The Tennessee high school basketball playoffs are underway. We have several high schools in the Bluff City that are perennial powerhouses, but one school is in the process of building a dynasty, and it starts with the coach.
There is no question about it; Memphis is a basketball city. We’ve had many star players and coaches come out of the Bluff City so it can be difficult to stand out especially at the private school level. Despite the odds being stacked against him, coach Dee Wilkes has transformed the FACS basketball program into borderline dynasty in Memphis.
“We built it from the ground up, I can say that," Wilkes said. "We were in the dumps when I first got here. We built it all the way to the top.”
Coach Wilkes took over at FACS 15 years ago, and since then, he has transformed the program.
In the early 2010s FACS struggled to win more than 12 to 13 games.
Now, coach Wilkes and the Crusaders have 5 20-plus win seasons in the past 7 years.
FACS is not just one of the best private school programs in Memphis, but one of the best overall programs in the state.
The Crusaders made it to the state championship in 2020 and claimed the school’s first ever state title in 2022.
“I mean I can’t describe it. It was the first time we won it and the team I won with was a group of kids I had since seventh, eighth grade'" Wilkes said. "They played AAU for me.”
Coach Wilkes knows winning is important, but it is not the only thing. He cares more about developing young men than the numbers in the win column.
“I want them to be good men because the basketball going to stop bouncing one day," Wilkes said. "You've got to have good grades. You've got to know how to treat people.”
“As a coach he teaches us to just be the best man we can be," FACS point guard, Jacob Walker said. " It is about more than just basketball.”
And this current team has a chance to mark their names in the FACS record books.
The Crusaders are in the playoffs for the third time in five years.
They are a young team with only two seniors and are led by district MVP, Jacob Walker.
The Junior averages a team-high 19 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Their other impact players are sophomores, MJ Hayes and Celo Jackson.
The duo averages a combined 30 points per game.
Another player who has made a name for himself this season is 6'6" Freshman, Antonio Mcgaughey.
"He (Mcgaughey) will be one of the best players to come out of Memphis," Wilkes said. "He can pass. He can do it all."
The team might be young, but they are confident.
“I’m confident in what we can do," Walker said. "As long as we stick to the game plan, we got it.”
The Crusaders will take on Silverdale Academy tomorrow night in the first round of the Division II Class A playoffs, at Tennessee Tech.