Georgia Hoops

Georgia Hoops Fall Showcase

2009-10-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

WHEN: Saturday, October 17, 2009, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: New Birth Church 6400 Woodrow Rd, Lithonia, GA 30038
WHO: The camp will comprise players from all high school classes (2010 to 2013).
COST: $150.00
This year’s event will feature:

5-on-5 competition
National Exposure on ESPN.com, the exclusive media partner for the showcase
Each player in the camp will be featured in the nationally-respected Georgia Hoops Recruiting Service
Top quality individual skill development work from professional coaches, most notably former University of Georgia coach Pete Hermann, professional players, college and high school coaches
Compete against the best of the best in Georgia
Q&A on the recruiting process from experts and college counselors

You can register today by clicking HERE. Lock yourself in for the best camp in the Southeast.

Thanks for stopping by

2009-09-22T21:31:00.002-04:00

For all things Georgia, be sure to check out D1Spects.com.

For other national high school and college notes and stories be sure to check out the National Hoops Report.

If you are a college coach and interested in purchasing the Georgia Hoops Recruiting Service, please email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com.

Still closed but...

2009-07-04T10:27:00.001-04:00

...open for some seasonal work. Santa Claus doesn't work around the clock either. Stop by my other venture at the National Hoops Report. I'll be rolling out some one on one interviews on the site this month.

2009-05-09T14:43:00.000-04:00

Ga. Southern finds coach: Charlton Young

2009-04-08T21:12:00.002-04:00

Georgia Southern University will announce Charlton Young as the new head men's basketball coach on Thursday. Young, a 1994 graduate of the school, takes over for Jeff Price.

Young is currently an assistant coach at Georgia Tech and has been with the Yellow Jackets since 2005. Young has coached at Auburn, Jacksonville, Chattanooga and Northeastern.

Young is a familiar face in Statesboro. He was inducted into the Georgia Southern Hall of Fame this year. As a point guard for the Eagles, Young set three GSU basketball records: career assists (530), career three-pointers made (241) and season three-pointers made (93).

Georgia finds coach: Mark Fox, Nevada

2009-04-02T21:21:00.005-04:00

Georgia Hoops has learned that Mark Fox will be the new head coach at the University of Georgia.

Fox will come to Athens after a successful career at the University of Nevada. During his time as the Wolfpack head coach, Fox helped the WAC program shine on the national stage and develop a number of professional players.

Kirk Snyder, Nick Fazekas, Ramon Sessions and JaValle McGee all played for Fox and are now in the NBA.

During his tenure at Nevada, Fox and his staff rarely recruited Georgia or the Southeast. The WAC program was a finalist in Shawn Kemp's recruitment last year.

Recapping the Riverfest

2009-03-31T17:29:00.002-04:00

COLUMBUS, GA -- The Columbus Riverfest has been a staple on the Georgia Hoops calendar for as long as we can remember. This year’s event was smaller but competitive as always. The talent in the host city is impressive while some familiar faces stepped up when it mattered.

CLASS OF 2010 EYE-CATCHERS

Adrian Hubbard, Georgia Stars – Strong effort from the 6-7 forward from Norcross. The big man played well inside the paint as a scorer and rebounder in the title game. He recorded a double-double in the victory and was a difference maker down the stretch. He closed out the high school season on a high note and enters the spring schedule right where he left off for the Blue Devils.

Davonta White, Georgia Stars – The strength of the Stars is it’s guard play and in any given game, anyone can be the go-to guy. In the championship game, it was White that took advantage of a mismatch and broke down the defense en route to the basket for buckets. The speedy guard from Centennial finished around the cup and helped the Stars bring home the title.

Trey Bussey, Georgia Blazers – Georgia’s 2010 class is ready for a breakout player and the 6-2 guard from Lithia Springs High School could be that guy during the AAU schedule. Playing the point for the Blazers, Bussey made some tough shots in a highly competitive game against the Georgia Stars in the championship game. He had little trouble getting around the opposing guards and scored either from deep or in the midrange. The game may have been foreshadowing for what could await him on the national stage. Bussey could cement himself into the mid-major level then.

Rion Brown, Atlanta Celtics White – Playing only on Sunday, the 6-5 guard made quick work in his only game of action. The junior from Liberty County shot the ball well, attacked the basket and pumped in roughly 20 points in a tough defeat. He’s turned the corner from pure prospect to a producer. Brown’s game and body is similar to former Westlake and current Winthrop player Gideon Gamble. Brown is better at the same stage.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Kentavious Caldwell, Georgia Blazers – The top spot for the class of 2011 is wide open in Georgia and there is a good chance that the 6-5 guard brings home that title at the end of the spring. In the semi-finals of the Riverfest, Caldwell showed why he will be in such high regard by the high-majors this summer. He drilled five three-pointers in the first half and kept the defense on it’s heels with his offensive ability. Caldwell brings a little bit of everything to the table. He’s on his way to stardom nationally, too.

Tim Dixon, Georgia Blazers (pictured above) – Things are about to get crazy for the 6-10 center from Kendrick High School. The sophomore big man is making big strides in his game and turning the corner into becoming a good-looking high-major prospect in the class of 2011. Dixon has a nice go-to move on the offensive end of the floor with a nice jump hook that he can score with more times than not. His hands and footwork has vastly improved and he remains a fine shot-blocker and rebounder in the low post.

C.J. Blackwell, Lou Will Stars – Is there are tougher player to defend in Georgia’s 2011 class? The 6-5 position-less player is a producer. He lit up one team for nearly 40 points during the weekend. Blackwell plays with a toughness that gives interior defenders trouble because of his strength. He can put the ball on the floor and score by attacking. He’s adding a reliable jumper to the arsenal and becoming a threat in the midrange and from deep. Blackwell could develop into a P.J. Tucker type of player. Tucker was a star at Texas.

HI, MY NAME IS…

Calvin Gaines, Atlanta Celtics White – The 6-8 junior looks like a million bucks. He’s big, strong and has a huge wingspan. Gaines, a class of 2010 prospect at Heat Academy in Virginia, could be a player to really emerge onto the scene this spring and summer. The physical tools are certainly there. Consistency and a glimpse into his offensive game will be the thing that keep people coming back to see him play.

Darren Daniel, Georgia Blazers – The hometown Blazers looked like the clear cut favorite to win the Riverfest event on Sunday morning. Then Daniel, a 6-4 wing, was fouled hard by a Georgia Stars player and was taken to the hospital for a number of stitches in his mouth. Daniel was the difference maker for the hometown team. The Phenix City, Alabama native does a little bit of everything from the wing. His progression will be interesting to watch in the spring.

NEWS & NOTES

The Georgia Stars 15 and under team won their age division thanks to team play, offensive balance, a simplistic attack and good depth. From top to bottom, the Stars have a roster full of young players that know how to play.

Chris Denson, a lefty guard from Shaw High School, quietly pumped in 29 points for the Georgia Jaguars. He scored 41 in a game on Saturday.

The Lou Will Stars have a handful of players to keep an eye on in the 16 and under division. Guard Kiki Simmons of Wheeler and wing Blake Ralling of Westlake were both eye-catchers.

Nick Marshall of the Georgia Blazers will have plenty of options for college. He’ll have to make a decision between football and basketball. He’ll be recruited by high-major schools in both sports.

Icebreaker: Several Georgians shine

2009-03-30T21:20:00.003-04:00

Georgia Hoops spent Friday and Saturday at the Icebreaker Invitational in Aiken, S.C. A number of teams from the Peach State participated in the event. The Southern Kings Gold played up a division and brought home the second place trophy from the event.

The National Hoops Report, a sister company to Georgia Hoops, recapped the weekend's action. Milton sophomore Shannon Scott (pictured above) was one of the highlights.

Click HERE for the story.

Our coverage of the Columbus Riverfest is coming soon.

GA Stars claim Riverfest title

2009-03-30T07:29:00.002-04:00

The Georgia Stars to the 17 and under title at the Columbus Riverfest thanks to a big game from Norcross forward Adrian Hubbard (pictured above) in the title game against the Georgia Blazers.

Georgia Hoops will have more coverage from the Riverfest and the Icebreaker Invitational events throughout the week.

Mailbag: March 26, part 1

2009-03-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

Do you think either Whitefield or Dublin would make a decent game with any of the other classification champs? I've seen all play, but when they are playing against A and AA schools, it's hard to see if they could give a S. Atlanta, Miller Grove or Wheeler a game...

I’m sure the game would be competitive because both Dublin and Whitefield would be ready to play but the talent at Wheeler, Miller Grove and South Atlanta is just too much. Size matters and size is what all three of the bigger schools have over Dublin and Whitefield. I think the smaller schools would give all three teams some trouble on the defensive end but too much size and too much depth wins out.

What are your final top 10 player in the state in order? Class of 09 only.

1. Derrick Favors, South Atlanta
2. Mfon Udofia, Miller Grove
3. Lorenzo Brown, Centennial
4. Ari Stewart, Wheeler
5. Richard Howell, Wheeler
6. Kenny Hall, Redan
7. Glen Rice, Jr., Walton
8. Kammeon Holsey, Hancock Central
9. Noel Johnson, Fayette County
10. Jimmy Bacon, Long County

See above but add classes of '10 and '11, as well. Thanks.

Sorry, I don’t rank the players publicly until they finish their careers. I’m a big believer that rankings take the focus off the task at hand. I will send my rankings to college coaches only. Other than that, I won’t numerically rank players on Georgia Hoops anymore. I’ve seen too many people poisoned by them in the past.

What you think of Shaw's Chris Denson?

That is a tough question to answer because the player I saw during the high school season didn’t look like the player that I’ve seen in AAU. My evaluation is incomplete. Hopefully I get a chance to watch him again this weekend when I make a quick trip to Columbus for the Riverfest tournament on Sunday.

Are the Milton trio a package deal? What schools are in good position with them?

I don’t think the Milton trio is a package deal. I know their recruiting paths will cross over each others but I’d be surprised if they all go to the same school. As far as what schools are in position with them, I’m not totally sure as of now. I will see them this weekend in Augusta at the Icebreaker Invitational. I will ask them there.

I believe all three are high-major prospects and all three will go to a school at that level.

Where do you think Trae Golden will end up? Do the in-state schools GT and UGA have a chance to land him?

Whoever the new head coach is at Georgia, I think it would be wise of him and his staff to target Trae Golden. For starters, he is a player that you want to usher in a new regime with. He’s a quality kid and a one you don’t have to worry about off the court. In Georgia’s 2010 class, the talent is thin at the high-major level. That is the case nationally, too. The knock on past UGA coaching staffs is that they don’t keep the top in-state talent home. Golden is one of the top guys in 2010. The new staff needs to make a splash with recruiting with guys like Golden, Jalen Kendrick, Jumail Jones, Donte Williams, JerShon Cobb, etc.

Georgia Tech is in the mix for Golden, too. The Jackets have long been a player is his recruitment. Georgia Tech is a school the family knows plenty about.

Will Columbia be the top team in AAA next season?

Because Georgia has an epidemic of transfers during the off-season, it is hard to say anyone is the favorite in any class in March. That being said, I think Columbia will be back in the hunt. The team returns a lot.

Who is top overall freshman, Jordan Price or Tony Parker?

I believe Tony Parker is the best freshman in the state. Furthermore, I think he is the best prospect in the state outside of the class of 2009. Sure, there are still things he needs to work on (as is the case for every player out there) but his hands, footwork and overall feel for the game in the post is outstanding for a young player.

The Mailbag is back

2009-03-25T07:09:00.000-04:00

Now that the season is over, it's a perfect time to bring back The Mailbag. Feel free to ask your questions regarding basketball within the state of Georgia. The questions aren't limited to just high school hoops either. Ask national recruiting questions. Ask about your college team. Fire away.

Feel free to email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com or leave a message on the message board.

I WILL ANSWER THE MAILBAG QUESTIONS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 26.

Georgia Hoops AAAAA All-State team

2009-03-24T13:41:00.000-04:00

CLASS AAAAA
1st team All-State
Richard Howell, PF, Wheeler, Sr. (AAAAA Player of the Year)
Lorenzo Brown, SG, Centennial, Sr.
Russell Powell, PG, Newnan, Sr.
Glen Rice, Jr., SG/SF, Walton, Sr.
Ari Stewart, SF, Wheeler, Sr.

2nd team All-State
Taariq Muhammad, PG, Norcross, Sr.
Javaris Bryant, SF, Westlake, Sr.
Ryan Harrow, PG/SG, Walton, Jr.
Trae Golden, SG, McEachern, Jr.
Julian Royal, PF, Milton, Soph.

Georgia Hoops Class AAAA All-State team

2009-03-23T12:28:00.002-04:00

CLASS AAAA
1st team All-State
Mfon Udofia, PG, Miller Grove, Sr. (AAAA Player of the Year)
Noel Johnson, SF, Fayette County, Sr.
Manny Atkins, SF/PF, Tucker, Sr.
Ricardo Glenn, PF, Richmond Academy, Sr.
J.J. Mann, SF/PF, Marist, Sr.

2nd team All-State
Darius Baugh, SG, Hillgrove, Sr.
Malcolm Jackson, SG, Sandy Creek, Sr.
Dee Goens, PG, Marist, Sr.
Aloys Cabell, PG, Mays, Jr.
Shaq Barber, PG, Griffin, Sr.

Georgia Hoops Class AAA All-State team

2009-03-20T13:33:00.000-04:00

CLASS AAA
1st team All-State
Derrick Favors, PF/C, South Atlanta, Sr. (AAA Player of the Year)
Terrence Noel, SG/PG, Westover, Sr.
Rod Rucker, SF/PF, Elbert County, Jr.
DeMario Mayfield, SG, Franklin County, Sr.
JerShon Cobb, SG, Columbia, Jr.

2nd team All-State
James Vincent, C, Northside, Sr.
Jordan McRae, SG, Liberty County, Jr.
Andre Malone, SG/SF, South Atlanta, Sr.
Jerome Hamilton, PF, Worth County, Sr.
George Manomano, SG, Gainesville, Sr.

Georgia Hoops Class AA All-State team

2009-03-19T23:28:00.002-04:00

CLASS AA
1st team All-State
Jimmy Bacon, SF, Long County, Sr. (AA Player of the Year)
Trent Wiedeman, PF, Greater Atlanta Christian, Jr.
Sherrard Brantley, SG, Dublin, Sr.
Ryan LeGates, SG, Blessed Trinity, Sr.
Matt Brabham, SG, Central Macon, Jr.

2nd team All-State
Wendell Williams, SG, Appling County, Sr.
Marvell Harris, PF, Northeast Macon, Jr.
Dontavious Lee, SG, Crawford County, Sr.
Reshard Smith, SG/PG, Dublin, Sr.
Gerald Dunn, PG, Greene County, Sr.

Georgia Hoops Class A All-State team

2009-03-18T16:11:00.001-04:00

CLASS A
1st team All-State
Brandon Reed, SG, Whitefield Academy, Sr. (A Player of the Year)
Kammeon Holsey, PF, Hancock Central, Sr.
Raymond Higgs, SG, Athens Christian, Sr.
Kentavious Caldwell, SG, Greenville, Soph.
Nick Marshall, SG, Wilcox County, Soph.

2nd team All-State
Tyshawn Good, SG, Darlington, Sr.
Jamel Jones, SF, Greenforest Christian, Jr.
Ternell Davis, SG, Turner County, Sr.
Robert Ellis, PF, Terrell County, Sr.
Cody Padgett, SF, Calvary Day, Sr.

Sr., Jr., Soph. & Fr. of the Year awards

2009-03-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

Senior of the year: Derrick Favors, South Atlanta, Sr.
Seniors of the year
AAAAA – Richard Howell, Wheeler, PF
AAAA – Mfon Udofia, Miller Grove, PG
AAA – Derrick Favors, South Atlanta, PF/C
AA – Jimmy Bacon, Long County, SF
A – Brandon Reed, Whitefield Academy, SG

Junior of the year: Ryan Harrow, Walton, PG/SG
Juniors of the year
AAAAA – Trae Golden, McEachern, SG
AAAA – Aloys Cabell, Mays, PG
AAA – JerShon Cobb, Columbia, SG
AA – Trent Wiedeman, Greater Atlanta Christian, PF
A – Jamel Jones, Greenforest Christian, SF

Sophomore of the year: Julian Royal, Milton, PF
Sophomores of the year
AAAAA – Shannon Scott, Milton, PG
AAAA – Algie Key, Lakeside-Dekalb, SF
AAA – Nick Jacobs, South Atlanta, PF
AA –Paul Dawson, GAC, PG
A – Kentavious Caldwell, Greenville, SG

Freshman of the year: Tony Parker, Miller Grove, C/PF
Freshmen of the year
AAAAA – Evan Nolte, Milton, SF/SG
AAAA – Tony Parker, Miller Grove, C/PF
AAA – Jordan Price, Columbia, SG
AA – Willie Clayton, Thomasville, PF
A – Nate Bucher, Providence Christian, PG

Deep South Classic rosters

2009-03-17T13:55:00.002-04:00

2009 Deep South Classic
March 21, 2009
Darton College

East team
James Lee, Monroe
Terrance Weathers, Monroe
Andrew Colvin, Dougherty
Terrance Noel, Westover
Kenji Breedlove, Westover
Greg Green, Westover
Brandon Browner, Terrell County
Martavious Yarbrough, Terrell County
Shaquille Harris, Americus-Sumter
Jimmy Glover, Calhoun County
Jerome Hamilton, Worth County
Meshak Williams, Worth County
Robert Ellis, Terrell County

West team

Melzie Johnson, Bainbridge
James Lodman, Bainbridge
Escondarious Yarbrough, Early County
Kecardis Williams, Early County
Ryan Spann, Randolph-Clay
Quintarius Pollard, Pelham
Arthur Jackson, Mitchell County
Gerald Williams, Mitchell County
Kentrail Brown, Cairo
Brian Berl, Colquitt County
Marquis Williams, Bainbridge
Adrian Knoght, Thomas County Central
Ronald Revels, Thomasville

South Georgia Shoot Out rosters

2009-03-17T13:49:00.002-04:00

2009 South Georgia Shoot Out

March 22, 2009

Tift County High School

North Team

Javon Dawson, Crisp County
Jesse Bo Carter, Crisp County
Tray Pearce, Turner County
Todd Lawson, Turner County
Charsini Washington, Dooly County
Eric Martin, Dooly County
Alex Barron, Dooly County
Antonio Marshall, Wilcox County
Kwamaine Outlaw, Wilcox County
Akeem Thomas, Atkinson County
Jamal Burgess, Turner County
Desmin Hall. Crisp County

South Team

Thoulitt Hunter, Valdosta
Rontrel Frazier, Valdosta
Cameron Venus, Valdosta
Anthony Combs, Lowndes
Michael Faulk, Coffee County
Demario Bennett, Coffee County
Keith Edmonds, Clinch County
Darius Davis, Tift county
Dejour Mitchell, Tift county
Killean Thompson, Cook County
Jeremy Fountain, Valdosta
Willie Calhoun, Clinch County

Looking back: Pre-season polls

2009-03-16T13:45:00.001-04:00

Pre-season polls don’t mean much, right? Ever wonder who was ranked where when the season began?

Here are the top 10 teams at the start of the season.

AAAAA

1. Wheeler
2. Norcross
3. Centennial
4. McEachern
5. Westlake
6. Walton
7. Milton
8. South Gwinnett
9. Savannah
10. Redan

AAAA

1. Glenn Hills
2. Statesboro
3. Miller Grove
4. Tucker
5. Fayette County
6. Mays
7. Heritage-Conyers
8. Hephzibah
9. Rome
10. Marist

AAA

1. South Atlanta
2. Columbia
3. Carver-Columbus
4. Dunwoody
5. East Hall
6. Flowery Branch
7. Hart County
8. Franklin County
9. Gainesville
10. Liberty County

AA

1. Greater Atlanta Christian
2. Dublin
3. East Laurens
4. Manchester
5. Decatur
6. Buford
7. Blessed Trinity
8. Lovett
9. Jordan
10. Long County

A

1. Hancock Central
2. Turner County
3. Wilkinson County
4. Whitefield Academy
5. Southwest Atlanta Christian
6. Randolph-Clay
7. Wesleyan
8. Wilcox County
9. Portal
10. Paideia

Of the 50 teams ranked in the pre-season polls, 14 failed to make the state playoffs.

Notes from the Notepad: March 15

2009-03-15T21:24:00.001-04:00

Five things I’m buying this week:

1. Wheeler - The state’s most talented team didn’t rely so much on it’s array of offensive weapons to win the class AAAAA championship. It was all defense.

During the first half of the season, Wheeler allowed opponents to score an average of 72 points per game in games played in 2008 of the year. In 2009, the average was 59. The Wildcats were 18-2 in that stretch. In 2008, Wheeler was 7-5.

Richard Howell and Ari Stewart were fantastic in the post-season and both made a strong case for class AAAAA Player of the Year. Junior guard Phil Taylor did a fine job of keeping everyone on the same page as well as providing the team with a legitimate threat from the perimeter.

Mix in glue guys, key glue guys, like Joab Jerome and Karl Cochran and the Wildcats made it absolutely impossible for teams to get close when it mattered.

Outstanding effort by the Wildcats and boy did this team step up when it mattered.

2. Miller Grove - The Wolverines held Tucker to two of 29 from the floor in the first half of the state championship game. That might be the most remarkable sentence written this season in Georgia High School basketball. That is six percent shooting from the floor folks. That’s mind-boggling.

Mfon Udofia is the best competitor in the state and absolutely shined this season and made a strong case for the Georgia Hoops Player of the Year. He is the best clutch player in the state and shined when it mattered.

Miller Grove isn’t all about Udofia either. Stephen Hill, one of the top athletes in the Southeast, shined in the state playoffs on both ends of the floor. Seniors Joe Caldwell, Malcolm Frank, Xavier McGahee and others all came up the ranks at the Lithonia school and accepted their roles in order to earn a title.

The future is bright for Miller Grove still. Tony Parker, the state’s top freshman, Dante Williams, one of the elite juniors in the state, Henry Brooks, a fine sophomore big man, and Adarius Fulton, a quality junior point guard, are all back next season. That alone should keep the Wolverines at the top spot in AAAA.

What an effort by first year coach Eddie Johnson, too. He was thrust into the head coaching position right before the season started due to the ridiculous suspension of Sharman White. Johnson quickly earned the trust from his team and never looked back.
Classy move by the team when the final buzzer sounded against Tucker. They sprinted to White, who was sitting in the first row behind the bench, and immediately mobbed him.

3. South Atlanta - Derrick Favors knows how to go out with a bang. The state’s top player helped his Hornets grab the AAA state title by scoring 38 points and grabbing 21 points against Westover in an 81-62 win.

Favors finally took home the hardware and will enter Georgia Tech as a state champion. He’s the best player the Peach State has seen since Dwight Howard’s remarkable run in 2004. Favors is humble and respectful and a kid that you want to root for.

After Favors’ sophomore season, the rumor mill began to churn and rumors had him at Oak Hill Academy. On a June morning in Cleveland, Georgia, I knew that the rumor had zero legs. Walking into the Truett-McConnell gym with his teammates for a full day of team camp in the North Georgia mountains was Favors, big grin and all. That’s when I learned about the big man’s loyalty. The Naismith Trophy award winner is a kid true to his word and true to those that are true to him.

“Of all the accolades, this is the best one,” Favors told the Macon Telegraph on Saturday night after winning the state championship. “It was because I did it with my team. I’ve been playing with these guys since the ninth grade, and this is the best feeling.”

The Hornets enjoyed a tremendous ride this year and the team will have a memorable year to look back on the rest of their lives.

4. Dublin - Guard play will always win big games. That was the case for the Irish.

Chris Smith and Sherrard Brantley both shot the lights out in the class AA championship game against Blessed Trinity. That shooting touch helped Dublin make the march to Macon. Smith had a terrific game and Brantley came alive in the second half to hold off the surging Blessed Trinity attack.

Senior Rashard Smith did a fine job of gluing all of the talent together, too. Tawaski King, the monster in the middle, played an important role, too. His physical presences on Arris Brundidge was an important factor in the victory.

Dublin did a great job on the defensive end of the floor and fought through a very tough road to the championship game. Earning the class AA title was a tough task and the Irish did a terrific job in the process.

5. Whitefield Academy - I’m never afraid to admit when I made a mistake or when I looked past someone or a team. I looked past Whitefield Academy. The Wolfpack won what I believed to be the deepest tournament in all five classifications.

Two things that I shouldn’t have overlooked: 1. This team is led by a pair of great seniors in Brandon Reed and Cameron Baskerville. 2. This team will flat out defend you.

Not surprisingly, Reed has great success inside the Macon Centreplex. He played well there as a freshman. He’s been to the big stage before and understands the complexity of the moment.

Reed should also be commended on his decision to play at a school where he can make a difference for all four years. The lefty guard will make an instant impact at Arkansas State and should play in the NCAA tournament at some point in his career at the Sun Belt school.

Baskerville played well down the stretch and did what he does best – rebound in and out of his area, score the easy shots down low and occasionally pick and pop for a midrange jumper.

Sophomore Kennard Backman stepped up in the moment and played great in the title game against a big Turner County team.

Overall, great game, great effort and great win to claim the class A title.

SCRIBBLE NOTES

- Each of the championship games were blowouts. A re-seeding of the tournament would have been nice. Maybe I’ll roll out my fantasy bracket later in the week.

- I’d love to see a Tournament of Champions in Georgia, where the state champions play for the overall state championship. With only five teams eligible for that setting, I’d re-seed the tournament to 32 total teams.

- Food for thought…J.J. Hickson’s N.C. State team was last in the ACC last year before he went pro. Gani Lawal’s Georgia Tech team was last in the ACC this year. He could be making an unwise choice and going pro this year.

- More food for thought…there wasn’t a Division I school from Georgia in the NCAA tournament. There were four Division II schools in the NCAA tournament: Armstrong Atlantic, Augusta State, Georgia College & State University and Valdosta State.

- Let’s hear your picks for Player of the Year in each class. Post your selections in the message section. I’ll be rolling out the post-season accolades in the very near future.

- AAU coaches, email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com so I can get you a profile form. I’m putting together team reports for the college coaches. They are asking who is playing for who and where teams are going.

