No. 3 Seminole County hands No. 1 Thomasville first loss

January 9, 2016 KyleSandy

No. 3 Seminole County 71, No. 1 Thomasville 65

No.1 Thomasville ready! @THSDOG pic.twitter.com/XJ4XnvYEQs

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 10, 2016

Jordan Harris heading to UGA. The crowd erupts. @15reneGAdes40 pic.twitter.com/dxok1u2ISq

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 10, 2016

The four hour trip was worth it. Defending AA state champs No. 3 Seminole County (12-3, 5-1) never trailed in the second half and held off No. 1 Thomasville (16-1, 4-1) 71-65 to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

Thomasville’s balance of four players in double figures was not enough on the road against the Batman and Robin duo of UGA signee Jordan Harris and Anfernee King in front of a raucous sold out crowd. The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and looked like their size consisting of 6-foot-8 brothers senior Alex and sophomore Reggie Perry and 6-foot-8 freshman Titus Wright, would overwhelm the much smaller Indians, topped by 6-foot-4 senior center Justin Washington, but the Jordan Harris show began.

Thomasville can go 6-foot-8 three deep across the frontline

Harris connected on two deep balls and scored 10 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter to enter the second period tied at 16. Senior Jordan Willis, Thomasville’s offensive catalyst at point guard, did not start and didn’t play in the first quarter for disciplinary reasons. As he was trying to find his flow in the game, Coach Benjamin Tillman relied on Shedric Cooper and Reggie Perry to get buckets. Perry, who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, scored six points in the first half while Cooper netted seven of his 10.

Sophomore Reggie Perry cleans up for @THSDOG pic.twitter.com/UygpIMRjqZ

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 10, 2016

Harris continued his onslaught in the second quarter hunting his own shot while still getting everyone involved. He entered the half with 18 points, swooping to the rim and cutting into Thomasville’s paint protectors. At the half the Indians held a 33-27 lead.

To open the third quarter, Thomasville slowed the track meet down and began looking to exploit their size advantage by dumping high-low looks to the Perry brothers. Three early attempts didn’t work with Harris coming away with a steal in Seminole County’s zone which was used to pack it in and not let the Perrys or Wright get point-blank looks.

Down 38-33 with five minute left in the third, Willis came away with a runout and tried to hammer in a dunk, but his attempt clanged off the back rim and landed in Tyreke Daniels’ hands. Daniels pushed the ball up and hit King in transition, who proceeded to bury a three-pointer to make it 41-33; a five-point swing.

Jordan Willis misses the hammer. Anfernee King turns it into 3 pic.twitter.com/3vJ2ZukktV

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 10, 2016

Alex Perry quickly answered back inside with a sweeping hook shot that resulted in an And-1, but Harris was not to be out done. In the highlight of the night, better than his alley oop dunk from the hands of King and numerous Perry slams, Harris went between his defender’s legs, re-controlled his dribble and hit a step back fade away from just inside the arc. He pulled off the nutmeg so quickly, that most fans didn’t even realize what he had just done.

At the 1:40 mark, Harris picked up his fourth foul up 45-38 but King and Washington were able to carry the Indians into the fourth quarter leading 47-39. The Indians extended their lead to 49-39, their largest of the game with just under seven minutes to play, but the Bulldogs would show their bite and began clawing back, using a 8-0 run to make it 49-47.

Thomasville was in the double-bonus early in the fourth and began to pound away at the hoop, taking 16 fourth quarter free throws and sinking 12. Willis led the charge and scored 11 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter and helped the Bulldogs draw even at 51, but it was short lived as King hit a layup to regain the lead. The senior guard poured in 13 fourth quarter points to finish with 21, hitting 9-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Indians upset the Bulldogs.

