Brentwood celebrates its win over Oakland in the Class 4A sectional round The Bruins advanced to their seventh TSSAA state tournament with their 83-57 win over the Patriots. LINDSEY RUTLEDGE
Troy Crane made it a priority this offseason that his Brentwood boys basketball team would never forget the pain it endured last season.
The second-year Bruins head coach played the final clips of their season-ending loss to Nolensville in the District 10-4A tournament ad nauseam throughout the summer.
He made sure his players relived the five-point, upset loss to the Knights every moment they walked into the gym.
“We had clips playing during conditioning on the videoboard of the last few possessions,” Crane said. “We had some missed assignments, and it cost us the game. It played over and over.
“That early exit against Nolensville fueled them. I’m just the facilitator, and along for the ride. These guys came up with the goal to get back to state, and they did all the work to be successful.”
Brentwood (29-3) completed its return bid to the Class 4A state tournament with an 83-57 win over Oakland on Monday.
The Bruins ran away from the streaking Patriots to qualify for their second state tournament appearance in three years, and seventh overall.
Hudson McKnight and Davis Cochran paced the Brentwood offense with 26 and 23 points, respectively. Jackson McCutcheon joined them in double figures with 11 more to lead the Bruins to their highest scoring output since Feb. 10.
“I am just so happy for our team,” Crane said. “To do it at home makes it even more special.”
Cochran, who was just a freshman when his older brother Daniel guided the Bruins to The Glass House in 2024, entered Monday’s sectional averaging 22 points and eight rebounds in three playoff games.
He continued his dominance with 13 points in the first half against Oakland.
The 6-foot-9 forward roamed the baseline against Tony Rutland’s 2-3 zone and slammed down two dunks off feeds in the paint. He added a reverse layup, four free throws and a 3-point play to help build a 40-28 lead.
“A lot of people compare me to my brother, but at the end of the day we are two different players,” Cochran said. “I think I may have a little more fire in me than he did. He was a little bit more calm, but he taught me what it’s like to put the team on your back and be the guy the team needs you to be.”
McKnight and McCutcheon pitched in six 3-pointers to swell Brentwood’s lead to as many as 32 points in the second half. The Bruins closed the third quarter on a 12-0 run that included a reverse layup by Cochran and a pair of threes by McCutcheon and McKnight.
Crane emptied his bench early in the fourth quarter, where Cochran began celebrating early with the Bruins sideline. He walked up and down the bench high-fiving every one of his teammates and staff.
Postgame, Cochran climbed a tinted, blue ladder and retrieved a single stand of the net with a pair of black scissors. He waved it to the crowd and plucked it in his mouth on his descent.
“This is going to be a lifelong memory,” Cochran said. “To be able to come out here with my best friends, cut down the nets at home – that’s what every high school kid dreams of.”
Oakland (14-17), which sat at 3-15 in the middle of February in its first season under Rutland, ripped off an 11-game winning streak to claim the District 10-4A title and advance to the Region 5-4A championship game.
The Patriots lost on a buzzer-beater by Blackman’s Dorien Lyles, forcing Monday’s trip to Williamson County. They were paced by Josh Wiley who scored a team-high 25 points.
“There’s not many teams that can start 3-15 and find themselves in a substate game,” Crane said. “I have a lot of respect for Oakland and Coach Rutland for the job that they did.”
Brentwood 83, Oakland 57
B – 23, 17, 23, 20 – 83
O – 11, 17, 5, 24 – 57
Brentwood: Hudson McKnight 26, Davis Cochran 23, Jackson McCutcheon 11, Jake West 7, Miles Thames 4, Asher Hahn 3, Luke Mathey 3, Gray McAdams 2, Ezra Nieves 2, Luke Purifoy 2
Oakland (57): Josh Wiley 25 Eli Bell 9, Malik Sanders 6, Yeshiya Cobb 4, Carlos Crawford 4, Kemani Bass 3, Matt Moore 2, Brennan Vanderbilt 2, Lane Vernon 2