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Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Wesleyan summer league Day 1 notes

By Bre Singleton (@bre_singleton_)

Wesleyan is hosting a batch of Varsity summer games this week and next as teams gear up for camps and various leagues. Walnut Grove and Johns Creek both made the drive to Wesleyan for Tuesday night’s games. Here’s what happened:

Wesleyan and Walnut Grove faced off in the first matchup of the afternoon. At first glance, Wesleyan won the depth war, coming in with over twice the players the Warriors brought. After summer cuts, Head Coach Adam Griffin would like to have a 12 to 13-man roster. But for now, the depth was surely an advantage in the 30-9 lead the Wolves built at the half. Grant Summers and Micah Smith both pushed the ball in transition from the point guard spot for the Wolves.

The lead wouldn’t last though, as Walnut Grove started the second half with a 16-0 run to get back into the action. Rising senior, RJ Selman led the way for the Warriors, putting up 13 points and adding four rebounds. Six-foot sophomore Ryan Landers got to the basket for a few nice finishes. He managed eight points in the game.

Despite several defensive lapses in the second half, Wesleyan was able to hold on to win by a slim margin, 47-40. Grant Summers finished with nine points and six assists. He’s running with Atlanta Xpress 2019 on the AAU circuit this summer. Christian McLean of Inspire Atlanta had seven points and six rebounds.

Grant Summers
Grant Summers

The 5:30 p.m. Varsity matchup between Walnut Grove and Johns Creek was a tough one. No one in the gym could tell that the Warriors had just finished playing the way they shot out to an early 19-6 lead. What was obvious, however, was that Walnut Grove was the faster and more athletic of the two teams. RJ Selman picked up where he left off in the previous game, pouring in 10 of his 12 points in the first half. Ryan Landers and Nick Jones helped out with 10 points each, both controlling the boards and slashing to the rim. Walnut Grove big man Jailen Robinson had command over the boards on both ends and dropped in seven points to give Walnut Grove a 34-19 lead at the half.

Johns Creek shot the ball extremely well in this one. Nathan Gauthreaux had it going from beyond the arc, knocking in five threes for all of his 15 points. Standing at 6’2, Gauthreaux doesn’t need much space to get his shot off. Neil Ilenrey, a bigger guard and rising junior, was a tough matchup for any defender. Ilenrey punished smaller defenders with his back-to-the-basket game and hit a few threes as well. Full court pressure from Johns Creek forced the Warriors to turn the ball over a few times late in the game. The Gladiators would capitalize off of this to seal a 57-52 win. Jack Greenslit and Will Penland added 10 and 11 points respectively. Greenslit did his damage in the paint while Penland hit three threes.

RJ Selman
RJ Selman

Johns Creek played their back-to-back game against Wesleyan for the final tilt of the night. The host team found its rhythm early. Warner Peaks had very little trouble getting to the rim. With a lanky frame, Peaks snagged rebounds and took it the distance on several occasions on his way to 10 points. One of the more impressive players of the day was rising sophomore Micah Smith. Smith showed poise in handling the Johns Creek pressure and let the Wesleyan offense work for him. He also put up ten points, helping the Wolves take a 27-19 lead into the half.

The scoring and shooting slowed down for Johns Creek in this game. The eye test would blame fatigue. Neil Ilenrey was the only Gladiator in double digits with 10 points. Will Penland and Micah Chadwick both managed five points. Wesleyan cracked down on the defensive mistakes made in their first game and took home the 57-41 win.

Neil Ilenrey
Neil Ilenrey

 

GHSA Basketball

Georgia Cup Finals – 14U Notes

News & Notes from Saturday (6/3/17) at the Georgia Cup Finals
Contributed by Trent Markwith (@TMarkwith14)

WE Elite

After close battles to win their first two games, the Marist War Eagles crew had another strong outing against the Georgia Kings. Led by Derek McDonald, WE was able to get great looks in the half court and get out in transition frequently. McDonald does it all for WE; just in this game I saw multiple 3’s, high post jumpers, full-court transition finishes, offensive rebounds, and big blocks on defense. He finished with 27 points but WE has some other weapons also. Charles Fleming is an assassin from deep, hitting (3) 3’s in the first half; Luke Benson runs the show at PG where he excels at facilitating; and Richard Reynolds is a solid forward who is tough inside but can also stretch the floor with his shooting. It looks like Marist has some good ones coming up to the high school level.