Seminole County is going to defeat undefeated Thomasville 71-65 pic.twitter.com/pOWDrKAAIb

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 10, 2016

My Take: 217 miles? I could have traveled 400 miles and it would have been worth it. The hospitality at Seminole County was outstanding and a shoutout needs to go Juwan Hopkins, who helped me find my way to the gym after getting lost on some darks roads. As far as the game goes, the first thing I noticed was Thomasville’s size. My jaw dropped to think this was an AA team and that Reggie Perry and Titus Wright are only a sophomore and freshman respectively. The storyline for tonight’s game was whether Seminole County’s two-man show of Jordan Harris and Anfernee King could keep up with Thomasville’s balance and size. Jordan Willis didn’t even start tonight for the Bulldogs and their starting lineup still looked like it could play with anyone in the state. The Perry brothers are big and long. Reggie is a high-major prospect and moves well for his size. Wright played a little out of position and wasn’t anchored on the block like I felt he should have been. He is a big barrel-chested post that can move people out of his way. He isn’t as athletic or explosive as the Perrys, but if he works on his quickness and post moves, he will be a nightmare for the next four years. Shedric Cooper and Gregory Hobbs played well in the backcourt, but Willis is the go-to guy. He put the team on his back in the fourth quarter and scored by slashing to the basket, hitting threes and adding points from the foul line. The Bulldogs will be a major player in the state tournament and were well deserving of their No. 1 ranking and undefeated record.

What is there to say about Seminole County? Harris and King are winners. They take a ton of shots, but it is their team and they have the green-light on every possession. Harris needs to be face-guarded or bracketed by two men every time he plays. The only recipe to beating the Indians is getting him in foul trouble or praying for an off night. But if he does have a rare rough game, King has more than enough goods to carry the load. King has an excellent pullup jumper and good elevation to get his shot off. He showed off his playmaking skills along with Harris as the two helped get Justin Washington involved. The senior big man played possibly the best game of his career according to Coach Kevin Godwin. Not blessed with his teammates’ athleticism, Washington was unafraid to battle inside and showed nifty footwork when around the basket. He finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals, doing the dirty work inside while putting a body on three players that were four inches taller than him. It looks as if there is a very strong possibility that the Class AA state championship will run through South Georgia again, with Region 1 having three legitimate horses in the race including No.6 Early County.

Top Performers

Seminole County
Jordan Harris – 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Anfernee King – 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Justin Washington – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Thomasville
Jordan Willis – 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Reggie Perry – 12 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Shedric Cooper – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Titus Wright – 10 points, 3 rebounds
Alex Perry – 8 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Grayson Holds Off No. 9 Dacula

January 7, 2016 KyleSandy

Grayson 73, No. 9 Dacula 69

We are underway! @graysonhoops looking for a huge statement W in Region 8 over No. 9 @Daculahoops pic.twitter.com/GOzK7wPPSa

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 7, 2016

A rare Wednesday night game between two Region 8 contenders set up for a fantastic finish as host Grayson (13-1, 4-1) was able to hold off an offensive onslaught from Wofford signee Kevon Tucker and Derek St. Hilaire in the fourth quarter for a 73-69 win over No. 9 Dacula (10-3, 3-1).

Tre Sconiers and freshman 6-foot-5 center Kenyon Jackson got the Rams off to a quick start in the first quarter. Sconiers scored eight of his 14 points in the opening eight minutes by finding baskets inside. He finished with a double-double, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking four shots. Jackson, who suffered foul trouble, was also a menace inside, posting six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the first quarter to give Grayson a 22-14 lead after one.

Alphonso Willis, one of Grayson’s leading scorers on the year, sat the entire second quarter due to foul trouble. While the senior combo guard was out, it was time for his shifty running mate to take over. Austin Dukes had a quiet first quarter, but banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to ignite an important second quarter. Dukes began attacking the basket, sinking all four free throw attempts and netting eight points to give him 14 at the break.

