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GHSA, Girls Analysis, Girls Basketball

UGA girls team camp Saturday notes

By Bre Singleton (@bre_singleton)

Head Coach Joni Taylor and the UGA Women’s Basketball program hosted their team camp which started on Friday. Teams in attendance included Class 7A teams Norcross, Collins Hill, Mountain View, Tift County, Rockdale County, Hillgrove, etc. With six courts and two locations, UGA certainly held nothing back.

Tionna Carter’s mother, Jocelyn Penn, played in the WNBA

One of the best players I saw on Saturday is actually a bit of a sleeper. Class of 2019 Tionna Carter of the 7A state runner-up Norcross Blue Devils is one to watch for. As a sophomore, Carter posted a double- double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the state championship game against the girls basketball powerhouse known as McEachern. The 6’0” forward would prove to be a consistent on Saturday, posting 13 points and 6 rebounds on a Ridge View team out of South Carolina. Carter will look to lead the Blue Devils in the 2017-2018 GHSA season as they attempt to avenge their state championship loss. She’s a player that coaches should absolutely start paying attention to.

Along the same lines, Central-Macon’s Jada Clowers is looking to do some damage in her senior season. Standing at 6’1” Clowers can rebound almost effortlessly. In the two games I saw her in action, she owned the paint, getting easy putbacks. Playing PF/C, she posted eight points and five boards in one game and 11 and ten in the other. As she continues to develop, timing on the defensive end will be huge. She is a presence in the paint but has to make sure she’s getting all ball on her block attempts. Still she swatted several shots, not needing any body contact at all. With some offensive footwork, I think Clowers could prove to be a really solid player at the next level.

Tift County and North Cobb squared off in the afternoon. Azonya Austin of North Cobb had a very productive game from the point guard position. There weren’t many people on the court who could keep up with her. Austin blew by defenders religiously on her way to 18 points. Sydney Soloman also had a solid outing for the Warriors. The 6’0” senior had nine points and 5 rebounds from the 4/5 spot. For Tift County, 5’11” senior Kaysie Harrelson had it going offensively with 10 points. Destiny Johnson wasn’t too far behind with nine, but Tift just didn’t have enough scoring to outlast North Cobb in the end.

Hillgrove played Rockdale County in a 5:00 p.m. slot game. Like North Cobb, Hillgrove had to battle in 7A Region 3 with the likes of McEachern. Against Rockdale County though, the Hawks had it going. Taylor Thompson, a 5’11” senior forward was a beast on the boards for Hillgrove. She put up 11 points and seven rebounds while fellow senior Kierra York added 12 points and six rebounds. Laren VanArsdale, a senior transfer from Whitefield Academy, had seven points and four rebounds from the PG spot to help Hillgrove cruise to a blowout.

Javyn Nicholson

The last game I caught ended up being the best of the day in my opinion. Collins Hill and Colquitt County were in a battle. With the score 24-20 at halftime, this game was destined for a good finish. Coming off of a 23-5 season, Colquitt County gave the team from Suwanee all they could handle. Scoring was plentiful in this one. Za’Nautica Downs lead all scorers with 19 points and each point was spectacular. Diamond Hall added her share, putting up 14 points. Collins Hill has a great nucleus coming back for the 2017-2018 season, lead by non-other than Bria Harmon. She had nine points and four boards for the Eagles. Javyn Nicholson (pictured) was absolutely dominant in the paint pouring in 14 points and pulling 10 boards. Jada Rice, the other half of The Eagles’ 1-2 post punch, had an aggressive nine points and eight rebounds. Collins Hill was able to edge out the Packers 49-46. These two teams will definitely look to make even more noise in 7A than they did last year.

Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Georgia Tech team camp Day 1 notes Part 1

By Rameen Forghani

Format: The Georgia Tech summer league camp featured a matrix of teams from across the state of Georgia (and a few from neighboring states) from varied classifications and regions. The games were played on McCamish Pavilion, the Zelnak Practice Court, and multiple rec courts on the Georgia Tech Campus. Each game consisted of two 22-minute halves, with a 2-minute halftime and six minutes in between games. The clock was running through all game situations except for timeouts (each team having two timeouts per game).

Westlake 64, Sandy Creek 39

Westlake overpowered Sandy Creek throughout the game with their depth and size, leaving a smaller Sandy Creek scrambling to create offensive opportunities. One of the hallmarks of this Westlake team two years removed from a state championship is their discipline. They play well as a unit and know their team’s schemes. Throughout the game, Westlake transitioned seamlessly through a 2-3, 3-2, and 1-3-1 zone, while mixing in some man defensively. Their pair of big men inside and good rotation and help-side defense left Sandy Creek with only 4 made field goals in the second half.

