SEBA Players Shine in Region 5-AAAAA Semi-Final Matchup

Last night's 5-AAAAA Region Semi-Final game saw Wheeler and Lassiter do battle for the right to advance to the Region Championship Game. Two SEBA Players led the charge for each respective team as Chris Longoria led Wheeler with 21 points and Adam Dowell paced Lassiter with 19 points. Longoria (6' 3, SG, 2011) is a versatile and skilled guard who has a well rounded offensive arsenal. Dowell (6' 2, SG, 2012) is a very good outside shooter with toughness and a smart basketball IQ.

Check out the article below for a recap of the game:

Link: Wheeler pulls away in Fourth


  

Chris Davis Explodes for 51 Pts in Opener

51 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks....

That was the impressive stat line for Stockbridge High's Chris Davis (6' 3, CG, 2010) in last evening's opening game versus Luella High. Despite the tremendous performance by Davis, Stockbridge fell to a talented Luella (2-0) squad in by the final score of 99-89.

Although he might not have as much name recongition as some others; make no mistake about it; Davis is one of the Top Tier 2010 prospects in Georgia. He has been receiving strong recruiting interest from a number of Low and Mid-Major D1 programs but has decided to wait until the Spring to sign. Davis would be an absolute steal for any of the programs in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Don't be surprised to see High Major Programs getting in the mix as well over the next few months. Reportedly Coach Fox's staff at the Univ. of Georgia has began to express interest in Davis.

Davis has a very quick first step and is very good at attacking the basket. He has explosive athleticism and a strong build on his 6' 3 frame. While his strength is his ability to pentrate and create off the dribble, he does possess a good, albeit streaky jumper from beyond the arc. (he was certainly "on" last night, as he knocked down 5 three point field goals in the 2nd half alone). Off the court, Davis is an impressive and humble young man, who does well in the classroom and caries himself in a very positive manner. If his performance in the season opener was any indication, Chris is primed to have a huge senior year.

Editor's Side Note: We would like to send our thoughts and prayers out to the family of Stockbridge High Head Coach Duane Kelly, who had to miss last night's game due to the hospitalization of his son.

State Playoff Bids at Stake - Region 5-AAAAA Tournament

The Atlanta Roundball Report was on hand at the Marietta Garden for the Quarterfinal round of the Region 5-AAAAA Tournament this evening. The stakes were huge as the winner of each of the three games would secure a birth in the State Tournament while the losing teams would end their season. McEachern High did not have to play this evening as they automatically advanced to the Semi-Finals (and a State Tourney bid) as a result of their Regular Season Region Title.

All three contests presented intriguing matchups in a "win or go home" scenario. Here is a recap of the action:

Kennesaw Mountain vs. Harrison
These two teams are very big rivals of one another and both teams came out of the gate ready to compete. The refs set the tone in this game by allowing the kids to play and as a result the play was extremely physical throughout. The first half saw numerous lead changes and Harrison went to the locker room at halftime up 30-29. Harrison opened the 3rd quarter with an impressive spurt that turned a very tightly contested game into a double digit Hoya lead. Kennesaw Mountain was never really able to recover from this point and was flustered by Harrison's tough half court defense.

Harrison's Senior Guard Vince Martin (6' 1, CG, 2009) played extremely well. He took over the game in the key 3rd quarter Harrison run with a variety of strong drives to the hoop and mid range pull up jumpers. Fellow Senior Casey Belli (6' 2, SG, 2009) also played a key role for Harrison, as he exhibited his long range shooting prowess from beyond the 3 point line.

Marietta vs. Cherokee
Marietta's legendary Coach Charlie Hood announced last week that he would be retiring at the end of this season. With the season on the line for the Blue Devils, a loss would have meant the last game of Coach Hood's illustrious 37 year career. The stage was set for a dramatic evening. Marietta would come into the game riding a five game win streak and have the advantage of playing on their home floor. Cherokee was the region's #2 seed, as Coach Roger Kvam's squad compiled a very impressive 16-2 record in region play.

