Our first fan poll is now concluded. We asked readers who their pre-season choice was to win the Class AAAAA State Championship?
Obviousley, pre-season polls have little significance. Victories (and eventually Championships) are decided on the court. However it always fun to gauge who the basketball community feels is the "team to beat".
The results: Wheeler was the clear favorite in the poll, securing 45% of the votes. Finishing in 2nd place was the three-time defending Champs Norcross, with 19% of the votes. Walton and "Any other team" were tied in 3rd place with 13% of the votes each. Westlake got 7%, Milton 6%, and McEachern 5%.
Time shall tell......
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Weekly Notebook : Full Game Action Tips Off
The first official week of the 2008-09 Georgia high school basketball season in in the books. While a number of teams elected to take the extra week of practice and will not play their first games until the coming week (or even December in some cases); a large number of programs got the ball rolling with tournament games and non-region matchups.
Below are some of top performances, notables, and observations from Week 1 Action:
If the first game was any indication of the type of season Malcolm Jackson is going to have in 08-09, then it is going to be a terrific one. The 6’ 1 Senior Guard from Sandy Creek High School dropped 40 points in their opening win over Class AA #1 Greater Atlanta Christian at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Jackson shot the lights out , hitting six treys and going 12-14 from the charity stripe. Take into account his effort with that of teammate Emerson Williams’ 23 points and the duo combined for 63 points. That is a heck of a combo scoring wise at the high school level…..Miller Grove and GA Tech signee Mfon Udofia opened up what should be a stellar Senior campaign with 27 points in a 94-56 blowout win over East Coweta …Miller Grove and Sandy Creek will matchup in the Semi’s of the Parkview Tournament on Monday night….Two Gwinnett teams (Berkmar and Wesleyan) who were very strong last season but were expected to struggle somewhat this year both surprised with their play in week 1. Berkmar came out on knocked off a talented Peachtree Ridge team in OT and then turned around beat Kell to start 2-0. Seniors Nick Henry and Aamir Kelliehan stepped up with good play for Berkmar Coach Tommy McWorter. The Wesleyan School, who won the Class AA State Championship last year, only returns a couple of players who logged any significant court time in last season’s title run. However, that didn’t seem to bother the team much as they stepped onto Parkview’s home court and won a thriller 56-55 over the Class AAAAA opponent. 2010 Shooting Guard Griffin Schamp had a real nice game, capping off his 26 point performance by hitting the winning bucket in the game’s final seconds……Loganville is a Team to Watch in Class AAAA. They are strong fundamental squad led by Head Coach Joel Colley, have good depth, and very solid guard play. They pounded Tri-Cities in their opener at the Parkview Tournament. Senior Guard Tyler Gunnett (who led them with 18 pts.) is an intelligent, well rounded player with a good looking stroke….Loganville will face Wesleyan in the other Semi-Final of the Parkview Tourney…..Name to remember - Pebblebrook Freshman Damien Wilson. The Class of 2012 rookie scored 22 points in his first high school game for the Cobb County school (which was a 69-56 victory over Druid Hills)…..Terreco Stephens has gotten off to a very hot start for Therrell H.S.. He scored 42 points versus Cedar Grove in the opener and followed up that with a 28 point performance versus Towers H.S.. Both games were victories for Therrell….Milton H.S. might be young, but they have are very talented and showed a preview of the potential they have with a lopsided win over Brookwood at the Chestatee Tip-off Tournament. Milton Coach David Boyd, who has four State Titles under his belt, must be very excited about this group….. As for the State’s College Basketball action: Major props go out to the Mercer University program. What a week the Atlantic Sun Program had. First they upset SEC teams Alabama and Auburn on the road. Then they a lose a very closely contested OT game to GA Tech (which they had a chance to win in regulation’s final seconds). Mercer’s First Year Head Coach Bob Hoffman seems to really have the Bears on the right track and it should be interesting to see if they can keep up the strong play in A-Sun Conference Play. Former Wheeler standout James Florence stepped up huge for Mercer in the all three games, averaging 25 PPG in the stretch….Shorter College picked up a nice early season 77-61 win over Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday evening. Auburn-Montgomery came into the game ranked #21 Nationally in NAIA…..After a opening OT win versus cross town rival Emory Univ. earlier in the week , Oglethorpe Univ. went up to Philadelphia, PA this weekend and won the Equinox Tip-off Classic. Phil Ponder's Oglethorpe team is now 3-0 on the young season.