- Again, another apology for canceling the 2009 Unsigned Senior Showcase. There were some unforeseen circumstances that forced me to cancel the event. It was a last resort situation.

Webcast of semi-finals available

2009-03-11T15:48:00.001-04:00

You can watch the semi-finals on gpb.org, presented by SCORE Atlanta.

Click HERE for the live, streaming video.

A Final Four primer

2009-03-11T14:44:00.002-04:00

A
Wednesday at Macon Centreplex
Turner Co. vs. Athens Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Wilcox Co. vs. Whitefield Academy, 8:30 p.m.

Why Turner County wins: Because this is the best team in class A right now. It’s been long chronicled on Georgia Hoops that the Rebels have the pieces in place to run the table in Macon. Seniors Ternell Davis and Tray Pearce have proven to be the capable scorers in the clutch while the depth and size inside, paced by Chris Spears and Breon Dixon, are too much for teams to handle. Athens Christian has no answer for all four players. Plus, Eric Holland is proving to be one of the premiere coaches in the state, too.

Why Athens Christian wins: Coming off a monster win over Greenforest Christian, the Eagles are flying high thanks to the speed and athleticism of Raymond Higgs and the perimeter touch of David Mann. Head coach Ron Link has a storybook filled with playoff moments and he has helped this team go from a .500 team to a 28-win team.

Why Wilcox County wins: Nick Marshall won’t let his team lose. That was the case against Wilkinson County last week in Columbus. The sophomore fought through a hamstring cramp and hit big shot after big shot in the fourth quarter. The two-sport star is proving to be one of the elite big game players in the state. The team is young but balanced at the starting five. Junior big man Lonnie Outlaw is a big defensive presence in the paint, too.

Why Whitefield Academy wins: Senior leadership. The Wolfpack has plenty of it. Brandon Reed (pictured) is having about as good of a senior year of any guard in the state and he seems to play his best basketball inside the Macon Centreplex. Big man Cameron Baskerville is a tough match-up because of his inside-outside ability. Watching Reed go against Marshall will be one of the best match-ups of the Final Four in any classification.

Georgia Hoops picks: Turner County over Athens Christian, Whitefield Academy over Wilcox County

AA Final Four primer

2009-03-11T14:30:00.002-04:00

AA
Thursday at Macon Centreplex
Greene Co. vs. Blessed Trinity, 5:30 p.m.
Dublin vs. Greater Atlanta Christian, 8:30 p.m.

Why Greene County wins: Coming out of region 4, the No. 3 seed team is marching along quite well. Senior guards Gerald Dunn and Davante Smith may be small (both stand under 5-10) but both know how to score with speed. The team played an aggressive schedule and has played teams better in talent than Blessed Trinity. That could be a huge factor.

Why Blessed Trinity wins: After last year’s run and graduation of key players, there weren’t many that thought the Titans would be back in the limelight. Led by the scoring prowess of guard Ryan LeGates (pictured above) and the interior athleticism of Arris Brundidge, the Roswell team has a good nucleus to make it to the championship game.

Why Dublin wins: The road to the Macon Centreplex has prepared the Irish for anything. After beating Northeast Macon, Long County and Central Macon, Dublin has been battle tested every round. Playing GAC won’t have this team worried. Dublin will have to play smarter and keep the turnovers low. The strength remains in the backcourt with Sherrard Brantley, Rashard Smith and Chris Smith. That trio should be the difference maker.

Why Greater Atlanta Christian wins: Start with Eddie Martin. Winning is what he does. The former Norcross head coach has the Spartans on the big stage in his first year at the Gwinnett County private school. He’s done it with a crew that consists of a big time producer in Trent Wiedeman, a sharp-shooting senior in Taylor Metzger, a crafty sophomore point guard in Paul Dawson and a do-everything player in Bo Herbert. GAC will out-think teams and the game against Dublin will be one of the best of the week.

Georgia Hoops picks: Blessed Trinity over Greene County, Dublin over Greater Atlanta Christian

AAA Final Four primer

2009-03-11T14:11:00.003-04:00

AAA
Friday at Macon Centreplex
Westover vs. Gainesville, 5:30 p.m.
South Atlanta vs. Columbia, 8:30 p.m.

Why Westover wins: There may not be a tougher player in the AAA tournament that senior guard Terrence Noel. He’s stepped up in the playoffs despite a reoccurring separated shoulder problem he’s been fighting through this season. The Albany locals have raved about this team and some have even called this team the best Albany has offered up in nearly five years. That’s impressive.

Why Gainesville wins: No one outside of Hall County is expecting them to win it. Being the underdog is a huge advantage in your own world. It’s a me against the planet mentality. The Red Elephants roll out a heavy senior laden lineup. The team is 21-5 since Jan. 1, too.

Why South Atlanta wins: It never hurts when the best player in the country mans the middle of your lineup. It’s time for Derrick Favors to shake the monkey off his back, too. The state’s most dominate player since Dwight Howard has yet to claim a state championship title. It is now or never. Think the big fella needs any more motivation than that? Throw in Andre Malone, Nick Watkins, Nick Jacobs, Rashaud Bell and a host of other players that are all difficult to match-up with, the Hornets are ready for anything.

Why Columbia wins: They have to play South Atlanta in the semi-finals. If that won’t get you excited for the big dance, nothing will. Columbia has been here before. Playing in the Final Four is nothing new for this club. Junior JerShon Cobb (pictured above) is a tough match-up for South Atlanta because of his versatility. Mix in Columbia’s size, depth and coaching and Phil McCrary’s kids could be playing for another title.

Georgia Hoops picks: Westover over Gainesville, South Atlanta over Columbia

AAAA Final Four primer

2009-03-11T10:26:00.002-04:00

AAAA
Wednesday at Gwinnett Arena
Bainbridge vs. Tucker, 5:30 p.m.
Richmond Academy vs. Miller Grove, 8:30 p.m.

Why Bainbridge wins: Because no one knows anything about them. The Bearcats are balanced, deep and ready to keep winning. The southwest Georgia team will travel nearly five hours to the Gwinnett Arena and this club could be playing for more respect of any team in the building this week. Senior forward Antroine Williford is the best player. Bainbridge has won 27 games this year and two of it’s losses have come in overtime and just by a bucket.

Why Tucker wins: Manny Atkins. The senior knows the time is now. He took over in a huge road win over Hillgrove in the first round of the state tournament. When your seniors are in a zone, good things happen. Luckily for Tucker, Atkins found his zone as a sophomore and won a state title that year. Plus, the Tigers have already sent two teams worthy of a Final Four run – Hillgrove and Marist – to bed for the season.

Why Richmond Academy wins: The kids from Augusta are looking to continue the city’s success at the Final Four level. Last year Glenn Hills won the AAA title. This year, ARC is looking to bring home the AAAA hardware. Big man Ricardo Glenn is talented but Miller Grove will throw a lot of size at him. Guard play will be the x-factor for the Musketeers.

Why Miller Grove wins: Because the Wolverines are the best team in the state. Too big, too deep, too athletic and too talented. There are too many too’s to mention.

Georgia Hoops picks: Tucker over Bainbridge, Miller Grove over Richmond Academy

AAAAA Final Four primer

2009-03-11T09:36:00.002-04:00

AAAAA
Thursday at Gwinnett Arena
Newnan vs. Milton, 5:30 p.m.
Westlake vs. Wheeler, 8:30 p.m.

Why Newnan wins: Russell Powell. The senior point guard is the most successful winner in the state. He quarterbacked Newnan’s football team to the semi-finals, too. After watching him score 29 points and hand out seven assists against a good Valdosta team, Powell continues to play at the pace he’s been playing at all season. Newnan plays basketball like they are playing football. That’s a good thing, too.

Why Milton wins: Milton defends better than Newnan and has better star power. Head coach David Boyd has been to the big dance before and knows how to get the job done. He’s hungry for a win in the new era of hoops in the Peach State, too. Perhaps youthful exuberance comes into play, too. Julian Royal is coming off a monster game against South Gwinnett. Royal, Shannon Scott, Dai-Jon Parker and Evan Nolte should be a staple at the Gwinnett Arena for the next three years.

Why Wheeler wins: The Wildcats have too much firepower you can rely on. Richard Howell, one of the finalists for the Georgia Hoops AAAAA Player of the Year, Ari Stewart and Phil Taylor can all be the go-to player. Plus, the Marietta team is playing about as good as anyone in the state. Defensively, Wheeler is playing like old state championship teams, too.

Why Westlake wins: The Lions have had a bit of an up and down season but since the departure of star junior Jalen Kendrick, Westlake is playing very good basketball, founded on great defense and offensive balance. Wheeler will have it’s hands full with the big frontline of Westlake and the depth. Point guard is the only chink in the armor. Too much Javaris Bryant, Marcus Thornton (pictured above) and the rest of the size at nearly every position could frustrate Wheeler.

Georgia Hoops picks: Newnan over Milton, Wheeler over Westlake

Georgia Hoops Unsigned Senior Showcase is canceled

2009-03-10T13:17:00.002-04:00

It is with great regret that I am canceling the 2009 Georgia Hoops Unsigned Senior Showcase on March 21 due to unforeseen circumstances. If you have previously registered, you have been emailed with further instruction.

Turner County takes out Terrell County

2009-03-07T09:32:00.001-05:00

COLUMBUS, GA -- The starting five players at Turner County have been well scouted by nearly every team in south Georgia this year because of its success throughout the regular season.

But if it wasn't for senior Todd Lawson coming off the bench and performing as well as he did in the fourth quarter, the Rebels would have a different ending to the season.

Lawson's defense and big three-pointer helped the No. 1 team in class A knock out Terrell County 68-63 on Friday night at Columbus State.

Lawson's defense on the surging Terrell County attack in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference maker. Terrell County chipped away at a seven point lead with six minutes left to play thanks to great shooting from Martavious Yarbrough. The 6-2 wing hit a pair of three-pointers and eventually took a one point lead with 3:40 to play in the game. Turner County head coach Eric Holland called a timeout and had a conversation with Lawson.

"He came to me and said 'Coach, give to me.' So when your best defender comes to you and says that, you listen," Holland said.

"Todd really wore him down. His legs started to get heavy and then his shots stopped falling. The thing with Todd is that he can be a starter for this team but he accepted his role with this team and really gives us a spark."

Lawson hit a three pointer promptly after the timeout, giving Turner County a four point lead at the three minute mark. The Rebels never lost the lead again.

Turner County was paced by senior Ternell Davis, who scored 22 points on nine of 24 shooting from the floor. The Chipola bound guard also grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded four steals.

Big man Chris Spears added 13 points and seven rebounds in the win. Trey Pearce and Breon Dixon both scored nine points each.

Terrell County had to play nearly all of the fourth quarter without its star big man Robert Ellis because of foul trouble. Ellis was a headache for Turner in the first half. He owned the glass and was a terror as a shot-blocker. Ellis grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 10 shots but only scored six in the defeat. Holland said Terrell County became a tougher team to defend without the big man on the floor.

"They actually became a different team. They became faster. They have better speed and probably even became more athletic," Holland said.

Terrell County point guard Terel Hall played a big role in his team's comeback. The 5-8 sophomore dished seven of his ten assists in the fourth quarter.

Turner County will play the winner of the Athens Christian-Greenforest Christian game on Weds., March 11 at 5:30 at the Macon Centreplex.

Forcasting the field: Quarterfinals

2009-03-06T13:20:00.003-05:00

The road to the Final Four is quickly approaching the first exit of the long and competitive highway this weekend. Eight teams in each classification woke up Friday morning with the hopes of reaching it to the grandest stage in Georgia high school hoops. By late Saturday night, four teams will be making plans to play at the Gwinnett Arena or the Macon Centrreplex.

AAAAA

Norcross (27-2) vs. Wheeler (22-7)
Saturday, March 7, 8:30 p.m. at West Georgia

This is the game everyone is waiting for, at least at the AAAAA level. The two powerhouses met for the state championship last year and Norcross raised the trophy for the third time in as many years. Wheeler is hungry to raise it’s first title since 2005, when the Wildcats beat the Blue Devils.

Wheeler has too much talent and size at each position for this year’s Norcross, one of the premier defensive teams in the state. Quietly, Wheeler has been defending as good as anyone, too. Mix that with star power, shot-makers, rebounders and an array of athletes and Wheeler should be marching onto the Gwinnett Arena this year with the hopes of bringing the title back to Marietta.

Georgia Hoops pick: Wheeler

AAAAA notes

Can South Gwinnett do it again? The senior-laden Comets probably hope they don’t need a double overtime game to pull off another impressive playoff victory. Age is the team’s best strength going into this weekend’s game against Milton, the best young team in the state.

Can a Savannah team make it back to the Gwinnett Arena? Two of the last three years, a team has. Last year it was Tim Jordan’s Blue Jackets were there. In 2005-06, Beach made a run to the title game. This year’s Savannah team is balanced, deep and ready for another run. The team will have it’s hands full with a similar Westlake team.

Can Russell Powell get some love? The Newnan star is one of the top three contenders for the AAAAA Player of the Year award by Georgia Hoops and a run to the championship game will certainly help his cause. The 5-9 point guard is the fastest guard in the tournament, poised and ready to prove himself on the big stage. Valdosta, winners of 28 games this year, will not be an easy task at Fort Valley on Saturday. That game is beyond intriguing.

AAAA

Miller Grove (24-3) vs. Fayette County (22-7)
Friday, March 6, 8:30 p.m. at West Georgia

Here we go again.

In what was probably the most exciting game of the AAAA last year in the state tournament, the two teams will go at it once again in the quarterfinals. This one could be just as exciting or better than last year or even a blow out.

Both teams are led by a big time senior. Miller Grove’s Mfon Udofia is the best player in the clutch in the state. Fayette County’s Noel Johnson can score 30 points a game any night. Both teams have tremendous youth. Miller Grove has the best freshman in the state in Tony Parker. Fayette County leans on sophomore starters Malcolm Brogdon, Adam Smith and Maurice Williams. Both teams are certainly ready for the battle.

However, Miller Grove just has too many weapons and the size advantage will give Fayette County trouble.

Miller Grove also has the luxury of matching up Johnson with Stephen Hill, a Georgia Tech bound football player that doubles as one of the most exciting athletes in the state. Hill, Joe Caldwell and Xavier McGahee should play a big role in Miller Grove’s likely win.

Georgia Hoops pick: Miller Grove

AAAA notes

The Fayette County-Miller Grove game will have at least eight Division I players on the floor at one point in the game. Wow!

The Marist-Tucker game is one of the best of the entire weekend because of it’s history. Tucker was riding a nine game winning streak over Marist since 2005 and James Hartry’s club seemed to have their number. Until this year. Marist won both meetings in region 6 play. Both games were in the 40s and Marist played the way it wanted to play. Dee Goens is the key for Marist while Manny Atkins is playing about as good as anyone in the state right now. Should be a dandy of a game. Can I retract my pick of Marist making to the title game? I'd like to go with Tucker now. Hey, I make my own rules.

Looking for a game rich with sleepers? Try the games at Fort Valley State tonight. The Bainbridge-Statesboro game features a total of 51 wins between the two teams. Glynn Academy-Richmond Academy game. Ricardo Glenn, a 6-7 post for Richmond, will have his hands full with 6-10 center Thomas Vonashek for Glynn.

AAA

South Atlanta (26-3) vs. Washington County (25-4)
Saturday, March 7, 8:30 p.m. at Northwest Columbus State University

South Atlanta has rolled through 99 percent of the teams from Georgia that have lined up against them this year. This weekend’s game against Washington County shouldn’t be considered one that will be taken lightly.

The kids from Sandersville are small but they play like a bunch of gnats on a muggy day. They pester, pressure and annoy you beyond belief on defense. If there is one chink in the armor for South Atlanta it is the backcourt. That’s the area to attack and Washington County does it about as good as anyone.

At the end of the day too much Derrick Favors will prevail.

Georgia Hoops pick: South Atlanta

AAA notes

Six number one seeds still remain. Westover, Northside Columbus, Gainesville, Washington County, South Atlanta and Columbia are all still very much in the hunt.

Keep an eye on the Elbert County-Columbia game. Rod Rucker is the top junior sleeper in the state and he has his team rolling right now. Columbia is too big, too talented and too experienced. Nevertheless, things at the Northwest Georgia Trade Center will be interesting for this one.

AA

Dublin (28-1) vs. Central Macon (15-7)
Saturday, March 7, 8:30 p.m. at Savannah State

Central Macon guard Matthew Brabham is tearing teams up with his scoring touch in the post-season and he’ll have his hands full against Dublin.

Dublin travels very well to Savannah and oftentimes have the feel of a home game inside Savannah State. Brabham has played well up against the ropes this season. The drama will make for a fun and competitive match-up.

Dublin’s size, defensive pressure on the wings and depth in the backcourt should wear Central Macon down.

Georgia Hoops pick: Dublin

AA notes

Coosa is the top underdog in the tournaments still. At 14-16, the kids from North Georgia are still fighting. Good luck with GAC. The Spartans are tough.

Want to watch unselfish basketball? Go to the Blessed Trinity-Dade County game.

A

Terrell County (26-4) vs. Turner County (28-1)
Friday, March 6, 5:30 p.m. at Columbus State

Georgia Hoops will be courtside for this one. Both teams are rich with talent.

Turner County may be the deepest team outside of AAAAA and they are certainly in the mix for one of the top five spots in the state, too. Senior Trey Pearce scored 25 points last round. He’s just one of the four or five players that can explode for those kind of scoring numbers any night.

Terrell County is paced by big man Robert Ellis. The 6-7 post will have his hands full with Turner’s size inside.

Georgia Hoops pick: Turner County

A notes

Disclaimer: If you see errors in today/tomorrow’s story on the Wilcox County-Wilkinson County game, forgive me. Writing Wilcox and/or Wilkinson over and over again may throw my pea sized brain off.

It’s too bad we won’t see Athens Christian and Darlington play. Both are underdogs to make it to state title game. The two teams boast the two best scorers in the state. AC has Raymond Higgs and Darlington has Tyshawn Good. Go to the stat page on GASports.com. You’ll see there names number one and number two in the scoring column.

QUARTER-FINALS PREDICTIONS

AAAAA
Newnan over Valdosta
Westlake over Savannah
Milton over South Gwinnett
Wheeler over Norcross
First round prediction record: 12-4
Second round prediction record: 6-2
Total: 18-6

AAAA
Statesboro over Bainbridge
Richmond Academy over Glynn Academy
Tucker over Marist
Miller Grove over Fayette County
First round prediction record: 15-1
Second round prediction record: 7-1
Total: 22-2

AAA
Westover over Northside Columbus
South Atlanta over Washington County
Cedartown over Gainesville
Columbia over Elbert County
First round prediction record: 11-5
Second round prediction record: 7-1
Total: 18-6

AA
Greene County over Henry County
Dublin over Central Macon
Blessed Trinity over Dade County
Greater Atlanta Christian over Coosa
First round prediction record: 12-4
Second round prediction record: 6-2
Total: 18-6

A
Turner County over Terrell County
Wilkinson County over Wilcox County
Greenforest Christian over Athens Christian
Whitefield Academy over Darlington
First round prediction record: 16-0
Second round prediction record: 8-0
Total: 24-0

State tournament total to date: 100-20

Norcross or Wheeler: Who has the bragging rights?

2009-03-05T16:03:00.002-05:00

Todd Holcomb of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaks down a great look at the Norcross-Wheeler rivalry.

He dove deep into the issue, dating back to 2000.

For the full story click HERE.

Who do you think has the bragging rights?

Nothing but 'Net: Round 2 recaps

2009-03-04T22:37:00.003-05:00

AccessNorthGa.com: Gainesville advances to the next round with a win over Druid Hills. Cedartown ends the season for North Hall. Blessed Trinity ends the season for Riverside Military. Jershon Cobb scored 28 points to help Columbia move on with a win over West Hall.

Albany Herald: Westover moves on to the Elite Eight with a four point win over Liberty County. Bainbridge advances in the AAAA tournament with a win over Stockbridge. Terrell County makes easy work with Aquinas. Quick recaps of Washington County and Turner County wins.

AJC: Norcross wins the battle over Walton. Now the Blue Devils will play Norcross. That's exactly what Ari Stewart wants. The senior scored 25 points to help the Wildcats send Peachtree Ridge packing.

Augusta Chronicle: Richmond Academy gets 21 points and 18 rebounds from Ricardo Glenn in a win over Brunswick.

Brunswick News: Glynn Academy did something that few away teams do at Jonesboro: win in Clayton County.

Fayette Daily News: Fayette County is headed to the Elite Eight and will play Miller Grove in a rematch of last year's AAAA semi-final game.

GPB: David Mann scores 32 points for Athens Christian as the class A team knocks out North Cobb Christian.

Gwinnett Daily Post: Denzail Jones has asked for a big shot his entire life and got it in a huge win for Norcross over Walton. South Gwinnett's Adonis Harrison scores 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a double overtime win over Centennial. Wheeler goes on big third quarter run to put out Peachtree Ridge. GAC's Elliott Long mixed with some Eddie Martin emotion helps the Spartans send home Chattooga. Milton has little trouble with Central Gwinnett.

Macon Telegraph: Dublin shot 29-35 from the foul line to send Long County packing. Central Macon closed out it's gym in style with a blowout win over Appling County. Wilkinson County had to fight tooth and nail to beat Greenville. Wilcox County gets a big game from junior Lonnie Outlaw against Calvary Day to move onto the Elite Eight.

Marietta Daily Journal: Ari Stewart brings it in the second half to help Wheeler win. Another recap of the Norcross-Walton game. Tucker head coach James Hartry said Manny Atkins played his best game of the season in a win over Hillgrove.

Newnan Herald-Times: Newnan's Russell Powell steps up once again in the fourth quarter to beat Redan.

Rockdale Citizen: Too much speed, size in a Miller Grove win over Rockdale County.

Savannah Morning News: Savannah uses a late run to send Coffee packing.

Tifton Gazette: Westlake uses size, balance to move onto the Elite Eight over Tift County.

Thomasville Times Enterprise: Greene County, a No. 3 seed, upsets Thomasville, a No. 1 seed.

Valdosta Daily Times: Jay Rome scores 20 points a 64-61 Valdosta win over Riverdale.

How’d we pick ‘em in the first round? Pretty good actually, part II

AAAAA – 6-2
AAAA – 7-1
AAA – 7-1
AA – 6-2
A – 8-0

State tournament total: 100-20

Tucker still dancing

2009-03-04T22:32:00.003-05:00

Tucker senior Manny Atkins knows when it is time to dance, you save your best moves when the spotlight is on you.

The 6-5 senior helped Tucker keep their dancing shoes for a couple more days after he sank a three-pointer with 1:49 left to play in the fourth quarter. The bucket proved to be the difference maker in Tucker’s come from behind 62-59 win over Hillgrove on Wednesday night in Powder Springs.

The decisive three-pointer was the fifth Atkins made on the night and the bucket was the first lead Tucker held all night up to that point at 57-54. Atkins, the MVP of the state tournament just two years ago when Tucker won the crown, has been trained to shine in those moments, he said.

“Being in these types of games before, you just sort of get used to it,” Atkins said. “I knew that when I got the ball (with two minutes left to play), that I was going to knock it down. We wanted to put the pressure back on them.”

The Virginia Tech bound senior finished with a game high 28 points and 10 rebounds.

After being down for 30 minutes of the game, Atkins said he was happy with the way he and his teammates stayed with their game plan and pressed forward when they were up against the ropes.

“We have a lot of confidence right now. We beat a very good 27-2 team on their home court,” Atkins said. “We realize we can beat some good teams. Tonight, we were the best team.”

Hillgrove came out of the gates strong, going on a 14-5 run to start the game. Senior guard Darius Baugh scored 10 of the 14 points and set the tone early by hitting all four of his shot attempts.

Baugh finished with 21 points. Junior forward Heath Houston added eight points.

Tucker will play Marist on Friday, March 6 at 5:30 at West Georgia in Carrollton. Marist beat Cass 64-42 on Wednesday night.

Notes from the notepad: State playoffs edition

2009-03-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

Here we go again.

The second round of the state playoffs tip off tonight for the boy’s teams and the slate of big time match-ups are plenty. I’ve picked out the best game in each of the classifications.

WHAT I’M BUYING THIS WEEK

1. Walton (19-9) at Norcross (26-2): Offense vs. defense. That is what this game will come down to. Walton’s offense marched through McEachern in the first round. Norcross has proven to be one of the elite defensive teams in the state.

Walton has scored over 80 points in 19 games under 80 points this year. Norcross has only allowed a team to score more than 60 points just five times all year. There will be one team pushing, and one team pulling. The two different styles will be fun to watch play out.

If Norcross can hold Glen Rice, Jr. and Ryan Harrow to a combined 40 points, then the Blue Devils have a good shot at moving onto the next round of the state tournament. Norcross’s depth and ability to step up in the moment on it’s home floor should be the difference maker.

Georgia Hoops pick: Norcross

2. Tucker (17-8) at Hillgrove (27-2): Old meets the new in this game. Tucker has been to the Gwinnett Arena before. Three times, in fact. The Tigers are used to winning in March. In it’s third year of existence, Hillgrove is already making history in post-season basketball by making into the second round of the state tournament.

Tucker’s eight losses are deceptive. So are Hillgrove’s 27 wins. Tucker is better than it’s record presents while Hillgrove will have a major challenge matching Tucker’s size and physical play inside and on the wing.

Manny Atkins has been Mr. Clutch this season for the Tigers and the supporting cast has a sizable edge over Hillgrove. The Hawks will need a big game from guard Darrius Baugh and big man Heath Houston. The edge Hillgrove has is two fold: home court advantage and they are a better defensive team.

Georgia Hoops pick: Tucker

3. Liberty County (20-5) at Westover (24-6): What a match-up in AAA. Both teams match-up well and the talent level on the floor would usually be matched up against each other in a deeper round of the playoffs.

Westover’s Terrence Noel steps up in the big games. He scored 20 of his 30 points last week against Shaw in the second half. The 6-3 senior is a tough player when it matters. It will most certainly matter against Liberty County.

Liberty County will have to drive four hours to Westover for the night game. While most teams may struggle with the logistics, the Panthers are used to traveling thanks a brutal 3-AAA map. Juniors Jordan McRae and Rion Brown make for a tough match-up on the wings because of their size and length.