Offensively, Westlake appears to be trying to get guard Chase Hunter more involved; throughout the day, Hunter looked inconsistent as the decision maker, often forcing bad passes which led to turnovers or ill-advised shots. Despite being overmatched in terms of size, Sandy Creek was only outrebounded by 6 (32 to 26), and one of the saving graces for Sandy Creek was their speed, which allowed them to harass Westlake on the offensive glass and keep the game closer than their poor shooting performance would suggest (30-24 Westlake at the half).

Sandy Creek’s aggressive man defense swarmed the ball and their active hands wreaked havoc outside of the arc in the first half, although more controlled passing into the posts for Westlake in the second half allowed them to pull away for the victory.

Duluth 67, South Cobb 44

Duluth topped South Cobb 67-44 in a showing of aggressive defense and a blazing fast offense. Although South Cobb came out with a designed tip-off play to set an early tone, Duluth answered in spades with a suffocating full court press that left South Cobb looking a step too slow. Off the inbounds, Duluth’s tall and athletic guards would double the ball, often to leading to a discombobulated press break and offensive set for the Eagles.

With both teams playing fast, transition, up-and-down basketball, Duluth had the edge over South Cobb, scoring a significant chunk of their points in transition. In the half court, Duluth swung the ball with alacrity around the perimeter and left the South Cobb man defense looking confused at times, leading to drive-and-kick opportunities to complement the Wildcats’ good perimeter shooting.

At the half, Duluth led South Cobb 32-16, and the second half didn’t see much change. In a sequence perhaps indicative of the tide of this game, Duluth sinks a tough shot through contact in the paint, misses the and-1, grabs the offensive rebound for a putback and another and-1. In a seemingly tireless display, Duluth stayed in the full court press with man defense and frequent traps throughout the whole game.

Their swarming style of play forced more than a couple of turnovers and unsavory shots, although they had moments of indiscipline where they over-pursued and failed to pick up the open man or relied on their athleticism to rebound instead of boxing out.

If South Cobb could establish the ball in their offensive half court, they stood a better chance of moving the ball selectively from outside to inside, although South Cobb’s constant attempts to ram the ball inside was met with a stout Duluth paint defense.

Upson-Lee, 52 Westlake 35

In a match-up of two championship-caliber teams, the Upson-Lee Knights defeated the Westlake Lions 52-35 in a game where Upson-Lee simply executed better than Westlake in all phases of the game. Fundamentally, not much has changed for Upson-Lee since their AAAA championship run last year. The Knights still rely on Tye Fagan to orchestrate their offense and create chances and buckets. Fagan opened the game with the Knights’ first four points and six of their first ten. Westlake played a 2-3 zone, that although looked sharp in the game versus Sandy Creek, was a bit slow in rotating help on the faster Upson-Lee and continued a trend of being slow to close out on perimeter shots when in zone sets.

Late in the game, Westlake went to a full court press and doubled Fagan when he touched the ball, but Upson-Lee’s speed proved no match for the enhanced coverage.

Westlake had to match up against a fast and active man defense in Upson-Lee. Again, they tried to involve Chase Hunter as the point man in offensive half court sets, although he was mainly made a non-factor save for some perimeter shots throughout the game, in part because of the Upson-Lee defense and in part due to a left lower leg injury he sustained on his way down from a mammoth block at the rim on the defensive end.

Westlake attempted to force the ball inside against Upson-Lee, but active hands in the passing lane and pitting size against size gave Upson-Lee a slight advantage. Westlake was stout in the paint on initial defense, but deflections and offensive rebounds often led to easy buckets for Upson-Lee, which along with Fagan, has an explosive backcourt of small-but-shifty guards that can penetrate off of the dribble or shoot the three.

Analysis, GHSA Basketball

Bob Gibbons – Saturday 17U Eye Openers

Contributed by Trent Markwith (@TMarkwith14)

Riley Wolgamott (Pro One Select White)– Wolgamott showed a lot of different parts to his game in a tight afternoon win. A very quick, deceptive PG, Wolgamott sliced through the defense relentlessly throughout the game and made crafty passes to his teammates often. He also used his quickness and ball-handling ability to attack the rim himself, while also showing he could shoot from the outside, finishing with 16 points for the Alabama-based program in a win over Game Elite Blue.