As Dukes was carrying the load offensively with Willis out, St. Hilaire began to go to work for Dacula after scoring two points in the first quarter. The aggressive guard scored eight points of his own in the quarter as the Falcons remained in striking distance. Demari Edwards finished with 10 points in the first half for Dacula, but was held scoreless in the second half, putting the pressure on Tucker and St. Hilaire to scrap back from down 38-33 going into the break.

In the third quarter Grayson gradually began to build its lead and pushed its advantage out to 13 before St. Hilaire caught fire. With less than a minute to go, the senior splashed in a stepback three and then buried a deep ball with five seconds left to bring the Falcons back from the dead. After trailing 56-43, Dacula entered the fourth down 56-49.

The run wouldn’t stop there. The Falcons would go on a 13-2 run sparked by 11 St. Hilaire points to make it 58-56 with 5:50 remaining. St. Hilaire, who finished with a game-high 28, combined with Tucker to score 17 points of Dacula’s 20 points in the fourth quarter. Tucker, who finished with 24 points, scored nine points but Dacula was never able to get over the hump and never grabbed a second half lead.

With 4:52 to play, down 60-56, the Falcons drove to the basket and tried to draw contact but didn’t get the whistle. Dr. Triaga erupted after the no-call and was slapped with a technical which sent Dukes to the line to sink two free throws.

Dr. Triaga couldn't believe it, but the tech doesn't hurt them.

4Q; 3:44@graysonhoops 62
No.9 @Daculahoops 61 pic.twitter.com/YWbpeYaNuw

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 7, 2016

The T looked like it would stem the tide of Dacula’s momentum, but the Falcons kept coming. A 5-0 run drew them within 62-61 with 3:44 left. Dukes and St. Hilaire traded bucket for bucket down the stretch. Dukes sank 14-of-17 free throws including 7-of-9 in the fourth to score a team-high 27 points and give Grayson 69-66 lead with 47.8 to play. Dacula had opportunities to tie, but fumbled them away as Grayson got the stops they needed down the stretch and finished 23-of-31 from the foul line to ice the game.

My Take: The stars shined in this Gwinnett County battle. With Alphonso Willis and Kenyon Jackson hardly playing in the second quarter, it was impressive to see Grayson with a 5-point halftime lead. Austin Dukes showed he could carry the load. The svelte guard was able to shake his way to the basket and draw contact to live at the line. Willis came away with some big rebounds down the stretch in the fourth and scored six in the fourth. Freshman big man Kenyon Jackson is a player to keep an eye on. He was disruptive on defense and finished with 11 rebounds and three blocks. If he has another inch or two left in him to grow, he could become a dominant defensive presence. With that being said, he is already averaging 10 rebounds and nearly four blocks a game. Tre Sconiers was a player that always found himself in the right place at the right time. His 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks were all from effort. It looked as if the Rams were running out of gas in the fourth, taking body blow after body blow from Kevon Tucker and Derek St. Hilaire, but the freshness of Willis in the fourth helped mightily after sitting in the second.

Speaking of Tucker and St. Hilaire, they went into ultimate attack mode in the final quarter. St. Hilaire single handedly pulled them back in the game with two late threes in the third. Tucker opened the game taking some bad contested jumpers but as the game wore on he began to attack the hoop and overpower defenders with his body control and size. The question surrounding the Falcons however, is who will be that third option? Demari Edwards played very well in the first half but disappeared in the second and didn’t score. The burden to score rests heavily on Dacula’s two stars, which they can shoulder, but they shouldn’t have had to score 85% of their team’s points in the fourth quarter. Outside of Edwards’ 10 points, the fourth leading scorer was Juwan White with five. Region 8 will end up being one of the most competitive regions in the state. Expect more nail-biters like this one. The two meet again on Jan. 29 in a game that should hold major implications for top four playoff seeding.