Georgia Hoops pick: Westover

4. Long County (21-6) at Dublin (27-1): For the second round in a row, the top team in AA will be challenged at home. Dublin was up against the ropes against Northeast Macon and had to fight deep into the fourth quarter to get a hard earned victory.

Long County is rolling in 2009. The Blue Tide has only lost one game since Jan. 3. Dublin has been dominate all season long. The only loss came to Collins Hill at a tournament in Florida.

The game also features two of the best unsigned seniors in the state in Dublin’s Sherrard Brantley and Long County’s Jimmy Bacon.

Expect another close one and the Irish having just a wee bit more luck in the end.

Georgia Hoops pick: Dublin

5. Hancock Central (20-8) at Turner County (27-1): There are a lot of best involved with this game.

Hancock Central has the best big man in the class in Kammeon Holsey. The Georgia Tech bound big man is coming off your run-of-the-mill 34-point, 22-rebound game against Portal.

Turner County is the best team in class A and one of the best in the state. The Rebels have one of the deepest rotations in the state along with one of the best coaches in Eric Holland.

Turner County’s tiny gym will also be the best atmosphere to watch a game on Wednesday night. That should make for the best game of the entire night across the state.

Who’s best will be best tonight?

Georgia Hoops pick: Turner County

Three more to keep your eye on:
South Gwinnett at Centennial – The Comets are a sleeper to watch. The majority of the team knows Lorenzo Brown’s game very well from AAU ball. The Comets are bigger and deeper. Don’t be surprised to see an upset tonight from South Gwinnett but I can’t argue against Lorenzo Brown. The Knights hold on for the win.

Paideia at Whitefield Academy – This is a passing of the torch game in class A. Whitefield has been the staple of consistency in the state’s smallest region. With seniors Brandon Reed and Cameron Baskerville, the Wolfpack should make another run to Macon. Paideia will step into Whitefield’s dominating role next week.

Burke County at Northside Columbus – A lot of size in this game. There are three Division I players in this game that stand over 6-8. And both teams feed the post. Northside should take advantage of playing at home.

SCRIBBLE NOTES

- I wonder if Mother Nature comes into play for the second round games. There are some schools that have Monday off because of the Blizzard of 2009. There are some schools, most notably Gwinnett County schools, that can not practice on Monday. Those that did had school on Monday, as they should, those schools practiced.

- The GHSA released the locations for the quarter-finals and the reception has been mixed. The clear winner is class A. The south quarter-finals will be at Columbus State on March 6. The north quarter-finals will be at Marietta High School. Both venues are perfect for the teams involved.

On the flip side, the reception has been mixed for the AAAAA brackets. Fort Valley State will host the south side of the bracket. Sure, both venues are a little out of the way. Sure, there may have been other locations that seemed like a better fit. Sure, sure, sure…

But I like the two choices. Fort Valley and West Georgia have two of the nicest, and newer, gyms in the state. Both venues are certainly big enough and both are a great atmosphere to watch a game. Enjoy the drive, make a memory and fans will travel near or far to see their team in action. It’s only one game folks.

- How about some fun with numbers? Thirty-three of the 40 number one seeds moved onto the second round. Twenty-two of the 40 number two seeds moved onto the second round. All eight number one seeds moved on to the next round in class A. Both AAA and AA send six number one seeds onto the next round, the lowest of any class.

- I’d love to see all 10 teams that make it to the state finals play a rematch as a non region game next year in the schedule. It could be the season opener at Georgia State or Georgia Tech or at Mercer or wherever in a central location at a college gym. Have five games on a Saturday in November and start the year off where the previous one left off. Just a thought…

- Of the seven remaining No. 4 seeds, Walton is clearly the best of the bunch. No need to spell that one out. But keep an eye on North Hall and Decatur. North Hall could make a push to the Final Four. Decatur will likely match-up with Region 6 foe GAC in the Elite Eight.

SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS

AAAAA
Valdosta over Riverdale
Newnan over Redan
Centennial over South Gwinnett
Milton over Central Gwinnett
Coffee over Savannah
Westlake over Tift County
Wheeler over Peachtree Ridge
Norcross over Walton
Last week’s class AAAAA record: 12-4

AAAA
Stockbridge over Bainbridge
Statesboro over Forest Park
Marist over Cass
Tucker over Hillgrove
Richmond Academy over Brunswick
Glynn Academy over Jonesboro
Miller Grove over Rockdale County
Fayette County over Clark Central
Last week’s class AAAA record: 15-1

AAA
Westover over Liberty County
Northside-Columbus over Burke County
North Hall over Cedartown
Gaineville over Druid Hills
Washington County over Monroe
South Atlanta over Cairo
Elbert County over Cedar Grove
Columbia over West Hall
Last week’s class AAA record: 11-5

AA
Thomasville over Greene County
Henry County over Cook County
Blessed Trinity over Riverside Military
Dade County over Calloway
Dublin over Long County
Central Macon over Appling County
GAC over Chattooga
Decatur over Coosa
Last week’s class AA record: 12-4

A
Terrell County over Aquinas
Turner County over Hancock Central
Athens Christian over North Cobb Christian
Greenforest over Pace Academy
Wilcox County over Calvary Day
Wilkinson County over Greenville
Darlington over Athens Academy
Whitefield Academy over Paideia
Last week’s class A record: 16-0

GHSA quarter-final locations are set

2009-03-02T08:26:00.001-05:00

The Georgia High School Association has set the locations for the quarter-finals this weekend. They are as follows:

A - South Columbus State University Columbus March 6
A - North Marietta High School Marietta March 7
AA - South Savannah State University Savannah March 7
AA - North The Forum Rome March 7
AAA - South Columbus State University Columbus March 7
AAA - North Northwest Georgia Trade Center Dalton March 7
AAAA - South Fort Valley State University Fort Valley March 6
AAAA - North University of West Georgia Carrollton March 6
AAAAA - South Fort Valley State University Fort Valley March 7
AAAAA - North University of West Georgia Carrollton March 7

Georgia Hoops on 790 the Zone today

2009-03-01T11:19:00.003-05:00

Tune into 790 the Zone today between 1 and 1:30 p.m. I'll be a featured guest on the new high school and recruiting show. You can listen live HERE.

Nothing but 'Net: Round 1 Recaps

2009-03-01T06:49:00.003-05:00

AccessNorthGeorgia.com: North Hall pulls the upset at Franklin County. Greenforest Christian sends Lakeview home. Riverside Military stays hot. Chattooga takes care of Dawson. Free throws did Flowery Branch in against Elbert County. Gainseville stomps past Eastside.

Albany Herald: Bainbridge wins easily over Wayne County. Westover senior guard Terrance Noel scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team past Shaw. Monroe knocked out LaGrange. Terrell County and Turner County both move on.

AJC: Wheeler looked like a track team against Harrison. Centennial gets past North Cobb.

Augusta Chronicle: Stockbridge went to Augusta and ran past Cross Creek. Aquinas beats Savannah Country Day.

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Northside took care of Peach County. Cairo Syrupmakers smother a comeback from Kendrick. Ryan LeGates scored 27 for Blessed Trinity in a win over Jordan.

GPB: Charlie Hood's career ends at 999. Central Gwinnett shocks Collins Hill. Live blog from the Walton thriller over McEachern.

Gwinnett Daily Post: Norcross holds off Meadowcreek late rally. Central Gwinnett pulls upset off over Collins Hill. Peachtree Ridge avenges early season loss to Brookwood. South Gwinnett holds on against Mill Creek. Trent Wiedeman has a monster game for GAC. Athens Academy wins on a last second shot.

Macon Telegraph: Dublin-NE Macon game has Ali-Frazier feel. Matt Brabham continues his strong play, dropping 40 points on East Laurens to help Central Macon move on. Washington County rolls past Rutland. Brunswick bounces Westside-Macon out of the playoffs.

Marietta Daily Journal: Walton wins an instant classic at McEachern. Goodbye coach Charlie Hood. Tahj Tate comes back to the Wheeler lineup in a big way for Wheeler.

Savannah Morning News: Calvary Day moves on to Round 2. Savannah High needs an overtime period to beat Creekside.

Valdosta Daily Times: Valdosta playing with heavy hearts in state tournament.

Quick Saturday night wrap-up

2009-02-28T23:29:00.000-05:00

My battery on my phone died early tonight. Not a big surprise really. The text messages were flying in at a quick pace. The web-browser was working overtime trying to collect the scores. And, of course, plenty of phone calls to keep T-Mobile in business in this dire economic state.

So, what did we learn in the first round?

1. Region 6-AAAAA is no joke.
2. Class A is probably the best tournament from top to bottom in the state.
3. Most impressive road win? Riverdale at Groves. Monster win on the road. OR Long County traveling nearly five hours across the state to beat Early County.
4. Walton’s Ryan Harrow against McEachern’s Trae Golden was the match-up that delivered.
5. South Atlanta is great with numbers. The Hornets are beating Georgia teams by an average of 40 points a game. Saturday’s win was a 41-point blowout over Thomson.
6. Round two will be even better.

Upsets of round 1:

AAAAA – Central Gwinnett over Collins Hill. Huge win for the 14-14 Golden Knights. Freshman Jordan Adams has a monster game while Collins Hill abandons great high/low game in the second half.

AAAA – Cass, a No. 4 seed, overcomes 20-point fourth quarter deficit on the road to beat Loganville, a No. 1 seed, 88-86 in overtime.

AAA – North Hall, a No. 4 seed, beat Franklin County 54-44 at the No. 1 seed’s home court. That’s a big win on the road and against one of the best players in the AAA bracket in DeMario Mayfield. OR Cedar Grove, a sub .500 team, beating Carrollton at home. Carrollton is a 25-win team.

AA – Decatur traveled to Manchester and picked up a one point win in central Georgia. Manchester has only lost won game in 2009 until tonight.

A – None. Single A went as expected. The second round, however, has a number of match-ups of note. Hancock Central at Turner County, a rematch of last year’s state title game, probably already has a line outside of TC’s gym waiting to get in.

How’d we pick ‘em in the first round? Pretty good actually

AAAAA – 12-4
AAAA – 15-1
AAA – 11-5
AA – 12-4
A – 16-0
Total: 66-14

Georgia Hoops will have much, much more this weekend until Wednesday.

Central Gwinnett knocks out Collins Hill

2009-02-28T22:17:00.002-05:00

Central Gwinnett freshman Jordan Adams should be getting used to this by now.

Adams hit four of his last five free throws and a big three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to help seal a 63-61 Central Gwinnett win over Collins Hill to advance in the AAAAA state tournament.

Adams finished with 22 points in the victory. He sat out seven games in January and just got back into the team’s rotation during the region tournament because of the hamstring injury.

Stepping up in the moment is something Adams is starting to get used to.

Six months ago, the 6-3 wing lined up under center for the Black Knights football team and won three of the last five games of the year for the football team as the starter. On Saturday night at Collins Hill, Adams came off the bench to help lead his number four seed team knock of one of the hottest teams in the state on the road.

“I tell you what, he was huge tonight. He’s a big time player,” Central Gwinnett head coach David Allen said after the game. “He has a great feel for the game. His knowledge of the game really showed there at the end. I was proud of him and the rest of our guys. They played their hearts out.”

Indeed they did. Central Gwinnett never seemed intimidated by Collins Hill’s size in the post. The Black Knights relied on perimeter shooting and aggressive rebounding late in the game.

Allen said he was happy with the way his team closed out the game. His team has lost seven games this season by four points or less. Winning a close one, on the road no less, is something that his team has fought hard to do this season.

“They really endured well late in the game. That is something that we’ve struggled with this year. So the timing was perfect,” Allen said.

Collins Hill had a monster effort from Utah bound senior Jeremy Olsen. The 6-10 big man dominated the game in the first half, scoring 19 of his team’s 34 points and only missed two shots in the first 16 minutes of play. Olsen finished with 29 points (11-15 FG, 7-8 FT), 15 rebounds and four blocks in the defeat.

Speedy sophomore guard Saah Nimley added 22 points in the defeat. Collins Hill struggled without production from Reed Buck and Derek Hood. The senior starters combined for just five points in the loss.

Central Gwinnett will travel to Milton on Wednesday for the second round of the AAAAA state tournament.

For scores for all first round games, click HERE.

Breaking down the brackets: A

2009-02-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

Buckle up Class A basketball fans. The ride to Macon will be bumpy and beyond exciting.

The depth of the class A state tournament is ridiculous.

Nine of the 10 ranked teams in current coaches poll are in the field. Of those nine, seven are No. 1 seeds. The other two teams are No. 2 seeds. Only Metter failed to make the tournament.

All of that talent, plus talented teams like North Cobb Christian, Athens Academy, Wesleyan, Greenville, Calvary Day, Wilcox County and Dooly County round out deep tournament field.

Sure, AAAAA may have better teams. Or AAAA has the best team in the state in Miller Grove. Class AAA has the state’s best player in Derrick Favors. But class A is loaded with talent.

Moreover, the potential match-ups in the second round of the tournament and beyond may be the best Sweet 16 of any of the classes in Georgia.

The march to Macon will be hard fought and the team that hoists the championship trophy on March 14 will have certainly earned it. The strong will survive in this classification.

MUST SEE GAMES

Dooly County at Terrell County - The potential for a four seed beating a one seed is low across the board this year in the state tournament. This is one of those games. Dooly is a fine four seed and could even potentially be a No. 1 seed in several other regions in class A. Terrell County will be ready, too. The Green Wave have knocked out Westover, Thomasville and Greenville this year. This game should be the best in the opening round of the class A tournament.

Savannah Christian at Wilkinson County - The Palace is one of the toughest places to play in the state and the WilCo fans will be ready to welcome Savannah Christian to Irwinton on Saturday night. And there is nothing more than Josh Sparks and SC would like to do than get out of the first round of the state tournament. Sparks and company will give a good fight, there is no doubt about that, but WilCo is just too big, too experienced and too good at home.

North Cobb Christian at Gordon Lee - NCC is in the state tournament in it’s first year of GHSA play and the Eagles want to continue making history. The team has size anchored by Milos Kluet, speed thanks to Romeo Lewis and toughness from Stefan Frank. Gordon Lee is a good basketball team but NCC might just be too much to handle in what should be an entertaining game.

Athens Academy at Wesleyan - The teams are evenly matched and both are led by a versatile and talented junior. Athens Academy leans on the perimeter scoring of Jeremy Burgess while Wesleyan hopes to have a healthy Griffin Schamp, who missed one game of the Region 7 tournament with strep throat and was only used for half of the other games. Home court advantage may be the difference maker in this game.

SLEEPERS TO WATCH

Brit Duncan, PG, Wilkinson County – He’s the leading scorer for the Warriors and one of the best guards in class A. Duncan is averaging 17 points a clip on a team with great balance. Duncan’s been through the rigors of post-season play before and the road to Macon for WilCo is not an easy one either. His leadership will be relied on a lot for Dr. Aaron Geter and the Warriors over the next couple of weeks.

Tyshawn Good, SG, Darlington – Is it possible to be one of the top scorers in the state for two years in a row and be a relative unknown in the state’s discussion for top players? Some how, some way, it is possible. Good lives up to his name. He’s a dynamic scorer, He is a quick scorer. He is a jet to the basket and has dominated North Georgia hoops since moving south from New York. Sure, the competition in Region 6-A isn’t the best but scoring over 28 points a game for two straight seasons is beyond impressive. Teams will have to game plan to contain him.

Cody Padgett, SF, Calvary Day – He’s not a sleeper in the Savannah area. That’s because he has been one of the top scorers in the city for the last couple of years. The 6-3 wing played his heart out in the region tournament and will certainly fight tooth and nail to keep his team in the tournament.

Raymond Higgs, SG, Athens Christian (pictured above) – He averages nearly 27 points a game. Here is the scary thing: Basketball is his second sport. The potential Olympic level high jumper has one of the most explosive first steps in the state and gets to the basket at will. He has game-changing ability and has picked apart any type of defense that has tried to contain his route to the rim. There probably isn’t a team in the state that can slow him.

Eric Martin, PF, Dooly County – The 6-6 senior was very impressive in a tough loss to Turner County during the Region 2-A tournament last week. He uses his length to crash the boards, score in the paint and he can even step out and knock down the midrange jumper. Dooly runs a nice high-low game with Martin and Charsini Washington. Martin anchors the team’s interior game and if the Bobcats make it through the first round, a trip to the Elite Eight is a strong possibility.

YOUNGSTERS TO WATCH

Breon Dixon, PF, Turner County – A great showing in the state tournament could potentially propel the 6-7 forward to the top of the class of 2011 individual rankings in Georgia. Dixon is knocking on that door right now. He plays a big role for Turner County, the Georgia Hoops favorite to win the class A title, and can score, rebound and blocks a ton of shots.

Kentavious Caldwell, SG, Greenville – Like Dixon, Caldwell is very close to being named the top sophomore in the state. He’s a do-everything wing that is getting better and better each time out. Now that Will Bailey, also a sophomore, is on Greenville’s team, Caldwell does not have to fight through triple teams anymore. Just double teams and box and one defenses.

Nick Marshall, SG, Wilcox County – He’s a quick trigger shooting guard that has the athleticism to match his scoring ability. Of all of the young talent in class A this year, Marshall has the best wow potential. He can score from deep but he is also a terror en route to the basket.

The Paideia kids – The Pythons have a deep roster of young talent and lean heavily on the youth to win ball games. E. Victor Nickerson is the team’s top producing youngster. The 6-7 forward does a little bit of everything while Nigel Snipes is an athletic match-up problem on the wing. Sidki Muwallif, a 6-8 center, blocks a good number of shots. Sophomore point guard Kharon Butcher and freshman combo guard Keenan Palmore both factor into the game’s outcome with their ball-handling and shooting touch. This crew will make noise for a while at the state level.

Top No. 1 seed: Turner County
Top No. 2 seed: Paideia
Top No. 3 seed: North Cobb Christian
Top No. 4 seed: Dooly County

FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Terrell County over Dooly County
Aquinas over Savannah Country Day
Turner County over Seminole County
Hancock Central over Portal
Athens Christian over Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy
North Cobb Christian over Gordon Lee
Greenforest Christian over Lakeview Academy
Pace Academy over Bremen
Calvary Day over Warren County
Wilcox County over Clinch County
Wilkinson County over Savannah Christian
Greenville over Lanier County
Darlington over Our Lady of Mercy
Athens Academy over Wesleyan
Whitefield Academy over Bowdon
Paideia over Commerce

FINAL FOUR PICKS

Turner County vs. Greenforest Christian
Wilkinson County vs. Whitefield Academy

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Turner County over Whitefield Academy

Game times for all first round boys games

2009-02-27T15:19:00.001-05:00

The AJC saved a lot of man hours for us all! Here are the start times for all first round games. All games in red and in italics are winners.

Everyone wants to know what time the games will be played this weekend for the state playoffs. So does Georgia Hoops. All boys games will be played on Saturday, Feb. 28 unless noted otherwise below.

Class AAAAA
Friday
Northside-Warner Robins at Redan, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
Johnson-Savannah at Westlake, 5 p.m.
Riverdale at Groves, 6 p.m.
Creekside at Savannah, 6 p.m.
Peachtree Ridge at Brookwood, 6 p.m.
Union Grove at Coffee, 6 p.m.
Mill Creek at South Gwinnett, 6 p.m.
Camden Co. at Newnan, 7 p.m.
North Cobb at Centennial, 7 p.m.
Central Gwinnett at Collins Hill, 7 p.m.
Milton at Marietta, 7 p.m.
Tift Co. at Stephenson, 7 p.m.
Harrison at Wheeler, 7 p.m.
Meadowcreek at Norcross, 7 p.m.
Greenbrier at Valdosta, 7:30 p.m.
Walton at McEachern, 7:30 p.m.

Class AAAA
Friday
Evans at Jonesboro, 7:30 p.m.
Stone Mtn. at Fayette Co., 8:30 p.m.

Saturday
Murray Co. at Rockdale Co., 2:30 p.m.
Glenn Hills at Forest Park, 4 p.m.
Stockbridge at Cross Creek, 5 p.m.
Clarke Central at Sprayberry, 5 p.m.
Brunswick at Westside-Macon, 5 p.m.
Wayne Co. at Bainbridge, 6 p.m.
Alcovy at Richmond Academy, 6 p.m.
McIntosh at Marist, 6:30 p.m.
Thomas Co. Central at Statesboro, 7 p.m.
Cass at Loganville, 7 p.m.
Heritage-Conyers at Hillgrove, 7 p.m.
Tucker at Lithia Springs, 7 p.m.
Upson-Lee at Glynn Academy, 7 p.m.
Sandy Creek at Miller Grove, 7 p.m.

Class AAA
Friday
Eastside at Gainesville, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday
Woodland-Stockbridge at Liberty Co., 5 p.m.
Shaw at Westover, 5:30 p.m.
LaGrange at Monroe, 6 p.m.
Thomson at South Atlanta, 6 p.m.
Cairo at Kendrick, 6 p.m.
Central-Carroll at Columbia, 6 p.m.
Cedar Grove at Carrollton, 7 p.m.
Flowery Branch at Elbert Co., 7 p.m.
Hart Co. at West Hall, 7 p.m.
Burke Co. at Spalding, 7 p.m.
North Hall at Franklin Co., 7 p.m.
St. Pius at Cedartown, 7 p.m.
Ridgeland at Druid Hills, 7 p.m.
Peach Co. at Northside-Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Rutland at Washington Co., 7:30 p.m.

Class AA
Saturday
Pepperell at Riverside Military, 4 p.m.
East Laurens at Central-Macon, 4 p.m.
Charlton Co. at Thomasville, 6 p.m.
Greene Co. at Screven Co., 6 p.m.
Cook at McIntosh Co. Academy, 6 p.m.
Mitchell Co. at Appling Co., 6 p.m.
East Jackson at Coosa, 6 p.m.
Westminster at Calllaway, 6 p.m.
Crawford Co. at GAC, 6 p.m.
Long Co. at Early Co., 6 p.m.
Northeast-Macon at Dublin, 6:30 p.m.
Swainsboro at Henry Co., 7 p.m.
Jordan at Blessed Trinity, 7 p.m.
Union Co. at Dade Co., 7 p.m.
Decatur at Manchester, 7 p.m.
Chattooga at Dawson Co., 7:30 p.m.

Class A
Saturday
ELCA at Athens Christian, 2:30 p.m.
Warren Co. at Calvary Day, 5 p.m.
Wesleyan at Athens Academy, 5 p.m.
Commerce at Paideia, 5:30 p.m.
Dooly Co. at Terrell Co., 6 p.m.
Seminole Co. at Turner Co., 6 p.m.
Wilcox Co. at Clinch Co., 6 p.m.
Portal at Hancock Central, 6 p.m.
North Cobb Christian at Gordon Lee, 6 p.m.
Bremen at Pace Academy, 7 p.m.
Our Lady of Mercy at Darlington, 7 p.m.
Bowdon at Whitefield Academy, 7 p.m.
Savannah Christian at Wilkinson Co., 7 p.m.
Lakeview Academy at Greenforest, 7:30 p.m.
Aquinas at Savannah Country Day, 7:30 p.m.
Lanier Co. at Greenville, 7:30 p.m.

Locations for the quarterfinals will be announced on Monday. According to sources, the location will be determined based on the location of the teams remaining.

Breaking down the brackets: AA

2009-02-26T21:16:00.005-05:00

I was surfing the web this week and stumbled across a good story on Rivals.com about Greater Atlanta Christian head coach Eddie Martin.

I wondered aloud, “Can Eddie Martin win a fourth straight state title?”

Why not?

He’s won three in a row and after leaving Norcross, the Peach State veteran is looking for his first state title at Greater Atlanta Christian in his first year at the helm. Doing so is not out of the realm of possibility.

He has a talented senior Taylor Metzger, the lone senior on the team, the warrior in Trent Wiedeman, the consummate role player in Bo Herbert and the point guard in Paul Dawson. The parts of the puzzle are there to go the distance. The question is whether or not the young team has grown up enough under Martin’s keen coaching eye.

The Spartans will have challenges along the way. The biggest challenge resides off of Interstate 16 at Dublin High School. The Irish have the best team in AA and could meet up with Martin and GAC in the semi-finals of the state tournament.

That is one of the many gems of what should be a highly competitive AA state tournament this year.

MUST SEE GAME

Dublin vs. NE Macon - What a match-up in the first round! It could be argued that this is the best game outside of Atlanta in the first round this year. Dublin, the top team in class AA, will have it’s hands full with the men from Macon.

Sherrard Brantley is one of the top shooters in the state while Reshard Smith, a N.C. State football signee pictured above, is one of the quickest players in the Peach State with the ball in his hands. Junior big man Tawaski King rules the paint with authority and the Irish have the advantage of playing at home for the first two rounds of the state. There are few better home court advantages better than Dublin’s.

Northeast Macon won’t be intimidated though. The Raiders have size, experience, a resume of close and hard fought battles from a rigorous regular season.

Dublin may be too much to handle on it’s home court. This game will be a fun one.

TOP 5 PLAYERS IN AA TOURNEY

Jimmy Bacon, SF, Long County – If you’ve read Georgia Hoops at all for the last three years, you know of my appreciation for the athletic 6-6 forward. He’s a do-everything stud that wants a taste of the Final Four. He’s the leading candidate for AA Player of the Year and a trip to Macon will solidify that position. Bacon is quite simply the toughest player to guard in this division.

Matthew Brabham, PG/SG, Central Macon – It seems like the 6-foot junior has been around forever. He’s been the top scorer in Macon for two straight years and he is entering the state playoffs ready for anything. Brabham dropped 40 points in the region 4 tournament last week and will be tested by an always-tough East Laurens team right out of the gate. Brabham has generally always shined in these types of games.

Sherrard Brantley, SG, Dublin – Try and find a better shooter in the tournament than the 6-2 guard. He can flat out bury the three-ball with ease. The Irish have ridden his hot hand this season and are ready for the battle that will face them over the next two and a half weeks. Brantley is a hot target for a number of low-major programs looking for a perimeter threat. Outside of playing for a title, he’s playing for a free education as a number of eyes watch him in the final weeks of his high school career.