Evan Spiller (CBA United)- Spiller is a solid wing out of Florida who stayed within himself and never overdid things. He used his length and athleticism to his advantage, penetrating inside quite often where he displayed a nice in between game and soft touch around the basket. It was clear that Spiller has a high IQ, making the simple, correct play time and time again. The smooth lefty was a vital part in CBA’s comeback win over Palmetto Elite, ending the game with 18 points.

CJ Sabb (Palmetto Elite)- Sabb is an unsigned CG from South Carolina and definitely played like it today. Sabb looked like a veteran in the first half against CBA United and led his team with 12 first-half points coming in a variety of ways. As things got going for CBA in the second half, Sabb tried to get others involved and keep his teammates composed. Although Palmetto suffered a 2-point loss, it was an impressive performance overall for Sabb, who finished with 17 points.

Raphael Rogers, Christian McLean (Inspire Atlanta)- This wing duo accounted for nearly half of Inspire’s points (14 each) in their afternoon battle against Sports Academy South. McLean (Wesleyan) showed furious aggression in transition, almost too much for his own good at times, but this attribute is what makes him go. After getting to the basket a few times for scores, McLean had some nice dumps to teammates for easy buckets. If he continues to develop as a distributor as well, McLean will be a scary prospect. Rogers (Douglas County) has a nice, strong body for a perimeter player and displayed some good versatility to his game. He knew when to use his strength to get inside but also knocked down open outside shots and was quite unselfish in sharing the ball when he could have looked for his own scoring opportunities. It will be interesting to see how these two improve before the July live period.

Isaiah Bauman (Sports Aacademy South)- Bauman is a speedy guard out of Augusta and showed a full offensive arsenal in an OT win over Inspire Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. Whether it was a deep-ball, a mid-range pull-up, or a drive to the basket, it seemed that Bauman always had something up his sleeve for Academy. Whenever Inspire looked like they were gaining momentum, Bauman responded with a big play for Academy. Bauman controlled the game, played with solid change of pace, and finished with an impressive 18 points in the win.

Chris Barnette (NC Runnin’ Rebels)- Barnette, a guard from North Carolina, may have been my favorite player from the whole day. Barnette played with an endless motor and was bouncing around the court each and every play. He hounded the opposing team’s primary ball-handler every possession, got in passing lanes off the ball, and even snuck in for a few offensive rebounds. This goes without mentioning his superior shooting and passing ability; Barnette had 14 points on (3) 3’s, a plethora of assists in transition off his steals, and made sure there was crisp ball movement in the half-court. Barnette may not be the biggest player but his tremendous energy and activity really make up for it.

Analysis, GHSA Basketball

Bob Gibbons – Saturday 16U Eye Openers

Contributed by Trent Markwith (@TMarkwith14)

Bryson Childress, Levontae Knox (PSB Select)- Starting off with an early morning game in an off-site auxiliary gym didn’t seem to have any effect on the play of this PSB duo. Childress, a PG, and Knox, a wing, have nice chemistry together and had things rolling early against Vanguard Elite. Childress hit a few outside shots early and then began to facilitate to Knox and other teammates, a role in which he excelled. Knox was at his best attacking the rim in transition with the help of pesky defense by Childress, but also had some nice moments in half-court offense putting the ball on the floor to get inside and taking a few perimeter shots. Childress (9 points) and Knox (13 points) were two of the main pieces in securing the win for the NC program.

Jaxon Etter (North Atlanta Orangemen)– After a strong performance in the morning against Game Elite, Etter (Etowah) followed up with another effective outing against BCB on Saturday night. Etter has impressive size and physicality for a guard/wing at the 16U level, bullying his way to the basket where he both finished through contact and drew fouls. Etter also showed the ability to grab rebounds and push down the court into pull-up jumpers. His attack mentality led to 17 points on the night.

Ashton Young (BCB Black)- Going against Etter for BCB was Young, and he was an absolute beast. Young (Buford) scored solid 6 points in the first half, but took it to another level in the second half. The athletic, active wing was grabbing offensive rebounds, slashing from the perimeter, and ran hard in transition throughout the game. The Orangemen could not keep him away from the basket or free throw line and Young eventually finished with 27 points for BCB. His effort helped lead them to a close 58-56 win.