Walton Flames

This Flames team has 4 perimeter players who gave them great production in a nice afternoon win over Hoops 360. Combining for 66 of their 79 points, Grant Shobe, Jason Edwards, Charles Bradley, and Gabriel Farmer all proved themselves scoring the ball. To start off, Shobe has a very unique offensive game. He totaled 18 points from (3) 3’s and also made some difficult push-shots, floaters, and reverse layups that seemed to surprise everyone that was watching when they went in. Edwards is extremely shifty and had a variety of wild finishes inside while also showing that he would not hesitate to shoot from way beyond the line, ending with 16 points. I really liked Bradley’s efficiency on offense; he is reliable on catch and shoot opportunities, but when that is taken away he uses just 1 or 2 dribbles to get to the rim and also gets putbacks, finishing with 18 points. Farmer did not waste any opportunities either, hitting 3’s, weaving through the defense and getting easy baskets off of sneaky cuts for 14 points. The Flames are an explosive team when all 4 of these guys are in a groove.

MTXE

The group of St. Pius boys had a tight game on Saturday night against the Warner Robins All-Stars that made for an entertaining matchup. MTXE is a well-rounded, fundamental group that gets contribution from nearly everyone. They had 10 different players score with one who stood out above the rest: Kyle Seramur. Seramur connected on 5 threes for a total of 18 points and did this while only missing a few shots. Other main guys for MTXE are Carter Williams, Daniel Beverly, and Jack Verrill. Williams is a sound PG with outside shooting ability and makes sure to control things on offense for MTXE. Beverly is an athletic forward who makes a lot of energy plays, uses his length to finish, and plays with an edge about him. Verrill is an intriguing young player; he has great height and length for a player his age but is still raw and has to grow into his body. Verrill did display soft hands and some touch inside on offense, and altered shots consistently on defense.

Warner Robins All-Stars

 The Warner Robins squad recognized an advantage in strength and athleticism over MTXE early on and had success throughout the game using these qualities. The 3 standouts for the All-Stars would have to be Gregory Jones, Rashaun Tomlin, and Andrew Grane. These 3 combined for 40 of Warner Robins’ 60 points and were key down the stretch for their team. Jones (11 points) and Tomlin (12 points) were huge inside for Warner Robins. Jones made hard drives in both transition and the half-court often, where he absorbed contact and finished consistently. Tomlin was a beast on the offensive glass, grabbing everything in his area and then putting it in the basket. Grane (17 points) displayed an advanced offensive skill-set, attacking fearlessly but knowing when to quickly pull-up and use his mid-range jumper, which he did multiple times. This attribute kept the defense guessing when Grane had the ball and resulted in easy looks for him.

Warrior Elite

Out of Cleveland, GA, Warrior Elite is another team with a lot of depth. They carry 9 players and all of them get solid minutes. There is not much, if any, of a drop-off between the team’s starters and reserves; 7 Warrior players scored 6 or more points in a late Saturday night bracket play win. The team plays an unselfish brand of basketball and thrives in transition because of their surplus of smart, athletic players. Dakota Orr and Cooper Turner were very impressive for the Warrior team. Orr presents a great combination of height, athleticism, and touch for 14U player. As he continues to add strength and develop his awareness, he could turn into an attractive prospect. Turner is a fast, physical guard who seeks out contact whenever he gets in the lane where he draws fouls and finishes through hits with regularity. Another Warrior player that got my attention was Eli Pitts. This may have not been his best scoring performance but he showed high IQ and good penetration ability that resulted in solid passes to open teammates. In other games, this penetration may have provided scoring opportunities for Pitts but he recognized that dishing to others was the best option in this game.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 19: D’Marcus Simonds interview

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2017 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year D’Marcus Simonds joins Spielin’ & Dealin’ to review his first season on campus at Georgia State. Simonds was a GHSA standout while at Buford and Gainesville. He graduated from Gainesville in 2016 and originally committed to play at Mississippi State as a 4-star recruit before reopening his recruitment.

D'Marcus Simonds

GHSA Basketball, Predictions

Impact 2021 Freshmen

Here’s a preview of some 2021 rising freshmen who have performed well over the summer and could see some important varsity minutes as freshmen or hold great promise after a year of seasoning.