Trent Wiedeman, PF, Greater Atlanta Christian – Behind every good Eddie Martin team is a good power forward. And Wiedeman is about as good as it gets in AA. He’s big, he’s strong, he rebounds, he can score inside and out and he can flat out pass. As Wiedeman goes, GAC goes. It’s as simple as that.

Wendell Williams, PG/SG, Appling County – The Region 2-AA Player of the Year has speed, strength and a knack for scoring the ball. The long time varsity star has performed at a high level in tough road games but always gets the job done when it matters. He and his teammates will have challenges in their section of the state bracket and his experience could be the difference maker.

YOUNGSTERS TO WATCH

Willie Clayton & Robert Carter, PFs, Thomasville – The dynamic duo of Clayton and Carter have played big roles for Bulldogs this season. Both stand in the 6-6 neighborhood Both work well on the glass. Both are solid athletes. Both only know winning. Clayton’s role is a little bigger at this stage of the game and he should have a productive run in the tournament.

Quan Bray, PG & LaMichael Fanning, C, Callaway – The sophomores are popular names on the football side of things but the duo are also good-looking basketball players. Bray, a speedy 5-11 guard, and Fanning, a mammoth 6-7 forward, are fire and ice. Bray can score by attacking the rim and defending well on the ball. Fanning is an immovable force in the low post.

Paul Dawson, PG, Greater Atlanta Christian – When the speedy point guard was out earlier in the season with a hand injury, GAC suffered one of it’s three losses of the year. Since he’s been back, the Norcross private school is flat out rolling. Dawson glues the team together perfectly and is poised for a deep run in the state playoffs.

Brandon Garrett, SF, East Jackson – The 6-3 wing is an athletic scorer that has helped put East Jackson on the basketball map. He has been his team’s top scorer for two straight seasons and can rebound well from his position. The pieces are starting to come together for the sophomore.

Top No. 1 seed: Dublin
Top No. 2 seed: Blessed Trinity
Top No. 3 seed: Long County
Top No. 4 seed: Northeast Macon

FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Thomasville over Charlton County
Greene County over Screven County
McIntosh Academy over Cook
Swainsboro over Henry County
Riverside Military over Pepperell
Blessed Trinity over Jordan
Dade County over Union County
Callaway over Westminster
Dublin over Northeast Macon
Long County over Early County
Central Macon over East Laurens
Appling County over Mitchell County
Greater Atlanta Christian over Crawford County
Chattooga over Dawson County
Manchester over Decatur
East Jackson over Coosa

FINAL FOUR PICKS

Thomasville vs. Blessed Trinity
Dublin vs. GAC

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Dublin over Thomasville

Breaking down the brackets: AAA

2009-02-26T15:58:00.002-05:00

The awards are starting to pile up on Derrick Favors’ dresser at home. The state’s top player will win every individual award that the state can give. He’s a McDonald’s All-American. He’ll be a Parade All-American. He could be the EA Sports Player of the Year. You name it, he has a plaque for it.

The only thing that has escaped the grasp of the 6-9 center from South Atlanta High School is a state championship.

That could change this year.

Last year, Favors and his South Atlanta teammates watched East Hall walk away with a first round win the state tournament. All Favors could do in that game was sit and watch from the bench with foul trouble mocking him along the way.

This year’s playoff bracket is favorable for Favors and his 24-3 team. With the addition of Auburn bound senior Andre Malone (pictured above) and the progression of point guard Nick Watkins and sophomore Nick Jacobs, South Atlanta is beating Georgia teams by an average of 40 points a game.

Favors and company are taking no prisoners this season. The ridiculous margin of victory could continue all the way to Macon this year.

And maybe, just maybe, Favors is cleaning off a spot in his hardware cupboard for the AAA state championship.

THE STORYLINE

Someone will surprise you. If you haven’t already penned out your bracket, think twice about some of the games you might want to pick. There are a number of teams in the AAA bracket that can make a run to Macon.

Don’t sleep on Franklin County or Elbert County. The two schools swung it out in Region 8 play this season. Franklin County leads on DeMario Mayfield, one of the top seniors in the AAA bracket and a future Georgia Bulldog. Elbert leans on Rod Rucker, one of the featured sleepers below. Both teams could make a push for Macon. Franklin County may have an easier path though.

The top left section of the bracket boasts a number of teams that can make a run to the Final Four. Westover, Shaw, Liberty, Northside Columbus, Spalding and Burke County can all be making the trip to middle Georgia on March 13 for the semi-finals.

Dig deeper into the bracket and you can argue that Druid Hills could make a push to the semi-finals. The Region 5 team quietly took care of business in the region tourney.

Washington County, winners of Region 3, and Carrollton, winners of Region 6, shouldn’t be looked over either.

Must see games

Westover vs. Shaw - Both teams enter the playoffs with a chip on it’s shoulder. Westover was forced forfeit it’s final four games of the year (all victories) and had to scrap through the region tournament to earn a No. 1 seed in the state tournament. Shaw is 2-3 in February after going 21-1 through January. Both teams have a lot to play for. Both teams have technically won 23 games to date. The game will be physical, no doubt, and it will be a great match-up of good guards.

Franklin County vs. North Hall - The present will meet the future in this game. Franklin County senior DeMario Mayfield, a Georgia signee, will lock horns with North Hall rookie Kanler Coker. Mayfield has been one of the best players in Northeast Georgia history and he has his team rolling at the right time. Coker, a two-sport star, has received rave reviews in Year One of his young career.

Ridgeland vs. Druid Hills - This match-up of two 20-plus win teams is intriguing. Ridgeland, tucked away quietly in Northwest Georgia, has won 25 games this season. Anyone other than Ridgeland know that? Probably not. Druid Hills was in the Elite Eight just two years ago. The team’s best player, Byron Dickerson, remembers it well. He should be the difference maker.

SLEEPERS TO WATCH

Rion Brown, SG, Liberty County – Last year, Brown and his teammates traveled to Columbus for an Elite Eight match-up against Carver and had to make the long drive home to Hinesville after a difficult loss. That memory has remained with the long 6-5 shooter this season. He’s coming into his own and playing very well this season. Few teams can match-up with him on the wing because of his size and quick trigger.

Martaveous Smith, C, Burke County – Size matters in AAA. And it will matter in the second round of the tournament if the 6-8 center and his teammates win in round one. The prize for winning could be the very big Columbus Northside team. Smith is vastly improved in the post and blocks a number of shots. If Burke wants to move on, he must play well.

Rod Rucker, SF/PF, Elbert County – Okay, okay, the 6-6 junior probably can’t be called a sleeper after being named Co-Region 8 Player of the Year but surprisingly, he isn’t mentioned by the peanut gallery as one of the top players in the state. He’s my third best wing forward in the class behind Jalen Kendrick (Westlake) and Jamel Jones (Greenforest). A potential meeting against Columbia in the quarterfinals could be a golden moment in March.

Brandon Johnson, PF, Monroe – The 6-7 junior forward is a blue collar hustler with good size, good length and a good motor. The Albany star and his teammates have a tough one in round one against LaGrange but his size could be the difference maker in that match-up.

YOUNGSTERS TO WATCH

Nick Jacobs, PF, South Atlanta – The sophomore understudy to Derrick Favors is quietly awaiting his turn. When his number is called, he has shown that he is one of the top 2011 prospects in the state. The Hornets have been blowing opponents out all year long and the blowouts could continue all the way to the Macon Centreplex. When Jacobs is on the floor, he makes a big difference.

Jordan Price, SG, Columbia – Fewer freshmen in the state has a bigger profile than him and now that the spotlight is on, the Eagles will certainly lean on the aggressive guard more than usual. Paired with JerShon Cobb, one of the top players in AAA, Price has the advantage of one-on-one situations and loves to attack with aggression. Teams will struggle matching up with him and Price could be the difference maker in a game or two.

Tim Dixon, C, Kendrick – The 6-9 sophomore is one of the top shot-blockers in the state. He is skinny, sure, but he has good timing, runs the floor well and knows what his best strength is. If he can help his Columbus team win at home on Saturday, a likely meeting with South Atlanta on March 3 awaits he and his teammates. That would be interesting to watch to say the least.

Kanler Coker, SG, North Hall – Those that have watched the 6-3 guard this season speak highly of his intelligence on the court, his scoring touch and his overall skill set in the backcourt. Some have even called him the next Zac Swansey, a former Hall county product now at UGA. That’s good company. The tournament could be the time for Coker to show the comparison is legit or not.

Jacquez Rozier, SF, Burke County – The 6-5 wing was one of the nice revelations of Georgia Hoops’ many road trips this season. Rozier helped his squad beat a very good Liberty County team. He’s an aggressive attacker to the basket and in the big region win over Liberty, Rozier absolutely took over down the stretch. Can his star shine even brighter in the tournament?

Top No. 1 seed: South Atlanta
Top No. 2 seed: Liberty County
Top No. 3 seed: Burke County
Top No. 4 seed: Shaw

FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Westover over Shaw
Liberty County over Woodland-Henry
Northside-Columbus over Peach County
Burke County over Spalding
Franklin County over North Hall
Cedartown over St. Pius X
Gainesville over Eastside
Druid Hills over Ridgeland
Washington County over Rutland
LaGrange over Monroe
South Atlanta over Thomson
Kendrick over Cairo
Carrollton over Cedar Grove
Elbert County over Flowery Branch
Columbia over Central Carroll
Hart County over West Hall

FINAL FOUR PICKS

South Atlanta vs. Columbia
Liberty County vs. Franklin County

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

South Atlanta over Franklin County

Breaking down the brackets: AAAA

2009-02-25T21:53:00.001-05:00

Columbia held a strong hold on the AAAA level for the last couple of years but now that the Eagles are in AAA, the field is wide open.

Or is it?

Miller Grove would often run into the Columbia buzzsaw but now it is the Wolverine’s turn to wear the AAAA bulls-eye. Seniors Mfon Udofia, Stephen Hill, Joe Caldwell, Malcolm Frank and Xavier McGahee have been through the rigors of talent rich Region 6 long enough to know what it takes to win it all. After all, the last three state champs hail from Dekalb County’s tough region.

This year the AAAA title is up for grabs and Miller Grove is sitting in position to take it.

STORYLINES TO WATCH

Sleepers abound. See below. There are a number of players that are lying under the state’s radar. Expect a lot of players to step into the big spotlight over the next three weeks.

Marist. Last year the team watched Stone Mountain come from behind and take their spot in the state tournament away in the region tournament. Marist watched the state tournament from the stands. Not this year. The War Eagles are ready. You should be scared to death, too. Senior J.J. Mann is putting up ridiculous numbers this year, scoring and rebounding with the best of them. Point guard Dee Goens is one of the best at his position in the tournament and playing under control and with a goal in mind. Junior Kash Manzelli is one of the toughest players to match-up on the wing. Throw in one of the best young coaches in the state in Greg McClaire and you have a team that can, and will, be playing in Gwinnett.

Atlanta vs. everyone else. The Atlanta area has produced the state champion every year but one since 2001. Dougherty won it that year. Since then it has been an ATL domination. There are a number of contenders from other parts of the state. Statesboro, Richmond Academy, Glynn Academy, Bainbridge and Glenn Hills could all make a surprise run to the Final Four.

MUST SEE GAMES

The class AAAA bracket doesn’t have many games that stand out as must-see games in the first round. The later rounds are intriguing with some monster match-ups. But for the time being, there are two games that stand out from the get go.

Tucker at Lithia Springs – This one will be a physical one. Count on that. Both James Hartry and Jason Slate have their teams ready for a battle. Both teams enter the state tournament mentally tough after a knock-down, drag-out region tournament. Tucker has good balance and size while Lithia Springs will press and rely on it’s start to finish intensity. Expect this one to go down to the wire and expect players from both teams to find the trainer as soon as the game is over.

Evans at Jonesboro - The tournament will start out strong on Friday night as these two fight it out on the south side of Atlanta. Jonesboro always plays teams tough and Evans makes the trip down Interstate 20 from Augusta with a sense of urgency. Over the last 11 games, Evans is 4-7. It doesn’t help that Jonesboro is nearly impossible to beat at home. Look for the Cardinals to win this one.

SLEEPERS TO WATCH

Trey Bussey, SG, Lithia Springs – When the 6-2 junior missed his team’s game against South Cobb, Bussey sat on the sidelines with a hip injury. If he doesn’t play in the region tournament, Lithia Springs could be sitting at home this week and not in the state tournament. He is a good shooter that can slide over and point the point when asked. Bussey is on the radar for some mid-level schools and a good showing in the tournament could shake things up for him.

Chris Davis, SG, Stockbridge – The junior is the latest of sleepers to hail from Stockbridge. The other two, Markel and Quin Humphrey, have done pretty well for themselves at the college level. The 6-2 guard could be next. He’s a capable scorer but he can also put on his passer’s hat when he needs to.

Ricardo Glenn, PF, Richmond Academy – Anchoring the frontline for the top team in Augusta, the 6-7 forward has enjoyed a great senior year and would certainly like to finish the year up in Gwinnett. He’s a capable scorer, a tough rebounder and an intriguing post player for low Division I schools still looking for a player to fill a post spot. This is his stage to earn the offers.

Marquis Cuyler, SF, Glynn Academy – The 6-4 junior wing is playing at a high level as he and his teammates enter the state tournament. He plays bigger than his size and is scoring the ball at a high rate right now. After a competitive year in Region 2, Cuyler and his teammates will be ready for a hefty challenge of playing Upson Lee in round one.

Santoine Butler, PF & Jahmad Saleem, PG, Cross Creek – The 1-2 punch of Butler and Saleem is one of the best in Augusta. Butler, a junior, is a bouncy forward that rebounds well on both ends of the floor while Saleem, a senior, can score and pass with the best of them in East Georgia.

Quin Bivins, PG, Westside Macon – The 6-1 point guard has been a steady performer for what seems like an eternity in central Georgia. He knows how to run his team. He limits his mistakes. He scores the ball. Experienced guard play goes a long way in the tournament.

James McRae, PF, Brunswick – The 6-5 post player is all grit all the time. He’s a blue collar forward that keeps it simple. Sometimes keeping it simple works. That simplicity will fare well in the first round against Bivins and Westside Macon.

Mario Jackson, PG/SG, Statesboro – Lee Hill always has players and this year’s go to guy is Jackson, a 5-11 senior scorer. He’s quick to the hole and experienced in post-season play and in big time match-ups.

YOUNGSTERS TO WATCH

Tony Parker, C, Miller Grove – The 6-8 freshman is one of the top big men regardless of class in the AAAA bracket. He’s been one of Mfon Udofia’s go-to guy in the pain this year and Parker has delivered when his number was called. Few teams can match his size and skill in the post. In fact, it could be argued that he is the most skilled of any big man in the AAAA tournament. Parker will get his first taste of what will be several trips to the state tournament.

Kevin Ware, SG, Rockdale County – The 6-3 guard might be the most explosive player in the tournament. Think Senario Hillman. Ware’s role with Rockdale is a little mystifying. He’s one of the first players off the bench and isn’t a big scorer for the Bulldogs. Ware is clearly a match-up problem for whoever Rockdale County plays. Perhaps the state tournament is where he can prove himself with his high school team.

The Fayette County’s Malcolm Brogdon, Adam Smith and Maurice Williams – Brogdon and Smith are the second and third leading scorers for FC, behind USC bound wing Noel Johnson. Williams is the third leading rebounder and the best post defender on the team. All three players have played large roles in Fayette County’s success this season. Brogdon stepped up in the region championship with his scoring while Smith is a fine shooter and Williams has helped win games with his length in the post. All three sophomores are worth watching.

Top No. 1 seed: Miller Grove
Top No. 2 seed: Lithia Springs or Marist
Top No. 3 seed: Tucker
Top No. 4 seed: Evans

FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Bainbridge over Wayne County
Stockbridge over Cross Creek
Statesboro over Thomas County Central
Glenn Hills over Forest Park
Cass over Loganville
Marist over McIntosh
Hillgrove over Heritage
Tucker over Lithia Springs
Richmond Academy over Alcovy
Brunswick over Westside Macon
Jonesboro over Evans
Glynn Academy over Upson Lee
Miller Grove over Sandy Creek
Rockdale County over Murray County
Fayette County over Stone Mountain
Clarke Central over Sprayberry

FINAL FOUR PICKS

Richmond Academy vs. Miller Grove
Statesboro vs. Marist

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Miller Grove over Marist

SCORE Atlanta ranks the top 25, Georgia Hoops cook up a dozen

2009-02-25T18:36:00.003-05:00

SCORE Atlanta ranks the top 25 teams in the state regardless of class prior to the state tournament.

Here is their top 10:

1. South Atlanta
2. McEachern
3. Wheeler
4. Miller Grove
5. Centennial
6. Milton
7. Norcross
8. Columbia
9. Walton
10. Westlake

Here is my hot dozen going into the state tournament:

1. Miller Grove
2. South Atlanta
3. Wheeler
4. McEachern
5. Turner County
6. Centennial
7. Norcross
8. Dublin
9. Columbia
10. Westlake
11. Newnan
12. Valdosta

Breaking down the brackets: AAAAA

2009-02-24T21:10:00.005-05:00

Norcross High School raised it’s third straight state championship banner earlier this season and the Blue Devils looked skyward and watched history hang above them all season long.

But gone is Eddie Martin. Gone is Al-Farouq Aminu. Gone are the high-major signees. A new batch of Blue Devils are hanging strong. And the new batch of players and new coach Jesse McMillan won 25 games and only losing two all season long.

While the faces have changed, the goal remains the same. The goal is the fourth state championship. The quest for that goal is now beginning. For 31 other teams, the goal is starting a new legacy.

Can Wheeler finally make it happen? Can a team outside the Atlanta area finally win the AAAAA state championship this year? Will there be an upset? Will there be any surprises? Will there be a breakout performance from a star in the waiting?

Those questions will be answered over the next three weeks. And that is why we love Georgia high school basketball so much.

MUST SEE GAMES

Walton at McEachern - This is the best game of any first round match-up in the state tournament. The two Cobb County teams are both stocked with talent.

McEachern is deep inside, anchored by Furman bound center Collin Reddick and Providence bound power forward Kadeem Batts. Wings Charlie Reddick and Alioune Diouf are two of the more versatile players in the AAAAA bracket. Junior Trae Golden, the Georgia Hoops Region 5 Player of the Year, glues it all together. He’s one of the best scorers in the tournament.

Walton is paced by the scoring prowess of Glen Rice, Jr. and Ryan Harrow, who will both play college ball in the ACC, can easily score 30 points in any game. Rice is a triple double in waiting in every game while Harrow’s speed will clearly be a factor. Defense has been the Achilles heel all season long for Walton. It could be the difference maker in this one.

McEachern’s size inside, overall depth and home court advantage make the Indians my pick for the victory.

The winner of the game will likely have Norcross in the second round. How’s that for a reward for a battle in the first round?

Milton at Marietta - The young Eagles looked good in the region tournament but so did Marietta. Marietta’s Chris Tanzy is playing the best basketball of his career and his match-up against sophomore Shannon Scott will be entertaining to say the least. Mix in the fact that the two coaches, Milton’s David Boyd and Marietta’s Charlie Hood, have a combined five state titles between the two of them and you have a game that is very intriguing on so many levels. Marietta’s magic will make this game close but Milton’s talent could shine through.

Riverdale at Groves - Very intriguing match-up here. Riverdale is a scrappy bunch. Grove is a deep and big bunch. Riverdale has a long scorer in Judson Dillard. Groves is paced by balance yet organized chaos on defense. Riverdale comes to the tournament after being battle tested in Region 4 while it could be argued that Groves is the best team in Savannah. Groves is my pick in this one. Playing in Savannah is a tough task.

Meadowcreek at Norcross - The Mustangs are hungry for an upset after a disappointing region tournament. The Blue Devils are ready for redemption after losing the Region 7 tournament. Emotions should be high in this game. If this game comes down to a shooting match, which it very well could, Norcross should prevail.

TOP FIVE SLEEPERS

Reed Buck, SF, Collins Hill – The senior shooter is coming on strong in tournament play and people are starting to notice. The Eagles have size, thanks to Utah bound Jeremy Olsen and Derek Hood, and speed from point guard Saah Nimley. Buck has been the beneficiary of laying under the radar and having clean looks from the perimeter. Having shooters is the difference between packing up and going home or moving on the tournament. Collins Hill could be an Elite Eight (or higher) level team because of that.

Chris Tanzy, PG, Marietta – The football star is playing like a man possessed in the tournament. He’s been healthy, a major plus for the Blue Devils, and because of that, he picked apart Cherokee and nearly beat McEachern with his play. Milton will be a major test right out of the gates. He should be ready.

Judson Dillard, SF, Riverdale – The wiry senior will have his hands full in the first round against Groves, one of the best teams in Savannah. The 6-4 wing is always around the basket and finds ways to get involved in every play. He is a high energy player that can score big points in a hurry.

Jarvis Brown, SG, Meadowcreek – The tough-minded senior is the heart and soul of the over-achieving Mustangs this season and he’s been one of the toughest players to defend in Gwinnett this season. He’s a bull to the basket and he could be the toughest guard the Norcross will play this season. Keep an eye on that first round match-up.

Jareal Smith, SG, Johnson – The 6-3 junior was the Region 3 player of the year. That’s impressive considering the talent in the region. He and his Johnson teammates have a tough draw against Westlake but if there is an area to attack the Lions, it is in the backcourt. Don’t be surprised to see Smith impressing while on the west side of the ATL on Saturday.

TOP FIVE YOUNGSTERS TO WATCH

Jay Rome, SF/PF, Valdosta – The 6-5 forward is one of the toughest players to defend because of his natural strength, scoring ability and touch on the glass as a rebounder. The sophomore is a football star and plays with that reckless abandonment that you’d expect from a gridiron star. Valdosta’s side of the bracket is filled with physical players and Rome will be tested right out of the gate.

Four of Milton’s starting five – The youngsters have lived up to the hype all season long and will now be challenged at the state level. The road to Gwinnett won’t be easy but the Eagles have proved themselves against Walton, GAC, Riverdale and Brookwood but lost against Wheeler and Centennial during the season. Can the Dai-Jon Parker, Shannon Scott, Julian Royal and Evan Nolte step up to the plate?

Dominique McCoy, SF, Meadowcreek – The 6-6 sophomore wears a lot of hats for the Mustangs and he’ll have to bring all of them when Meadowcreek takes on Norcross in round one. He can handle the ball, he can rebound, he can defend the perimeter and he can score in the paint. He’ll need to touch the ball more than he did when Parkview almost beat Meadowcreek in the region tournament. If he can score in double digits, Meadowcreek is always in good position to win.

Chris Bolden, SG, Brookwood – The freshman is known for his quick trigger and he was firing away in the region tournament. It seems the bigger the stage, the better he plays. The Broncos will need a big game from Bolden right out of the gates as the team travels to Peachtree Ridge for a tough battle in round one.

Cory Blackwell, PF/SF, Peachtree Ridge – See Jay Rome. How do you defend the 6-5 monster truck with legs? Blackwell is one of the most unique players in the state and he’s one of the toughest kids to defend because he can burn you inside but also step out and knock down the midrange jumper. The sophomore is a dynamic rebounder and one that can quickly pull down 10 boards before the half. A potential match-up between he and Richard Howell at Wheeler would be fun to watch.

STORYLINES TO WATCH

Depth from Region 6. There is no denying the strength of the region. All four teams that advanced (Wheeler, Centennial, Milton and Walton) can win the state tournament. Lassiter and Campbell, two teams from the region that were ousted early in the region tournament, could have very easily been a No. 2 seed in the tournament, too.

Ari Stewart, a senior at Wheeler, believes Region 6 is a great test for the state tournament.

“We have one of the toughest regions in the state. We have Walton, Centennial, Milton, Lassiter, Campbell. The list goes on and on. I do think we have one of the toughest regions in the state. I do think this was the hardest part, winning the region tournament,” Stewart said minutes after winning the region tournament.

“But we still have to play hard. We still have to play good teams like a Centennial. We don’t know anything about the teams we are about to play. We’ve never seen them play. We have to go and play good defense. I find it will be really hard for teams to beat us if we play like we did [against Centennial].”

Russell Powell is the best player in metro Atlanta that no one is talking about. Win. He has a string of winning DNA in his system and that’s all he has done in high school. He quarterbacked his team deep into the state playoffs. In hoops, he has changed the mentality of his team and can easily score 25 points, glue his team together like a Tom Brady and also defend like Bruce Bowen. Keep an eye on the Jacksonville bound point guard. He’ll be playing on March 12 and 13th in Gwinnett.

What non-ATL team will have success? Every year there is one that makes a run to the Final Four. Valdosta? Groves? Savannah? Coffee? Which one can it be? Valdosta makes the most sense as the Wildcats sit at 26-1. The South Georgia power destroyed the competition all season long and looks to be rolling at the right time.

Top No. 1 seed: Wheeler
Top No. 2 seed: Centennial
Top No. 3 seed: Milton
Top No. 4 seed: Walton

FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Valdosta over Greenbrier
Groves over Riverdale
Redan over Northside Warner Robins
Newnan over Camden County
South Gwinnett over Mill Creek
Centennial over North Cobb
Collins Hill over Central Gwinnett
Milton over Marietta
Savannah over Creekside
Coffee over Union Grove
Westlake over Savannah Johnson
Stephenson over Tift County
Wheeler over Harrison
Peachtree Ridge over Brookwood
McEachern over Walton
Norcross over Meadowcreek

FINAL FOUR PICKS

Newnan vs. Centennial
Westlake vs. Wheeler

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Wheeler over Newnan

State AAAAA playoff bracket

Notes from the Notepad: Feb. 23

2009-02-23T08:34:00.004-05:00

FIVE THINGS I’M BUYING THIS WEEK

1. A great state tournament. While there are great teams in the field, every team is beatable. There are no clear cut favorites across the board in every classification.

Take a look at how the top team in the coaches’ poll fared this week and what they have to do to get to the state title game.

Centennial – Lost to Wheeler in the 6-AAAA region championship. A potential game against South Gwinnett in the second round will be a test. Other than that, the Knights have a favorable path to the Gwinnett Arena.

Miller Grove – Had to fight to beat Marist for the 6-AAAA region championship. Fayette County could await the Wolverines in the third round. FC beat MG last year in the Final Four. That could be the only hiccup en route to the title game.