Right from the tip it was very evident that Marietta was going to do all they could to pull the upset and get Coach Hood in the State playoffs for his final season. The Blue Devils forced several turnovers and used their quickness advantage to take an early lead in the game's opening 2 minutes. This would pretty much be the story throughout the entire evening as Marietta cruised to a surprising double digit victory that was never really in question. Marietta played with tremendous passion and intensity on the defensive end, forcing turnover after turnover. Cherokee had no answer for Blue Devil Point Guard Chris Tanzy (5' 10, PG, 2009). Tanzy put on an absolute show as he sliced and diced Cherokee's defense with 20 points and 6 assists. He had numerous highlight reel dribble moves in transition, where he then finished with a bucket or dished off a pretty assist. 6' 9 Forward Chad Lang (6' 9, F, 2010) had one of his most impressive performances of the season, as he scored inside and did an excellent job in neutralizing Cherokee's Shawn Kemp Jr. (Alabama Signee). Kemp had a quiet 14 points, with the majority of them coming off offensive stickbacks. Marietta Senior guards Steven Hunter (6' 2, SG, 2009) and Kenny Sprague (6' 2, 2009) were also big contributors. Hunter played excellent defense on Cherokee's standout Junior guard Michael Kvam (6' 3, SG, 2010), limiting his touches as well as forcing numerous turnovers within the overall team defensive scheme. Sprague scored 12 points, including two big three-point field goals early on.

Marietta advances to play Harrison this Friday evening at 5:30 p.m.

Additional Observations / Notes:

• North Cobb pulled out a hard fought 61-47 victory over South Cobb in the early game of the evening. Terry Gorsuch's squad utlized a very well played second half to secure the win and the state tournament birth. Markel Gregoire (6' 1, PG, 2009) was the big performer this evening as he led the Warriors with 22 points. Senior Wing Colin Murray (Murray State signee) chipped in with 11 points. North Cobb will play #1 seeded McEachern Friday night at 8:30 p.m.
• Harrison has a very good (and underated) backcourt in Seniors Vince Martin and Basey Belli. Martin is without doubt one of the best Unsigned Senior guards in the state. Belli is one of the city's top outside shooters.
• Harrison's Robert Churchwell has done a very impressive job during his first year as head coach at Harrison. The former Georgetown University star led the Hoyas into the State tournament during what most people thought would be a rebuilding year. The future is bright for Harrison with Churchwell at the helm and some good young talent in the pipeline.
• Chris Tanzy is going to play football at the college level. However, he also would have made an excellent pickup for a D1college basketball hoops program. Tanzy electrified the Marietta Garden crowd with his play this evening.
• This evening may have been the coming out party for Marietta's 6' 9 Chad Lang. He finished inside, blocked and contested numerous shots, snatched rebounds, and on a whole matched up well with Shawn Kemp Jr.
• North Cobb's Markell Gregiore is an Unsigned Senior deserving of attention. The explosive guard really played well in the North Cobb victory.
• Friday's evenings Region 5-AAAAA semifinal games will also be held at the Marietta Garden.

Lassiter Earning Respect; Tops #6 Ranked Milton

Region 6-AAAAA is a beast. It is by far the most competitive region in Georgia High school hoops. When discussing the contenders, most pre-season talk centered around the perennially strong Wheeler program, as well as Centennial, Walton, Milton, and even Campbell. Few people considered the Lassiter Trojans to even be in the upper half of region. Coach Jeremy Morris' squad was content to stay under the radar and let their play on the court speak for them. And their play has spoken loudly thus far. After a big win against a hot Campbell squad this past weekend; the Trojans won another big Region matchup last night over Milton by the score of 64-59. Milton came into the game ranked #6 in State. The victory gave Lassiter a record of 14-3 and 4-1 in the Region.

