division II-A crown.
Webb (25-6) stormed to a 35-21 halftime lead at home Saturday and ramped that 14-point buffer to 21 by the end of the third.
Two of Webb’s senior leaders Tariq Daughton and Uriah Powers led Webb with 24 points and 23 points, respectively. Fellow senior Luke Burnett added 11.
The Webb Spartans. Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Webb – Bell Buckle had its season end at 30-4. Senior guard J.J. Platt had 21 points. The Feet played without 5-star prospect and Tennessee signee Keon Johnson (meniscus), as they had virtually all season.
Would it have mattered? That’s tough to assess. What is known is that Webb’s offense has been difficult to guard for opponents this postseason. The margins of victory have been expansive.
The persistent cutting, motion, proper spacing and ball-sharing wears opponents down over the course of four quarters.
It’s a system that has evolved under Webb coach Ricky Norris’ direction, though he cites Doug Novak (Bethel College, Minneapolis), Randy Nesbit (Roane State) and John Schulman (Alabama-Huntsville) for being major influences.
It takes unselfish, skilled and veteran players — who can play on the perimeter — to make it run at its utmost potential, which it has been in 2020.
“When you look at our lineup, we have five guys who are a threat to shoot it, a threat to put it on the floor, and they can all pass,” said Norris following Webb’s 41-point win over TKA on Feb. 13. “And then, we are really big about spacing, ball movement and player movement.
“And out of that, there’s obviously all kinds of stuff that we try to do. So that’s the premise. But the most important thing is: culturally, we understand what good offense is. You hear it a lot (here). ‘We’re looking for Webb’s best shot.’ Not Luke’s, Tariq’s or Uriah’s. That’s so hard in today’s world. That’s why, for a lot of people, it’s hard for them to play here. It takes time, but our guys are completely bought into that.”
Webb will be joined in the Division II-A boys’ Final Four by Lausanne (25-6), Evangelical Christian (19-9) and FACS (23-3). Lausanne eliminated Grace Christian, 62-39, on Saturday and boasts 6-10 forward Moussa Cisse, the No. 8 player in the country in the Class of 2021.
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