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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

Top Five Performances In Macon

1. Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy, Jr.

30 points (10-11 FG), 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal

Domination. One word that has been synonymous with Wendell Carter Jr. throughout his career. Against a smaller yet physical frontline of Manchester, the five-star junior center wrecked the Blue Devils and led the Knights to their first ever title. He even went 3-for-3 from deep, proving he can do it all on the floor. Carter was named Class AA Player of the Year along with numerous superlatives and was named Sandy’s Spiel Mr. Basketball.

2. Jailyn Ingram, Morgan County, Sr.

28 points (8-11 FT), 9 rebounds, 1 assist

Florida Atlantic is getting a big time player in Jailyn Ingram, who has successfully stepped out of the shadows cast by Tookie Brown last year. The 6-foot-7 forward used his quickness and size inside to get the best of a smaller Jenkins team while capturing his second state championship and getting revenge after a 62-60 loss to the Warriors in the title game a year ago. Ingram used nifty footwork while facing up on the low block to spin to the cup and finish with authority. He is a Class AAA First-Team All-State selection.

3. John Ogwuche, Greenforest, Sr.

27 points (14-23 FT), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

The New Hampshire signee went out on top as Greenforest knocked off St. Francis, ending the Knights’ two-year run and getting payback from last year’s 96-81 loss in the state championship. John Ogwuche was relentless on his attack of the rim, living at the line while punishing the Knights’ guards trying to check him. He also helped hold Kobi Simmons (8-25 FG) in check to preserve the victory. Coach Larry Thompson praised Ogwuche for his efforts after the game saying he “willed us to victory.” The grizzled veteran was selected to the 1A-Private All-State Second-Team.

4. Jamie Lewis, Westlake, So.

21 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal

Only a sophomore, the sky is the limit for Jamie Lewis. With Westlake on the ropes in the third quarter down 11 to Pebblebrook, Lewis took over and scored 12 of his game-high 21 points in the period to claw the Lions back into the game. Lewis was battle-tested all year long coming out of Region 3 and taking the toughest road to the final by having to beat Norcross, Shiloh and Newton just to get to Macon. On the biggest stage, he shined the brightest whether he was tossing alley-oops or getting buckets. Lewis’ performance will not be forgotten in a wild Class AAAAAA final. He is an All-State Honorable Mention selection.

5. Richard LeCounte, Liberty County, Jr.

20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals

Sometimes you take the good with the bad. LeCounte missed his first three shots in wild and ugly fashion but eventually settled in. He had a whopping 10 turnovers, but his fearless style of play consisting of flying all over the floor and smacking bodies with opponents for loose balls was the difference in helping Liberty County to its first-ever state championship while avenging last year’s 71-43 season ending loss to Jonesboro and snapping the Cardinals’ attempt at a three-peat. The five-star UGA football commit showed off his uber-athleticism from the opening tip, stealing the jump ball in impressive fashion. LeCounte was aggressive all night long and wasn’t afraid to make mistakes. He drilled three big threes in the Panthers’ 58-52 Class AAAA championship victory. LeCounte was named Second-Team All-State.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Westlake closes out GHSA season by breaking Pebblebrook’s heart in overtime

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No. 2 Westlake 68, No. 7 Pebblebrook 58 OT

Pure madness. That is the phrase that could wrap up the 2015-16 GHSA basketball season. From the terrible conditions at the Macon Centreplex that made you feel like winning the Powerball was more possible than catching a signal, to the taped rims, cracked floors and of course, the baskets not even being regulation length, the Class AAAAAA final will be one that people will gather around the water cooler to talk about and scratch their heads concerning all the strange decisions made.

The game started off ho-hum, as a photographer walked onto the floor in the middle of the action, in a daze as if he didn’t know the most important game of the season was being played – or any game for that matter. The bizarre scene was just the start for a whacky final game that summed up the GHSA season as, ponderous.

No. 2 Westlake (27-4) raced out to a 15-6 lead and looked like they were going to demolish No. 7 Pebblebrook (23-10) and hand them their second-straight blowout loss to the Lions, and fourth loss overall during the season against their Region 3 foe.

Collin Sexton had other ideas. The potent guard came away with a layup in transition to end the quarter after Westlake was attempting to hold for one shot, cutting into the lead 15-12.