Top Performers

Grayson
Austin Dukes – 27 points (14-of-17 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Tre Sconiers – 14 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 blocks
Kenyon Jackson – 9 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks
Alphonso Willis – 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Dacula
Derek St. Hilaire – 28 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals
Kevon Tucker – 24 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
Demari Edwards – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Biggest Surprises & Disappointments

January 6, 2016 KyleSandy 2 Comments

With each new year, storylines present themselves (unless you’re the AJC, you manufacture your own with wildly inaccurate rankings). This season there have been some pleasant surprises and some early disappointments throughout the state.

Class AAAAAA

In Class AAAAAA, no one stands out more than Johns Creek (12-2). The Gladiators started the season 11-0 before suffering their first loss of the year to another turned around program, Brookwood (10-3), who finished 7-19 last year. The Broncos handed Johns Creek a loss in the Deep South Classic, 65-62 in overtime. If you did your homework and studied up on the Broncos roster heading into ’15-16, it should come to no surprise that they are playing this well. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up their hot start in the treacherous Region 8.

Back to the Gladiators though. After a 14-15 season and 10-8 record last year in Region 6, Johns Creek is now 7-1 in region play behind seniors Mark Lancaster and Mason Henkel. Lancaster is averaging more than 16 points and five rebounds per game while Henkel adds 13.1 points and 5.5 boards. The Gladiators along with No. 5 Tift County and region rival Lambert were the last three teams undefeated in 6A. Yesterday they had the opportunity to see how they measure up against Lambert, the region’s frontrunner and lost 64-53 as the Longhorns’ size proved to be the difference with Navy signee Connor Mannion and North Georgia signee Ross Morkem combining for 50 points and 26 rebounds.

Ross Morkem was too big for Johns Cree | Ty Freeman

Class AAAAA

A few programs have built off strong seasons and have turned into top ten teams in AAAAA. No. 9 Riverwood out of Region 7B sits at 15-1 overall with their lone loss coming to last year’s 4A state runner-up, Carrollton, at the Lake City Classic. Improved three-point shooting, primarily from Elijah Jenkins and Charnchai Chantha, has also made the Raiders a threat as they now have perimeter support around double-double machine Kohl Roberts, who is averaging over 16 points and 13 rebounds a night.

No. 7 Camden County (13-0, 4-0) is one of two undefeateds (No. 2 Allatoona) left in the classification. The Wildcats come off a 19-10 season and are the team to beat right now in Region 3. Seniors Jaylen Smallwood (17.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Logan Ballard (13.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Keyshaun Street (12.5 ppg) are among the catalysts that drive Coach William Moore’s offense.

The biggest turnaround has been the Shaw Raiders (10-2, 2-0), hailing from Region 1. A 8-16 mark a year ago seems like a distant memory as Coach Terry White’s team is off to their best start since ’11-12. Averaging 80 points per game, the Raiders are overwhelming teams with their firepower. Seniors Dakeen Diaz (15.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Kourtney Shakespeare (12.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and the emergence of 6-foot-6 center Cam Paulding (12.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) has the Raiders in the mix for a playoff berth while battling the likes of LaGrange, Northside-Columbus and Carver-Columbus.

Dakeen Diaz leads Shaw in scoring | Ledger-Enquirer

Class AAAA

Region 4-AAAA’s No. 8 Eagle’s Landing (13-1, 6-1) has held its own this year with their only loss coming to No. 1 Jonesboro. Jordan Lewis is pitching in 16.6 points per game to pace the Eagles. The competition is stiff in Region 4, but the Chuck Miller Holiday Classic champs are in good shape to contend.

The biggest disappointment in AAAA? UGA signee Tyree Crump’s Bainbridge Bearcats (7-7, 3-3). The boys from Bearcat Boulevard opened up at No. 4 but find themselves struggling to stay afloat in a deep Region 1. With a star D-I guard, big man Trevon Shaw and DeVonte Jones, the team’s top three scorers from an 18-9, 11-7 season all returning, why shouldn’t they have been highly regarded? The Bearcats have played a decent schedule, but with high expectations, flop losses to Dougherty and Americus-Sumter can’t happen. Bainbridge still has the juice to compete, falling to 2A No. 1 Thomasville 63-61 in overtime last night, but it still has yet to be seen if they can get over the hump.

