Ten (Knox Area) Freshman Starting off Right
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The young athletes below are definitely notable names that should be on your radar, if they aren’t already! The first few weeks of high school basketball was fun to watch! I’m excited to see how the rest of the season…
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Continue ReadingThe young athletes below are definitely notable names that should be on your radar, if they aren’t already! The first few weeks of high school basketball was fun to watch! I’m excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds!
Payton Rollins Payton Rollins 5'8" | PG South Doyle | 2027 State TN | 5’8 | CG | 2027 | South Doyle HS
Everyone expected this freshman phenom to start off the season hot! However, I’m not sure people were ready to see a stat line like these: 22 points, 9 rebounds, & 8 steals in her freshman debut. Rollins followed up with another standout game against Halls. Payton finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and my favorite stat (especially for a freshman) ZERO turnovers. Rollins already holds an offer from Chaminade University. The D1 & Power 5 interest is growing. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the show that Rollins continues to put on. It’s going to be a fun 4 years to cover this one!
Skylar Walden Skylar Walden 5'8" | PG The Kings Academy | 2027 State TN | 5’8 | PG | 2027 | TKA
Walden impressed people on the varsity team last year as an 8th grader! She will continue to impress everyone watching her over the next 4 years too! Her stats for a few of her first games include: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks vs a tough Heritage squad! 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals vs Cocke County. 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists vs Morristown West. This standout dropped seven 3 pointers in one game! Yes, she’s an elite passer, an elite shooter, & Walden is ELITE! A true point guard in the aspect that she’s a leader and makes every single player around her better! Holds offers to play at the next level including numerous D1’s!
Maddie Braden Maddie Braden 5'9" | SG CAK | 2027 State TN | 5’9 | CG | 2027 | CAK
Braden’s recruitment will soon sky rocket! A few stats from her early games include; 15 points & 7 rebounds vs Chattanooga Christian, 17 points and 2 rebounds vs Heritage, 12 points and 6 rebounds vs Farragut, & 18 points, 5 steals, and 3 blocks vs Lenoir City. If you don’t know Maddie Braden Maddie Braden 5'9" | SG CAK | 2027 State TN ‘s name, learn it fast! I have no doubt that Braden will continue to perform at a high level. The first time I watched her was at open runs with Coach Vez. It is hard to standout when you have so much talent running on one court but I left impressed with Maddie’s game that night. Trust me, go watch her & you will leave impressed too!
Kaliyah Burden Kaliyah Burden 5'8" | SG Sevier Co. | 2027 State TN | 5’8 | CG | 2027 | Sevier County HS
Burden plays so much taller and longer than 5’8! Her athletic ability to jump out of the gym makes her well over 6 foot! Some of Kaliyah’s stats include: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, & 2 blocks vs Hardin Valley and 14 points vs Cocke County! One of the best defenders in her class. When I talk about defense in the freshman class, I have Burden and Cox at the top! Kaliyah is extremely basketball savvy and you won’t think that she is a freshman when you get a chance to watch her. Burden does it all extremely well; rebounds, assists, defends, and scores. Offers for this one will soon start rolling in!
Jacy Cox Jacy Cox 5'8" | PG Alcoa | 2027 State TN | G | 2027 | Alcoa HS
Jacy is known for her shooting. Especially her 3 point shooting. Yes, she will win the 3 point contest and I can bet that she will win numerous ones over her high school career too. Jacy had 12 points, 4 steals, and 4 assists against Anderson County. Cox is the best on ball defender in the freshman class! Yes, THE BEST on ball defender in the class of 2027. Jacy’s time will come at Alcoa and don’t be surprised when you see her name everywhere in the state of TN! Keep working Jacy because your ceiling is extremely high!
Mattie Beard Mattie Beard 5'11" | PF Grace Christian | 2027 State TN | 5’11 | F | 2027 | Grace Christian
I don’t have stats for Mattie but I can tell you that she impacted every single game so far this year for her extremely young Grace squad. Beard will continue to impact every single game too. Mattie does all of the little things extremely well! Great form, great mechanics, smooth efficient shot, and a good two way player. I stated before, “The stock for this young star is going to sky rocket, BUY NOW!”
Payton Richmond-Watson Payton Richmond-Watson 6'0" | C Powell | 2027 State TN | 6′ | PF | 2027 | Powell
Payton is one of the strongest, fundamentally sound athletes that you are going to find in the 2027 class. Marsha Freese stated, “Elite rebounders do a couple key things. They hold box outs until the ball is coming off the rim, they start tracking the ball with their eyes the minute it leaves the shooters hand, and they know the only rebound your getting under the rim is a made one.” If Richmond is in the low block, she is rebounding and she isn’t going to stop! Crashes the boards hard and I love watching this one post up with her back to the basket. Steps out and knocks down open shots too! Yes, Richmond has already dropped a 20 point game and I won’t be surprised when she has more!
Faith Morris Faith Morris 5'7" | PG Heritage | 2027 State TN | 5’7 | SG | 2027 | Heritage HS
Faith’s energy on the court is one that definitely stands out. Morris had 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists against Maryville. Faith is an all out hustler on the court that all coaches appreciate. When you have Swaney and Heath on the court together points aren’t easy to come by because they both are definitely efficient. Faith knows her role and plays it extremely well! Morris knows her time is coming, and if she continues to work hard, she will be a name that we will hear from Heritage a lot!
Let’s travel down the road a little to add,
Karmine Carmichael Karmine Carmichael 6'0" | C Cocke Co. | 2027 State TN | 6′ | F | 2027 | Cocke County HS
Let’s say her name 3 times together now, Karmine Carmichael Karmine Carmichael 6'0" | C Cocke Co. | 2027 State TN , Karmine Carmichael Karmine Carmichael 6'0" | C Cocke Co. | 2027 State TN , Karmine Carmichael Karmine Carmichael 6'0" | C Cocke Co. | 2027 State TN . Do you know it now? You definitely should! Dropped 12 points and grabbed numerous boards in her freshman debut. She scored 27 points in one of her games already. TWENTY-SEVEN as a FRESHMAN! Extremely blessed with length and height and she knows how to use every bit of it! Blocks shots, alters shots, & will fill up an entire stat sheet. College coaches, write her name down, call her when you can, and follow her journey because she will be one of the best players!
Kayla Underwood Kayla Underwood 5'10" | SG Lakeway Christian Academy | 2027 State TN | 5’10 | G | 2027 | Lakeway Christian
This one is apparently a 4 sport athlete; Basketball, soccer, track, cross country, and I bet this extremely athletic young star could play any sport. Underwood is another 8th grader that played up last year on a good Lakeway Christian squad. One of the most athletic kids that you are going to find. Fills up an entire stat sheet! Extremely versatile so you can put her anywhere you want on the court! Kayla is another name that we are all going to continue to hear a lot about! She’s definitely climbing the charts fast!
Above are 10 freshman in or around the Knox County area. I could add 10-20 more. Our 2027 class is extremely loaded with talent!