MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 9 Southwind

Paul Edwards captured five state titles and rattled off 78 wins in a row as head basketball coach at Southwind Middle School in Memphis. So when Southwind High School opened in the fall of 2007, he was the natural choice to lead the basketball program.

Turns out, it was a pretty wise decision.

All Edwards has done is rattle off four 20-win seasons in a row and push the Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) program into the national spotlight. The 2012-13 campaign should be the best yet for the Jaguars behind the play of senior stars Johnathan Williams III and JaJuan Johnson.

"I think (the success) all stems from the middle school," Edwards said. "Even now, the middle school program is still good, probably one of the top teams in Memphis. It's a really good community with a lot of support and a lot to be proud of.



"The thing I'm most proud of is that all 18 seniors that have graduated from the program have scholarships – either basketball or academic."

Southwind will face a daunting schedule, but Edwards will stress to his team that the real challenge is at home. After a tournament win at the Rumble on the Ridge last November, the Jaguars entered the national rankings and stayed there all season. But things ended on a bitter note as a loss to Memphis East prevented them from reaching the state tournament.

City rival Ridgeway joined Southwind in the national rankings for much of the season and neither ended up winning a state title.

"In Memphis, it's so tough because there are so many good teams," said Edwards, whose team heads our Tennessee Preseason Basketball Fab 5. "We are hungry and we feel like it is our time, I just hope we can stay healthy and catch some breaks."

Southwind's last five years
2011-12 – 27-4 (Paul Edwards)
2010-11 – 26-5 (Paul Edwards)
2009-10 – 26-4 (Paul Edwards)
2008-09 – 22-8 (Paul Edwards)
2007-08 – 14-0 (Paul Edwards, school's first varsity season)

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Classification/Division:
TSSAA Division I Class AAA



Enrollment:
1,600

Opened:
2007

Head coach:
Paul Edwards (Sixth year as head coach, all at Southwind)

Career record:
115-21

Notable alumni:
Blake Johnson (Middle Tennessee State freshman), Charles Smith (Lipscomb freshman), Walter Davis (Florida A&M junior), Nick Mason (Idaho State junior), KeDorian Sullivan (Alcorn State/Northeast Mississippi Community College)

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Key returners:



Johnathan Williams III (6-8, Sr., F), No. 66 prospect in Class of 2013, Missouri verbal commit

JaJuan Johnson (6-4, Sr., G), No. 94 prospect in Class of 2013, Marquette verbal commit

Payton Hulsey (6-4, Sr., G), Lipscomb verbal commit

Deckie Johnson (6-4, Sr., G)

Dre'sean Looney (5-11, Sr., G)

Newcomers:



Ty Banks (5-7, Jr., G)

Marcus Deanes (5-10, Jr., G)

David Garrett (6-1, Jr., G)

Torrey Henry (6-0, Sr., G), transfer from Dallas

Circle the date:
Memphis will be buzzing Jan. 12 when preseason No. 1 Simeon rolls into town to face Southwind as part of the Penny Hardaway National Hoopfest. The teams also met at the event last year and Simeon headed back to Chicago with a 19-point victory. The Jaguars should be hungry to avenge that setback. Southwind also has an early-season showdown with Oak Hill Academy at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Kentucky.

Tournament time:
The Jaguars will be part of the loaded field at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., Dec. 18-22. How loaded? The 16-team championship bracket includes 11 teams featured in the MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25 as well as Montverde Academy, tabbed No. 3 in the Preseason Academy Top 10. Southwind also returns to the Rumble on the Ridge in Arkansas, an event that helped put them on the map a year ago after beating nationally ranked Scotlandville in the opening round and then Kentucky freshman Archie Goodwin and Sylvan Hills in the final.



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