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Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Georgia State Team Camp Session II Analysis P. II

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Jenkins 52, Duluth 34

Simply put, Jenkins dominated this game. Senior point guard Zion Williams finished with nine points and four assists, three assists coming off alley-oops, two to junior Tyrone Scott and one off the backboard to Trevion Lamar. Scott is a good athlete at his forward position, standing 6-foot-3. He averaged 8.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as the Warriors fell in the Class AAA state finals. Against Duluth, he scored a game-high 14 points to go with his eight rebounds. Lamar scored six points.

Junior guard Adam Flagler was the only Wildcat that could find the bottom of the net for Duluth. He scored a team-high nine points and added four rebounds and two assists. Lamont Smith was held to four points while Kennesaw State Elite Camp participant Jalen Hodges finished with two points and five rebounds. Alex Powell, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, grabbed just one rebound and didn’t score. He did not see the floor in the second half with a DNP-CD.

Cedar Shoals 52, Etowah 40

A lot of chatter has come from Towne Lake about Etowah building something special to rival Woodstock. Coach Allen Whitehart got a great test from Class AAAAA semifinalist Cedar Shoals and nearly stunned the Jaguars before Phlan Fleming came to life. Etowah jumped out to an early lead behind the sharp shooting duo of Lewis Simonson and Nick Nagy. Nagy hit four threes and finished with 12 points while Simonson canned three and ended with 11.  6-foot-6 junior post Julian Baldwin notched eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Cedar Shoals’ press eventually wore on the Eagles. Fleming caused the smaller Etowah guards nightmares, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and eight steals. Stavion Stevenson hurt the Eagles inside as well with 14 points. Snipe Hall was held to six points and five rebounds but Q’titrius Dillard provided a spark with eight points.

Etowah can be a dangerous team when they are knocking down threes. They hit six in the first half but just one in the second half when they began to struggle with the Jags’ length and athleticism.

King’s Ridge 36, Chattooga 34

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The Foster twins are electric on the gridiron and hardwood

North Georgia’s finest, the Chattooga Indians who finished 23-5 last year, dropped a close game to King’s Ridge. I said in my preview that the Indians only lose three players for this upcoming season, but Head Coach Jared Groce informed me that it is now seven. The most notable loss being 6-foot-6 senior center Cameron Evans, who has swapped allegiances with now former region foe Darlington in order to be the Tigers’ starting quarterback. Outside of Evans last year, Chattooga’s tallest player was 6-foot-3 Dee McCutchins, who has since graduated.

Back for Coach Groce is the dynamic backcourt of twins Isaiah and Isaac Foster. The 5-foot-10 guards are feisty and can light up opponents that don’t take them serious. Isaac scored four points in the loss but brother Isaiah gave King’s Ridge everything they could handle. He took over down the stretch and put the Indians in a position to win before a late foul at half court diving for a loose ball damaged the Indians’ shot at winning, which resulted in King’s Ridge hitting the game-winning free throws.

Isaiah finished with 12 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. He can get to the hole with the dribble and can drain the three-ball. The Foster Bros. are must see basketball in North Georgia.

Sandy Creek 28, Therrell 26

TJ Bickerstaff (23) will be asked to take over Elias Harden's scoring role
TJ Bickerstaff (23) will be asked to take over Elias Harden’s scoring role

Without 6-foot-7 senior forward Evan Jester who was on a visit to Cornell, Sandy Creek was able to hold off Therrell. Junior guard Jarred Godfrey led the Patriots with eight points and two steals. 6-foot-6 sophomore TJ Bickerstaff contributed five points and three boards. Chris Porter had five points but my biggest game changer was the smallest man on the court; 5-foot-6 junior Kam Miller. The jitterbug lefty disrupted the Therrell guards with his quick hands, leading to four steals.

