Memphis area girls basketball playoffs: Storylines, hot takes and top players in playoffs
The TSSAA girls basketball state tournament hasn’t been kind to the Memphis area high school girls basketball programs. Hutchison, which won in 2021, and Northpoint, which won in 2016 and 2017, are the last teams to win titles from the area. That’s in Division II.
The last time a Division I gold ball came back to Memphis was in 2011 thanks to Memphis Central. Bartlett reached the title game last season, but lost to Bradley Central.
Can a Memphis area team get over that hump? Here’s what else to anticipate as the TSSAA playoffs begin this week with district tournaments for Division I programs and region tournaments for Division II.
Three storylines to know for TSSAA basketball playoffs
Bartlett runs District 15-4A
For the third straight season, the Panthers are regular-season District 15-4A champions. They went undefeated in league play. They enter the TSSAA basketball playoffs as The Commercial Appeal’s No. 1 team in the area. Can they keep up that momentum for a second straight district tournament title, and can that spill over to back-to-back region titles?
Hutchison will be a dangerous team in TSSAA basketball playoffs
The Sting were the last girls basketball team to bring home a TSSAA basketball gold ball. While it isn’t necessarily set in stone, they are ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll. They could be a team that gets hot at the right time in the Division II-AA playoffs and return to the state tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2021.
Don’t sleep on Memphis East
The Mustangs, led by senior guard Tristan Spearman, have had a phenomenal season. East defeated Whitehaven for the first time in two seasons in overtime. They could storm through the region tournament and do what Whitehaven did a year ago and pull off an upset in the region semifinals.
Three hot takes for Memphis area girls basketball playoffs
Bartlett girls is best chance to end Division I title drought
No pressure, but Bartlett is the best chance for the gold ball to come back to Memphis in Division I for the first time since Memphis Central did it in 2011.
Whitehaven makes second state tournament appearance
With the addition of Tierney Kelsey, Lynn Smith’s Tigers are in position to return to the TSSAA basketball state championships for the first time since 2020. They should enter the region tournament as a No. 1 or 2 seed and play for a region title.
Starkville on upset alert?
Hernando has won the past 11 games, the most recent loss coming at the end of December. While Starkville is ranked the No. 8 team in Mississippi per MaxPreps, Hernando won’t be an easy first-round matchup.
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15 Memphis area players to know for girls basketball playoffs
Anna Lee Avery, Houston, Sr.: Avery is one of the top scores for the Mustangs this season, averaging more than 18 points per game.
Carlyn Burdette, Collierville, Sr.: Burdette is averaging more than 20 points per game with the Dragons.
Allie Carroll, Lewisburg, Sr.: Carroll is averaging 14 points and 9.3 rebounds this season with the Patriots.
Shelby Gray, Trezevant, Sr.: Gray is averaging 22.6 points per game this season with the Bears.
Carrington Jones, Bartlett, Sr.: Jones is averaging more than 15 points per game this season.
Ava Jones, Hutchison, So.: Jones is averaging 15 points, 8.5 rebounds per game this season for Hutchison. She's also shooting 65.7% from the field.
Tyler Jones, Hutchison, Jr.: Jones is averaging 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals per game with the Sting.
Fran Kelly, Hernando, So.: Kelly is averaging more than 20 points per game this season with the Tigers.
Tierney Kelsey, Whitehaven. Sr.: Kelsey is the leading scoring for the Tigers, averaging 20 points per game.
Amani Lipscomb, Houston, Sr.: Lipscomb is the Mustangs' second-leading scorer with 10.7 points per game.
Jairya Rankins, Center Hill, Sr.: Rankins is averaging 14.2 points and 8.2 rebounds this season with the Mustangs.
Hilary Shikuku, Collierville, Sr.: Shikuku is averaging about 18 points per game this season with the Dragons.
Tristan Spearman, Memphis East, Sr.: Spearman is averaging 16.7 points per game for the Mustangs.
Curnesha Taylor, Memphis Business Academy, Sr.: Taylor is averaging about 20 points per game for the Executives this season.
Markala Terry, Fayette-Ware, Sr.: Terry is averaging 21.6 points per game this season for the Wildcats.
Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @wynstonw__.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TSSAA basketball playoffs: Top storylines, hot takes and players to know from Memphis-area
