Monthly Archives: June 2016

Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Kennesaw State Elite Camp Analysis

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Kennesaw State set the stage for some of the top players across the GHSA and some up-and-coming stars across the country to showcase their skills at Al Skinner Elite Camp. Over 100 kids made the trip to Kennesaw, Ga. with states as far west as Arizona to as far north as New York represented.

After being ushered from the main gym to the team’s off-site practice facility, players began to make a name for themselves in 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 settings. Here are a couple players that stood out.

GHSA


Jaylin Williams  (Brantley County)

Could this be the best kept secret in South Georgia? Jaylin Williams is a 6-foot-6 forward out of Nahunta, Ga.; a population of just over 1,000 people. Only a sophomore, my first glimpse at Williams leaves me wanting more. The long athlete can alter shots on defense and finish inside. His quick bounce allows him to dunk with two hands and rebound anything in his area. In a short 5-on-5 scrimmage where players played roughly five minutes at a time, Williams was able to accumulate six points, three rebounds, one steal and two blocks. A few high major schools are said to already be in the mix and Kennesaw State wasted no time in laying an offer on the table after his performance. He will be an interesting player to track throughout his career.

JD Notae (Newton)

JD Notae was one of the top guards in camp. He had a swagger to his game and a killer instinct, especially in the 3-on-3 setting where his teams were hard to beat. The 6-foot-2 guard can stroke it from the outside and attacked the hole well. He teamed up with Kyle Sturdivant in the backcourt during the 5-on-5 session; a dream tandem for Kennesaw State. Overall he was one of the best performers in camp.

Tre Gomillion (Aquinas)

A lot of people asked me today who was the kid with the frizzy ponytail? That fine mane belongs to Tre Gomillion. It’s hard to believe that the Fightin’ Irish standout is only going to be a junior next season. The 15-year old is built like a fullback and he isn’t afraid to use his body. Gomillion is as sturdy of a guard as they come with good size to him.  He stuffs the stat sheet nightly in Augusta and did the same at Kennesaw. Gomillion is a willing rebounder that can outmuscle most post players. He has two more seasons to heat up his recruitment and I think today was a great first step.

Mo Merritt  (North Cobb Christian)

Spoiler alert: the former Sprayberry Yellow Jacket is set to attend North Cobb Christian his senior season. Mo Merritt was extremely impressive around the basket, able to play above the rim and clean up misses. Merritt stands 6-foot-7 and lets those around him know. He led all players with five rebounds in his 5-on-5 stint. Merritt is tough to keep off the offensive glass and will provide a much needed inside presence at North Cobb Christian. He reminded me of current KSU big man Jordan Jones – who helped run camp – as an active athlete in the paint.

Greg James (Shiloh)

Wearing a shirt with no number and boasting camo leggings, Greg James tried to go incognito but his play wouldn’t let him. James shot the ball well and had some explosion when attacking the basket. It was an overall good day of work for him.

Trey Doomes (Allatoona)

The biggest question about Trey Doomes’ game heading into his junior season was will he be able to craft a reliable jump shot? While he is still working on it becoming a true weapon of his game, Doomes has shown the confidence in his new found stroke and is beginning to take it more willingly. Doomes will be handed the keys to the car at Allatoona as the team’s go-to guy on offense.  Defensively, Doomes’ long arms and big hands make him always one of the toughest defenders on the court and a few more years in the weight room can only help. The way he has played so far this summer bodes well for a big upcoming two seasons.

Avery Wilson (Forest Park)

Avery Wilson pumped in 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior and should do even more for an encore. The 6-foot-1 guard produced when his number was called, showing he can pull the trigger from deep and finish with authority at the rim as one of the best athletes in the gym.

Damion Rosser (Henry County)

Another athletic guard, Damion Rosser, played hard as always. Rosser’s downhill attack at the basket always challenges defenders. He filled up box scores in a hurry at Henry County and should have another strong season coming up after a productive offseason.