King’s Ridge 24, Centennial 21

Mountain of a man Tolu Jacobs, the 7-foot, 280-pound junior, didn’t pan out in Georgia and is now on the West Coast. Coach Scepter Brownlee is not deterred however, even with the loss of Jacobs and explosive scorer Ellis Merriweather (Alpharetta).  Senior Sean Flanigan, who missed last year with a knee injury, re-enters the fold for 2016-17. The 6-foot-2 guard scored eight points in the win and collected three rebounds, two steals and a block as well. Flanigan attacked the rim well and finished when he got there. 6-foot-5 stretch forward Eric Coleman Jr. looked good knocking down two threes. Coach Brownlee expects good things from his duo along with senior point guard Kameron Dozier.

Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Georgia State Team Camp Session II Analysis P. I

Ron Hunter Georgia State Team Camp Session II was held this weekend at the GSU Sports Arena. Teams from all over the state packed the loaded event. Saturday saw Miller Grove hoist the trophy as the Purple Reign continued with a championship victory over upstart Woodstock. As always, there were movers and shakers with stocks rising and stocks dropping. The Georgia State Team Camp experience this summer was top notch and is a must-attend event next offseason for teams looking to challenge themselves against some of the top competition across the GHSA.

Mountain View 50, South Gwinnett 46

Mountain View, a young team with potential to battle for their first ever state playoff berth out of Region 6-AAAAAAA, met South Gwinnett, a team coming off a 5-win season that now has first-year head coach Ty Anderson in place. The Bears were without 6-foot-4 sophomore Brandon Green who was on a visit, but Mountain View was still able to sneak past the Comets in a tightly contested game.

Coach BJ Roy’s team was bit by the transfer bug with second leading scorer Donell Nixon II (12.4 ppg) leaving to man the point guard position at Buford. It has been a learning experience for the Bears but luckily for them, grizzled vet Spencer Rodgers returns for his third year on the varsity roster. The junior led Mountain View in scoring at 15.4 points per game and showed why in the second half vs South Gwinnett.

I wasn’t sure who No. 22 was at first after he had a scoreless first half, but Rodgers announced his presence like a lightning bolt in the final 20 minutes. He caught fire hitting six threes en route to a game-high 18 points. At 6-foot-3, Rodgers can get off his quick trigger when he needs to. He sank 79 deep balls last season and fired at a 43% clip. His barrage helped stave off the Comets who wouldn’t go away behind the play of senior Brycen Lee and junior DJ Williams.

Lee, a 6-foot-4 forward, posted 11 points and two blocks while earning five of his points from the foul line. His aggressiveness around the hoop helped South Gwinnett stay in striking distance, scoring all of his points in the second half.  Williams provided a spark in the second half as well. The 6-foot-2 combo guard netted 10 points on the day. I fully expect South Gwinnett to be competitive this season with Anderson at the helm. Anderson brings over college experience at North Georgia and was coaching his team non-stop, putting his team in the best possible position to succeed.

Outside of Rodgers, Mountain View received steady backcourt play from Miles Long and Jalen Hayes. Both juniors, Long collected five assists while Hayes tallied three. Uchenna Nwagbara and Kevin Kayongo’s activity on the boards will be important to the Bears’ success, a smaller team when measured up to most Class AAAAAAA schools.

Parkview 64, Cambridge 45

In the Session II preview, I took a quick look at the Panthers and hinted at there being a lot of excitement ahead for fans in Lilburn. They did not disappoint, racing their way to the semifinals before falling short by one-point against fellow up-and-comer Woodstock.

Against Cambridge, the Panthers thoroughly dominated, resting their starters for much of the second half after holding a 40-19 halftime lead. Parkview is loaded with all sophomores and juniors that are all more than ready to make an impact this season. Everything centers around Ahmir Langlais, who makes the Panthers a dangerous team in the paint.

Get familiar with 6-7 Ahmir Langlais
Get familiar with 6-7 Ahmir Langlais

Langlais is a 6-foot-7 sophomore that has made a name for himself over the summer at individual camps and with the Atlanta Xpress. He went for 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against the Bears. The long armed lefty has excellent hands and gobbles up rebounds in his zone. On offense, he has a soft touch and has a nice baby hook over his right shoulder. As he continues to add on muscle, he will continue to be a force inside.

