GRAY DEYOSports Writer

After competing in the state championship for the first time in school history, the Wildcat basketball program is already hard at work to get back. Some familiar faces and new players of Tullahoma took the floor on June 5 in a summer tournament in the Wildcats’ home gym.

There are big holes that will need to be filled next year, with the two leading scorers of Tullahoma taking their talents right down the road to Motlow College. That being the flashy backcourt of Xavier Farrell and Khani Johnson. There were a few glimpses of where that scoring might be coming from in one of the Wildcats’ scrimmages, with up-and-coming juniors Noah Jones and Alex Miller leading the way for Tullahoma.

Miller had sprinkled minutes for the majority of last year on the varsity Wildcat squad. However, he did have his name called quite a bit in a stretch of games, with the injuries of two of the Wildcats’ primary ball handlers, Keegan Taylor and Lukas Price.

In this extended run on the court, he displayed his quick twitch movements and handles, along with his high passing IQ.  Those skills were present again in their scrimmage against Warren County. He was racing past defenders, finding his open teammate, and his defense in hounding defenders also stood out. He has a chance to have a real impact at games on the varsity level this season.

A guy that Miller connected with on a couple of pick-and-rolls in the scrimmage was the now third-year big man Jones.  Jones played mainly a reserve role last year behind bigs Jayden Thompson and Austin Tinnon. But when he got his opportunities on the court, he was solid.

Unlike many bigs at the high school level, Jones’ coordination in the low post is leaps and bounds higher. He is comfortable catching the ball down low and moves his feet well to find avenues to score on the low block. He showed this on Thursday with several finishes around the rim. His rebounding also stood out, with him and another returning Wildcat, Colton Tinnon, grabbing board after board against the Pioneers.

Colton Tinnon, the younger brother of soon-to-be fourth-year big Austin Tinnon, ironically plays a lot like his older brother. Austin was an integral piece in Tullahoma’s first appearance in the state championship. His main skill that helped the team was his rebounding. A. Tinnon’s ability to not allow opposing teams to have second-chance opportunities, while creating them on the other side for the Wildcats, raised Tullahoma’s margin for victory dramatically. Colton on Thursday showed these same traits by snagging offensive boards over defenders on numerous occasions. His movement on defense also stood out, with him sticking and contesting shots continually.

The three second and third-year players have the opportunity and the skill to make a huge impact for the varsity team next year. Read Sunday’s edition of The Tullahoma News for a summary of some of the incoming freshmen and what impact they could have now and in the future on the Wildcat basketball program.