Drew Pember (EOTO TN)- In a bracket play matchup against Stackhouse Elite, Pember and his EOTO looked to continue to prove themselves on the big stage. The EOTO team encountered a lot of foul trouble and struggled to score in the first half, facing a 30-21 deficit at halftime. After a scoreless first half, Pember turned things around in the second half. Pember, a long, lean forward, proved that he can step out and shoot from the perimeter but also showed impressive mobility and athleticism. Pember scored 9 points in the second half and although the EOTO comeback just barely fell short, he and his team look like they should be followed closely in the future.

Analysis, GHSA Basketball

Bob Gibbons Day 1 Recap

Contributed by Trent Markwith (@TMarkwith14)

16U: Wellington Wolves 59, Vanguard Elite 50
This Georgia vs Florida battle began with runs by both teams; a 7-0 run by Vanguard and then a 11-0 run by Wellington within the first 6 minutes of the game. The teams continued with fast-paced action throughout the first half, with the Wolves having a solid lead at halftime. Wellington capitalized inside from offensive rebounds and also received a big boost outside with multiple 3’s from Aramis MacKrey in the first half.

Vanguard struggled to hit open shots and was plagued by turnovers but stayed in the game with production from Myles Todd (Pace) and Terrell Burden (McEachern). Wellington extended their lead to double digits early in the second half with the help of MacKrey, Josh Williams and Alphonse Alfred. They looked to have control of the game when Vanguard stormed back with pesky defense, with Donaven Hairston (Milton) coming alive and Todd continuing to play well. However, Wellington was able to settle down and close out the game with free throws after a few missed opportunities by Vanguard.

Wellington was led by Aramis MacKrey, who had 15 points on (5) 3’s, and Josh Williams, who had 10 points. Vanguard received 16 points from Myles Todd and 11 points from Terrell Burden.

16U: Southern Stampede 72, TNBC 51
In a matchup of two teams who like to get up and down the court, the Stampede and TNBC went back and forth for much of the first half with neither team finding a way to secure a comfortable lead. Davis Herndon (Riverwood) started the game hot for TNBC with 8 points on (2) 3’s but was matched by Jalen Durham (Berkmar) of Stampede who was also connecting from the outside.

Trae Broadnax (Islands) also had a strong first half for the Stampede but Steven Seramur (St. Pius) and TJ Malloy (Westminster) responded with (2) 3’s each. The difference in the first half was the play of Jalyn McCreary (Kennesaw Mountain) late. McCreary was almost nonexistent for most of the first half but went on a tear where he scored 10 points and grabbed a multitude of rebounds in a span of 4 minutes, resulting in a 37-25 halftime lead for his Stampede team.

The beginning of the second half was similar to the start of the first half, with the Stampede extending their lead a bit to 15 with solid play from Donell Nixon (Buford). TNBC then went a run of their own where Jordan Krueger (Walton) began to heat up and Herndon continued to attack, cutting the deficit to 6. After a timeout, the Stampede came out locked in offensively and picked up their defensive intensity, causing havoc left and right. Broadnax and Nixon led this charge with versatile scoring and Brandon Green also gave great energy in transition for the Stampede team. TNBC was left flustered and was not able to recover, eventually falling behind by 20. The Stampede had 4 double-digit scorers in Trae Broadnax (18), Jalyn McCreary (12), Donell Nixon (11), and Jalen Durham (11). TNBC received 16 points from Davis Herndon and 10 points from Jordan Krueger.

17U: Atlanta Allstars 58, Game Elite Orange 46
This late-night matchup began very slowly for both teams, with neither squad finding offensive production from anyone. Game Elite found their groove about midway through the first half and received baskets from 7 different players with Marques Frye (Mount Vernon) scoring 8 points and Justin Brown (Northview) putting up 7 points in the first half. The Allstars, however, remained in a slump and found themselves down 35-18 at the break.

The tables turned entirely as the second half started. The Allstars came out with incredible energy and erased the Game Elite lead very quickly. Alex Jones (Buford) took over the game in transition with his speed and was able to create his own offense while also distributing to others, most notably Adrian Cohen (Etowah). Adam Flagler (Duluth) also went into attack mode on the offensive end for the Allstars, while Game Elite started settling for contested outside shots and could not score at all. This complete 180 in the second half resulted in a 58-46 win for the Allstars.

The Atlanta Allstars received 16 points from Adrian Cohen, 15 points from Adam Flagler, and 14 points from Alex Jones. Justin Brown was the lone double-digit scorer for Game Elite, finishing with 12 points.