COLLEGE PARK -- Total domination. That is about is about as good of a description as it gets in South Atlanta's 80-48 win over North Clayton on Tuesday night.
Derrick Favors, the top player in the state, dominated the game in every possible way in the blowout win. The 6-9 center scored 24 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, blocked 10 shots and had four steals in the victory.
South Atlanta set the tone early with its physical play, attention to defense and Favors' presence in the paint. The Hornets went into the halftime break with a 15-point lead. If that wasn't enough, a 26-4 third quarter slammed the door shut with a bang.
It wasn't a close one and things just were not clicking for North Clayton, a young team that should have a fine year this season. But when the state's best player is having the kind of game he was having on Tuesday night, there just isn't much a team can do.
What we learned:
- One observer that we sat with said Favors is better than Dwight Howard at this same stage and that the youngster from South Atlanta is a clone of Tim Duncan. That is strong company and it is hard to disagree with the notion that Favors is more skilled than Howard. The gap is small in my eyes simply because Dwight Howard was the best player I've ever seen here in Georgia. With a year and a half left, Favors could very well take Howard's spot in my eyes. He's an incredible, incredible talent.
- This did not look like the same South Atlanta team I saw last month in the ugly scrimmage against Redan. South Atlanta showed it's defensive tenacity and took the wind out of the sails early with intense pressure from end to end.
- North Clayton's band was great. They were fun to watch and their energy was the only thing that had the home crowd nodding in approval.