South Atlanta – Won easily in it’s region tournament, claiming the title with a 104-45 victory over Spalding. And that was the closest game in the tournament for the Hornets. Columbia could be the team waiting for them at the Macon Centreplex on March 13.

Dublin – Some trusted eyes at the college level think the Irish have the best team in the state. A major test awaits in the first round as Dublin plays host to NE Macon, a team that can pull off an upset. Then a potential game against Long County in the second round could be next. The kicker is a possible Final Four game against GAC. That’s a tough road to the title game.

Turner County – See below.

2. Reseeding the tournaments. Wrestling did it this year for the first time and by all accounts, that was a fantastic move. Why not do it for basketball?

Here is how it would work:

- The region tournament winners get an automatic No. 1 seed as they always have. That doesn’t change. Neither does earning a state tournament bid by making it to the semi-finals of your region tournament. So if a 5-17 team runs the table in the region tournament and finish third in the tournament, then they are in.

- From there, the rest of the deck is reshuffled. For example, Region 6-AAAAA teams Centennial, Milton and Walton should all be No. 2 teams in the tournament. However, the 5-17 team from above would likely be a No. 4 seed.

- The brackets need balance. Look at the AAA bracket for example. South Atlanta and Columbia, the two clear cut top teams in the class, will likely play each other in the state semi-finals. They should be playing for all the marbles at the end of the day. The same can be said for AA with Dublin and GAC on the same side of the bracket. Or take the classic Norcross first round win over Wheeler two years ago. There is no reason why that game was a first-round game.

- Making the state playoffs is a reward for the high school athlete. The current set-up takes a back seat to the region tournament. There is no sense of importance in the first two rounds. Alpharetta High School was the spot in Atlanta for sports on Saturday. Imagine if that game was played at Georgia State or Georgia Tech. The gym would have likely been close to capacity. That experience is something most high school athletes will never forget. Too bad they can’t have that memory in the first two rounds of the state tournament.

- Each bracket would have a four game slate for the first round. Instead of the higher seed hosting the individual game of the first two rounds of the tournament (like the current step-up), there is a natural site. Gym space should not be a problem. There are plenty of gyms to use in Georgia. Games would be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and alternate between girls games (Wednesday, Friday) and boys games (Thursday, Saturday).

- Georgia is home to some of the best high school basketball in the country, why not promote it at a state level with an even playing field and on a big stage?

3. Turner County. I had my first chance to see the top ranked class A team last week in the 2-A region tournament and suffice it to say, I was impressed. So impressed, in fact, that Turner County should be considered one of the top five teams in the state.

There is something refreshing about the Rebels. They are a tight-knit group that performs with purpose. Every minute of the team’s pre-game routine is choreographed. There is no wasted time before the tip and as the team enters the gym after the halftime break, they dive right into another exact warm-up ritual.

The support for the team is outstanding and positive from the locals, something that is dying in the Atlanta area. Turner County has a roster stocked deep of talent. Seniors Ternell Davis and Tray Pearce are both seasoned starters while Chris Spears and Breon Dixon (pictured above) are both over 6-7.

Davis is off to Chipola Junior College next year, says his coach Eric Holland, while Pearce is being recruited by a number of low-majors. Spears, a chiseled junior, will go down the same recruiting road as Pearce. Dixon, a long-armed 6-7 forward, has the tools of being one of the elite sophomores in the state. His national profile is on the cusp of blowing up.

The road to Macon won’t be easy for the Rebels. If Turner County and Hancock Central both win on Saturday, last year’s championship game will be on the docket. Coming out of Region 2 will have the team prepared for the deep Class A state tournament. The goal for any team is to win it all. For Turner County, winning it all is the expectation.

4. Great week of basketball.

Win of the week: Turner County over Dooly County. Great game, coming from behind and closing out with a 29-9 run.
Hi, my name is…Player of the Week: Westley Hinton, PF, Providence Christian, Senior
Youngster of the week: Breon Dixon, PF, Turner County, Sophomore
Gritty performance of the week: Tony Dukes of Morrow shooting with his off hand because of a wrist injury on his shooting hand in front of a number of college coaches when playing against Westlake.
Player you never bet against: Russell Powell of Newnan. Don’t be surprised to see the two-sport star pilot his team to a trip to the Gwinnett Arena. Few compete better than he does.

5. Sleep and chiropractor. After watching 16 games over a six day span, Georgia Hoops needs some rest. Thankfully this week can provide such a wish. My back, however, may be un-curable after a long week of bleachers and a long year of sitting in gyms.

SCRIBBLE NOTES

- The name Reed Buck keeps showing up on my phone in the form of a text message from college coaches. After putting in nearly 30 points against Norcross, on one of the top defensive teams in the Southeast, Buck is a popular guy amongst recruiters. The 6-5 senior is one of the late-blooming prospects in the state that coaches are frantically searching for more information. Throw Georgia Hoops into the mix, too. Collins Hill still sits on the must-see list for the year. He’s a mystery man from my perspective but the word is, he is certainly worth looking at. (I mistakenly reported Buck hit the game-winning shot. He did not. Sophomore Saah Nimley did.)

- The point guard class of 2010 is one of the hardest groups to figure out. However, three players have separated themselves this week in region play. Walton’s Ryan Harrow and Mays’s Aloys Cabell and Wheeler’s Phil Taylor had great weeks and proved themselves as players that are tops in their class.

Harrow played through a sinus infection and delivered a gritty performance in a tough loss to Milton. He certainly proved himself in his first season in Georgia as one of the top high schoolers in his class within the Peach State borders.

Cabell put on a brilliant performance against Fayette County. He is one of the best midrange jump shooters in the state and one of the toughest competitors at his position. He’ll be a popular player this summer because of his grit.

Taylor is a shot-maker. Plain and simple. He delivers the power punch for Wheeler but he is also playing better as a passer and distributor. His rebounding against Centennial was a major factor in the win, too.

- I’d love to see a match-up between Milton’s Dai-Jon Parker and Wilcox County’s Nick Marshall someday. The two 6-2 guards are both good perimeter shooters. Both are good athletes. Both have wow potential. And both are two of the elite players in the sophomore class.

- The more I watch Greenville sophomore Kentavious Caldwell, the more I love his game. He’s as versatile as they come and could enter the summer as one of the top 50 players nationally in 2011.

- Terrific effort from Mays guard Desmond Williams against Fayette County. The 5-9 senior drilled seven of eight three-pointers in a heart-breaking and season-ending loss in the 5-AAAA region tournament.

- Zach Lamb played a huge role in Norcross’s state championship run last year after being inserted into the starting lineup. The same could happen for Joey Jerome at Wheeler. He’s an important piece of the puzzle on Holt Road.

- SCORE Atlanta looks at the five best teams that didn't make the tournament.

- Nice ballot stuffing on the “Who is the best Junior in the state?” poll.

- Carter’s Fried Chicken in Americus is a must-stop whenever you are in town. Just outside of the campus gates, the local hot spot was the best food stop of the week. However, Marietta Diner still sits atop the Georgia Hoops restaurant rankings.

Wheeler gets defensive against Centennial

2009-02-22T11:44:00.001-05:00

It’s no secret that the Wheeler Wildcats can pump in the points on the offensive side of the ball. That’s never been a question for the team from Marietta. With two ACC bound seniors and a host of other Division I prospects waiting in the wings, Wheeler can put points on the board in a hurry.

The question with Wheeler, however, is can the team keep the opposition from doing the same?

The answer was an emphatic yes as Wheeler beat Centennial 76-56 on Saturday night in the Region 6-AAAAA championship game at Alpharetta High School.

Wheeler started the game on a 13-0 run thanks to a trio of three-pointers from Phil Taylor, Joey Jerome and Ari Stewart. From there, Wheeler never let up and locked down on defense from tip to finish.

“That set the momentum of the game, hands down,” Stewart, a Wake Forest signee, said. “When a team goes down 13-0 to start a game, they go into panic mode. Eventually they scored but we played hard, rebounded the ball, played good defense and fought well.”

Defensively, Wheeler set the tone inside the paint and forced Centennial to take perimeter shots and challenged every dribble penetration from the speedy squad from North Fulton. Richard Howell, the strong-bodied post headed to N.C. State, set the tone inside with his physical play.

The big man owned his match-up against junior Kam Belin. Howell scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Howell said Wheeler is coming together at the right time.

“I think we are coming together real well. I think playing together in AAU ball really helped us a lot because we got to know each other really well,” he said. “I think we are finally coming together as a team. We can’t backtrack. There was a lot of adversity but we overcame it. We stepped up to the challenge.”

Wheeler has dealt with some personnel adversity late in the season but head coach Doug Lipscomb said he is happy with the way his team prevailed in the semi-finals and on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd of 2,700 people.

“We’ve been playing very hard. We’ve been through some adversity. We didn’t play with Karl [Cochran] last night and we’ve been without Tahj [Tate]. We had to step up our game with other people. I’m always happy when we are working our butts off because that’s the main reason why we got here. I’m proud of our kids. Very proud of them,” Lipscomb said.

“We just played a very good team and beat a very good team. I’m please with our kids. I’m pleased but not satisfied as we are going into the tournament. We have a long ways to go but overall I’m happy with the effort that they gave me.”

He has to be happy with the 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists from Phil Taylor. Stewart added 18 points and 10 rebounds, too. Jerome has been outstanding in relief for Tate late in the season. His defense and passing played a huge part in the win and helped contain the speed of Centennial’s backcourt.

Brown did all he could do. He scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the defeat. Despite his effort, Brown just couldn’t do it on his own. Stewart said he was happy with the way his entire team shut down the Centennial attack.

“Defense is something that we’ve been emphasizing all year. If we don’t play defense, we don’t win. When you play against a great player in Lorenzo and his team, it’s going to be tough,” Brown said. “When he gets into the lane, it’s a wrap. He’s going to score. He is going to get his teammates involved. He’s going to get the ball to the open person. We focused on stopping him from getting to the basket.”

Wheeler plays host to Harrison on Saturday in the first round of the state tournament. Centennial will host North Cobb on Saturday.

Quick Saturday night wrap-up

2009-02-21T23:12:00.002-05:00

Couple of quick hitters for now and much more tomorrow...

Wheeler overwhelmed Centennial defensively and came away with an easy 76-56 win in the region championship game. Huge crowd saw the Wildcats play aggressive on the wings and protected the basket with great purpose.

Wheeler came out firing, going on a 13-0 run to start the game. They never looked back. Phil Taylor led the way with 23 points while Richard Howell scored 22 and Ari Stewart put in 18 points. The trio combined for 28 rebounds, too.

Lorenzo Brown scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds in defeat.

Milton won a shoot out against Walton, 95-91, thanks to the scoring and poise of Shannon Scott, Dai-Jon Parker and Evan Nolte. The trio combined for 61 points. Julian Royal added 12 in the win.

Ryan Harrow led all scorers with 31 points. Not bad for a kid with a major sinus infection. Glen Rice was quieter than usual scoring the ball. He put in 11 points but also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

In other games...

Reed Buck hit a game-winner for Collins Hill in an upset over Norcross. McEachern beat Marietta. Greenforest had 30 from Jamel Jones and beat Paideia for the 7-A title. Turner County won 57-50 over Greenville in Americus. Miller Grove beat Marist in a close one.

Much, much more on Sunday afternoon.

Turner County, Greenville ready for 2-A finals

2009-02-21T11:21:00.002-05:00

TURNER COUNTY FIGHTS BACK

As the third quarter of the Turner County-Dooly County was about to start, one of the officials working the game came over to the media table and couldn’t hold back a smile from ear to ear. Even the men in stripes knew they were watching a big time match-up at Georgia Southwestern University on Friday night.

The two 2-A teams put on a show in the semi-finals in one of the best games of region tournament play this week. Turner County had to fight back in the second half to claim the 69-60 over Dooly County and advanced to the region championship finals on Saturday.

Turner County, the number one team in class A, was in a position that the Rebels have rarely, if ever, been in this season. They were fighting from behind.

Dooly County had a monster shooting game from skinny-as-a-rail senior Alex Barron. The 6-2 guard pulled up from several feet behind the three-point line for some amazing long range buckets. He hit four straight and had his team up by as many as 13 in the second half.

However, big men Eric Martin and Charsini Washington were subbed out of the game late in the third quarter and that’s when Turner County turned up the heat and went on a 29-9 run to close the game out.

For Turner County coach Eric Holland, his virtually unchallenged team had to learn a little something about them in the hard fought win.

“I’d rather be up against the ropes in the semi-finals than being up against the ropes in the state playoffs,” Holland said.

His players certainly agreed.

Ternell Davis, a Chipola Junior College bound senior guard, scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and helped spark the emotion in his teammates down the stretch. Davis said there was some complacency in the first half.

“We learned that we can’t let up to anyone. We have to come out and work harder next time out,” a tired Davis (pictured above) said after the game.

Junior big man Chris Spears said Dooly County may have done his team a favor by making them come from behind in the region tournament.

“Being the number one team in the state will make you have a big bullseye on your back at all times. We know it’s going to get even bigger next week [during the state tournament],” Spears said.

Spears was one of the four Turner County players in double figure scoring. He finished with 14 points. Senior Trey Pearce added 15 and sophomore big man Breon Dixon put in 12 points.

Dixon, a long-armed 6-7 post, is one of the top players in the class of 2011 in Georgia. He’s on the cusp of emerging into a nationally recruited prospect. Dixon certainly claimed stake to one of the top five spots in the state’s loaded sophomore class rankings.

Turner County can make an argument for being one of the top five teams in Georgia regardless of class. The Rebels have size, depth, star power and youthful talent waiting in the wings. Turner County is the most balanced and well-oiled machine of any of the elite teams in the Peach State.

Dooly County had a huge game from Barron, who scored a game high 25 points while senior big man Eric Martin added a loud 17 points. The 6-6 senior made a big impression with his play in the post, scoring tough shots and claiming big rebounds down the stretch.

SOPHOMORES TAKE CENTER STAGE

Two of the best sophomores in the state met face to face for the first time this season on Friday night at Georgia Southwestern in a 2-A semi-final match-up. Kentavious Caldwell led the charge for Greenville and knocked off Nick Marshall and Wilcox County 64-53.

Caldwell turned his ankle at the start of the fourth quarter and the usually unemotional guard looked like he was headed to the bench with the injury. Despite the grimaces and obvious pain, he went back on the floor and played even more aggressive than he did before.

Caldwell attacked the basket with a purpose and scored 12 of his game high 22 points int eh fourth quarter. The 6-5 junior finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, and four assists in the win. He showed nearly every facet of his game, minus his usually reliable shooting touch from the perimeter. Wilcox played an aggressive box and one on him throughout the match-up.

Marshall, too, had to free himself up from the grasp of a stifling box and one that Greenville played on him. Marshall, a 6-2 sophomore, struggled to find good looks on the offensive end of the floor. He did finish with 20 points on 8-21 shooting from the floor and 3-12 from three.

Despite his cold shooting moments, Marshall had several wow plays, including a NBA range pull up three point jumper from the left corner. His bucket cut the lead to two with two minutes left to play. Unfortunately, that was the closest Wilcox would get in the final minutes of the game.

Marshall has been one of the top players in South Georgia this season. And not just in basketball. He’s one of the top athletes on the gridiron and he quarterbacked his team to a 12-1 record.

Close calls

2009-02-20T11:19:00.001-05:00

FAYETTE COUNTY BARELY GETS BY MAYS

Malcolm Brogdon’s calling card is doing the little things. And on Thursday night, one little thing turned out to be a season-saving play. The sophomore from Fayette County grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled with 1.6 seconds left to play on a put back attempt. He calmly stepped up and nailed both free throws to give Fayette County a 64-62 win over Mays.

Brogdon (pictured above) finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in the quarterfinal win in the 5-AAAA tournament. Brogdon’s bucket was the first lead Fayette County had in the entire fourth quarter.

Mays gave a great fight thanks to the play of senior guard Desmond Williams. The 5-8 guard was brilliant all game long from behind the three-point line, hitting seven of eight from deep. However, he missed a wide open chip shot at the rim with 15 seconds left to play. Williams finished with 25 points before fouling out.

His backcourt mate Aloys Cabell was absolutely brilliant, scoring 25 points, too. The 5-11 point guard was the best player on the floor in this game. He controlled the pace throughout the game and played like a seasoned veteran from tip to finish.

Fayette County had 16 points from Southern Cal bound senior Noel Johnson and sophomore guard Adam Smith finished with 15 points.

REST IS WHAT DOCTOR ORDERED FOR LITHIA SPRINGS

Lithia Springs head coach Jason Slate worried about having a 12-day wait in between games prior to his team’s match-up against Tri-Cities on Thursday evening. He was problem even more worried because Tri-Cities beat his team in overtime in January.

And after watching his team score a season-low 20 points in the first half, he was almost sprouting up grey hairs in the locker room.

But a huge three-pointer from junior Trey Bussey with three minutes left to play was a huge bucket and calm free throws down the stretch from senior Alex Dean was enough to give Lithia Springs a 67-65 win over Tri-Cities and a bid to the state tournament.

Having nearly two weeks off gave Bussey the perfect amount of time to rest his injured hip he suffered at the end of the regular season.

“That time was exactly what I needed. It got me to 100 percent,” Bussey said.

Thursday night’s game wasn’t one for those that were at 90 percent either. It was a long, physical and emotionally draining game for all parties involved.
“(The time off) helped us because Trey wouldn’t have been able to play but the other guys looked like they haven’t played in 12 days,” an exhausted Slate said after the game.

Tri-Cities was paced by the 23 points of sophomore Bernard Dozier.

Quick hitters from Wednesday's action

2009-02-19T09:53:00.004-05:00

RIVERDALE, WESTLAKE MOVE ON IN 4-AAAAA

The pressure cooker was fired up on Wednesday as a host of teams had to step up and win or go home.

No. 3 Riverdale matched up with No. 6 Pebblebrook and No. 2 Westlake played host to No. 7 Morrow on Wednesday night and the higher seeds made it look easy.

Riverdale relied on the play of Judson Dillard, a 6-4 senior wing pictured above, to close the door on Pebblebrook 63-47. Dillard has been closing the door on a number of teams late in the season this year.

He scored 49 points against Mundy’s Mill in the regular season final. Scoring big numbers is nothing new, says Riverdale head coach Derrick Powell.

“He’s been putting up numbers consistently all year long and considering that it is his first year with us, that’s been impressive,” Powell said. “He’s accepted his role as they guy that we need to go to and he’s been comfortable with that. Judson is just a natural scorer.”

Dillard relied on his constant energy and hustle to outwork Pebblebrook for scores around the basket. He’s a tough player to defend and Dillard said he doesn’t want to miss a beat any time he’s on the floor.

“When it gets down to crunch time, I want to be in position to make a play. I think that’s what happens when you play hard all the time. Your teammates trust you,” Dillard said. “I’m going to try and play hard all the time. There are 32 minutes in a game and I want to make sure I’m playing hard in every one of those.”

Westlake relied on it’s depth and offensive balance. Javaris Bryant scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jordan Brown, a junior guard, scored 10 points off the bench.

Westlake will play Riverdale on Friday at 5:30 in the semi-finals. Newnan will play Creekside at 8:30 in the other semi-final.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT US

There are still a number of talented unsigned/uncommitted seniors in the state that coaches need to lay some eyes on.

J.J. Mann, Marist – The 6-6 forward had a monster night in a 71-50 win over Southwest DeKalb. Mann scored 31 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in the win that locked Marist into the state playoffs. The game before, Mann pumped in 31 points and 15 rebounds against North Springs.

Westley Hinton, Providence – Had a wow game against Greenforest Christian at the 7-A region tournament. The 6-8 big man put on a show in a tough defeat. His best basketball is ahead of him.

Blaise White, Lassiter – The complete competitor. The 5-8 point guard led his Trojans into several battles, set the tone with his hard-nosed play each and every night and earned the respect of basketball purists in Atlanta this season.

Ryan LeGates, Blessed Trinity – Always playing with great confidence and craftiness, the 6-2 senior has the Titans playing well once again. Try this number on: BT is 69-15 since LeGates sophomore year.

Tony Dukes, Morrow – The 6-foot shooting guard had his right wrist taped up and that limited his effectiveness. So what do good players do when faced with adversity? You make good with what you have. Dukes shot the ball with his left hand in the second half against Westlake. Gritty effort with a number of coaches watching.

Derek Zittaruer, South Forsyth – Nice effort against Northview, defending, scoring simple plays, running the floor and leading by example.

Obviously there are several other players out there worth mentioning. I’ll see a number of other seniors of note this week, including a four-game slate at Lithia Springs.

MUST SEE HOOP

Alpharetta High School will be punched into quite a few GPS systems this weekend. The action at the school right off Georgia 400 will be the place to be on Friday and Saturday.

Wheeler will play Milton at 6 p.m. on Friday. Walton will play Centennial immediately after. The winners will then play each other on Saturday at 7:30 for the 6-AAAAA region title. Between the four teams, there are at least 15 Division I players in the games. That’s impressive.

SCRIBBLE NOTES

- One very trusted source at the Dublin-Jefferson County game said the Irish are an absolute buzzsaw. Dublin won by a landslide thanks to the sharp-shooting of Sherrard Brantley, one of the top unsigned seniors in the state, Rashard Smith (a NC State football signee) and junior big man Tawaski King.

- Central Macon junior guard Matt Brabham knows how important this time of year is. The top scorer in Macon lived up to his reputation and scored 40 points in a 62-60 win over Southwest on Wednesday night.

"I just had this adrenaline rush and went into killer instinct mode,” Brabham told Jonathan Heeter of the Macon Telegraph after the game. “It’s just about having that belief that you aren’t going home. This is the postseason, and my team needed me. So I brought a little killer instinct.”

- South Atlanta center and all-world senior Derrick Favors is the lone Georgian on the 2009 McDonald’s All-American game. He will play on the East team. The game is on April 1 in Miami, Florida.

- Clemson freshman and former Wesleyan star Tanner Smith was featured on ESPN.com on Wednesday. Dana O'Neil penned a great story on Smith, who is one of the class act kids in the country.

- Marietta beat Cherokee, the No. 2 seed in the 5-AAAAA tournament, at home on Wednesday night. Paced by the speed and defense of senior guard Chris Tanzy, the Blue Devils will now play in the state tournament next week as the No. 7 seed in it’s region tournament.

- North Cobb beat South Cobb. Hillgrove makes it look easy against Rome. Harrison rolls past Kennesaw Mountain. Milton's youth knocks out Lassiter's experience and toughness. It's a shame that two teams from region 6-AAAAA won't make the state playoffs. Whitefield rolls through Walker.

Brookwood back in the state playoffs on a last second shot from Taylor Mann. Welcome to the state playoffs, Mill Creek. Peachtree Ridge is one step closer to the region finals. Collins Hill, Athens Christian and Loganville all move on.

- Johnson wins on a last second shot from Region POY Jareal Smith and Groves moves on. Camden County wins in overtime over Windsor-Forest.

Quick hitters from Tuesday's action

2009-02-18T08:33:00.003-05:00

GREENFOREST HOLDS OF PROVIDENCE, HINTON

The Greenforest-Providence game was supposed to be the best game on the four game slate at Wesleyan on Tuesday at the 7-A region tournament. And it certainly was.

Paced by the 17 second half points from Region 7-A player of the year Jamel Jones (pictured), Greenforest held off a pesky Providence team for a 72-57 win. Greenforest is now guaranteed a spot in the class A state playoffs.

Jones hit a big three in the left corner with 2:30 to play to help give Greenforest the eventual lead. The 6-5 junior said he did not want to make the trip back to Decatur without the win and the punched ticket for the state playoff.

“We felt like we had to go out there and prove to ourselves and everyone else that we are good enough to be in the state tournament. We didn’t do that last year and we lost in the same round and just missed out. We didn’t want to go out early again,” Jones said.

“We had to dig deep and calm ourselves down but, at the same time, play Greenforest basketball.”

Jones finished with a game high 23 points.

While Jones and fellow junior Joe Chase (16 points) had it rolling, it was the play of Providence’s Westley Hinton that had the gym talking. The 6-7 senior had a dazzling game, scoring 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the floor.

Hinton made four straight buckets in the fourth quarter and challenged Greenforest in the paint time and time again. He was dazzling in defeat. Hinton also ripped down 11 rebounds, blocked five shots and handed out four assists.

PAIDEIA, ECLA, WESLEYAN ALSO ADVANCE

Paideia cruised past Mt. Pisgah 49-30 to move into the final four of the 7-A region tournament. Sophomore E. Victor Nickerson led the way with 14 points.

The Pythons will play Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy on Friday. ECLA beat St. Francis 64-55 in overtime to advance.

Wesleyan beat W.D. Mohammad 60-55 thanks to 30 points from sophomore Andrew Frerking, who hit eight of nine three-pointers in the victory. Wesleyan will play Greenforest on Friday.

MEADOWCREEK SURVIVES THREE-POINT BARRAGE FROM PARKVIEW

Meadowcreek’s Thomas Hines hit a huge three-pointer with less than 15 seconds left to play from the left corner to give the Mustangs the go ahead score in a back-and-forth game. Meadowcreek won 54-49 despite giving up a number of three-pointers to Parkview.

Jarvis Brown led Meadowcreek with 21 points. Rachard Lofton was huge down the stretch for Parkview, scoring on a driving lay-up and hitting a deep three to keep the game tied.

MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN TEAM ANNOUNCED TODAY

The 2009 McDonald’s All-American team will be announced on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST on ESPNU. South Atlanta’s Derrick Favors will be one of the announced players for this year’s team. The game will be held April 1 in Miami, Florida.

Georgia Hoops: Region Tournament Schedules

2009-02-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

Forget March. The madness begins now. The region tournaments tip off on Monday across Georgia.

We will update this link regularly with tournament information.

Region 8-AAAAA
Region 7-AAAAA
Region 6-AAAAA
Region 5-AAAAA
Region 4-AAAAA
Region 3-AAAAA

Region 7-AAAA
Region 6-AAAA
Region 5-AAAA
Region 2-AAAA
Region 1-AAAA

Region 7-AAA
Region 5-AAA
Region 4-AAA
Region 3-AAA
Region 2-AAA

Region 7-AA
Region 6-AA
Region 5-AA
Region 4-AA
Region 3-AA
Region 2-AA
Region 1-AA

Region 7-A
Region 3-A
Region 2-A
Region 1-A

If you have a bracket for a region tournament, please email it to georgiahoops@gmail.com.