It was just the beginning of a monstrous second quarter run for the Falcons. Coach George Washington’s electrifying group stunned the bigger Lions by using Sexton and JJ Smith’s athleticism to counter Westlake’s length. A 26-7 run ended the half with the Falcons on top 32-22, but like in their Region 3 championship meeting, Pebblebrook held an eight point lead before falling 79-57.

Sexton netted 14 of his team-high 18 points in the first half while living at the foul line, sinking all eight attempts. In the second half the Falcons continued to soar. Smith threw down a dunk and helped Pebblebrook to its largest lead of the game, 42-31.

Jamie Lewis wouldn’t let Westlake fade into oblivion however.

The super sophomore poured in 12 of his game-high 21 points in the third quarter and added nine assists on the night to draw the Lions within three, 46-43. The interesting coaching tactics of Darron Rogers came into play. He called three timeouts within the first three minutes of the fourth quarter including one after a Lewis to Ronald Bell alley-oop tied the game at 48 with 5:13 to play.

Chuma Okeke shot just 1-of-3 in the first half for three points but slowly began to wake up when the game was on the line. His seventh point of the contest gave the Lions the lead with 4:43 left. Westlake’s 9-2 run pushed the lead to 52-48. Sophomore Dwight Murray knocked down a three to keep the Falcons in striking distance at 53-51.

Lewis extended the lead to 58-53 when he found Okeke inside with under a minute to go.

After a Pebblebrook bucket, Okeke was sent to the line for a one-and-one. He missed both and Auburn signee Jared Harper, who had a modest finish to his elusive high school career scoring 11 points in each of his last two games after averaging 28 on the season, drilled a three with 19 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime at 58. Little did he know, his 15th point of the game coming on 6-of-19 shooting, was the final basket of his career.

In overtime Coach Rogers elected to hold the ball and melt the first three minutes off the clock as the crowd erupted in boos.

When the Lions finally attacked it was Okeke spinning through the lane for a hoop to go up 60-58 with a minute left. Danny Lewis came up with a runout and connected on a layup but was intentionally fouled too. He hit both free throws turning it into a 4-point play which resulted in a 6-point possession as on the ensuing inbound, Okeke slashed to the hoop for an open layup, 66-58 with now just 27 seconds left, stunning the Falcons a year after falling to Wheeler 59-58 on two last second free throws from Jaylen Brown.

Okeke scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half and added seven rebounds. Danny Lewis finished with 14 points and Raquan Wilkins chipped in nine points and six boards. Smith was Pebblebrook’s third leading scorer with 13 points and five rebounds.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Morgan County gets its revenge on Jenkins; sweeps AAA titles

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No. 1 Morgan County 66, No. 5 Jenkins 56


No. 1 Morgan County (26-4) completed the difficult task of sweeping Class AAA following the No. 1-ranked girls team winning their first title since 1983. Jailyn Ingram and Jordan Ford’s size inside wore down the smaller No. 5 Jenkins Warriors (28-5) as the Bulldogs avenged last year’s 62-60 loss in the final seconds, 66-56.

Jenkins led 12-11 at the end of one and was able to use its speed against Morgan County’s size. Zion Williams scored eight of his 15 points in the first half and began a surge to give the Warriors the lead after trailing 21-16. Williams ran off six straight points to give Jenkins a 24-23 lead with 2:17 to play.

The Warriors held a 28-26 lead at halftime but Coach Jamond Sims’ size was starting to chip away at Jenkins, causing foul trouble for star junior Trevion Lamar, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Lamar finished the night 2-of-9 from the field with just five points, seven rebounds, three turnovers and four fouls.

“You have to kind of crowd him when he gets in his sweet spots. He kind of got a little bit hesitant especially when he picked up his early two fouls,” explained Coach Sims. “Once they inserted him back in we chose to keep going at him.”

The Bulldogs went on a 12-4 run to end the third quarter and gain a 42-38 lead entering the fourth that they would never relinquish. Jenkins cut the lead to four at 47-43 after Dimetri Chambers connected on a three-pointer, part of his team-high 17 points, and again at 53-49 after another Chambers bucket, but the Warriors would get no closer.

Ingram was the beneficiary of the Bulldog attack. The Florida Atlantic signee scored 11 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter and pulled down nine rebounds in his final game. Ford added 17 points and five rebounds of his own.

Morgan County’s senior class of Jailyn Ingram, DeVorious Brown, Jordan Ford and Emmanuel Little, highlighted by FAU signees Ingram and Brown, were the foundation of an incredible senior class who’s worst season ended with a loss in the Elite Eight.