Ethan Reid (North Paulding)

Coming from a program that has never seen the postseason, sometimes it can be hard to earn recognition. Ethan Reid however, has bucked the trend of jumping ship from a young program still going through going pains and has stuck it out and will try to lead the Wolfpack to their first ever state berth. Reid actively defended the ball and took on challengers. Offensively, he shined in the 3-on-3 portion, getting his teammates the ball off drives to the hoop.

Kyle Sturdivant (Pace Academy)

It’s tough to ever say Kyle Sturdivant stood out because we are so used to seeing him perform at a high level. Once again, the former Norcross Blue Devil played older than a 15-year old. Not many mistakes and a lot of solid decisions. Sturdivant’s mid-range game and pull-ups in the lane were true today.

Kane Williams (South Paulding)

Kane Williams didn’t have his best day shooting the ball, but his ability to get to the basket and his athleticism did look good. Williams also looked comfortable scoring the ball with both hands. He has a busy upcoming few weeks with team camps to continue his upward trajectory into his senior season.

 

OUT-OF-STATERS

 

Christiaan Jones (Cardinal Newman, SC)

I saw a lot of Christiaan Jones this summer playing with the Carolina Wolves. Jones is a baby-faced assassin from deep. To no surprise, he shot the ball well from beyond the stripe at Kennesaw. Knock-down shooters like Jones are always a hot commodity in this day and age.

Robert Johnson  (Dillard, FL)

Robert Johnson is a big dude with big intrigue surrounding him after today. A physical presence standing upwards of 6-foot-8 with muscle on him, Johnson locked down the paint with his shot blocking. Johnson moved up and down the floor well and showed he could both move his feet on defense and put the ball on the floor in spurts.

Dishon Thomas (AZ)

Among one of the longest players at camp, a legit 6-foot-7, Dishon Thomas did his work as a wing, not a post. That versatility and skill set alone is something college coaches crave.

Darrien James (Page, TN)

Darrien James played with nice pace from his guard position. Listed at 6-foot-4, the Tennessee-native got into the paint well and looked to be a good leader on the floor.

Garrett Covington (Don Bosco Prep, IN)

Remember Garrett Covington? Covington was a Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six selection heading into his senior season at Greater Atlanta Christian. Halfway through the season, he left and returned to Carmel (IN) where he grew up. Covington was a Swiss army knife at GAC and cut up the defense some more in the 5-on-5 portion of camp. He tallied six points, three rebounds and one steal. The 6-foot-4 forward is well-built and can use his body against smaller wings. After prep school, he should resurface at a good college program.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Georgia State Team Camp Session I Preview

This Friday and Saturday (June 10-11), Georgia State will be hosting a summer team camp featuring 47 teams from across the state. Out of the 47 attending teams, 16 made it to the state playoffs in 2015-16. Day 1 of the camp will see each team play three games before Saturday’s single elimination tournament tips off at the 3 PM hour after most teams get at least one morning session game in.

Miller Grove, Allatoona, Gainesville, McEachern, Langston Hughes, St. Francis and Dacula headline a few of the teams with the most intrigue surrounding them. Holy Innocents, Eagle’s Landing, Monticello and North Clayton are also coming off successful seasons that saw them earn berths to the state playoffs in their respective regions.

Among some of the best matchups on paper on Friday, Allatoona meets Miller Grove at 3:20 PM in a rematch of the Class AAAAA state title in which the Wolverines held on 50-48 for their seventh championship. At 1:40 PM, the Wolverines tip off camp with Gainesville, another team with ties to Georgia State. Former Miller Grove head coach Sharman White is now an assistant at GSU while Gainesville’s D’Marcus Simonds is an incoming freshman.