Notes from the Notepad: Feb. 17

2009-02-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

EMOTIONAL FINISH FOR WESTLAKE’S BRYANT

After a blowout win against Lovejoy last Friday night, Westlake senior Javaris Bryant was the last player on his team to make it into the locker room. He casually strolled to the back door, took a couple of last pictures inside the new, spacious Westlake gym, hugged some well-wishers and eventually exited the floor.

You can’t blame him for staying on the court. The Bethune-Cookman bound senior has found great comfort on that court. He has found great comfort within the walls of Westlake High School. He has found great comfort from the people that hold the thread of the school together since his freshman year.

Sure, one of the reasons why he is so well liked at the school is because he is the most valuable player on a loaded basketball team and one of the most undervalued players in the state. That is one of the reasons why so many people wished him the best after Senior Night last Friday.

But the 6-5 forward’s memories will certainly run deeper than any box score of night filled with balloons or special ceremonies. Two years ago, the school and the people inside of it were all that he had.

Two years ago, Bryant buried his mother.

“This means a lot to me,” Bryant said after he walked off the floor and into a back hallway leading to the locker room. “I was really trying hard not to get emotional. This is my family. They were with me when my mom passed away. I went through some tough times but they were always there. Always.”

Bryant’s eyes drifted away into thought. You knew where his mind was going.

So did Westlake head coach Darron Rogers.

“The reason why he gets so emotional is because he has had so much success in that gym. He hit the game-winning shot against Newnan. He’s been the guy to pound his chest and life up his teammates. He’s been very emotional this whole season because I think he really feels blessed,” Rogers said.

Bryant’s story will have a happy ending. He’s been fantastic all season long and he should play major minutes as a freshman at Bethune-Cookman. He is so talented that he should be an all-conference level player for the MEAC team.

CHATTAHOOCHEE, NORTHVIEW ADVANCE

Chattahoochee was up quite a bit in the first half against Duluth but saw it’s lead diminish in a quick hurry in the second quarter and eventually won 69-62 in overtime.

Senior guard Hajj Waldman turned it up late in the fourth quarter with two big three-pointers and two huge assists, one that was a three-pointer from A.J. Hobbs to help the Cougars advance in the 7-AAAAA region tournament.

Duluth made it a game with a first half 23-2 run but freshman forward Jaron Blossomgame’s 14 points and 12 rebounds were a difference maker along with Waldman’s strong play in the fourth.

South Forsyth won a slowed down game against Northview 40-33 thanks to the controlled tempo and senior leadership inside from Derek Zittrauer.

The 6-8 senior scored 10 points, blocked five shots and grabbed five rebounds but moreover, he held Northview’s talented freshman Kyle Meyer to two points and bucket-less from the field.

Scribble notes

- The Westlake-Jalen Kendrick relationship didn’t even last a full year. The talented 6-5 wing was suspended for two games two weeks ago and with his injuries, he decided to make the suspension last the full season. He and the team split ways officially. Kendrick remains a student at Westlake but several sources say he is looking at other options. Norcross was mentioned as was Findlay in Nevada, Montverde in Florida and a handful of prep schools in New England.

- If you haven’t seen the online dunk contest yet on AJC.com, check it out. Pretty cool. But I would like to bet Westlake’s Marcus Thornton would like to have his replaced with this monster he threw down against Lovejoy last Friday.

- Redan head coach Dalton Greene is no longer the head coach of his team. According to sources, he resigned from his post due to unspecified public reasons.

- Former Griffin head coach Ferris Qualls suddenly passed away last week. He was one of the true gentlemen of the game.

- Lorenzo Brown scored his 2,000th point last week in his final game at Centennial last week.

- I've released my top 25 prospects across the country for the class of 2010 on my other blog, the National Hoops Report.

3-AA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T13:13:00.001-05:00

3-AA
Tuesday, Feb. 17
5:30 p.m. GAME 1 Screven Co. vs. Dodge Co.
8:30 p.m. GAME 2 Bleckley County vs. Jefferson Co.

Thursday, Feb. 18
4:00 p.m. GAME 4 Southeast Bulloch vs. East Laurens
5:30 p.m. GAME 5 Vidalia vs. Swainsboro
7:00 p.m. GAME 6 Winner Game 1 vs. Laney
8:30 p.m. GAME 7 Winner of Game 2 vs. Dublin

Saturday, Feb. 20
5:30 p.m. Semi-finals
8:30 p.m. Semi-finals

Saturday, Feb. 21
5:30 p.m. 3rd place game
8:30 p.m. Championship game

Region 3-A tournament schedule

2009-02-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

3-A
Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Metter
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Savannah Christian vs. Wheeler Co.
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Johnson Co. vs. Portal

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Metter
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Metter vs. Savannah Country Day
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Calvary vs. Montgomery Co.

Friday, Feb. 20 at Metter
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Metter
Consolation game, 4:30 p.m.
Championship game, 7:30 p.m.

3-AAAAA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T11:59:00.002-05:00

Region 3-AAAAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Bradwell Institute
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Johnson vs. Bradwell Institute
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Beach vs. Groves

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Bradwell Institute
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Windsor Forest vs. Camden Co.
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Jenkins vs. Savannah

Friday, Feb. 20 at Savannah State
GAME 5 7:00 p.m. Johnson vs. Groves
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Savannah vs. Camden County

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Savannah State
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Consolation game
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. Championship game

1-AA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T09:43:00.001-05:00

1-AA
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Berrien vs. Brooks County at Cook
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Albany vs. Fitzgerald at Cook

Wednesday, Feb. 16 at Early County
GAME 3 6:00 p.m. Cook vs. Albany
GAME 4 7:30 p.m. Early County vs. GAME 1 winner

Thursday, Feb. 17 at Thomasville
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. Mitchell County vs. TBD
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Thomasville vs. TBD

Friday, Feb. 18 at Thomasville
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. 3rd place game
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. Championship game

1-A region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

1-A
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 Pelham vs. Ware Magnet
GAME 2 Randolph-Clay vs. Echols
GAME 3 Calhoun County vs. Bacon
GAME 4 Lanier vs. Baker
GAME 5 ATCO vs. Seminole
GAME 6 Irwin vs. Miller

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Homerville
GAME 7 4:00 p.m. Seminole vs. winner GAME 1
GAME 8 5:30 p.m. Terrell County vs. winner of GAME 6
GAME 9 7:00 p.m. winner GAME 2 vs. winner GAME 4
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. Calhoun vs. Clinch County

Friday, Feb. 19 at Homerville
GAME 11 5:30 p.m. semi-finals
GAME 12 8:00 p.m. semi-finals

Saturday, Feb. 20 at Homerville
GAME 13 5:30 p.m. 3rd place game
GAME 14 8:30 p.m. Championship game

7-AAA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T08:42:00.001-05:00

7-AAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17
5:00 p.m. GAME 1 East Hall vs. Pickens at West Hall
6:30 p.m. GAME 2 Chestatee vs. West Forsyth at West Hall
8:00 p.m. GAME 3 West Hall vs. Gilmer at West Hall
6:00 p.m. GAME 4 Creekview at Johnson at Lumpkin County
7:30 p.m. GAME 5 Flowery Branch vs. White County at Lumpkin County

Thursday, Feb. 19
6:00 p.m. GAME 6 Lumpkin County vs. winner GAME 5 at Gainesville
7:30 p.m. GAME 7 Gainesville vs. winner GAME 4 at Gainesville
6:00 p.m. GAME 8 winner GAME 3 vs. winner GAME 2 at North Hall
7:30 p.m. GAME 9 North Hall vs. winner GAME 1

Friday, Feb. 20

Semi-finals at Chestatee

Saturday, Feb. 21

Semi-finals at Chestatee

7-AAAA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T08:28:00.001-05:00

7-AAAA
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Rome at Hillgrove
Murray Co. at Osborne
Sequoyah at Cass
NW Whitfield at Sprayberry

Friday, Feb. 20 at Woodland (Cartersville)
6 p.m. Hillgrove/Rome winner vs. Murray/Osborne winner
7:30 p.m. Sequoyah/Cass winner vs. NW Whitfield/Sprayberry winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Woodland (Cartersville)
2:30 p.m. Third Place game
7:30 p.m. Championship game

4-AA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T07:32:00.001-05:00

4-AA
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Putnam County
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Henry County vs. Putnam County
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Greene County vs. Monticello

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Putnam County
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Central Macon vs. Southwest Macon
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Northeast Macon vs. Howard

Friday, Feb. 19 at Putnam County
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. winner GAME 1 vs. winner GAME 2
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 3 vs. winner GAME 4

Saturday, Feb. 20 at Putnam County
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. loser GAME 5 vs. loser GAME 6 (3rd place game)
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 5 vs. winner GAME 6 (Championship game)

7-AA region tournament schedule

2009-02-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

7-AA
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Georgia Highlands
GAME 1 4:00 p.m. Adairsville vs. Coosa
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Calhoun vs. Temple
GAME 3 7:00 p.m. Model vs. Gordon Central
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Rockmart vs. Sonoraville

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Georgia Highlands
GAME 5 4:00 p.m. Armuchee vs. winner GAME 1
GAME 6 5:30 p.m. Pepperell vs. winner GAME 2
GAME 7 7:00 p.m. Chattooga vs. winner GAME 3
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. Dade County vs. winner GAME 4

Friday, Feb. 20 at Georgia Highlands
GAME 9 5:30 p.m. winner GAME 5 vs. winner GAME 6
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Georgia Highlands
GAME 11 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 9 VS. loser GAME 10
GAME 12 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 9 VS. winner GAME 10

Region 3-AAA tournament schedule

2009-02-17T07:11:00.000-05:00

3-AAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Burke County
GAME 1 6:30 p.m. Richmond Hill vs. Baldwin

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Burke County
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Thomson vs. winner GAME 1
GAME 3 8:30 p.m. Burke Co. vs. West Laurens

Friday, Feb. 20 at Burke County
GAME 4 5:30 p.m. Liberty Co. vs. winner GAME 2
GAME 5 8:30 p.m. Washington County vs. winner GAME 3

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Burke County
GAME 6 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 4 VS. loser GAME 5
GAME 7 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 4 VS. winner GAME 5

Region 2-AAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-17T07:09:00.002-05:00

2-AAAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17
GAME 1 6:30 p.m. South Effingham at Brunswick
GAME 2 6:30 p.m. Effingham County at Glynn Academy
GAME 3 6:30 p.m. Ware County at Wayne County

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Statesboro
GAME 4 6:00 p.m. Brunswick vs. Glynn Academy
GAME 5 7:30 p.m. Statesboro vs. GAME 3 winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Statesboro
GAME 6 6:00 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 4 VS. loser GAME 5
GAME 7 7:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 4 VS. winner GAME 5

Quick Monday night recap

2009-02-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

Late night for Georgia Hoops.

Winners tonight at Chattahoochee were:

Chattahoochee over Duluth in overtime and South Forsyth over Northview.

Plenty of new schedules found their way to my email and I will update first thing tomorrow along with a new mini-Notes from the Notepad.

Please post known winners from tonight here on the blog or feel free to email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com.

Region 5-AAA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

5-AAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17
GAME 1 4:30 p.m. Carver vs. Dunwoody (at Riverwood)
GAME 2 6:00 p.m. Towers vs. Riverwood (at Riverwood)
GAME 3 7:30 p.m. Therrell vs. Druid Hills (at Riverwood)
GAME 4 4:30 p.m. Clarkston vs. North Atlanta (at Columbia)
GAME 5 6:00 p.m. Grady vs. Cedar Grove (at Columbia)
GAME 6 7:30 p.m. McNair vs. Washington (at Columbia)

Thursday, Feb. 19
GAME 7 5:30 pm Druid Hills vs. Towers (at Riverwood)
GAME 8 8:30 pm Dunwoody vs. St. Pius X (at Riverwood)
GAME 9 5:30 pm Washington vs. Cedar Grove (at Columbia)
GAME 10 8:30 pm Columbia vs. North Atlanta (at Columbia)

Friday, Feb. 20 at Columbia
GAME 11 5:30 p.m. winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8
GAME 12 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 9 vs. winner GAME 10

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Columbia
GAME 13 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 11 vs. loser GAME 12
GAME 14 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 11 vs. winner GAME 12

Region 2-AA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

2-AA
Monday, Feb. 16 at McIntosh Academy
GAME 1 Pierce vs. Brantley

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Jeff Davis
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Jeff Davis vs. Charlton
GAME 3 8:30 p.m. Appling vs. winner GAME 1

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Brantley County
GAME 4 5:30 p.m. Tattnall vs. winner GAME 2
GAME 5 8:30 p.m. Benedictine vs. winner GAME 3

Friday, Feb. 20 at Brantley County
GAME 6 5:30 p.m. McIntosh Academy vs. winner GAME 4
GAME 7 8:30 p.m. Long County vs. winner GAME 5

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Brantley County
GAME 8 5:30 p.m. loser GAME 6 vs. loser GAME 7 (3rd place game)
GAME 9 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 6 vs. winner GAME 7 (Championship game)

Region 8-AAAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T09:06:00.001-05:00

8-AAAAA
Monday, Feb. 16 at Berkmar
GAME 1 7:30 p.m. Parkview vs. Shiloh

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Berkmar
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Grayson vs. South Gwinnett
GAME 3 8:30 p.m. Meadowcreek vs. Winner of GAME 1

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Berkmar
GAME 4 5:30 p.m. Berkmar vs. Brookwood
GAME 5 8:30 p.m. Dacula vs. Central Gwinnett

Friday, Feb. 20 at Berkmar
GAME 6 5:30 p.m. winner GAME 5 vs. South Gwinnett
GAME 7 8:30 p.m. Meadowcreek vs. winner GAME 4

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Berkmar
GAME 8 4:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 6 VS. loser GAME 7
GAME 9 7:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 6 VS. winner GAME 7

Region 5-AAAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T08:45:00.002-05:00

5-AAAAA
Monday, Feb. 16 at Marietta
GAME 1 5:00 p.m. North Cobb vs. East Paulding
GAME 2 6:30 p.m. Kennesaw Mountain vs. Etowah
GAME 3 8:00 p.m. Marietta vs. Woodstock

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Marietta
GAME 4 5:00 p.m. South Cobb vs. North Cobb
GAME 4 6:30 p.m. Harrison vs. KMHS
GAME 6 8:00 p.m. Cherokee vs. Marietta

Friday, Feb. 20 at Marietta
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Winner GAME 5 vs. Winner GAME 6
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. McEachern vs. Winner GAME 4

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at Marietta
GAME 9 5:30 p.m. Loser GAME 7 vs. Loser GAME 8 (3rd place game)
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. Winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8 (Championship game)

Region 2-A tournament schedule

2009-02-16T08:27:00.000-05:00

2-A
Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Taylor County
GAME 1 4:00 p.m. Stewart-Quitman vs. Central-Talbotton
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Chattahoochee County vs. Dooly County
GAME 3 7:00 p.m. Wilcox County vs. Brookstone
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Taylor County vs. Schley County

Thursday, Feb. 19 all games at TBD
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner

Friday, Feb. 20 at Georgia Southwestern
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Greenville vs. Game 5 winner
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. Turner County vs. Game 6 winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Georgia Southwestern
GAME 9 5:00 p.m. loser GAME 7 vs. loser GAME 8 (3rd place game)
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8 (Championship game)

Region 5-AA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T07:48:00.001-05:00

5-AA
Monday, Feb. 16 at Lamar County
GAME 1 7:30 p.m. Lamar County vs. Pike County

Tuesday, Feb. 17 all games at Spencer
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Spencer vs. Game 1 winner
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Macon County vs. Crawford County

Thursday, Feb. 18 at Heard County
GAME 6 5:30 p.m. Jordan vs. Game 2 winner
GAME 7 8:30 p.m. Heard County vs. Game 3 winner

Friday, Feb. 19 at Manchester
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Manchester vs. Game 4 winner
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Callaway vs. Game 5 winner

Saturday, Feb. 20 at Manchester
GAME 8 4:30 p.m. loser GAME 6 vs. loser GAME 7 (3rd place game)
GAME 9 7:30 p.m. winner GAME 6 vs. winner GAME 7 (Championship game)

Region 1-AAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

1-AAAA
Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Bainbridge
GAME 1 4:00 p.m. Upson-Lee vs. Americus-Sumter
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Thomas County Central vs. Harris County
GAME 3 7:00 p.m. Westside-Macon vs. Jones County
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Bainbridge vs. Hardaway

Friday, Feb. 20 at Bainbridge
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Bainbridge
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 5 VS. loser GAME 6
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 5 VS. winner GAME 6

Region 2-AAA tournament schedule

2009-02-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

2-AAA
Monday, Feb. 16 at LaGrange
GAME 1 6:30 p.m. Columbus vs. Troup

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Troup
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Kendrick vs. Carver
GAME 3 8:30 p.m. LaGrange vs. Winner of GAME 1

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Northside
GAME 4 5:30 p.m. Northside vs. Winner GAME 3
GAME 5 8:30 p.m. Shaw vs. Winner of GAME 2

Friday, Feb. 20 at Northside
GAME 6 4:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 4 VS. loser GAME 5
GAME 7 7:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 4 VS. winner GAME 5

Region 4-AAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

4-AAA
Monday, Feb. 16 at Woodland (Stockbridge)
GAME 1 7:30 p.m. Woodward Academy vs. Jackson-Atlanta

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Woodland (Stockbridge)
GAME 2 5:30 p.m. Eagle’s Landing vs. Mary Persons
GAME 3 8:30 p.m. Woodland vs. 8/9 Winner of GAME 1

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Woodland (Stockbridge)
GAME 4 5:30 pm Jackson vs. Winner GAME 3
GAME 5 8:30 pm Rutland vs. Winner of GAME 2

Friday, Feb. 20 at Woodland (Stockbridge)
GAME 6 5:30 pm Spalding vs. Winner of GAME 5
GAME 7 8:30 pm South Atlanta vs. Winner of GAME 4

Saturday, Feb. 21 at Woodland (Stockbridge)
GAME 8 4:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 6 VS. loser GAME 7
GAME 9 7:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 6 VS. winner GAME 7

Region 5-AAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T22:10:00.003-05:00

5-AAAA
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 Northgate vs. Starr’s Mill

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Lithia Springs
GAME 2 4:00 p.m. Mays vs. Whitewater
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. McIntosh vs. winner GAME 1
GAME 4 7:00 p.m. Villa Rica vs. Alexander
GAME 5 8:30 p.m. Tri-Cities vs. Douglas County

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Lithia Springs
GAME 6 4:00 p.m. Banneker vs. winner GAME 3
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Sandy Creek vs. Villa Rica
GAME 8 7:00 p.m. Lithia Springs vs. Tri-Cities
GAME 9 8:30 p.m. Fayette County vs. winner GAME 2

Friday, Feb. 20 all games at Lithia Springs
GAME 10 5:30 p.m. GAME 6 winner vs. winner GAME 9
GAME 11 8:30 p.m. GAME 7 winner vs. winner GAME 8

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at Lithia Springs
GAME 9 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 10 VS. loser GAME 11
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 10 VS. winner GAME 11

Region 7-A tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:44:00.004-05:00

7-A
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 Mt. Pisgah vs. Fellowship Christian

Tuesday, Feb. 17 all games at Wesleyan
GAME 2 3:00 p.m. St. Francis vs. Eagle’s Landing Christian
GAME 3 4:30 p.m. Paideia vs. winner of GAME 1
GAME 4 6:00 p.m. Greenforest vs. Providence
GAME 5 7:30 p.m. Wesleyan vs. W.D. Mohammed

Friday, Feb. 19 at Wesleyan
GAME 6 4:30 p.m. Paideia vs. ECLA
GAME 7 6:00 p.m. Wesleyan vs. Greenforest

Saturday, Feb. 20 at Wesleyan
GAME 8 4:30 p.m. loser GAME 6 vs. loser GAME 7 (3rd place game)
GAME 9 7:30 p.m. winner GAME 6 vs. winner GAME 7 (Championship game)

Region 6-AA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

6-AA all games at Greater Atlanta Christian
Tuesday, Feb. 17
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Buford vs. Westminster
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. GAC vs. Cross Keys

Wednesday, Feb. 18
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Decatur vs. Lovett
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Avondale vs. Blessed Trinity

Thursday, Feb. 19
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. Winner GAME 3 vs. Winner GAME 4
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. GAC vs. Westminster

Saturday, Feb. 21
GAME 7 4:30 p.m. Loser GAME 5 vs. Loser GAME 6 (3rd Place game)
GAME 8 7:30 p.m. Winner GAME 5 vs. Winner GAME 6 (Championship game)

Region 6-AAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:41:00.002-05:00

6-AAAA
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Miller Grove
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. North Springs vs. Lithonia
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. SW Dekalb vs. Forsyth Central

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Miller Grove
GAME 3 4:00 p.m. Chamblee vs. Stone Mountain
GAME 4 5:30 p.m. Tucker vs. Lakeside
GAME 5 7:00 p.m. Marist vs. SW Dekalb
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Miller Grove vs. Lithonia

Friday, Feb. 20 all games at Miller Grove
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. GAME 5 winner vs. winner GAME 4
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. GAME 6 winner vs. GAME 3 winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at Miller Grove
GAME 9 5:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 7 VS. loser GAME 8
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 7 VS. winner GAME 8

Region 4-AAAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

4-AAAAA
Monday, Feb. 16 at Westlake
GAME 1 5:30 p.m. Lovejoy vs. Mundy’s Mill
GAME 2 8:30 p.m. Morrow vs. Chapel Hill

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Westlake
GAME 3 5:30 p.m. Creekside vs. East Coweta
GAME 4 8:30 p.m. Newnan vs. Lovejoy

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Westlake
GAME 5 5:30 p.m. Riverdale vs. Pebblebrook
GAME 6 8:30 p.m. Westlake vs. Morrow

Friday, Feb. 20 at Westlake
GAME 7 5:30 p.m. Winner GAME 5 vs. Winner GAME 6
GAME 8 8:30 p.m. Newnan vs. Creekside

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at Westlake
GAME 9 5:30 p.m. Loser GAME 7 vs. Loser GAME 8 (3rd place game)
GAME 10 8:30 p.m. Winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8 (Championship game)

Region 6-AAAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:39:00.001-05:00

6-AAAAA
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 7:00 p.m. Pope at Kell
GAME 2 7:00 p.m. Alpharetta at Campbell

Wednesday, Feb. 18
GAME 3 7:00 p.m. Kell 1 at Wheeler
GAME 4 7:00 p.m. Lassiter at Milton
GAME 5 7:00 p.m. Roswell at Walton
GAME 6 7:00 p.m. Campbell at Centennial

Friday, Feb. 20 all games at Alpharetta
GAME 7 6:00 p.m. Winner GAME 3 vs. Winner GAME 4
GAME 8 7:30 p.m. Winner GAME 5 vs. Winner GAME 6

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at Alpharetta
GAME 9 4:30 p.m. Loser GAME 7 vs. Loser GAME 8 (3rd place game)
GAME 10 7:30 p.m. Winner GAME 7 vs. winner GAME 8 (Championship game)

Region 7-AAAAA tournament schedule

2009-02-15T21:38:00.002-05:00

7-AAAAA
Monday, Feb. 16
GAME 1 6:30 p.m. North Gwinnett vs. North Forsyth (at Mill Creek)
GAME 2 6:30 p.m. South Forsyth vs. Northview (at Chattahoochee)
GAME 3 8:00 p.m. Duluth at Chattahoochee

Wednesday, Feb. 18
GAME 4 6:00 p.m. Collins Hill vs. South Forsyth (at Mill Creek)
GAME 5 7:00 p.m. Peachtree Ridge vs. Chattahoochee (at Chattahoochee)
GAME 6 7:30 p.m. Mill Creek vs. North Gwinnett (at Mill Creek)

Friday, Feb. 20 all games at North Gwinnett
GAME 7 6:00 p.m. Norcross vs. winner GAME 6
GAME 8 7:30 p.m. GAME 4 winner vs. GAME 5 winner

Saturday, Feb. 21 all games at North Gwinnett
GAME 9 2:30 p.m. 3RD PLACE GAME loser of GAME 7 VS. loser GAME 8
GAME 10 6:00 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME winner of GAME 7 VS. winner GAME 8

The Mailbag: Feb. 13

2009-02-13T11:16:00.003-05:00

This week’s mailbag focuses a lot on Class A teams, the youth in the state and just how good are junior college players from Georgia doing? We cover all of the bases inside The Mailbag.

Justin, could you give us a list of who you think the top players in the class of 2011 are? Specifically, what do you think of Fayette County's trio of sophomores Malcolm Brogdon, Adam Smith (pictured above) and Maurice Williams?

I missed this question last week so I apologize for it’s tardiness.

All three of the Fayette County sophomores bring something different to the table. Brogdon is one of the best rebounding guards/wings in the state regardless of class. He does a fine job on the boards. I love his effort and his approach to the game. He really competes.

When I saw Fayette County last month against McIntosh, Smith was a shooting machine. His coach, Andre Flynn, said he thinks Smith is one of the best shooters in the state. After thinking about that statement, I’d have to agree. I’ve let it be known that I haven’t seen a lot of good shooters this year. Smith hit four threes and four shots in the midrange. He has good technique and a good awareness of where he is on the floor at all times.

Williams may not be a numbers guy but he serves a big role for FayCo. In fact, it was his block in overtime against McIntosh that helped seal the victory in a big region game. He’s a 6-5 power forward right now that doesn’t really have an identity on the offensive side of the floor. That being said, he is worth watching for the next two years.

Who are the top 5 teams in class A to you. Of course class A is a smaller class but its packed full with talent like Jamail Jones, Joe Chase and Jonathan Merit of Greenforest Christian who has been ranked in the top 7 all year. Regions are coming up and I’m wondering what you think of this class and who will come out of it on top

Traditionally, class A in Georgia is always very good at the top. In fact, some of the best players to ever play in the state have hailed from class A. Five pro players have played in class A at one point in time since 2002. Dwight Howard (SACA), Javaris Crittenton (SACA), J.J. Hickson (SACA), Josh Smith (Whitefield) and Randolph Morris (Landmark Christian). Enough of the history lesson…to your question.

