Fulton County (15-9, First District Champions) v. Heath (18-11, Second District Runner-Up)

Head to Head...January 22 @Graves County...Fulton County defeated Heath 55-45.

Last five games...Fulton County 4-1, Heath 3-2

Games decided by five points or less...Fulton County 5-3, Heath 4-5

When scoring 60 points or more...Fulton County 7-1, Heath 13-3

When scoring less than 60 points ...Fulton County 8-8, Heath 5-8

Average points per game...Fulton County 57.9 , Heath 59.2

Average points allowed per game...Fulton County 54.4, Heath 53.8

Against the regional tournament field...Fulton County 4-4 , Heath 4-7

Strength of schedule...Advantage, Heath.  The Pirates three district battles with Tilghman would probably be enough to give them the advantage, but Heath also met Graves County twice and Marshall County and Calloway County once.  Heath also had games with a pair of talented northwest Tennesse teams in Union City and Lake County, plus a meeting with 21-win Lyon County.  The most impressive entries on Fulton County's slate are single games with Graves County, Paducah Tilghman, a good Campbell, GA club, and two battles with Ballard Memorial and a pair of wins over Carlisle County.

Mr. Smith Meets the Jett-Set...Leonard Smith will be the best player on the floor in tonight's quarterfinal, and if he brings his A-game and max effort, he will be difficult to contain.  The 6-5 junior averages 18.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, and he'll be capable of going for 25 and 20 if he is at his best.  Smith possesses a soft shooting touch, and he can make jumpers out on the floor, but he must be diligent in not only attacking the basket, but also staying around it where he can dominate the glass.  If he get deep post touches, Smith will either score or get fouled.  And he'll get plenty of help from frontcourt partner Shun Udley, another strong 6-5 presence in the paint.  Udley averages nearly a double-double with 9.4 points and 9.6 rebounds a night.  Heath is one of the few First Region teams that have the physical presence, in both size and depth, to deal with the Pilots' imposing front line.  The Pirates are led by sophomore Jacob Jett, a powerfully built 6-4 forward who has consistently improved his production throughout the year.  Jett is good for 10.4 points per game and nearly seven rebounds per contest, and he'll get plenty of help from 6-3 ConDillard Howard, a very good athlete with a tremendous wingspan who uses his reach to great effect on the glass.  Heath would love to get 6-6 wing scorer Drew Robinson back in the mix, but he continues to be slowed by an ankle injury...that could mean more minutes for David Wallace, a very physical presence more than willing to bang under the backboards.

Athletes in Action...There will be no shortage of terrific athletes in this game, many of whom have already been highlighted.  The two best athletes on the floor, however, are likely to be Heath's Tra Tharp and Fulton County's Dylan Johnson.  Tharp is a powerfully built six-footer, one who combines fantastic leaping ability with great speed and quickness.  Tharp is a terrific guard rebounder because of his physical abilities, and he can be a defensive force as well.  His offense has taken a great leap in his senior year, and he reaches double figures nightly thanks to his ability to raise above defenders to knock down mid-range jumpers.  The Pilots' Johnson is impossibly long at 6-3, and he covers a ton of ground on both ends of the floor...and he does it in a hurry.  The season-long averages for Johnson are 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, but his production has really been on the upswing down the stretch.  At least one of these game-changers will be huge tonight...and that guy's team may be moving on to the semifinals.

Fair-Jordan...They are different as players, and they likely will go head-to-head very little tonight, but Fulton County's Ladevin Fair and Heath's Brock Jordan will both play pivotal roles in their respective team's performance.  Fair is Fulton County's primary ball-handler, and he both scores (9.3 ppg) and distributes (3.3 apg), and he has done a tremendous job this year serving as a settling presence that keeps the Pilots under control.  Fair is quick and strong for his size, and he does a nice job getting where he wants to go on the floor.  Jordan provides Heath its veteran leadership, and while he has ceded much of his point guard's responsibilities to speedster Damien Bolen, Jordan can still run the team when needed.  He has moved off the ball to take advantage of his fine shooting (37.8 3FG%), and when the game is on the line, it will be back in his hands (81.1% FT).  Jordan's ability to knock down shots will be huge against Fulton County's zone, and it may be his handle and free throw shooting that has to close things out down the stretch.

In the Zone...This game could be a fabulous chess match, and it stands to be the most intriguing quarterfinal along with Marshall County's 63-53 win over Ballard Memorial.  Fulton County's win over Heath in the All-A regional was marked by the Pilots holding Heath to 1-19 three-point shooting (and 16-56 shooting overall), and it has been Fulton County's excellence in a 2-3 zone that has made them very effective defensively.  The Pilots are quick, long, athletic, and strong within the zone, and they have had a knack for making teams settle for contested jumpers and only one shot on the offensive end.  If they can replicate the performance, they should continue to move on.  You look at the game on the surface, and it would appear that a half-court game might favor Heath, but the evidence we have says that the grind favors the Pilots, and that Heath must find a way to up the tempon and get the game going up and down the floor.  If they don't...or cant'...will the Heath coaching staff look to limit limit the touches of Leonard Smith?  Would the Pirates play some sort of exotic zone?  The game could come down to outside shooting, and that makes Heath's Drew Wrinkle, Chase Bradley, and Jordan key, as well as Fulton County's Jordan Davis and Shaq Day.  One thing we can guarantee is that rebounding will matter, and in a very big way.  If one team owns the glass, book them a dance on Monday night.

Fulton County wins...

• If Smith goes for at least 20 points and 15 rebounds
• If they make at least six threes and/or shoot 40% or better from the arc
• If they outrebound the Pirates by a +10 margin or more
• If they hold the Pirates to 35% shooting from the field and fewer than 15 made FT

Heath wins...

• If they limit the Pilots to fewer than 30 points in the paint
• If they force 15 turnovers or more
• If they break even on the glass
• If they make eight threes and/or shoot 40% or better from the arc