Carson-Newman Basketball Position Previews: The Backcourt
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the first part in a two-part series breaking down the Carson-Newman men’s basketball program’s positions for 2021-22. This feature chronicles the Eagles’ guards with assistance from sophomore Nick Brenegan.
VIDEO: Nick Brenegan Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the first part in a two-part series breaking down the Carson-Newman men's basketball program's positions for 2021-22. This feature chronicles the Eagles' guards with assistance from sophomore Nick Brenegan.
Carson-Newman returns every player from its backcourt from a year ago, including 2021 honorable mention All-SAC selections Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) and Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.)
"We know what everyone can do," Brenegan said. "We're trying to make little improvements in everyone's games. We work as a team, share the ball, no who. No when. We are all about being nameless and faceless."
Davis has re-wrote the record book in his first senior season. He entered rarefied air on Feb. 15 when he dropped 44 on Benedict. He tied Chris Jones and Mike Ogan for the third most points in a single game in school history.
Davis scored 19 in the first half before tallying 25 after halftime. He was clutch in the final five minutes, going 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. He scored 15 points in the final 9:15 of the contest. He knocked down the second most free throws in a game that day when he went 18-of-19 from the charity stripe. He earned SAC and TSWA for that week and TSWA Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 25 as well.
"Tripp is coming into his seventh preseason of college basketball," Brenegan said with a laugh. "He knows the ropes and its fun to learn from him and play with him."
Davis averaged a team-best 13.0 points per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. He knocked down 81-of-97 free throws to lead the Eagles at the charity stripe. Against Mars Hill on Feb. 18, Davis joined former All-American Kyle Gribble as the only C-N players with seven steals in a game.
A noted thief, Davis' 53 steals ranked sixth nationally and tops in the SAC. His 2.41 steals per game registered as the 11th most in the country. He ranked second in C-N history in single season steals per game and 15th for steals in a season. Davis led C-N in steals for 12 straight games to close the year.
Meanwhile, the elder Brenegan brother was a 22-game starter last year en route to All-SAC honors.
Brenegan was a hyper efficient shooter and the Eagles' fourth leading scorer. He averaged 10.8 points per game while leading C-N with 72 assists to go with 2.7 rebounds per game.
Brenegan was more efficient from long range than he was from the field, shooting 41.7 percent from three and 41.6 from the field in general. He canned a team-best 50 threes, knocking down a triple in all but two games on the year. He knocked down multiple threes in 16 games on the year, including four or more five times. He topped out with a 5-of-8 barrage against Anderson (2/3), which helped him earn both SAC and TSWA Player of the Week honors.
Brenegan averaged 17 points per game for the week on a slash line of 59.3 percent shooting from the field, 60 percent shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 100 percent effort from the free throw line. He started the week Monday with a 15-point performance in a 91-55 shellacking of Limestone. He followed that up Wednesday with a stat-sheet stuffing against Anderson in a 95-59 win. He had 19 points to go along with five assists, two boards and two steals. The junior concluded the week Saturday in an 81-62 beating of Catawba with 17 points, including 14 in the second half to go with four boards and a pair of dimes dropped.
"Luke is just a coach on the floor," Brenegan said. "He is a leader who controls the game and tempo. He makes the right plays. That's who he is and what he's always been about."
Brenegan scored in double digits 11 times with a career-high 22 against Catawba (2/13) in which he went 5-for-11 from the field, 4-for-7 from three and a flawless 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. He knocked down 82.7 percent of his free throws for the year. His 2.5 threes made per game are tied for the third-most in the SAC while his 43.5 percent effort from long range is the league's ninth best figure and fifth-best among players who can multiple triples a game. His three-point efficiency ranks him 10th all-time for a single season at Carson-Newman.
Meanwhile, the younger Brenegan brother came off the bench in 20 games for Carson-Newman in his freshman season. An efficient marksman, Brenegan knocked down 48.2 percent of his shots and a team-best 46.5 percent of his threes. He averaged 4.3 points per game while scoring in double digits twice - a 16-point night against Benedict (2/15) and a 10-point effort at Mars Hill (2/18). He knocked down multiple threes in seven games, including four straight from Feb. 1 through Feb. 10. He had a season-best four boards in a home game against Mars Hill (2/17). He also dished out three assists that game, a feat that he matched at Lincoln Memorial (1/27).
"I just want to keep slowing the game down," Brenegan said. "I want to know my role and keep helping the team out."
The Eagles have loads of experienced depth with Caleb Bridgewater (Charlotte, N.C.), Trey Smith (Boiling Springs, S.C.) and Jarius Satterfield (Clarksville, Tenn.) all coming off the bench.
Smith came off the bench in 12 games for C-N. He averaged 2.2 points per game while knocking down 37.5 percent of his shots and 31.3 percent of his threes. Satterfield was 3-for-5 from the field on the year and 2-for-3 from long range. He buried triples against UVA Wise (2/10) and at Mars Hill (2/18). Bridgewater appeared in four games in his red-shirt sophomore season. He scored three poins on the year, canning a triple against Limestone (2/1). He grabbed two boards against UVA Wise (2/10).
"We need to stay locked in the moment," Brangan said. "We don't want to look to far forward in the future. It starts practice by practice and continues game by game."
Carson-Newman added one player in the backcourt in Sevier County's John Zhao.
A 6-4, 180-pound guard who played for Ken Wright at Sevier County High School. Zhao was a member of the 2020 All-District and All-Tournament teams. He helped the Smoky Bears to a pair of district tournament titles as well as a regional and sub-state title in 2019. He was named the District 2-AAA Player of the Year and the IMAC Player of the Year as a senior. He earned 5Star Preps Player of the Week honors after scoring 40 points on eight made threes in a win over Fulton. Zhao averaged 23.5 points per game as a senior to go along with six boards, three assists and two steals per game.
"He's a super efficient scorer," Brenegan said. "He makes the right plays. Keeps it simple, takes open shots and gets the job done."
Carson-Newman's position previews conclude Wednesday with the forwards.