North Clayton plays Gainesville at 3:20 PM.  Senior center Ahsan Asadullah was one of the first players Coach White offered upon joining the coaching staff at GSU. The Eagle will be tested against the likes of Bailey Minor and KJ Buffen inside. The two juniors will be focal points for Coach Benjie Wood’s offense. Buffen has seen his stock sky rocket after a great offseason with the Southern Stampede. His versatility as a 6-foot-6 forward should help him post big numbers as the lead dog at Gainesville.

The 12 PM time slot sees Eagle’s Landing, coming off a 24-5 season play McEachern, who finished 26-4 with a trip to the Class AAAAAA Elite Eight. Coach Elliott Montgomery must replace Jordan Lewis (15.6 ppg) and Antonio Gibson (11 ppg, 5.3 rpg) while Mike Thompson sees the departure of AJ Jones (Snow College), Darius Jones (Gordon State) and Bryce Smith (Northeast Mississippi). The Eagles return ’18 Tarrence Evans (10.2 ppg) and ’19 Christopher Hood (7.8 ppg). McEachern boasts ’19 forward Isaac Okoro and freshman point guard Sharife Cooper.

Class AA semifinalist Monticello faces quarterfinalist Holy Innocents’ at 4:10 PM. Tough guards ’18 Ashton Bonner (10.8 ppg) and ’17 CJ Adams (10 ppg) return to the Hurricanes while Holy Innocents’ has rising seniors Cole Smith and Jules Erving back for a final season. Erving, a 6-foot-5 forward, earned Sandy’s Spiel Class AA Most Improved honors after raising his averages from 4.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game his sophomore season to 12-9-3.

Single Elimination Championship

 There will be 32 teams in Saturday’s single elimination tournament. Four first round matchups stand above the rest with three being played at 3:30 PM.

Eagle’s Landing vs. Holy Innocents’
McEachern vs. Jackson-Atlanta
Langston Hughes vs. St. Francis

6-foot-6 senior forward JaQuavius Hayes has a chance to boost his stock going into his final year at Jackson-Atlanta. Hayes earned Sandy’s Spiel Class AAA Most Improved honors after posting 21.9 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks per game while leading the Jaguars into the state tournament after an upset of Top 10 ranked Westminster in the Region 4 Tournament.

Expectations are high for Langston Hughes with the backcourt of seniors Khalil Cuffee and Derrick Cook welcoming back to the state of Georgia, ’18 Landers Nolley II, a 6-foot-5 guard that won a state championship at Curie (IL). All three guards have a future playing D-1.

St. Francis turns the page on the Kobi Simmons era and says goodbye to Anthony Showell and Chance Anderson (San Francisco) as well. Dylin Hardeman has transferred to Woodstock, presumably leaving senior guard Wallace Tucker as the most experienced player left on the roster.

At 4 PM, Douglas County and Dacula get their first looks of their program without their best players in school history. The Tigers lose Brandon Robinson to North Carolina and Dacula sees Kevon Tucker start his collegiate career at Wofford. Sophomore Mekhail Bethea, senior Justin Goodson and juniors Arusha Hunter and Shayne Buckingham have picked up the slack for the Falcons early on in the offseason and have had Dacula playing well. Douglas County will get to see who emerges as a leader after this weekend.

GSU Camp Bracket

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Impressions from the Georgia Cup Finals

HoopSeen hosted its final installment of the Georgia Cup series this past weekend. As always, present and future standouts of the GHSA were on display. With summer team camps getting under way, players will begin to transition back into their respective school’s system of play but will be bringing with them an invaluable measure of experience from earlier in the offseason.

Two high school teams took to the Georgia Cup Finals as Riverwood (29-2) and Dacula (19-7) both began their 2016-17 journeys without some of their best players in school history. Riverwood, who set a school record in wins last year and made a trip to the Elite Eight, gave us a first look at life after Kohl Roberts (GCSU). Dacula flaunted its new-look lineup without Kevon Tucker (Wofford) and Derek St. Hilaire (Gordon State).

