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To see the kind of teammate Kyle Cloninger is, one would just have to ask him his favorite game from the 2022-2023 basketball season.

The season was filled with a lot of personal accomplishments and high-scoring games from Cloninger. However, when asked which one was his favorite, his answer was about none of those moments.

“The Jeff game we had here was pretty awesome, with Mason (Smith) hitting those six three’s in the third quarter,” Cloninger said. “That was pretty hype for everybody.”

While his ability to score points goes beyond the norm, it’s the type of teammate he is that sets Cloninger apart. Because of that, Cloninger has been named the Citizen Tribune Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“Ultimately, winning comes first when it comes to Kyle,” Morristown East coach Alden Collins said. “You hear him say his favorite game is one of his buds lighting it up. That’s what comes first to him, just winning and a memorable experience. He’s just an example of getting in the gym and putting in the extra work. His basketball IQ is unmatched. He’s everything you want in a player.”

From the very beginning, it was a different season for Cloninger. Starting the first two seasons of his high school career with veteran leadership on the floor, Cloninger was able to sit back in terms of a leadership.

The roles dramatically shifted as Cloninger was the only starter on this year’s team with any significant varsity experience.

Going in, Cloninger just focused on making himself the best player he could be and the excitement of getting to play with guys he’s grown up playing alongside.

“It was definitely different,” Cloninger said. “I knew I was going to have to be a scoring threat again like I have been in the past. I was definitely excited and nervous because I have grown up playing with these guys my whole life.”

For Cloninger, he had a good example of what a leader should look like with the previous year’s senior class. That group, along with two years starting experience, helped Cloninger to get his teammates comfortable in those starting roles early on.

“It helped a lot,” Cloninger said. “I felt way more comfortable than they probably did, so I was able to give them advice. Those seniors last year all wanted to win, so I tried to get these guys to work as hard as they did in everything they did and try and get as far as we could.”

Once the season started, it was off to the races for Cloninger as he averaged 24.4 points per game. He scored 757 total points in the season, the fourth most in school history in a season. He eclipsed the 1,000 and 1,500 career point markers and was the District 2-4A Player of the Year, as well.

For Cloninger, he knew it could be a special season for him just a few games in. After scoring 16 points in their opening game at Fulton, the ‘Canes went to Alcoa on a Saturday to play two games. There, Cloninger scored 35 points in game one and followed it up later in the day with 30 points in game two.

“I had struggled a little at Fulton scoring, but then we went to Alcoa and had two good games and I knew I was going to have to take that role and score a lot more than maybe I originally thought I was going to have to do,” Cloninger said.

The scoring didn’t stop after those first couple of games for Cloninger as he scored 30 against Science Hill, 38 against Daniel Boone, 30 against Bearden, 38 against McCreary Central and 36 against Greeneville.

However, while the scoring was impressive all season for Cloninger, it was also his ability to find the open teammate when opponents decided to double-team him. Not used to having that happen, Cloninger looked to his coaches for guidance on what to do when the defense collapsed in on him.

“They helped me a lot,” Cloninger said. “They encouraged me to be way more aggressive and to drive and kick it. Really, just trying to help others get open too. Not just scoring but that I just needed to create more for my teammates so that they could get an advantage and drive downhill and score some easy buckets too.”

For Collins, being able to sit back and watch Cloninger go to work was an enjoyable experience. While he knew two years ago when Cloninger first joined the East basketball team that he had a special talent, this season showed everyone else what Collins already knew.

“I think Kyle proved early on what he could do,” Collins said. “He’s always had the confidence to go up and play against really good opponents. I think he recognizes that he’s always one of, if not the best player on the floor. That confidence translated into a great year.”

Unfortunately for the ‘Canes, while they accomplished a lot, the season ended with an all too familiar scene. East won the regular season district title but came up just short in the district tournament championship to Sevier County. Then, the ‘Canes battled D-B in the region quarterfinals but came up just short. It was the fifth straight year D-B had ended their season.

However, while the end was not what they wanted, the ‘Canes will use that as motivation next year. East returns every single player from the 2022-2023 team.

“Hopefully, it will be a lot of motivation for us,” Cloninger said. “Just seeing how the season turned out this year, hopefully we can put in the work in the offseason and go even farther next year.”