Briarcrest & CBHS Are Still the Faces of Their League
Fresh off a state title run, Briarcrest is still on a basketball high, and they should be. Will they miss their all-time leading scorer in school history? Yes, they will. Cooper Haynes had a really good career there and he’s off to Belmont University. Who is next up as the face of the program? The answer to that is Fred Smith Jr. The 6’8 (maybe 6’9) Smith is ready to lead and I think he is capable of that. There is a lot to like about Smith. What are the underrated facets of his game? The ability to pass, score around the bucket, draw fouls, make jumpers from 15 and beyond, handle end to end and finish or find, basically everything… The entire skill set should be on display this year.
He can catch, face and attack from the wing and high post area and while he does a good job of rebounding, I’d love to see him become more engaged on that end. I think he can get 12-14 rebounds a night and have some nights where he has 15 or more with multiple assists as well. His teammate and PG, Greg Spight is a another who should make a big step this year in his development. The ball will be in his hands a lot and he will be asked to navigate a tight ship. He will have some freedom to make shots, which he does well. The 10-15 ft pull-up he makes regularly, and he has another gear he turns on to get to the rim. He sees the court well and he shows a lot of confidence in himself and his ability.
Others to watch for them, Parker Pounds, a 6’4 2026 who can make the perimeter jumper and gives them some length as well. Landon Rodgers should also give them good minutes, as well as some shooting and ball handling duties at times.
Christian Brothers will always been in contention, but things are different this year. First, their best overall player, Keeper Jackson is no longer with there. While that is a big blow a new name will emerge for them this season: Carson Chandler. Chandler averaged over 23 points per game during the summer. Chandler played last year and had some nice games, but this year, he along with BJ Brown seems to be their main duo.
Let me go ahead and say this, Chandler is a top 5 shooter in the city no doubt. He’s not just shooting it though; he’s become a willing driver of the ball which makes him tougher to guard. You have to respect his shooting ability and if he’s doing that now, it opens up a lot more scoring opportunities for himself and teammates.
Brown is one of the better prospects in the city at the point guard position. He is really poised, sets up others for easier shots, creates plays in the lane and finds ways to score when his team needs it. Like some other players in the city, I think his value as a point guard is underappreciated but if you watch him play long enough, you see his worth. CBHS has some other players who will provide timely shots and contribute in other ways, but they will need those 2 to be there every game, all year.