I liked what I saw from Justin Spencer and Truitt Spencer as well. Truitt, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, was second on the team in scoring a year ago. He finished with 11 points while Justin, a 6-foot-1 junior, added on 11 points as well. The two guards got after it in the backcourt and combined for five steals against Cambridge.

Jack Lapenta, a 6-foot-2 junior forward that posted 7.3 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game, contributed six points. His motor is what makes him successful as a workhorse on the glass. Offensively, Lapenta has nice body control when finishing through contact.  More on Parkview later.

Miller Grove 45, Grayson 33

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Grayson played hard without two key guards

Tied 20-20 at the half, the Rams ran out of steam without guards Travis Anderson and Justin Fleming. Joey Chavez and Terrell Greene carried the load on offense. Chavez, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, didn’t play much last year but he is going to earn minutes this season. He is a nice stretch forward that can knock down threes. He sank three of them and finished with a team-high 11 points, Greene netted 10 points from his guard position. 5-foot-7 freshman point guard Deivon Smith was tested against Miller Grove’s bigger and more experienced guards, but he held his own with four points, two rebounds and three assists. Rising sophomore, 6-foot-5 Kenyon Jackson was quiet against the Wolverines’ frontcourt of Kevin Paige and Tworn Seals,  held to two points and five rebounds.

Speaking of Kevin Paige, his stock is trending up after this second session. The first time I watched him play, the 6-foot-7 big fella didn’t really wow me. He is still on the raw side offensively, but defensively he won the matchup with Jackson. He chipped in six points, six rebounds and four blocks. Tae Hardy netted 11 points and three steals while Maurice Harvey, a sophomore, added 10. The Wolverines turned the tides when Hardy, Harvey and Jalyen Mason began trapping at half court in the second half

More on Miller Grove in the upcoming days.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Georgia State Team Camp Session II Preview

Session II of the Georgia State Ron Hunter Basketball Team Camp is here. The first session saw North Clayton powered by center Ahsan Asadullah march its way to the title with a win over Dacula. This Friday and Saturday (June 24-25) returns an even more loaded field. If you’re in the Atlanta area and are a major ‘hoop-head’, this is a must see event but I caution you, some teams will not be at full strength with their top players out at individual elite camps or college visits, so buyer beware.

Nonetheless, the field is absolutely juiced with powerhouse programs, up-and-comers and individual standouts. To break it down for the casual fan and not to slight anyone, here’s a quick synopsis of the teams on display.

Top Tier: Greenforest Christian (A-Private State Champ), St. Francis (A-Private Runner-Up), Miller Grove (AAAAA State Champ), Cedar Shoals (AAAAA Final Four), Pace Academy (AA State Champ), Jenkins (AAA Runner-Up), Treutlen (A-Public Final Four).

2015-16 State Tournament Teams: St. Pius, Sandy Creek, Chattooga, Lambert, Tucker, Grayson, Woodstock, South Forsyth.

Those are just a bulk of the teams that have had success recently. With graduations, transfers and coaching changes, everything is subject to change. Teams like Westminster, New Manchester, Duluth, Etowah, Parkview, King’s Ridge, Therrell and more are what really make this a great field, entering as the great unknowns as to how good they can be this upcoming season.

With a majority of the teams listed, here’s a further breakdown of some interesting/subtle storylines.

Jenkins has two great seniors returning in point guard Zion Williams and Trevion Lamar. Williams flourished in his first season at Jenkins after transferring from Savannah. The lightning quick guard averaged 13.5 points and 3.6 assists. The offense centers around 6-foot-5 do-everything forward Trevion Lamar.  He averaged 16.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.7 blocks. Lamar is one of the best players in South Georgia.