“Those are kids that have won over 100 games in their career. Been to the state championship three times.”

Their championship pedigree shone through as Brown tallied eight points and four assists while Little added six points and three assists.  Freshman Alec Woodard chipped in seven points and eight rebounds, a part of a bright future. Michael Coffee finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss for Jenkins.

Morgan County shot 57.1 percent to Jenkins’ 32.3.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Greenforest suffocates St. Francis to deny Knights of three-peat

No. 1 Greenforest 78, No. 2 St. Francis 66

Following a disappointing 96-81 championship loss at the hands of St. Francis last year, the Eagles were prepared to slow down five-star McDonald’s All-American and Arizona-commit Kobi Simmons in order to end the Knights’ quest for a three-peat. Behind a dominant defensive performance and a relentless attack from New Hampshire signee John Ogwuche, first-year head coach Larry Thompson and the Eagles captured their second state title in school history, 78-66 in the Class A-Private state championship.

Ranked nationally throughout the year and the owner of the No. 1 ranking in the state the entire season, Greenforest (30-2) made sure it wasn’t going to have a letdown against No. 2 St. Francis (23-8), who came in winners of 10-straight by an average margin of victory of 28.7 points. Greenforest’s size advantage was apparent early as 7-foot junior Ikey Obiagu swatted a shot and came away with a dunk before Precious Ayah, a Miami (OH) signee, added a rim-rocking jam of his own to race out to an intimidating 6-0 lead.

At the end of one, the Eagles led 12-7. Simmons was held scoreless. Obiagu was a difference maker after being a complete non-factor in last year’s loss. The big man fouled out in the fourth quarter but scored six points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked six shots while on the floor.

Greenforest went up 17-8 after Ogwuche found Justin Forrest for an And-1. At the 4:53 mark Simmons finally found the bottom of the net, sinking two free throws to make it 19-13. Simmons did much of his damage from the line as the Eagles focused their game plan around stopping the highly touted recruit, holding him to 8-of-25 shooting; 12-for-18 from the line worth 31 hard earned points.

“That was the game plan,” said Thompson. “We knew he was going to get touches but we didn’t want those touches right on the three-point line. 35-feet out so we could run a second guy at him because I face-guarded him all night. I didn’t want him to get comfortable on that wing and do what he does best, score the basketball. So we had to make him uncomfortable.”

As much as Simmons struggled in the first half (9 points on 1-9 FG), the Knights kept it close. Wallace Tucker drained a three to close the lead to 26-24 with 1:06 left. Ogwuche hit a back-breaking jumper at the horn to build the Eagle lead to 34-25 at the half.

The Eagles came out guns a’ blazing in the third quarter to take a 41-27 lead after Obiagu hit a layup and Ogwuche buried two threes. The senior burned St. Francis for 28 last year in the finals and did it again this season, torching the Knights for a game-high 27 points and five assists connecting on a whopping 14-of-23 free throw attempts while assaulting the rim.

“Wow. What can I say that he didn’t do today? Justin [Forrest] had foul trouble. Jandan [Duggan] had foul trouble. John wouldn’t take no for an answer. He wasn’t losing that basketball game. He put us on his back in the second half [16 points] and willed us to victory. Kid wanted the ball. New Hampshire is getting a heck of a guy next year.”

The Knights trailed by as many as 16, down 51-35 in the third before entering the fourth quarter down 57-45 after Simmons and Abayomi Iyiola traded buckets.

Greenforest’s lead grew to 66-51 with 4:26 remaining before Simmons got hot after a 4-of-18 start to the game. Simmons sparked a 9-3 run by netting seven consecutive points to bring it to 69-60 at the 2:17 mark but a 6-0 spurt keyed by four Ogwuche free throws and a Victor Enoh dunk saw the lead balloon back up to 15 at 75-60 with 1:12 left.

Forrest, a junior, posted 13 points and six rebounds while Ayah went for 10 points and seven rebounds. Iyiola came off the bench and tallied 17 points and seven rebounds in Obiagu’s absence. Chance Anderson was the only other Knight in double figures outside of Simmons with 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Greenforest was the team to beat all year long but now that the Eagles have the trophy to go along with their great resume, the target is undeniably placed on their back heading into next season.

“That was the goal. We were here last year on the wrong end of it, feeling bad. Guys worked all year. It’s an incredible feeling to beat St. Francis. First class organization, first class program.”