Preview: Pope John Paul II Knights vs. McCallie Blue Tornado
Pope John Paul II is 0-10 against McCallie since January of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Pope John Paul II Knights will look to defend their home court against the McCallie Blue Tornado at 7:00 p.m. Pope John Paul II has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 647 points over their last eight matchups.
Last Monday, Pope John Paul II faced Baylor in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Pope John Paul II took a 73-69 hit to the loss column at the hands of Baylor. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Pope John Paul II in their matchups with Baylor: they've now lost six in a row.
Despite their loss, Pope John Paul II saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Trey Pearson, who scored 17 points along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Fred Bailey, who scored 23 points.
Meanwhile, McCallie put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past Notre Dame with points to spare, taking the game 48-29. Given McCallie's advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while Notre Dame is ranked 317th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
McCallie had a senior duo take command as Parker Robison scored 18 points along with 5 steals and Kenneth Chime dropped a double-double on 11 points and 10 rebounds. The contest was Robison's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Ryan Wingard was another key contributor, scoring 8 points.
Pope John Paul II's defeat dropped their record down to 7-1. As for McCallie, they have yet to lose a match on the road this season, leaving them with a 7-0 record.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Pope John Paul II have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 50.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like McCallie struggles in that department as they've made 51.6% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
Pope John Paul II lost to McCallie at home by a decisive 68-53 margin when the teams last played back in December of 2019. Can Pope John Paul II avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
