The Titans of West Forsyth have seen varying levels of success since their legendary alumni, Chris Paul, graduated from the program. They were a consistent group throughout the 2000s and even stayed afloat during the 2010s (including a three-year stretch of 66-19 from 2014-17), but eventually struggled to combat the increase in private and independent programs. For reference, their last winning season had the likes of KJ Henry, Ben Uloko, the LaRue brothers (Cooper and Maverick), and various others. They haven’t seen that accumulation of talent ever since. However, the hiring of Marlon Brim should bring a lot of optimism back to this program. Add in their noteworthy backcourt pairing, and this group should quickly turn things around.
In looking at Jacari Brim, there’s already a lot to like about his game and overall identity. He’s a wiry, crafty, poised guard who can comfortably create for himself and others or find constant success without the ball. During his freshman season, Brim was often tasked with running the team, getting others involved, and finding scoring chances within the flow of the action. He’s a polished three-level scorer, but his creation instincts and assist-to-turnover ratio (6:1.4) are certainly worth noting. Brim is a reliable on-ball defender with sharp IQ, quickness, and great instincts for forcing turnovers in the passing lanes. He makes quality decisions with the ball in transition, and plays pretty well through contact as a finisher. Given everything he’s shown over the last twelve or so months, folks should be excited about the rising sophomore.
His backcourt mate, Kenneth “Buddy” Bartlett, should also be a major difference-maker for this group. He offers another quick, heady, dynamic presence from the guard position. Bartlett is a useful floor general who can interchangeably swap ball-handling and creation duties with Brim. That being said, he’s also a great penetrator who can touch the paint at a high volume, make the proper reads as a playmaker, and finish as needed around the basket. Bartlett can also knock down jumpers at a nice percentage, and is capable of mirroring his assignment defensively. His speedy nature also makes him a problem for opponents in transition. Bartlett is only a sophomore, so it’ll be exciting to watch this pairing blossom over the next three seasons. Expect this group to capture their first winning record in five seasons and restore the Titans back to their former glory.