Tykevious Curry – 6’0 – Calhoun County (Atlanta Xpress Bogan)Tykevious Curry

Averaging 23.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.1 steals per game over the summer, Tykevious Curry has proven to be a potent scorer with the ability to get off his mid-range jumper. He will be a strong addition to a loaded Calhoun County roster that returns everyone from this year’s Class A-Public state runner-up team.

Darreonte Gainer –  6’2 – Randolph-Clay (Atlanta Xpress Bogan)

Darreonte Gainer

Darreonte Gainer is the type of player that can turn the fortunes of a program around in a blink of an eye, especially at the Class A-Public level. Just as he did in his only year on the job at Toombs County, coach Laberton Sims will have a piece in place to win with over the next four years at his new home. The athletic wing can score inside and out and can play above the rim.  He rebounds well for his size and causes havoc with his length on defense.

Justin Carter – 6’6 – Terrell County (Atlanta Xpress Bogan)

Justin Carter

You can’t teach size. Justin Carter has it. While he will need to get in better shape and mature like many incoming freshmen, once he does he could become another Class A-Public standout just like his other three Atlanta Xpress Bogan teammates.  Carter has a soft touch around the basket and shoots the ball well from the foul line. He makes smart passes out of the post and on defense, uses his body well and can block shots.

Madison Durr – 6’0 – St. Francis (Georgia Xclusive)

Madison Durr

Madison Durr has been a popular name on travel ball circuits for a while now. The sharp guard with size knows how to put the ball in the basket and how to compete. It will be interesting to see where the floor general ends up at for high school.

Taihland Owens – 6’1 – Cherokee (Active Elite)

Taihland Owens

Taihland Owens caught my eye this summer with his size and aggressiveness. He is well put together for an incoming freshman and has a physical frame which could lead to him seeing minutes as a youngster in coach Roger Kvam’s system. Owens can shoot the three and attacks the rim in a downhill fashion. He gets after it on defense and could have a very bright future in Canton.

Johnny Sweeney – 6’6 – Cherokee (Active Elite)

Johnny Sweeney

Johnny Sweeney is a tall glass of water. Most players his age at that height with that length and not very coordinated or struggle to play inside. Sweeney doesn’t have those problems and uses his wing span the way you would hope. He is a great shot blocker that times his leaps well. Offensively, Sweeney has shown a turnaround jumper out of the post. He also is a smart passer. Size like his is hard to find in Cherokee County.

Dacari Collins – 6’3 – Woodward Academy (Georgia Xclusive)

Dacari Collins

Known for his explosive play as a highly touted wide receiver, Dacari Collins is a talented basketball player as well. He’s a physical forward that scores in the paint and loves to get out and run. He can hit the high post jumper and rebounds in traffic. Collins is expected to decide between Woodward Academy and Westlake.

Omarion Smith – 6’5 – Lithia Springs (Elite Playmakers)

Omarion Smith

Omarion Smith is a rim protector that rebounds the ball exceptionally well. He is a nice athlete that doesn’t mind doing the dirty work. He has to keep his head screwed on and not let opponents frustrate him. He is still growing and still maturing. Smith has the tools to become a major interior presence.

Makayl Rakestraw – 5’9 – East Jackson (TNBC Select)

Makayl Rakestraw

The future of East Jackson basketball could lay in Makayl Rakestraw’s hands. The point guard has a great feel for the game and thrives in transition while making the right decisions with the ball in his hands. He can score off the bounce and can open up defenses with his three-point shot.

Justin Bogard – 6’0 – Grayson (Walton Flames)

Justin Bogard

Justin Bogard, Joe Johnson of the Utah Jazz’s cousin, may not see time right away at Grayson, but could develop into a long term cornerstone for coach Geoffrey Pierce. Bogard scores from all over the floor with his unorthodox lefty stoke. He has shown over the summer the ability to carry his team with his scoring prowess. Already with nice size, check back on Bogard at the end of next season.

Max Harris – 6’0 – South Gwinnett (Georgia Stars Harris)

Max Harris

Max Harris is a shooter and a scorer. He will have to work hard to crack into the South Gwinnett rotation, but his upside is high and the task is doable. He has been a consistent producer in the Georgia Stars backcourt. Harris could be another important piece in coach Ty Anderson’s resurgence of the South Gwinnett program.

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.