All-Area boys basketball: Stellar sophomore season nets Abernathy Player of the Year

Published 8:15 am Saturday, May 28, 2022

On a December night at Christian Heritage School, Jax Abernathy certainly had the attention of the Hamilton Heights Christian defense.

Everything was going in for the Lions’ sophomore standout.

Long-range bombs. Layups in traffic over the much bigger team from Chattanooga. Mid-range jumpers. Even free throws.

His 53 points held the attention of Hamliton Heights as he scored all but 20 of Christian Heritage’s points in a 73-70 win. He received more attention the next morning.

The 82.6% shooting night was enough to convince NCAA Division II Flagler College to send out Abernathy’s first collegiate scholarship offer.

He tweeted it out the morning after.

“I’ve had good games before, but that one definitely sticks out,” Abernathy said, recalling the night a few months later. “It just felt like I couldn’t miss. I just kept shooting. As soon as I made a couple the rim looked like it kept getting bigger.”

“I came in the locker room and my teammates were telling me how much I had,” the guard said. “I didn’t even know.”

Abernathy’s coach, Tyler Watkins, didn’t know the exact number either, but he did know the Lions needed just about every one of those 53 points to eek out a win against a star-studded and size-loaded team.

“A lot of people score a lot of points, but this was a team that is nationally ranked and has a seven-footer in the middle that has an offer from Kansas,” Watkins said.

That’s 6-foot-11 Somto Cyril, a five-star prospect who has an offer from the defending national champions Jayhawks among several others. Abernathy is among the Lions’ tallest players at 6-foot-4.

“I think he only missed four shots all night,” Watkins said of Abernathy. “I had no idea how many he had. He was obviously making everything. I was just wondering if it was going to be enough.”

It was enough that night, and although Abernathy couldn’t hope to maintain that scoring pace over a season, he still got his points, no matter how much attention he drew from teams that now — definitely — had him on the radar.

“What was special about this year is everybody knew about him,” Watkins said. “Last year he had an incredible season and averaged 20 a game as a freshman. This year, everyone knew who he was, and no one could stop him.”

Abernathy averaged 24.8 points per game on an efficient 60% shooting clip on shots inside the arc and 40% behind it.

The steady sophomore added five rebounds, two assists and two steals per game on his way to a Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State selection.

For his superior play, Abernathy has been named the 2022 Dalton Daily Citizen Boys All-Area Basketball Player of the Year.

“After the 53-point game I thought I might have a shot,” Abernathy joked about receiving the award.

Abernathy came into his sophomore campaign having garnered plenty of accolades already. He was named the Region 7-A Private Player of the Year as a freshman and helped lead the Lions on a run to the state Final Four.

That team had a few stalwart senior starters, and Abernathy was among a group of younger players set to take on more of a leadership role with Nash Bingham and Evan Lester departing.

“Coming in as a freshman, it’s always good to have seniors that can lead the team,” Abernathy said. “With them gone, it was a big piece missing.”

“He really just came back and showed us even more of what he could do,” Watkins said.

That’s not to say Abernathy took on much more of a vocal role. The slashing guard plays with a quiet confidence that Watkins said both inspires teammates and frustrates opponents.

“He’s always just cool, calm and collected. Every team puts their best defender on him and tries to push him and hit him, but you just can’t rattle him,” Watkins said. “He’s locked in. He’s not always outspoken, but he leads by example. It’s been exciting to watch him grow in that area. He just doesn’t get emotional on the court. He kind of stays the course.”

After big plays or bad ones from Christian Heritage, Abernathy was there, stone-faced, ready for the next play.

“I’m not one to really talk to the other team or anything,” Abernathy said. “I’m confident in myself and what I do, so I let my game do the talking.”

And talk it does.

Abernathy hits defenses with a multifaceted attack that Watkins can talk plenty about.

“Jax is just a special player. He’s a natural scorer that has the ability to score the ball in all three levels,” Watkins said. “There’s nothing that he really can’t do on the offensive end.”

Leave him open, he’ll knock down a 3-pointer at a 40% clip. Charge out to prevent a shot, he’ll use a quick, crafty first step to create space for a mid-range shot or go to the basket.

Once Abernathy reaches the hoop, he can put in an acrobatic layup with just the right amount of spin to bank it in, or he has the strength to finish through a foul.

“He has a unique ability to get in there and finish at a high level,” Watkins said. “He just makes plays and moves that leave you saying ‘Wow.’ It’s fun to watch.”

Watkins knows a thing or two about putting on a show as a Christian Heritage player too. Watkins was a standout guard for the Lions during his time in high school, winning the Daily Citizen’s All-Area Player of the Year in 2007, 15 years before coaching Abernathy to the award.

Abernathy can also hit open teammates on those adept drives to the goal, and, on the other end, he said he’s looking forward to proving he can defend, too.

“I think I can impact the game with my scoring, getting someone open or my defense,” he said.

Abernathy helped lead the Lions back to the playoffs in 2021-22, but a first-round loss to Mount Vernon left Christian Heritage players and coaches wanting more.

“The season didn’t end how we wanted to,” Abernathy said. “I thought we could have gone further, we just had a bad game.”

Abernathy, already a 1,000-point career scorer before he hits his junior season, says a deeper playoff run is the goal for his final two seasons of high school basketball.

Abernathy is counting on his play continuing to draw attention from college recruiters. After high school, he has his sights set on the next level.

“I want to play Division I. That’s been my goal ever since I started playing.”