Life will be different without Connor Mannion (Navy) and Ross Morkem (North Georgia), but Coach Scott Bracco isn’t conceding too much of a drop off at Lambert. Tenacious, gritty, savvy and experienced are all words that can be used to describe Andrew Melms. The senior point guard makes the Longhorns offense go, but Musa Thompson and Austin Deckard are lethal as well along with Damon Stoudamire who enters his junior season. Thompson has the measurables to become a very good player as a 6-foot-4 wing. He has a chance to put it all together his senior season.

Individual standouts line South Forsyth, King’s Ridge and Forest Park. These three schools won’t be mistaken as perennial powers in the state of Georgia, but they do hold hidden gems. South Forsyth’s Evan Cole has a shot to establish himself as the best post player in camp after a steady summer with the Atlanta All-Stars. The deceptively athletic 6-foot-8 forward should see a major leap in recruitment his senior season. The double-double machine can score all over the floor and is a threat to go coast-to-coast.

Though he hasn’t become a star at the GHSA level after battling to become eligible, King’s Ridge’s Tolu Jacobs will be hard to miss. The 6-foot-11, 275-pound rock of muscle enters his junior season. I haven’t been able to see him play, but if he is there on Saturday, you can expect to see me at his court. With size like that, there will always be college suitors. It’s up to him to determine his ceiling.

Going from big to small, Avery Wilson, a 6-foot-1 guard at Forest Park, is a fun player to watch. Wilson is uber-athletic and was one of the state’s top scorers in Class AAAAA. He poured in 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The down-hill scorer took a whopping 180 free throws last year. If he can diversify his game and improve the confidence of his three-point shot (20-for-50, 40%), Wilson should start to gain more statewide attention his senior season.

Sandy Creek will see a lot of young faces take on big roles this season after the graduation of Christian Turner (Gardner-Webb) and the transfer of Elias Harden (Pebblebrook). The Patriots are a long team with 6-foot-7 forward Evan Jester leading the charge his senior season. Jester is no joke. He averaged 9.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a year ago but will be the focal point on offense this season. 6-foot-6 sophomore TJ Bickerstaff can play every position on the floor while juniors Jarred Godfrey, Xavier Brewer, Kameron Miller and Chris Porter have been working hard this offseason.

Etowah and Duluth look to revamp their programs with new head coaches in place. Allen Whitehart leads Etowah while Cabral Huff returns to high school at Duluth after winning a state title at St. Francis and taking a stop at Alcorn State. Both teams have played well this summer.

I have hyped Mountain View this summer and think they can still be very competitive even after the transfer of sophomore point guard Donell Nixon II to Buford this offseason. Another sophomore, Anthony Edwards, is a stud at Therrell. If the 6-foot-3 guard decides to stick it out all four years in Atlanta, he can put Therrell on the map.  He led the Panthers in scoring as a freshman and stuffs stat sheets nightly.

Looking for another super sleeper team? Parkview will build upon their 10-16 campaign. The Panthers are super young, graduating just two seniors. The youth Coach Nick Gast has is exceptional. Ahmir Langlais is a long 6-foot-7 sophomore whereas Jamiel Wright is a 5-foot-8 point guard that worked on his craft along with Langlais recently at the Under Armour Best of the Best Camp. ‘Elder statesmen’ Jack Lapenta, Cam Chavers and Truitt Spencer all return. Lapenta (7.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Chavers (10.3 ppg – leading scorer) are now juniors while Spencer (9.8 ppg) is a sophomore.

Another team with some intrigue surrounding them is Chattooga. The Indians came out of a weak Region 7 in Class AA that saw each team get swept by Region 6 in the first round of the state playoffs. The Indians opened the season 22-1 and spent time in the Top 10 but tapered off, losing four of their last five games to end the year. Only three players graduate meaning the Indians will be a strong favorite to romp through their region again. Twin brothers Isaiah and Isaac Foster are set to return for their senior seasons. Isaiah is a lethal scorer at guard that stretches defenses with his three-point shooting. Senior Jay Shropshire is back as well to provide scoring.

For more insight on a couple of teams not listed, feel free to read my previous analysis of other summer team camps.