My top five teams in class A almost mirror the coach’s poll. Here are my top five teams in class A:

1. Turner County – Big, strong, deep and have experienced guards. They are one of the top teams in the state for a reason.

2. Wilkinson County – Hard to argue against them. Two of the team’s three losses have come to in-state stalwarts – Dublin and Hancock. Plus, I’m a big Brit Duncan fan. Very underappreciated.

3. Whitefield Academy – Seniors Brandon Reed, Cameron Baskerville and Trey Miller have seen everything that this state can throw at them. In fact, I might even like them better than Turner and WilCo when the state bracket is released.

4. Metter – Like Portal of last season, this team will quietly march through the tournament and win big games. And like Portal did last year, they will rely on a guard. Sophomore Devin Byrd is picking up where David Buchannon left off last year.

5. Paideia – Sure, the Pythons are young but they are talented. Very talented. Youth and inexperience may be the Achilles heel when the state tournament comes around but I like the overall DNA of this team.

Are junior college players and teams overlooked in Georgia?

I love this question because the answer is an emphatic yes.

After graduating from Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, former Redan player Robert Murry moved onto Morehead State. The junior has been named Newcomer of the Week in the Ohio Valley Conference four times this year. He and his Morehead State teammates are on ESPNU on Feb. 21 against Kent State.

Murry’s Redan teammate Carl Taylor, Terrance Hill and Steve Peterson of Jordan, David Forrest of Columbia, Derrick Echols of Covenant Christian, Brandon Shingles of ABAC/Westover and Leon Buchanan of ABAC/Albany all have Georgia ties, too.

Former Northeast Macon star Hugh Robertson is having a fine season at Tallahassee Community College in Florida. The 6-5 wing could be one of the top junior college prospects in the country next year and a possible SEC level prospect, too.

Which guard do you like better Trae Golden or Ryan Harrow?

Tough question. Really tough question. Both are cut from a similar cloth. Each of them loves to shoot the ball. Each of them would much rather score than pass it. Both can score at a high rate. Golden is more polished and much stronger. Harrow is more athletic and much quicker. Golden is probably better overall right now because he defends and more mature in his shot selection but Harrow is probably a better long term prospect.

So, in short, I like Golden better now and probably Harrow better down the road. Overall, it’s a tight, tight race.

What do you think of 2010 prospect Donte Williams from Miller Grove? Is he a high major prospect? It seems we don't hear of him much is it because his high school team is loaded?

To be perfectly honest, I think Williams is the best prospect of all of the 2010 big men in Georgia.

Williams is a long 6-9 and probably still growing. He really rebounds the basketball in and out of his area. He works hard. He isn’t afraid of contact. He has some face up skills. He runs the floor well. There are a number of positives. I really expect him to be a hot prospect in July for high-majors.

He may not receive the recognition that most do because he is his team’s sixth man, a role that is perfect for him at Miller Grove. Williams is one of the top five juniors in Georgia.

Justin, what do you think of Wesleyan? Can they win their region tournament? Can they make a run at state? What are your thoughts on team leader Griffin Schamp?

I saw Wesleyan at the start of the season against Loganville and to be perfectly honest, I need to see them again to give my opinion on them. Call my viewing of the Wolves incomplete.

I think Greenforest and Paideia are better teams than Wesleyan so it would be tough for the Wolves to knock them off and win the region.

The state tournament, however, is a crap shoot. It all depends on the seeding. If Wesleyan is the fourth seed out of Region 7, then Athens Christian will be a tough match-up. Wesleyan, or many teams in class A for that matter, has an answer for Raymond Higgs of AC. He’s too fast, too athletic and too good of a first step. And, yes, he is one player that can take a game over, especially at the Class A level.

Regarding Schamp…I like his effort level and competitiveness. Tough kid, smart player and a guy that understands his abilities. I’d like to see more of him this month. No question about it.

Justin what are your thoughts on region 7A-A? There are some really good players. Providence's Hinton, Paideia's Snipes and Nickerson, Wesleyan's Schamp and Caver, Greenforest's Jones, St. Francis' Kim and Davis?

The 7A region is a good region in class A. Like you mentioned, there are some good players in the region. I’m glad you mentioned Westley Hinton at Providence. Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about him. He sounds like one that snuck past me. I am going to make it a point to see him play. Sounds like a guy that is really under the radar.

I’ve mentioned Paideia earlier in the Mailbag as well as Schamp at Wesleyan. Greenforest’s Joe Chase and Jamail Jones are as good of a 1-2 punch for most Georgia high school teams. Sam Kim and Davonte Davis at St. Francis get lost in the shuffle in this league, too. Kim is a good rebounder and Davis is a tough as nails senior leader.

Eagles Landing Christian’s Mike Tankersley is also a guy you have to mention when talking about this region. He’s an athletic and strong senior that teams have a hard time matching up with.

There will be two teams from this region that are good enough to be in the state tournament but will unfortunately be watching in the stands.

To submit a question for next week's mailbag, click HERE.

Archived mailbags:
Jan. 15
Jan. 22
Jan. 30
Feb. 6

Notes from the Notepad: Feb. 12

2009-02-12T17:39:00.001-05:00

Five things I’m buying this week

1. Derrick Favors is Mr. Georgia Basketball. Let’s just get that out of the way. He will be my 2009 Georgia Hoops Player of the Year and Senior of the Year. Sorry Mfon Udofia. Sorry Lorenzo Brown. Sorry Richard Howell. Sorry class of 2009. Favors is the last true elite level star this state will see in some time. We’ve had a great stretch of top flight players come from Georgia and Favors has earned all of the individual accolades. With the season now in it’s final week of the regular season, the post-season awards are right around the corner. Cross this one off of your list. It is already in the bag.

2. Kentavious Caldwell. The 6-5 super scorer from Greenville (pictured above) is quietly having one monster season. He is the best scorer in the class of 2011 and he is putting in roughly 30 points a game this season. Caldwell made it look all too easy when I saw him last week against Brookstone, a team that just couldn’t contest with his athleticism and size at his position. The class of 2011 is shaping up to be a fine class for high level talent. Caldwell is making a strong case for one of the top five spots in the Peach State.

3. Tourney time. The next month is when we find out what players are made out of. It is win or go home time for some teams. The sense of urgency raises up and the good ‘ole cliché of big time players step up in big time games. Time to step up folks. Not only do you have a chance to win a region and/or state title you also have a chance to impress college recruiters. Trust me, they are watching. Take full advantage over the next four weeks. With April now closes to college coaches, now is the time to make a great impression.

4. Columbia. If the only time you saw the Eagles play this year was at Centennial for the Tribute to a King event when they lost to Milton, then you probably don’t count them as a favorite to win the AAA crown. That would be a mistake. The Eagles are one of the top five teams in the state. They have talent. They have depth. They have one of the best coaches in the Southeast. They have the pieces to win another state title. JerShon Cobb is the team’s best player and prospect at the moment but there are at least six players that can score at least 15 points on any given night. South Atlanta has the best player in AAA in Favors but Columbia is probably the best team in the class.

5. Confusion regarding the North/South all-star game. The North/South all-star roster was released this week and I must admit, it is a bit head scratching. I am not sure who picked the teams but there are some clear omissions.

Making these teams is a daunting task. Someone is always going to be left out. Hard decisions have to be made. But there are some clear omissions. In fact, nine of my top 25 seniors in the state did not make the game.

Kenny Hall (Redan), Jimmy Bacon (Long County), Andre Malone (South Atlanta), Adrien Coleman (Stephenson), Collin Reddick (McEachern), Kadeem Batts (McEachern), Torrin Walker (Northside), James Vincent (Northside) and Russell Powell (Newnan) were all omitted from the game.

There are three spots on the South team that look to still be empty. Hall, Bacon, Coleman, Walker, Vincent and Powell would be perfect additions.

Favors will likely not play in the game. Players are allowed just two post-season all-star games. He will play in the McDonald’s All-American game and at least one other game. It was announced that he was selected to the Jordan Brand Classic this week, too.

Lorenzo Brown and Mfon Udofia could also play in two other all-star games. However, neither one was selected for the Jordan game. Favors was the only Georgian selected for that game.

Scribble notes

- The 2009 Georgia Hoops Unsigned Senior Showcase is already filling up. There are only 64 spots available for this camp. It is first come, first paid, first served. For more information, click HERE. Here are the essentials: March 21 at Southern Poly Tech in Marietta. We have invited coaches from all over the Southeast to attend. We would love have you there. A free education could be your reward.

- Attention coaches, parents and players. Please send your region tournament brackets to me at georgiahoops@gmail.com. I’ll be compiling all region tournament information and posting them on the site.

- I was at the Battle for Athens last week as Athens Christian beat Athens Academy for the first time. The reason? Senior Raymond Higgs. The 6-1 guard has one of the best first steps of any player in the state. He took over in the second half and helped Athens Christian knock out Athens Academy. Higgs is one of the top unsigned seniors in the state but he is also one of the elite track stars in high school nationally. There is a good chance he competes for the Olympics for his native Bahamas in the high jump.

- Remember the name Rod Rucker. The 6-5 junior from Elbert County is one of the top players in Northeast Georgia. He’s having a fine season and is the best rebounder in his area. Rucker is a sleeper within the state but he shouldn’t be. I saw him earlier in the year against Cross Creek and liked his aggressiveness at his position.

- Burke County sophomore Jacquez Rozier and junior big man Martaveous Smith make for a good-looking 1-2 punch for coach Purvis Dukes. Rozier is a 6-5 wing that took over the game in BC’s big win over Liberty County last week. He’s one of the top sophomores in East Georgia and he is playing his best basketball to date at the moment. Smith, a 6-8 center, is steadily improving and looked much more confident in his abilities.

- I had a chance to see Liberty County, a team that I’ve been touting as one of the best teams outside of Atlanta all season, and, of course, I saw them lose a close one to Burke County. The Panthers really need a point guard. Juniors Jordan McRae and Rion Brown can really score but decision making is a major area for improvement if the AAA team wants to play in Macon in March.

- The AJC has it's annual dunk competition online this week. There are some good choices in this year's poll. My vote went for Griffin's Shaq Barber, who is off to South Carolina State next year. Keep in mind he is the shortest of all of the candidates.

- There are a number of young sleepers that have emerged this season and they are worth tracking: Metter’s Devin Byrd, an electric sophomore scorer; Jonesboro sophomore James White has played his way onto the radar this year; Chattahoochee’s Cole Hobbs has put up big numbers for a freshman and is one of the top shooters in his region; Northeast Macon sophomore Jacquez Rozier is a 6-7 wing with good ball skills.

The Mailbag: Get your questions answered

2009-02-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

Georgia Hoops is happy to introduce The Mailbag. Every week I'll empty the mailbag and answer your questions regarding basketball within the state of Georgia. The questions aren't limited to just high school hoops. Ask national recruiting questions. Ask about your college team. Fire away.

Feel free to email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com or leave a message on the message board.

Highlight reel: Kenny Hall

2009-02-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

The Mailbag: Feb. 6

2009-02-06T10:10:00.004-05:00

This week’s mailbag covers a number of different questions. We re-examine the April recruiting period, or lack of it. We look at the state’s biggest sleeper. We discuss the top sophomores in the state and other topics in this week’s mailbag.

What are your thoughts on the decision by the NCAA regarding the April evaluation?

I have mixed feelings about it. I like it in the sense that the NCAA wants kids in the classroom on Fridays (imagine that) and I like it in the sense that the NCAA would like the high school coach to have more involvement with a young man’s decision. I think those are two very big positives.

However, I agree with those that argue that the spring being closed is not good for seniors that are still unsigned. The spring is indeed an important time for those that don’t have a place to call home for college at the Division I level. I’ve seen some players use the April period to earn a scholarship offer.

I would hope that seniors take advantage of the next two months in high school and play like they’ve never played before. What a better time to prove your worth as a basketball player than right now? The region tournament, the state tournament and the thought of earning a scholarship should be plenty of motivation to do whatever it takes to earn that oh-so-important offer.

The new rule regarding April is causing confusion for AAU teams across the country. What should we do? That is the question that a lot of programs are asking. My suggestion is this:

1. Stay close to home and save your money. What is the benefit or value of spending the money to travel to Houston or Arkansas or Ohio, etc?

2. If you are a 16 or 15 and under team, there is zero value in traveling in the spring. Most national analysts, myself included, don’t watch too much 16 and 15 and under basketball in the spring. Sure, we’ll catch a handful of games but those age groups are not the priority. Now that the spring is closed, most analysts will be watching the seniors more the usual because there is a major demand of information from the college coaches. And nearly all of the college coaches are concerned about the class of 2010.

3. If you are a team that will still travel and want to play nationally, I’d suggest going to one major event. Think economically and ask the national analysts where they will be at.

July should be very competitive. There is much more on the line. That makes for a great three weeks of basketball. And for that, I’m excited. The game has become so watered down over the last four years. Games in July are worse than root canals. Kids are playing upwards of 100 games by the time August 1 rolls around. Hopefully, that number will be cutback substantially.

I don’t think the high-major kids (aka kids like Derrick Favors, Al-Farouq Aminu, etc.) will have any problems with the rule.

However, the class of 2010 in Georgia doesn’t possess a high number of no-brainer high-major guys. The state does boast a number of good mid-major and low-major players. Those players will need to really perform in July. They will also need to make their first impression the very best impression.

Better fit for UGA - Knight or Anthony Grant? Do you think GA kids would be in favor for playing for Bobby Knight?

I think Anthony Grant is the best candidate of all of the candidates for the Georgia job. I respect what Bob Knight has done in his career. He has forgotten more basketball than I’ll ever learn, more than any of us have ever learned. But, and this is a very strong but, he is not the coach that Georgia needs. I’m not even sure Georgia wants Bob Knight.

Dennis Felton was thought to be a hard coach to play for, according to some players over the years in Athens. If Felton was hard, coach Knight is titanium.

I can’t picture too many kids in the state of Georgia that would want to or could even handle playing for coach Knight.

A young, dynamic coach is the way to go, in my opinion, for the Georgia program. Pumping new blood into the basketball community is the number one thing for instant success and long term competitive player in the SEC.

Knight would only be at Georgia for three years (or so, maybe less) anyways. Athletic Director Damon Evans would be back at square one and would be looking nationwide for a new coach all over again. I’m not sure that is what the school would want to do at this stage of the game.

My endorsement has and always be for Grant. He’s young. He knows the SEC lifestyle. He knows how to recruit nationally. He is well connected in the right places. He has a marketable name within basketball circles.

Justin, who are some of the best sleepers in the state?

That is a good question that warrants it’s own story. There are plenty to discuss. For this question’s sake, I’ll limit it to one player in the class of 2009.

Long County’s Jimmy Bacon is my top sleeper in the state. He’s well known in the coastal region and rightfully so. He is averaging 26.2 points and 13.8 rebounds a game. He is amongst the state leaders in nearly every statistical category. His team is 14-5 and undefeated in 2009.

Bacon is making a very strong case for the AA Player of the Year award and will likely be one of the best junior college players in the country next year.

Is [Raymond Higgs] at Athens Christian that good? Or a product of the level of basketball in that area?

I will find out on Saturday and include him my notes on him in my Notepad column. I’m looking forward to seeing him. I spoke to a college coach this week who stopped by to see him workout and the comment was that he is a high-major athlete with a low-major skill level but a mid-major scorer’s mentality. I’m looking forward to seeing him and his teammates go against Athens Academy and junior Jeremy Burgess.

Justin who are your top 5 players in the state from class of 2011 in order and what star ranking which you give them? 5 star 4 star etc.

Good question. And it is a very tough question to answer. The class of 2011 is shaping up to be a deep class and one that will be recruited quite heavily.

At this point, here are the 10 guys that I have as the top in sophomore class right now:

Kentavious Caldwell, Greenville
Nick Jacobs, South Atlanta
Nick Marshall, Wilcox County
E. Victor Nickerson, Paideia
Dai-Jon Parker, Milton
Ryon Riggins, Wesleyan
Julian Royal, Milton
Shannon Scott, Milton
Nigel Snipes, Paideia
Kevin Ware, Rockdale County

I think each of these kids are either high-major prospects now or will be by the time they are juniors. There are a number of kids that are knocking on the door. But, to date, those are the guys that I have seen or researched enough to put on that top 10 list.

As far as the stars go, I don’t do those. I don’t understand them. I don’t agree with them because truth be told, they don’t mean anything or even hold any value. So what that said, they are all 27 star recruits.

Do you know when the McDonald’s All-American teams will be announced?

Actually, I do. The teams will be announced on Feb. 18 on ESPN. I know that Derrick Favors is in. I don’t, however, know if Mfon Udofia and/or Lorenzo Brown are in the game.

To submit a question for next week's mailbag, click HERE.

Archived mailbags:
Jan. 15
Jan. 22
Jan. 30

Highlight reel: Chris Singleton

2009-02-05T09:53:00.001-05:00

Highlight reel: Al-Farouq Aminu

2009-02-04T10:44:00.001-05:00

Notes from the Notepad: Jan. 31

2009-01-31T22:16:00.003-05:00

After a week off, my notepad is over-flowing with notes that need to find a home on the Internet.

Five things I am buying this week:

1. An interesting two months ahead in Athens. With Dennis Felton now out as the head coach of the University of Georgia men's basketball program, the Bulldogs are on the hunt for a new CEO of the program as athletic director Damon Evans says.

"I'll say this. Our commitment and my commitment to build Georgia basketball is strong. And when I say strong, I'll add very strong onto that," Evans said. "We're going to go out and find the best possible person for this job. That may mean we commit more resources than we have in the past but we're not letting [money] hold us back from doing what we need to do to have a successful men's basketball program."

So what is the cap for a per year salary? $2 million? That's a little much. $1.5 million. Getting closer. $1.2 million. That's probably the number we are looking at.

Chew on this for a second: What if Anthony Grant is hired at Georgia and what if Felton takes over at Virginia Commonwealth? Grant is as coveted in Athens as a five-star defensive lineman. Felton grew up in the Washington D.C. area and has ties all over the Mid-Atlantic region.

Jeff Capel of Oklahoma and Sean Miller of Xavier are also high on the wish list. Capel could very well entertain the position but Oklahoma is an easier sell to recruits right now because of Blake Griffin and Willie Warren. Being a top five team in the country doesn't hurt either.

Miller probably won't leave Cincinnati either. If he does leave the goldmine that Xavier is, it will likely be for Maryland, which will probably open this spring, too.

My endorsement [not that it matters either] is Grant. He has been the number one choice for every job that opens from coast to coast. Rightfully so. He's really good at what he does. Perfect fit if you ask me.

In a twist of irony, I sat next to former Columbus High and Mercer star Sam Mitchell on Friday night at Fayette County High School. Mitchell played in the NBA for 13 years and was most recently the head coach of the Toronto Raptors.

Mitchell's name has also been mentioned in several published reports. He doesn't know why either.

"I'm reading that in the papers and I'm wondering where they got that from," Mitchell told me.

Don't read that into him not being interested. I got the impression that he was intrigued by the job as well as the Alabama job or any job in the Southeast that opens up. Mitchell made it clear that he has not talked to anyone at Georgia and hasn't even felt a ripple about the job in Athens. There are no background connections to him and the school either. But the situation is certainly worth watching.

2. The most talented teams in the state may not win the state title. The best group of players that play as a team will win the state title. Point in case...Norcross. Point in case...Lassiter. Point in case...Newnan. Point in case...Marist. Point in case...Chamblee. Point in case...

You get the point.

The current Norcross team is 19-1. Here is the scary part. The current Norcross team isn't nearly as talented as former teams that wore the Blue Devils jersey. The current team, however, may be the best team over the last five years. Led by Taariq Mohommad's senior stability and poise, Norcross is rolling through teams.

The worry with Norcross is the strength of opponent that they have played up to this point. The win over Monsignor Pace (Fla.) last Saturday was impressive. Pace is a team equal to Norcross's success in the Sunshine State.

More than any other year in recent memory, there is no clear cut favorite in any classification to win that state championship. That means great basketball awaits us. That means we will find out the mental toughness of players. That means will we see what players play with maturity and focus. That means the the first two weeks of March should be intense basketball.

3. Life outside of the ATL hoops. There are few things I love more with Georgia high school bsketball than getting in the Georgia Hoops van and driving all over the state to see games. I spent last Wednesday night in Columbus for the Shaw-Northside tussle.

It took an overtime period to win but Shaw won on the road 61-60. The Raiders are now 21-1. You probably know something about them. Two years ago, Jordan or (Jer-den as the locals call it) won the AAA state title. No one outside of Columbus saw that coming, myself included.

See Shaw coming. I'll tell you that.

There isn't a true show-stopper on the team. There are five players that care more about the five than they do the one, though. Head coach Terry White explains it pretty well.

"All of these guys are just good ball-handlers that play hard, hit their free throws and make good decisions. We are small and we pretty much run five guards at a time. But they are all good sized guards and they are all athletic and they jump on the boards," White said.

There you have it. That is the team's strength. And he is right.

The slight of not being "an Atlanta team" is enough motivation for teams to play with a chip on their shoulder when the state tournament rolls around. That mindset works for a team like Shaw.

"I think that is good motivation for these kids. I know there is very good basketball other places but we are pretty good down here, too. I'm not taking anything away from those other regions but I think these kids all play with the thought that they don't get a lot of respect," White said. "I'll say this, I know these kids will bust their butts against anyone in the state."

Furthermore, coach White and his staff earn bonus points for the matching brown suede sportcoats. Northside head coach Kenny Lawrence gave them a run though with his turqouise dress shirt. It was this close to fashion week in Columbus on Wednesday.

Somewhere Tucker's James Hartry is smiling.

4. Huge win for Georgia Tech on Saturday. What a better time to pick up their first conference win of the season against a team that just beat the nation's top team earlier in the week.

Lewis Clinch looked like his old self and shot the ball like a player with confidence. Gani Lawal made free throws (11-14) and the team played with some toughness, something the Jackets have lacked all season long.

Watching Alade and Al-Farouq Aminu play against each other was special. Both are good kids that shined in the match-up. The two combined for 27 points and 24 rebounds.

5. Pittsburgh winning the Super Bowl. I love how the Cardinals are playing at the moment but Pittsburgh is tougher on defense. Plus, the Steelers have been mentally challenged all season in a much tougher division and in much tougher conditions. My pick: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 21.

Scribble notes

- There isn't a more improved senior in the state that McEachern's Colin Reddick. The 6-9 center has vastly improved his offensive game and is one of the main reasons why the Indians are one of the most successful teams in AAAAA right now. His presence will be felt right away at Furman next year. The Paladins need some help inside in a big way.

- Still nothing new regarding Shawn Kemp's recruitment. He signed with Alabama and will wait to see what happens with the coaching situation. Same goes for Georgia signees Daniel Miller and DeMario Mayfield. The one to watch is former Swainsboro star Tony Mitchell. The 6-7 wing forward is in Alabama at Central Park Christian. He signed with Alabama in 2008 but needed another year to get his grades right. Something tells me he won't be taking classes in Tuscaloosa.

- The 2009 Georgia Hoops Unsigned Senior Showcase is already filling up. There are only 64 spots available for this camp. It is first come, first paid, first served. For more information, click HERE.

- Here's a note for everyone that works at the scorer's table (scoreboard operator and the official book keeper): Do not text message during the game. I've seen it way too much this year. Luckily, there hasn't been a game that was screwed up by the rapid-fire fingers of a table texter. Save that for driving on the highway or something.

- I'll try this self-promotion thing one more time...check out my new national site, the National Hoops Report. I have some things up my sleeve on a national scale. This will be the home for those ideas.

- Is there a freshman in the state that can give Miller Grove's Tony Parker a run for the Georgia Hoops Freshman of the Year award? If so, I'd like to know how he is and why.

- Why don't refs call traveling when they see it? Is because every possesion will have a whistle?

- Remember this name: Nick Marshall. The sophomore for Wilcox County is putting up big time scoring numbers. He is traveling down the same path cleared by Lewis Clinch several years ago in south central Georgia.

- Make sure you get over to see Pebblebrook freshman Damien Wilson. He dropped 34 points on Friday against Lovejoy.

- Jay Bilas defines toughness. I hope you print it out, read it and apply it.

- In case you were wondering, the Nike Memorial Day tournament will be in Atlanta this year in late May at the Suwanee Sports Academy.

- If you are a recruit with zero Division I offers at the moment, please go to a non Division I basketball game sometime in the next two weeks. I will bet that you will see a good game.

The Mailbag: Jan. 30

2009-01-30T07:33:00.002-05:00

Another week, another great set of questions inside The Mailbag. Where does Mfon Udofia rank in the senior class’s loaded talent pool? Who is the best college player from the Peach State that no one talks about? Is Wheeler rolling at the right time? Those questions and more are answered in this week’s edition of The Mailbag.

What do you think of Mfon Udofia and would you say he starts next year at Georgia Tech over Moe Miller? Put him at PG and move Shumpert to the SG and you got two great competitors and makes a great backcourt....Also is he you're #2 player in the state of Ga this year?

I don't know if Udofia starts right away at the point for Georgia Tech but I think he should. I agree with your comment about him at the point and Shumpert at the two. The Tech coaches tell me that won't happen right away. One of the biggest issues with the Yellow Jackets is a collective lack of toughness on the team. The team needs a leader in the clubhouse and they need someone to push them to new heights. Udofia clearly does bring that element to the table.

As far as Udofia as the number two player in the state...he is right now. After his performance against Centennial and Lorenzo Brown, it is hard to argue against that. All of that being said, I think Brown has a higher upside, albeit not by much. If Brown can continue to fine tune his point guard skills, he is a better professional prospect. Udofiia's work ethic and competitiveness will be hard to argue against. He reminds me of former Virginia star Sean Singletary in that regard.

Who is the best player from Georgia in college basketball that people don’t know about?

Great question! The first name that comes to mind is Utah’s Luke Nevill (pictured). Sure, he isn’t a native of Georgia but the Australian spent a season at Kell High School as a student exchange student. He was a late-bloomer for the Longhorns and steadily improved his senior year in Cobb County.