Below are some of top performances, notables, and observations from Week 1 Action:
If the first game was any indication of the type of season Malcolm Jackson is going to have in 08-09, then it is going to be a terrific one. The 6’ 1 Senior Guard from Sandy Creek High School dropped 40 points in their opening win over Class AA #1 Greater Atlanta Christian at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Jackson shot the lights out , hitting six treys and going 12-14 from the charity stripe. Take into account his effort with that of teammate Emerson Williams’ 23 points and the duo combined for 63 points. That is a heck of a combo scoring wise at the high school level…..Miller Grove and GA Tech signee Mfon Udofia opened up what should be a stellar Senior campaign with 27 points in a 94-56 blowout win over East Coweta …Miller Grove and Sandy Creek will matchup in the Semi’s of the Parkview Tournament on Monday night….Two Gwinnett teams (Berkmar and Wesleyan) who were very strong last season but were expected to struggle somewhat this year both surprised with their play in week 1. Berkmar came out on knocked off a talented Peachtree Ridge team in OT and then turned around beat Kell to start 2-0. Seniors Nick Henry and Aamir Kelliehan stepped up with good play for Berkmar Coach Tommy McWorter. The Wesleyan School, who won the Class AA State Championship last year, only returns a couple of players who logged any significant court time in last season’s title run. However, that didn’t seem to bother the team much as they stepped onto Parkview’s home court and won a thriller 56-55 over the Class AAAAA opponent. 2010 Shooting Guard Griffin Schamp had a real nice game, capping off his 26 point performance by hitting the winning bucket in the game’s final seconds……Loganville is a Team to Watch in Class AAAA. They are strong fundamental squad led by Head Coach Joel Colley, have good depth, and very solid guard play. They pounded Tri-Cities in their opener at the Parkview Tournament. Senior Guard Tyler Gunnett (who led them with 18 pts.) is an intelligent, well rounded player with a good looking stroke….Loganville will face Wesleyan in the other Semi-Final of the Parkview Tourney…..Name to remember - Pebblebrook Freshman Damien Wilson. The Class of 2012 rookie scored 22 points in his first high school game for the Cobb County school (which was a 69-56 victory over Druid Hills)…..Terreco Stephens has gotten off to a very hot start for Therrell H.S.. He scored 42 points versus Cedar Grove in the opener and followed up that with a 28 point performance versus Towers H.S.. Both games were victories for Therrell….Milton H.S. might be young, but they have are very talented and showed a preview of the potential they have with a lopsided win over Brookwood at the Chestatee Tip-off Tournament. Milton Coach David Boyd, who has four State Titles under his belt, must be very excited about this group….. As for the State’s College Basketball action: Major props go out to the Mercer University program. What a week the Atlantic Sun Program had. First they upset SEC teams Alabama and Auburn on the road. Then they a lose a very closely contested OT game to GA Tech (which they had a chance to win in regulation’s final seconds). Mercer’s First Year Head Coach Bob Hoffman seems to really have the Bears on the right track and it should be interesting to see if they can keep up the strong play in A-Sun Conference Play. Former Wheeler standout James Florence stepped up huge for Mercer in the all three games, averaging 25 PPG in the stretch….Shorter College picked up a nice early season 77-61 win over Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday evening. Auburn-Montgomery came into the game ranked #21 Nationally in NAIA…..After a opening OT win versus cross town rival Emory Univ. earlier in the week , Oglethorpe Univ. went up to Philadelphia, PA this weekend and won the Equinox Tip-off Classic. Phil Ponder's Oglethorpe team is now 3-0 on the young season.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Eddie Martin Gets Win in GAC Opener
Eddie Martin was coaching a different squad, for a different school last night; but he picked up right where he left off in last year's finale, with a victory. The highly accomplished coach, who led Norcross High to the past three Class AAAAA Georgia State championships is now leading the charge for Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC). GAC opened up their season last night with a hard fought 72-65 victory over a tough Dacula High team.