Tyree Crump needs more help at Bainbridge

Class AAA

Major overhauls have taken place in Class AAA. Jeff Steele has come over from Johnson-Gainesville and has turned Lumpkin County into a contender behind 1,000-point scorer Jack Howard. The Indians cracked the top ten earlier this season and are 13-3 overall and 4-1 in Region 7 after a 9-20, 5-8 campaign. Coahulla Creek has been inserted onto the map going from 14-11, 8-8 in Region 6 to 13-3, 7-1 this year. Region 2 has seen No. 9 Southwest-Macon (11-3, 7-1) transform into a central Georgia hot ticket thanks to transfer Nick Hargrove and Justin Slocum. The 6-foot-6 Slocum averages 22.1 points and 12.6 rebounds while Hargrove adds 20.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Lumpkin County's "Men of Steele" — Lumpkin County’s “Men of Steele”

A shoutout needs to go to the gang at Jackson County. 4-22 overall last year with a 0-12 Region 8 record. This year they are 8-7 overall and 2-2 in region. Who did one of those two wins come against? My biggest disappointment of the year so far, East Jackson. The Eagles (8-7, 3-2) opened the year ranked No. 4, expected to dethrone current No. 3 Morgan County for region supremacy. A trio of star-studded sophomores were supposed to carry Coach David Boyd’s team in the wide open class AAA. Instead, they have taken their lumps against out of state opponents and haven’t wowed in region play, losing to Jackson County at home 67-63 and falling to Morgan County by 7. The Eagles are better than their record indicates thanks to a tough schedule, but most expected a better showing this far into the year.

Drue Drinnon streaking past Aaron Augustin — Drue Drinnon can steer the Eagles in the right direction | Colin Hubbard

I caught flack for saying it’s been somewhat of a tumultuous season, but look at the facts: Coach Boyd has dealt with health problems, Lamont Smith, one of their two new sophomore guards, has transferred back to Gwinnett County, they’ve taken some bad lumps in national tournaments and a loss to a 4-win team from a year ago isn’t pretty. There is plenty of time left to right the ship. Playing a tough schedule can only benefit the Eagles moving forward as once the state tournament starts, records are thrown out the window and nobody remembers what happened in November. Drue Drinnon and Travis Anderson are still two of the best sophomore guards in the state, but they need more help around them if they are going to live up to the lofty expectations bestowed upon them at the beginning of the year.

Class AA

Much like East Jackson, in AA its Pace Academy (3-8, 2-1) who decided to play a national schedule and couldn’t measure up. No. 2 to start the year, a 2-8 beginning to the season was too much to keep them in the polls. Showcasing big time prospects Wendell Carter Jr., Isaiah Kelly and Zack Kaminsky has hurt the Knights in the Win-Loss column. Now that they are back in Region 6 play, the Knights are looking to recreate last year’s 27-3 success. A win over No. 4 Holy Innocents’ on Tuesday 63-58 is a great start. The cupboard is far from bare for Coach Demetrius Smith. They are battle-tested and ready for a deep playoff run.

Penn-commit Zack Kaminsky is one piece to the Pace puzzle

Region 2’s Long County (11-3, 5-1) has been a huge surprise following a 6-22, 1-14 year. Sophomore Henry Blair (11.7 ppg) and junior Perrell Brisbane (10.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg) have been two cogs in the success Coach Deshon Brock has seen.

Class A

My biggest shock in 1A is just how wide open the field is. Outside of No. 1 Greenforest, everyone has shown the ability to beat each other, but in the process have uncovered flaws in each team. I can’t foresee there being any 40-point first round blowouts especially in 1A-Private. Of course there are a few slight favorites to make the Final Four, but it would not surprise me if two or three unfamiliar faces crash the party.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Predictions