After a red-shirt year at Utah, Nevill has been one of the top big men in the West for four years. He has already scored 1,386 points in his career and grabbed 805 rebounds to date.

His latest game was a 32-point, 10-rebound performance in a huge win over BYU. Nevill may not be a native but he is by far the best player from Georgia that no one talks about.

Dunwoody is having a down year but seem to be getting better as the season progresses in spite of their pedestrian win-loss record. Do you think that Coach Bracco can coach up this young bunch into a state playoff berth?

If I know anything about coach Bracco, he knows how to coach up his team in pressure cooker situations like a region tournament. This year's Dunwoody team is streaky and you never really know what you are going to get with this group of Wildcats.

If Dunwoody was in any other region, I would like their chances a little better. Columbia, Druid Hills, Cedar Grove and Riverwood will all give Dunwoody a tough game. As of right now, I'm not too sure if this year's Dunwoody team gets into the state playoffs. But it wouldn't surprise me if the Wildcats made it happen in the region tournament.

Is Wheeler on the rise with their back-to-back double-digit wins over Milton and Walton?

That seems to be the question of the week. Here's the deal, I have always believed that they are the most talented team in the state. I don't think that is debatable really.

I wrote the following in December:

"Two keys to this team: Better decision making from Phil Taylor and more production from Ari Stewart. That alone is 15 more points for the Wildcats and four to six made field goals given up on defense."

Taylor is getting the ball to Howell more than usual and Stewart is scoring better. But with two games against Lassiter, Campbell and Pope, the road won't be a cake walk. Lassiter gives up a ton athletically but the team's mental toughness and overall team defense will be a great counter punch to the Wildcats. I think Wheeler wins all five of it's games to close out the season. The wins won't come easy but I can promise you there isn't a team in AAAAA that would want to play Wheeler right now.

Do you think Shawn Kemp sticks with Bama or does he start to look at UGA or GT?

When I spoke to Cherokee head coach Roger Kvam about the situation, he said Kemp will likely play the wait and see game with the Alabama situation.

Kemp won't fit in at Georgia Tech simply because of a numbers game. There just isn't any room on the depth chart there for him.

IF Kemp does decide to ask for a release from his National Letter of Intent and is granted it, Georgia actually makes sense for whomever becomes the new head coach of the program.

Truth be told, I thought Nevada was actually the best place for him. Mark Fox is one of the best coaches at developing raw talent like Kemp. Heck, he has coached four players that are in the NBA right now. Plus, the WAC is a good conference for him to compete in and improve in.

hey Justin, ive been to a couple of Whitefield Academy games and they are really gelling together in time for the playoffs.. Do you believe they can dethrone Hancock Central for the State Championship? Cameron Baskerville and Brandon Reed are really playing well.

Whitefield already dethroned Hancock this season by 10 points so I think it is possible that the Wolfpack can get rolling at the right time.

However, I've only watched them once this season and they were spanked by a very good United Faith team from North Carolina. Whitefield didn't look very good in that game.

With Reed and Baskerville, I'd expect them to play well. It's the rest of the team that needs to take it up a notch. Reed is a no-brainer all-state player. Baskerville could still crank it up some more and be more of a presence in the post.

Do you see Shaw being a legitimate state title contender?

Tough call. I saw the Raiders on Wednesday and they beat a big Northside team in overtime. Guard play is the foundation for Shaw and guard play wins games in high school basketball.

That being said, 11 of the team's 20 wins have come by less than a margin of six points. Shaw is tough and balanced but teams like South Atlanta and Columbia would be too much to handle.

To submit a question for next week's mailbag, click HERE.

Archived mailbags:
Jan. 15
Jan. 22

Region tournament information

2009-01-26T12:37:00.003-05:00

Attention coaches, parents, players or informed fans: Please send me the dates and location of your region tournament to georgiahoops@gmail.com. I am compiling information for the site. The information is a huge help and a big draw for college coaches.

The Mailbag: Jan. 22

2009-01-22T08:07:00.004-05:00

The mailbag was loaded with great questions this week. Just how good is Region 6-AAAAA? What region is the top dog in AAAA? Should Mfon Udofia be a McDonald's All-American? Am I covering girls basketball now? I answer those questions and more in this week's edition of The Mailbag.

The State Playoffs are going to be outstanding -- agreed, but what about the Region 6 AAAAA tournament? At least one state-ranked team won't even make it out of the region! The region tournament may be as tough as the AAAAA final 8 (with a bunch of the same teams).

I wholeheartedly agree. Every year Georgia has a region that is stocked deep with talent. I always call it the CostCo region. There is just so much bulk you don't even know where to start. 6-AAAAA is this year's CostCo region.

Here are the contenders in the region:

Campbell
Why they will make state: They are the toughest - mentally and physically - team in the region.
Why they won't: Numbers crunch. Perhaps this team peaked too early.

Centennial
Why they will make state: Been there before, speed in the backcourt, Lorenzo Brown
Why they won't: An early pairing against Wheeler and loss in the region tournament will keep the Knights out.

Lassiter
Why they will make state: They defend, they shoot, they are smart and they play as a team.
Why they won't: Not enough athleticism or size to pair with some of the other teams in the region.

Milton
Why they will make state: The sophomores are playing at a high level right now.
Why they won't: Too young.

Walton
Why they will make state: Glen Rice, Jr. and Ryan Harrow. The duo can go for a combined 60 a game any given night.
Why they won't: Defense has been the Achilles heel all season, lack of depth, five of next six games are very tough

Wheeler
Why they will make state: Too talented not too, they have a schedule that should have them ready for the rigors of tournament play.
Why they won't: They lose focus of their strengths.

The state of GA needs to be pumping Mfon for the Mickey D's Game.

After his dazzling performance on Monday against Centennial, it is hard to argue against that. His 34 points (12-21 FG, 5-6 from 3, 5-8 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals against Centennial, the No. 1 team in AAAAA at the moment, was spectacular.

It's too bad that there weren't any voters for the McDonald's All-American game in the gym to see the game. However, the game was too late in the season anyways. The final 50 ballot was finalized prior to the game. From what I was told, Udofia was not on that list. That, to me, was very surprising.

While the McDonald's All-American recognition is great, winning a state championship is probably higher on Udofia's things-to-do list. Right now, he and his Miller Grove teammates look mighty fine in their quest for the school's first state championship.

What is the best region in AAAA? Who do you see making the playoffs out of 5-AAAA specifically?

I think 6-AAAA is the best region. Miller Grove, the best team in the state right now, has a lot to do with that. Everyone is gunning for the Wolverines. That raises the level of play across the board in the region. Tucker is Tucker. You know what you are going to get with the Tigers. They play incredibly hard and they will play you physical.

Marist and Chamblee can beat nine of the 10 teams in the region any given night.

Finally, SW Dekalb, Stone Mountain, North Springs and Lakeside are all better than their respective records.

6-AAAA is always one of the best regions in the state year in and year out.

I think you also have to consider 7-AAAA just because it is so incredibly huge. Fifteen teams is too much. What is this, the Big East?! Also, 3-AAAA is tough. The Augusta is always over looked. Richmond Academy, Evans and Glenn Hills are state tournament teams. There are about four other teams fighting for the final spot, too.

Here are the 5-AAAA teams that I think make the state playoffs: Fayette County, Lithia Springs, McIntosh and my sleeper Tri-Cities.

Several teams changed classifications this season and they have had mixed results. Has the jump to AAAAA thrown teams like Westlake and Creekside off balance? Are some classifications clearly better than others? And what is the best team across all classifications? (my money is on South Atlanta.)

I don't think classification really throws teams off. Chemistry and a lack of toughness is Westlake's issue. Creekside is just down this season in talent.

The best team across the board right now in my eyes is Miller Grove. I've come around to that notion. I've always liked their team but I hope I'm smart enough to say they are the best team and most talented from top to bottom of any team in the state.

I was in Albany, Ga on Martin Luther King Day and witness one of the best unknown teams in the State, The Terrell County Greenwaves are a very good team with a bunch of good players that nobody has ever heard of, what do you think there chances are in the state tournament?

I'm glad you had a chance to see some great ball in Albany, one of the best basketball cities in the state. There is nothing like it down there. One of the best basketball experiences I've had was at Albany State. Unbelievable energy in that gym! I digress...

I haven't seen Terrell County and probably won't until the state tournament. Looking over the team's schedule, you are right, they are beating some good teams and two of the three losses have been close ones. I'll keep my eye on the Greenwaves.

Sounds like you also had a chance to see one of the best sophomores in the state in your game on Monday, too. Greenville's Kentavious Caldwell can flat out score the ball.

Justin, now that you aren't attached to rivals.com anymore, why not branch out and cover some girls hoops as well? Georgia has some phenomenal girls teams, some of which (Westlake, Mays, Fayette County) are among the best in the nation.

I've thought about it for a small second but that isn't my calling at this point in life. Probably never will. I'm sure I'll be watching girls ball in the future when my daughters are older but my calling in hoops has always been on the men's side. I will say this...Maya Moore is the best player to ever come out of Georgia, man, woman, boy, girl or even Dwight Howard, who is neither a man or a boy. He's superhuman. Moore dominates the game in every possible way. She is amazing.

To submit a question for next week's mailbag, click HERE.

Archived mailbags:
Jan. 15

Scout.com: Recapping the Tribute to a King event

2009-01-20T16:41:00.003-05:00

I spent the day at Centennial for the loaded Tribute to a King event on Monday. Click HERE for the premium story on Scout.com.

Here is the first team all Tribute to a King, presented by Georgia Hoops:

Most Outstanding Player: Mfon Udofia, Miller Grove (pictured)
Dai-Jon Parker, Milton
Sasha Boronvjak, Veritas Christian
Zach Lamb, Norcross
Trent Wiedeman, GAC
Blake Smith, United Faith

Notes from the notepad: Jan. 18

2009-01-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

Five things I’m buying this week:

1. Georgia Tech’s recruiting class. With the addition of Derrick Favors, the state’s top player and one of the elite prospects nationally, the Yellow Jackets have a class that is counted amongst the top three in the nation. Only North Carolina and Texas rival the group coming to downtown in the fall. Favors joins fellow Georgians Mfon Udofia, Kammeon Holsey and Glen Rice along with Delaware native Brian Oliver.

Favors decision to attend Georgia Tech marks the fourth straight year Paul Hewitt and staff reeled in a McDonald’s All-American player. (Favors is not officially in the game but is expected to be on the team in March.)

Will Favors stick around for more than a year? Probably not. The bigger question in the present is whether or not Gani Lawal will be staying for his junior season. Together Lawal and Favors would make for the best starting frontline in the ACC and maybe even in the nation.

2. NCAA’s new rule regarding the spring recruiting. The NCAA voted to eliminate the weekend recruiting periods in April last week in a close vote. Gone are the weekends of college coaches flying all over the country to see players at events such as the Real Deal on the Hill, the Kingwood Classic and the King James Shooting Stars Classic.

AAU teams will still likely travel to such events with the hopes of “getting exposure” on a national level. However, the spring period, which was once considered the period for coaches to identify the top senior targets in the country is now a thing of the past.

How disappointing is that? I’ve talked to a number of coaches and none of them are in favor of the new ruling. The positives, in the eyes of the NCAA, are as follows: 1. More time in classroom for student athletes (and I’m 100 percent on point with that). 2. More involvement with recruiting from the high school coach’s perspective. 3. Less money spent by teams traveling to locations such as Arkansas, Houston and Ohio.

The rule has logical benefits however the April period. However, kids will still not attend school on Fridays because they will still be playing in tournaments. That was the main crutch to the new rule.

I’m all for high school coaches regaining some say in the recruiting process with players. There are too many clueless AAU coaches that are involved in the process with grandeur visions of Joe Player making it to the highest level. Joe Player, who should have gone to a low or mid-major is now sitting on the bench for a mid or high-major. He will likely later transfer a year later. Very few AAU “coaches” get it these days. In turn, few players and families are understanding how to make decisions in the recruiting process.

I can’t imagine too many teams making the trek to out of state tournaments in the spring. What’s the point? Why spend a small fortune to travel out of state to play in front of a bunch of .com “analysts.” There are very few .com “analysts” that know what they are doing these days. And with the spring now on the shelf, what is the advantage of going to a tournament that would require a big travel budget? Stay local, stay in the gym, get better and take advantage of the summer. Or, better yet, play well right now in the high school season. The coaches can come and watch you now.

3. Great game at Centennial on Friday night. If you were one of the lucky ones that packed into Centennial on Friday, you certainly got your money’s worth.

It was a fun offensive battle between teams with good guard play. Lorenzo Brown led the way for Centennial with 29 points (10-17 FG) 12 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and two blocks and made the pass to Ryan Fleming for the winning score with less than 10 seconds to play.

Glen Rice, Jr. was outstanding in defeat for Walton. The Georgia Tech bound guard finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and four blocks.

The two future ACC players were at their best, especially Rice.

“I mean, the guy wasn’t going to miss,” Brown said of Rice.

Says Centennial head coach Allen Whitehart: “Phenomenal. The kid was hitting shots with bodies in his face. You couldn’t do anything more. He was just phenomenal.”

Sure was. So was Walton’s Ryan Harrow who scored 29 points (13-21 FG). The junior also chipped in with six rebounds. Centennial’s Kam Belin and Davonta White were both great, too. Belin is one of the most improved post players in Georgia’s 2010 class while White is finding his groove with his new team.

4. Six more great games at Centennial on Monday.

Here is the schedule once again for the day’s activities:

10:00 Dunwoody vs Veritas Christian
12:00 Milton vs Columbia
2:00 GAC vs Tucker
4:00 Centennial vs Miller Grove
6:00 Norcross vs East Hall
8:00 Whitfield Academy vs United Faith Christian Academy

You can watch the games online on GenerationNextBasketball.com.

Here are my predictions for the day:

Vertias Christian over Dunwoody: Veritas’s size is too much to handle; big opportunity for Javon McKay to step up on the big stage for Dunwoody.

Columbia over Milton: Too much size, too much depth and too much experience in the big games. Columbia wins one of the best games of the day. If you don’t know who JerShon Cobb is, you probably will after this game.

Tucker over GAC: This game is probably being overlooked. It shouldn’t be. Last year, Tucker ran into 44 points from Howard Thompkins. This year, trying to stop GAC big man Trent Wiedeman will be a tough task. In the end, too much Manny Atkins, Chris Kingsberry and Muach Luol could prove to be the difference maker in what should be a very close game.

Miller Grove over Centennial: This is the game everyone is waiting to see. Hopefully it lives up to the billing. Expect this one to be close in the second half and much like Friday night’s game, it could come down to whoever has the ball last wins. Miller Grove’s size and defensive pressure should prove to be the difference maker. And how about Mfon Udofia vs. Lorenzo Brown. Does it get any better than that?

Norcross over East Hall: Quietly, the Blue Devils are rolling. It has been almost two years since Norcross lost to a state opponent (Peachtree Ridge on Feb. 17, 2007). Norcross shouldn’t lose against a young East Hall team.

Whitefield Academy over United Faith: This game should be entertaining. Whitefield will have their hands full with a good United Faith team. The tough loss to Centennial helped get WA’s defensive mentality ready for this game against a bigger and deeper team.

5. The state playoffs are going to be outstanding. Who is a favorite to win state in any division? Who? Hard to answer that isn’t it? The road to Macon and the Gwinnett Center is not determined in the public court like it has been in the past.

Scribble notes

- It is a rough year for college hoops in the state. Of the seven Division I teams in Georgia, there are only 53 wins compared to 66 losses on the season. Mercer has the best record of any team in the Peach State at 10-8. Rough year for college hoops. Think we’ll see some new faces in the coaching ranks in a couple of months? I do.

- When will Westlake right the ship? The Lions dropped another game on Saturday to Riverdale, putting the team at 11-6 on the season. Three of the losses have come at the hand of an out of state foe. The other three are to quality opponents. Westlake should be fine but six losses for this team before February is surprising. The team needs some leadership right now.

- Riverdale will be a team to watch as the regular season finishes up. The Raiders regained the services of Tennessee Tech bound forward Terrell Barnes. The 6-8 big man has been out since the first game of the year with a broken toe. His first game back, Riverdale beats Westlake. Get the picture?

- One more time for effect: WOW, Jodie Meeks! Wow!

- I love a good sleeper story. How about this one…Former Tucker star Marshon Brooks parlayed a state championship into a scholarship from Providence. The Friars took a gamble with an extra scholarship and brought in the long-armed 6-3 guard with the thought of using a red-shirt year right away. Brooks only had an offer from Kennesaw State while Jackson State. Grambling and Campbell were very involved. He decided to take the offer with that in mind. Now he’s 6-5 and the second leading scorer for the Friars at 13.4 points a game in 22.4 minutes a game.

Dequan Jones loves the air in Chapel Hill

2009-01-18T16:03:00.001-05:00

Former Wheeler Wildcat Dequan Jones has a number of highlight plays in Chapel Hill for his Miami team.

The Mailbag: Jan. 15

2009-01-15T15:42:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Georgia Hoops mailbag. The first look inside the inbox was outstanding. The questions were thoughtful, good and interesting. Here is a look at this week’s edition of The Mailbag. I’ll answer questions every Thursday.

To submit your question, feel free to email me at georgiahoops@gmail.com or post your question on the comment section of the blog.

The Fayette County Tigers traveled to the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers and the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach over the holidays before playing a road game at McEachern--all prior to entering the meat of their 5-AAAA region schedule. The Tigers also went to Illinois for a national level tourney over the Thanksgiving holiday.
But, everywhere they went, Coach Andre Flynn's Tigers were humbled.

Will playing (and losing to) such stiff competition help or hinder last year's AAAA runners-up in the long run? What effect does this incredibly tough schedule have on Fayette's trio of promising sophomore starters? (Adam Smith, Malcolm Brogdon and Maurice Williams). And finally, will this scheduling help USC-signee Noel Johnson earn McDonald's All-American status?

Good, loaded question here! Thanks for sending it in.

I think playing in national events are important for teams that are state championship contenders. Going on the road and playing teams that you really can’t truly prepare for gets you ready for the task of the state tournament. You have to learn to react quickly. You have to lean on your strengths. You have to lean on your team. It is an “us-against-the-world” mentality.

I remember when Norcross went to Houston for the Academy National in the 2006-2007 season. I was there with them. They only knew each other there. They were the outsiders. Going into that event, they lost to Oak Hill at Georgia Tech and beat Rice (N.Y.) in overtime, lost to St. Benedict’s (N.J.) and then beat a very good Kingwood team. The Blue Devils played four more out of state teams after that. They won all four. Later in the state playoffs, they had to play Wheeler in the first round of the state tournament. Norcross won by a point in what was the greatest game I’ve ever seen at any level. Norcross eventually beat Centennial by a point to win the title.

I mention their experience because that loss in Houston brought that team together and it helped them understand what it takes to win big games on the road and against big time competition. I’m all for teams finding that out about themselves. Losing to an out of state team isn’t very fun but it also won’t ruin a season.

Sometimes getting humbled is just what a team needs. Fayette County did get to the state title game last year with 10 losses.

By the way, no one had the Arizona Cardinals this far in the NFL playoffs. Know what I mean?

As far as Noel Johnson’s case for the McDonald’s game…I don’t think it is going to happen. The politics of getting into that game are crazy beyond belief. Most of the unofficial decisions are made in the summer. And I’m not sure if he did enough to get into the game.

Who are the Sleeper teams out there? In each Class. Teams that are doing pretty well that folks aren't talking about...

AAAAA sleepers:
Lassiter – Nothing flashy, just good team defense, good shooters, a good post player in Alex Gilmore. They’ll surprise.

Redan – They have size with Kenny Hall and Raymond Gregory. Guard play will be the difference maker for the Raiders.

Groves – Best team in Savannah and no one outside of my favorite city in the state is talking about them. They have good size, good scorers, good depth. They will surprise the ATL crowd in a month’s time.

Newnan – Russell Powell is having a big time season. And I’m not talking about football. He’s lost only one sporting event his entire senior season in two sports.

South Gwinnett – Quietly, the Comets are having their best year since the Williams and Mercer show. They are big, athletic and have depth. Scary team right now.

AAAA sleepers:

Hillgrove – Clearly, this team isn’t a surprise. What’s surprising is how no one is talking about this club as one of the elite teams in the state. They are this close to that class of teams right now. Darius Baugh is one of the best unsigned seniors in the state.

Chamblee – There is something about this team that I really like. They are athletic. They have good size. They scrap. Don’t be surprise to see this team make some noise in the post-season.

Lithia Springs – This isn’t the best team Jason Slate has coached at Lithia Springs but they still play with an attention to detail on defense. This group will play anyone, anywhere. Junior guard Trey Bussey is one of the top sleepers in the Atlanta area.

McIntosh – After losing big man Rob Chubb to a private school in Florida, the Peachtree City squad is having a great year so far thanks in large part to the play of Jeremy Lampkin.

AAA sleepers:

Westover – Very tough team, according to several area coaches that I’ve talked to. Looks like this is Albany’s team to beat this year.

Crisp County – Athletic, strong, experienced program.

Shaw – Hard to call them a sleeper but no one outside of Columbus is taking notice. It’s time to do so.

AA sleepers:

Thomasville – Some of the better freshmen in the state play there and this group does a good job of crashing the boards.

Northeast Macon – Sure, they are in the top 10 state poll but from talking to several coaches that have watched them, this group might be the most talented of any team in AA.

Long County – Struggling at the start of the season but this team is state playoff tested, talented and led by all-state player Jimmy Bacon.

A sleeper:

North Cobb Christian – Finally now in GHSA, NCC is proving it’s worth. Good team. Good understanding of how to play the game.

Do you think Columbus has a deep talent pool this year and can Shaw make a run for state title?

This isn’t as deep of a year in hoops in Columbus as it has been in the past couple of years. I think Shaw is clearly a team that can make a run in the tournament because they are experienced, have depth and have good guard play. If Brookstone (class A) can take care of business in region play, I think that’s another team from Columbus that can advance in the state tournament.

Are Torin Walker and James Vincent worth the twin towers nickname they do not dominate and can’t win games?

I think the nickname is sufficient but neither player has ever really been a dominant type of player to begin with. Both Walker and Vincent are Division I talents but I don’t anticipate either one to be go-to guys in college. Remember, big men take a little longer to develop. It’s hard to be a dominant force where you don’t have quality help in the backcourt and I think that is what they are lacking. Now to why Northside isn’t winning games. Three of the five losses are close ones. Both losses to Shaw came by a bucket. A loss to Coffee, a pretty good team, was a three-point loss. I wouldn’t rule them out.

Do you think 2009 class is deeper than 2008 class?

Great question. At the end of the day, it might be a draw from a numbers standpoint however I like 2009’s long-standing depth a little better but 2008 has some great star power in it.

At the end of the day, I think the 2009 class will have roughly 60 Division I signees. Last year, there were 61 Division I signees. That’s very impressive!

Who you think makes it to the McDonald’s All-American game?

Derrick Favors, for sure. No brainer there.

I’m all for Lorenzo Brown making it to the game. I think he’s playing as well as anyone in the state and nationally.

Mfon Udofia is on the bubble. There are a lot of point guards in 2009 that will be in the game. He’d be right there for me.

2009 McDonald's All-American nominees announced

2009-01-15T10:26:00.002-05:00

Thirty nine players from Georgia are nominated for the 2009 McDonald’s All-American game. Here is the list of candidates:

Manny Atkins, Tucker
Jimmy Bacon, Long County
Terrell Barnes, Riverdale
Cameron Baskerville, Whitefield Academy
Kadeem Batts, McEachern
Cedric Boatner, Harlem
Kinley Branch, Stone Mountain
Reginald Brice, South Gwinnett
Lorenzo Brown, Centennial
Brian Cole, Dacula
Adrien Coleman, Stephenson
Alex Coxworth, Centennial
Javon Dawson, Crisp County
Derrick Favors, South Atlanta
Dee Goens, Marist
Kenny Hall, Tennessee
Jerome Hamilton, Worth County
Kammeon Holsey, Hancock Central
Richard Howell, Wheeler
Noel Johnson, Fayette County
Shawn Kemp, Jr., Cherokee
Andre Malone, South Atlanta
J.J. Mann, Marist
DeMario Mayfield, Franklin County
Daniel Miller, Loganville Christian
Taariq Muhammad, Norcross
Jeremy Olsen, Collins Hill
Russell Powell, Newnan
Colin Reddick, McEachern
Brandon Reed, Whitefield Academy
Glen Rice, Walton
Jahmad Saleem, Cross Creek
Terrance Shannon, Mary Persons
Colin Slotter, North Cobb
Ari Stewart, Wheeler
Tahj Tate, Wheeler
Reshun Thurmond, Winder-Barrow
Mfon Udofia, Miller Grove
Mario Vasser, South Gwinnett

News & Notes from Tuesday

2009-01-14T14:34:00.004-05:00

I spent the evening at Paideia to see one of the better match-ups of the year in class A. The Pythons played host to Greenforest Christian in a battle of two top 10 teams.

While the game wasn't the prettiest of games, Paideia won 50-42. Senior Paul Lane (pictured) scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to hold off the No. 3 team in class A. Joe Chase scored a team high 20 points in the defeat. Jamail Jones, one of the top juniors in the state, struggled with his shot. He scored only seven points on 3-20 shooting from the field.

Evans was the big winner in the battle for Augusta supremacy. Evans beat Richmond Academy 71-63 in a game between two top 10 teams in AAAA. Senior forward Anthony Williams scored a game high 18 points in the win.

Titletown USA is making some noise in South Georgia. Valdosta won 74-73 on Jeremy Fountain’s three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in the game. Fountain finished with a game high 31 points. Sounds like a great game. Now at 16-0, you have to wonder when the team will get some respect in the coaches poll. They'd be a top five team in my AAAAA poll.

Watch out for Lassiter. The Trojans are rolling. The East Cobb kids knocked out Milton 64-59. Lassiter knows how to play, they are unselfish and they really defend. It wouldn't shock me if this team shows up in the next top 10 coaches poll.

Redan knocked out Newton County, a top 10 team, 75-63.

Groves, the best team in Savannah, lost to Johnson and lost by 11 points 58-47. That's a bit surprising. Groves is a contender and the team will be a tough match-up in the state tournament.