GAC Junior Trent Wiedeman (2010, 6' 6, Forward) was steadily effective on the offensive end throughout the evening, scoring 22 pts. Wiedman also played a significant role in preventing Dacula big man and UNC-Greensboro Signee Brian Cole (2009, 6' 9, Forward) from having a big evening. The Spartans played excellent team defense on Cole, doubling down on him in the post and then recovering out on the Dacula shooters. This strategy allowed GAC to enjoy comfortable lead pretty much throughout the game, including a 17 point advantage near the end of the 3rd quarter. However, Dacula increased their own defensive pressure to jump start a thunderous 4th quarter rally that cut the GAC lead to three points with just under two minutes to play. Dacula Seniors Matt Marseille (2009, 6' 5, Wing) and Darius Holloway (2009, 6' 0, Guard) played key roles in the rally. Marseille, who is an athletic and versatile 6'5 wing, had 11 points in the 4th quarter and was very active on the defensive end. Holloway contributed 8 fourth quarter points in the rally.
However, GAC settled down and withstood Dacula's charge, knocking down several key free throws in the final 90 seconds to secure the hard fought win. In addition to Wiedman, GAC also got solid production out of Senior Taylor Metzger (2009, 6' 2, Guard) with 13 points, as well as 12 each from Eric Rivers (2011) and Elliot Long (2010).
Dacula was led by Matt Marseille's 21 points. Marseille is an available senior that College Coaches should keep a close eye on. He has alot of upside potential at the wing position. Brian Cole finished with a solid 17 point and 9 rebound evening while Holloway also added 14 points for Dacula.
GAC Junior Trent Wiedeman (2010, 6' 6, Forward) was steadily effective on the offensive end throughout the evening, scoring 22 pts. Wiedman also played a significant role in preventing Dacula big man and UNC-Greensboro Signee Brian Cole (2009, 6' 9, Forward) from having a big evening. The Spartans played excellent team defense on Cole, doubling down on him in the post and then recovering out on the Dacula shooters. This strategy allowed GAC to enjoy comfortable lead pretty much throughout the game, including a 17 point advantage near the end of the 3rd quarter. However, Dacula increased their own defensive pressure to jump start a thunderous 4th quarter rally that cut the GAC lead to three points with just under two minutes to play. Dacula Seniors Matt Marseille (2009, 6' 5, Wing) and Darius Holloway (2009, 6' 0, Guard) played key roles in the rally. Marseille, who is an athletic and versatile 6'5 wing, had 11 points in the 4th quarter and was very active on the defensive end. Holloway contributed 8 fourth quarter points in the rally.
However, GAC settled down and withstood Dacula's charge, knocking down several key free throws in the final 90 seconds to secure the hard fought win. In addition to Wiedman, GAC also got solid production out of Senior Taylor Metzger (2009, 6' 2, Guard) with 13 points, as well as 12 each from Eric Rivers (2011) and Elliot Long (2010).