Riverwood went 2-2 this weekend while Dacula finished 5-0, rolling to the championship. The Raiders lost to Dacula 63-45 in the semifinals. Rising seniors Elijah Jenkins, Charnchai Chantha and Amir Smith played well in the backcourt, but they didn’t have enough fire power to contend with Dacula after jumping out to an early lead. Riverwood was among the state’s leaders in points allowed last season, relying on a stingy defense, but the Raiders’ bugaboo has always been can they score enough? When Jenkins and Chantha are hot from deep, they are a tough duo to stop, but if they aren’t hitting, Riverwood is susceptible to offensive lulls. Springy 6-foot-6 senior forward Josh Brown along with the play of rising juniors Christian Sutton, Lamin Williams and 6-foot-6 and still growing Nassir Mohammed will determine how well the Raiders cope with the loss of such an important senior class.

Dacula Falcons Taking Flight

Dacula escapes one of the toughest regions in the state and will be one of only two Gwinnett County schools (Lanier) in Region 8-AAAAAA, avoiding the state’s highest classification as well. With such a young group, growing pains could be an issue early on in the season, but the harmonious syncing of the backcourt could offset the loss of the school’s leading scorer (Kevon Tucker).

Sophomore Mekhail Bethea, junior Arusha Hunter and senior Justin Goodson create a backcourt that compliments each other well. Bethea earned more playing time as the season went on last year and will be inserted into a starting role from Game 1 his sophomore season. Bethea was masterful in Dacula’s 80-63 win over Active Elite for the 17U Georgia Cup Finals championship. He finished with 22 points, three assists and four steals. Bethea will need to get stronger, but he already has great composure with the ball in his hands and can create open shots for teammates when diving the lane.

Hunter poured in 19 points in the second half and netted a game-high 23. He was an X-Factor with his ability to knock down threes (3) and attack the boards (8). Hunter even added three assists from his small forward position.  Goodson didn’t get much burn as a junior, but the streaky three-point shooter looks poised for a breakout senior season along with senior Gary Bishop after a strong summer and a few transfers helping open the way. Goodson banged home four deep balls and scored 21 points in the championship.

Once again, the Falcons won’t have much elite size with their tallest player standing 6-foot-4 last season, but that player, Shayne Buckingham, returns for his junior season. Buckingham has seen varsity playing time since he was a freshman and is continuing to gain confidence in his game and become more and more of a consistent contributor. He scored 24 points in a win over Sports Academy South. If Buckingham can run the floor, rebound well and play with a high-motor, he can improve vastly on his 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Other Standouts

Lambert won’t have big men Connor Mannion (Navy) and Ross Morkem (North Georgia), but they should have more than enough to be a team that opponents don’t want to face. Andrew Melms will be running the show again at point guard and will enter the 2016-17 season as one of the state’s most underrated tenacious point guards. Musa Thompson enters his senior year as well. Thompson looked impressive with Melms in the Atlanta Warriors backcourt. Thompson has good length at 6-foot-4 and is a fluid athlete that can stretch defenses. Rising juniors Austin Deckard, Damon Stoudamire and Jordan McIlwain all provide depth along a talented backcourt.

BJ Millard, a recent Dunwoody graduate that averaged 16 points and 7.9 rebounds his senior season, played well for the Atlanta Warriors. The 6-foot-5 forward’s work at Dunwoody might have gone unnoticed by those outside of the region, but he is a good player that works hard in the paint.

Shamar Barrett put up big numbers his senior season at Grovetown (17.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.1 spg, 2.0 bpg) and is nearing a college decision. Barrett has been a stalwart for Sports Academy South, pitching in 26 points in a loss to Dacula this past weekend.

Keep an eye on Discovery High School. The second-year program returns an interesting cast of talent highlighted by guard DJ Young, 6-foot-5 forward Jaden Stanley and 6-foot-7 forward Kalu Ezikpe, who is only a rising junior. Travis McDaniel also joins the fold as an assistant after coaching at Lanier.