How Hillsboro's Xavier Washington has MNPS close to TSSAA boys basketball state tournament breakthrough
His scream said it all.
Washington made all five of his 3-point attempts and scored a team-high 20 points on perfect shooting from the field, and the Burros will play for a TSSAA boys basketball state tournament championship for the first time since 1956 after defeating Bradley Central 63-48 in the Class 4A semifinals Saturday at MTSU's Murphy Center.
More: How Bronzden Chaffin's emotional side led to Upperman's to first-ever TSSAA basketball state title game
More: How Kasen Buie put Loretto on brink of a TSSAA boys basketball state championship
The celebration included a big bear hug from Hillsboro coach Rodney Thweatt when the starters went to the bench in the final seconds.
'We just put so much hard work in in the offseason … It was painful sometimes,' Washington said. 'This was the moment when it paid off. I was just excited to get out of the game and see all my teammates smile, because we knew the hard work we put in finally paid off.'
Hillsboro (33-5) held off a late Bradley Central (25-9) run and now has a chance to break a long Metro Nashville Public Schools drought. The district has not produced a Large Class boys basketball state champion since now-defunct Pearl's Class AAA title in 1981, and only two programs have won it altogether. Overton won the 1976 Class AAA title.
Many MNPS programs have tried — including talented Cane Ridge teams led by Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller in 2021 and 2022 — and failed.
'It's a lot of weight for the kids to carry representing an entire county or an entire city. But we're going to represent Metro to the best of our ability,' Thweatt said. 'Definitely the goal is to win it, and if we do we'll accept all of that responsibility or praise for breaking through that streak, for sure.'
The Burros have been an established Large Class power under Thweatt, going to six state tournaments since his hire in 2006 — seven including the 2020 tournament that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the Burros haven't been to a state title game since Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president, and this is just their second appearance ever. They have never won the championship.
Cortez Graham-Howard scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Tyren Fisher added 13 points and eight rebounds for Hillsboro, which got out to a 20-9 first-half lead only to see Bradley Central go up 27-26 with 7:30 in the third quarter.
Washington's 3-pointer moments later put Hillsboro up 31-27, and he put the game to bed with another trey with 4:08 in the fourth quarter to give Hillsboro its biggest lead to that point, 53-39.
Washington went through a cold stretch after the district tournament but kept coming in to the Hillsboro gym to shoot at 6 a.m. each morning.
'I get to work and he's already at a basket,' Thweatt said. 'That kind of commitment has to pay off at some point and it paid off in the second half. We didn't doubt one of those shots going in.'
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA boys basketball state tournament 2025: Hillsboro defeats Bradley Central
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
17 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Miguel Cairo can't worry about the past or tomorrow. It's about the next step.
Miguel Cairo emerged from the dugout on a Wednesday morning sporting a Nationals sleeveless hoodie and black shorts with leggings. Nationals Park was nearly empty — just fine for a morning workout instead of an evening ballgame. Nearly every day, Cairo does some sort of cardio. Washington's interim manager started running in 2022 during his tenure as the Chicago White Sox bench coach. After a 17-year playing career, he finds his knees bother him occasionally. Sometimes, he hops on a stationary bike. Other times, he jogs on the field.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is catching the eye of Dan Quinn
Washington Commanders seventh-round draft pick, Jacory Croskey-Merritt is turning heads at training camp, and they're only two days into it. Head coach Dan Quinn was asked what jumps out to him about Croskey-Merrit, and how does he fit into the running backs room? "Yeah, at that position, like I said, it's a hard one to evaluate in non-pads because you don't know, did the person make the tackle? Did he break the tackle? And so it's the offensive line, the defensive line, the running backs are sometimes the hardest," he said. "But what you can evaluate is the explosion on the cut, the assignment, was the read correct Having Anthony (Lynn, running backs coach) here is a really big deal, from a running back standpoint. He's got so much experience and can give the insight to the players to absolutely get them right. "But I think it's the violence of the cuts," he continued regarding Croskey-Merritt. "That he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast, so I'm very excited to see, once we get into some opportunities. Does he get tackled? Does he not? Does he run through some? But he's off to a really good start." The 245th overall pick, Croskey-Merritt was almost Mr. Irrelevant. But he's proving that his six seasons of collegiate experience were worth it. He played four seasons at Alabama State before transferring for one season to the University of New Mexico, finishing up his career at Arizona. Croskey-Merritt's draft status was hurt by an NCAA eligibility issue that cost him most of his final season at Arizona. He has spent the most time as a running back, but he has also been used as a receiver and a return man on special teams. If Croskey-Merritt doesn't see time on the field as a running back this fall, expect to see him on special teams at some point, especially if he keeps getting the attention of Dan Quinn. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Dan Quinn says Jacory Croskey-Merritt is 'off to a really good start'
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commanders' underdog rookie looking to go from zero-star recruit to NFL starter
Don't be surprised if rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt ends the 2025 season as one of the Washington Commanders' most popular players. Not only does "Bill" have a unique background, but he's also an underdog who has worked for everything. He won't let being a seventh-round pick in the NFL draft prevent him from making it in the NFL. Besides a unique nickname, more on that in a second, Croskey-Merritt is an outstanding talent. Here's what Washington coach Dan Quinn said about Croskey-Merritt recently. "I think it's the violence of the cuts that he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast," Quinn said. "So, I'm very excited to see once we get into some opportunities, does he get tackled? Does he not? Does he run through some? But he's off to a really good start.' Croskey-Merritt was a zero-star recruit coming out of Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama. He had no FBS offers, so he signed with FCS Alabama State. After a successful career at Alabama State, Croskey-Merritt wanted to play at a higher level, hoping to catch the eyes of the NFL. He transferred to New Mexico, rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. He still had one year of eligibility remaining and Arizona came calling. Croskey-Merritt transferred to the Wildcats and was poised for a big year. That's where the NCAA got in the way. After only game with Arizona, a game where Croskey-Merritt rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown, the NCAA ruled him ineligible. The NCAA had determined that Croskey-Merritt played more games than allowed during a redshirt year. Just like that, his college career was over. He wouldn't have the opportunity to show NFC scouts that he could dominate at the Power Four level. Instead of quitting the team and training, Croskey-Merritt stayed with the team and supported them every week. After a recent training camp practice, Croskey-Merritt explained his motivation to Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington. "That motivation comes from me just knowing what I have in myself," the rookie said. "Just knowing I was good enough to be with those guys, but I never looked at anyone else's race. I just kinda ran my own race. Just stayed down and kept working." So, why does everyone call him Bill? "I got the nickname Bill from having a bald head when I was little," Croskey-Merritt said in this YouTube video from the University of Arizona. "I used to have a low haircut, so people joked on me and said I looked like the character Little Bill. So it just stuck with me." Washington has two running backs guaranteed to make the 53-man roster: Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. Croskey-Merritt will battle Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. for either one or two spots, depending on how many running backs the Commanders keep. You have to like Croskey-Merritt's chances. Washington GM Adam Peters and assistant GM Lance Newmark, as well as some of the coaches, including Quinn, all light up when discussing "Bill." There are plenty of reasons why Croskey-Merritt will soon become a fan favorite. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What do the Commanders have in rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt?