Dacula was led by Matt Marseille's 21 points. Marseille is an available senior that College Coaches should keep a close eye on. He has alot of upside potential at the wing position. Brian Cole finished with a solid 17 point and 9 rebound evening while Holloway also added 14 points for Dacula.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Florence Lead's Mercer's Upset of Alabama
For the second consecutive year, Mercer University knocked off a Major Conference Program in an early season game. Last year it was Southern Cal which was led by Super Frosh OJ Mayo. This season, it was the SEC's University of Alabama, with the Bears pulling off a 72-69 win. Several Metro Atlanta products played big roles in this game, but none more than Mercer's James Florence (graduate of Wheeler High) . The 6' 1 Point Guard, who led Mercer with 23 points, dished out the assist for the go ahead basket with 13 seconds left. He then stole the ensuing entry pass and was fouled, where he went to the line and knocked down both free throws. "Flo" did not shoot the ball well from the field, but as is usually the case, he got to the free throw line on good penetration and capitalized on 11 of 14 attempts. Norcross High graduate (and Western Kentucky transfer) Daniel Emerson also had a big day for Mercer, scoring 18 points on 7 of 10 from the field. Mercer will have another shot at a Major Program on Wednesday evening, as they face off against Auburn.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Walton Dominates Sprayberry in Scrimmage
While the regular season is just right around the corner, many teams are utilizing the one pre-season scrimmage the GHSA allows to tune up for the real deal. This evening, we swung over to Sprayberry High School in Marietta to check out the scrimmage between Walton and Sprayberry.
Walton is considered by many to be one of the top AAAAA teams in the state, and some have even suggested Coach Joe Goydish's team to be a possible candidate to dethrone Wheeler as the King of Region 6. The Raiders certainly lived up to the pre-season hype on Thursday evening. Despite playing without Star Senior and Georgia Tech signee Glen Rice Jr., (who sat out with a minor injury) Walton dominated a young Sprayberry team from the from the jump. Class of 2010 PG Ryan Harrow, who was not eligible to play in 07-08 due to mid season move in from North Carolina, was terrific in his Peach State debut. The ultra quick guard completely dominated with a variety of acrobatic scoring drives, long jumpers, pretty assists, and a sick handle. For all the fans who have not seen this kid play yet, you are in for a real treat.
After a strong Fall on the Camp circuit, 2010 Wing G'Mitri Rice came out looking real good. He had a thunderous dunk right off the bat, and blocked close to 6 shots in the first half alone. The ultra athletic wing plays much bigger than his height, and demonstrated an improved jumper when the defense played off him. The supporting cast for Walton looked really solid and meshed well as a unit. All in all, this Walton team has the potential to be very good this year.
As for Sprayberry, Coach Marc Carver has a very young squad who will improve each game out. Four of their top six players are sophomores (2011 players). The team was without senior guard Bradley Grayson, who had to sit due to an ankle injury. Two of their 2011 players demonstrated good potential this evening. Point Guard Roger Hubbard is a young talent to keep an eye on, as is fellow 6' 6 sophomore forward Chevelan Pearson.
Walton is considered by many to be one of the top AAAAA teams in the state, and some have even suggested Coach Joe Goydish's team to be a possible candidate to dethrone Wheeler as the King of Region 6. The Raiders certainly lived up to the pre-season hype on Thursday evening. Despite playing without Star Senior and Georgia Tech signee Glen Rice Jr., (who sat out with a minor injury) Walton dominated a young Sprayberry team from the from the jump. Class of 2010 PG Ryan Harrow, who was not eligible to play in 07-08 due to mid season move in from North Carolina, was terrific in his Peach State debut. The ultra quick guard completely dominated with a variety of acrobatic scoring drives, long jumpers, pretty assists, and a sick handle. For all the fans who have not seen this kid play yet, you are in for a real treat.
After a strong Fall on the Camp circuit, 2010 Wing G'Mitri Rice came out looking real good. He had a thunderous dunk right off the bat, and blocked close to 6 shots in the first half alone. The ultra athletic wing plays much bigger than his height, and demonstrated an improved jumper when the defense played off him. The supporting cast for Walton looked really solid and meshed well as a unit. All in all, this Walton team has the potential to be very good this year.
As for Sprayberry, Coach Marc Carver has a very young squad who will improve each game out. Four of their top six players are sophomores (2011 players). The team was without senior guard Bradley Grayson, who had to sit due to an ankle injury. Two of their 2011 players demonstrated good potential this evening. Point Guard Roger Hubbard is a young talent to keep an eye on, as is fellow 6' 6 sophomore forward Chevelan Pearson.
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Email submissions to ATLRoundball@Gmail.com
Film/DVD can be submitted via mail to:
Atlanta Roundball Report
Attn: William Lopresti
PO Box 440312
Kennesaw, GA 30160
We look forward to hearing from you!
2008-09 Season Key Dates Calendar
Key Dates for 2008-09 Georgia High School Basketball
November
Nov. 15 First Date allowed for GHSA Games
Nov. 20-25 Berkmar Tip-Off Classic
Nov. 22-25 Parkview Tip-Off Classic
Nov. 22-29 South Forsyth Turkey Shootout
Nov. 29 Elite Eight Shootout at Georgia State
December
Dec. 13 Wheeler 's Wildcat Shootout
Dec. 19-22 Savannah Holiday Classic
Dec. 20 SEBA Hoop Festival at Cobb Civic Center
Dec. 20 Wilkinson County Classic
Dec. 27- 30 Powerade/North Gwinnett Tournament
Dec. 26-29 Mays High Memphis vs. Atlanta Shootout
Dec. 26-30 Cass/Century Bank Holiday Hoop Fest
Dec. 26-29 Chargers Christmas Hooptacular
Dec. 27-30 Deep South Classic
Dec. 27-30- St. Pius Christmas Classic
Dec. 27-30 Campbell Holiday Classic
Dec. 27-30 Chattahoochee Holiday Tournament
Dec. 29-31 Sweet South Classic at Morgan County H.S.
January
Jan. 3 Hoops in Overdrive at Kennesaw State
Jan. 19 Centennial MLK Classic
Jan. 23-24 Marriott/Norcross Shootout
February
Feb. 16-21 Region Tournaments
Feb. 27-28 1st Round State Playoffs
March
March 3-4 2nd Round State Playoffs
March 6-7 Quarterfinals State Playoffs
March 11-13 Final Four State Playoffs
March 13-14 State Championship Games
November
Nov. 15 First Date allowed for GHSA Games
Nov. 20-25 Berkmar Tip-Off Classic
Nov. 22-25 Parkview Tip-Off Classic
Nov. 22-29 South Forsyth Turkey Shootout
Nov. 29 Elite Eight Shootout at Georgia State
December
Dec. 13 Wheeler 's Wildcat Shootout
Dec. 19-22 Savannah Holiday Classic
Dec. 20 SEBA Hoop Festival at Cobb Civic Center
Dec. 20 Wilkinson County Classic
Dec. 27- 30 Powerade/North Gwinnett Tournament
Dec. 26-29 Mays High Memphis vs. Atlanta Shootout
Dec. 26-30 Cass/Century Bank Holiday Hoop Fest
Dec. 26-29 Chargers Christmas Hooptacular
Dec. 27-30 Deep South Classic
Dec. 27-30- St. Pius Christmas Classic
Dec. 27-30 Campbell Holiday Classic
Dec. 27-30 Chattahoochee Holiday Tournament
Dec. 29-31 Sweet South Classic at Morgan County H.S.
January
Jan. 3 Hoops in Overdrive at Kennesaw State
Jan. 19 Centennial MLK Classic
Jan. 23-24 Marriott/Norcross Shootout
February
Feb. 16-21 Region Tournaments
Feb. 27-28 1st Round State Playoffs
March
March 3-4 2nd Round State Playoffs
March 6-7 Quarterfinals State Playoffs
March 11-13 Final Four State Playoffs
March 13-14 State Championship Games
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Welcome to the Site
The Atlanta Roundball Report is pleased to announce the launch of our new blog. This site will feature items of interest from the world of Metro Atlanta High School Basketball. Please bookmark this site and visit on a regular basis for player features, team profiles, event reviews, basketball articles, and more.
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