Tuesday's night's game was one of momentum, as Milton stormed out to an double digit big lead. However, Lassiter responded with a nice run of their own, getting right back in the game behind a 15-1 run right before halftime. As he has done all season long, Senior Blaise White sparked the comeback with his outside shooting and hustling all around play. White knocked down a couple of treys and had several buckets in transition, and played good on ball defense. The 3rd Quarter was hard fought by both teams, trading baskets and the lead exchanging hands multiple times. However, Lassiter's 6' 5 Wing Alex Gilmore stepped up his play to give Lassiter a lead they would never relinquish. Gilmore attacked the rim, finishing with 15 points (13 of those scored in the 2nd half). Junior Guard Hutson Mason also contributed some big jumpers in the stretch on the way to a 13 point night. With Lassiter holding on to a two possesion lead throughout the final minutes of the game, Milton repeatedly put Lassiter on the foul line. The Trojans struggled at the charity stripe, leaving a window open for a Milton comeback. However, Milton failed to capitalize on these opportunities and the Trojans were finally able to close the door and secure the win with two converted free throws by White.
Blaise White was the game's leading scorer with 20 points and dishing out 6 assists. Highly regarded 2011 prospect Julian Royal (6' 8, Forward, 2011) led Milton with 19 points. Fellow 2011 prospect Dai Jon Parker (6' 3, SG, 2011) chipped in with 13 points.

Additional Game Notes:

• Lassiter has demonstrated they are worthy of a Top 10 State ranking in Class AAAAA. They will certainly be in the State playoff mix come February.
• Milton's 2011 trio of rising stars Julian Royal, Shannon Scott, and Dai Jon Parker are a special group of young players. While this game was not one of the trio's better overall performances, and all three have certain room for growth and development, there is certainly no denying the talent and potential present in all three players. Coach David Boyd has to be very excited about the potential success of his program over the next two seasons.
• Blaise White is a baller. He doesn't have great size or overwhelming athleticism, but he is very skilled, has a quick first step, high basketball IQ, and most important to his game, plays with tremendous hustle and scrappiness.
• Lassiter's Alex Gilmore struggled in the early season after making transition from the football field. However, he has played well of late and is a unsigned senior wing player with good upside.
• With so much depth, Region 6 is producing good matchups almost every game night. An excellent one is on tap Friday evening as the State's #4 ranked team (Walton) will take on the top ranked Centennial Knights.

Metro Atlanta Holiday Tournament Results

There were a number of Holiday Tournaments being held in the Metro Area this past week. Here is a rundown of the results from some of the events we either attended or had affiliates present at:

Deep South Classic

Outcome: Brookwood beat Peachtree Ridge 54-47 in a all-Gwinnett Championship game matchup of the 8 team Deep South Classic. Brookwood rode the hot hand of Freshman Guard Chris Bolden, who scored 14 4th quarter points to win the title. Peachtree Ridge's Khalid Mutakkabir capped off a terrific tournament scoring 28 points in the losing effort.
All-Tournament Team:
Chris Bolden - Brookwood (MVP)
Khalid Mutakkabir - Peachtree Ridge
Cj Blackwell - Peachtree Ridge
Patrick Kelley - Brookwood
Trent Weideman- GAC
Derek Zittrauer - South Forsyth.

North Gwinett Powerade Festival

Outcome: Host School North Gwinnett capped off a string of 3 upsets wins on their way to a 66-60 Championship Game win over Richmond Academy. Junior Forward Alex Tiller led the way for the Bulldogs with a game high 20 points. Raston Brown scored 20 points for Richmond Academy. Newton County took 3rd place with a 64-56 win over Parkview. Soph Guard Derrick Henry led all scorers with 23 pts. in the game.

Campbell Holiday Classic

Outcome: Campbell defeated M.L. King 73-70 to take home the championship of their own Campbell Holiday Classic. Blake Walker led Campbell in scoring with 23 points and Turk Bridgeman chipped in with 18. Travis Wallace had 14 in Championship game and was named Tournament MVP.

Woodstock Invitational Christmas Tourney

Outcome: Sprayberry defeated Creekview 84-80 in OT to claim the Championship of the Woodstock Invitational Christmas Tournament. Sprayberry's Bradley Grayson led the Jackets in coring with 19 points and 4 assists. Roger Hubbard scored 12 points and dished out 7 assists. Creekview was led by Andy Oliver's 25 points and 10 boards. Woodstock knocked off Pope 59-54 to place 3rd in the event. Kent Emanuel scored 29 points (including 20 in the 1st Quarter) for Woodstock.

2008 SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival Recap

The 2008 SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival was held this past Saturday at the Cobb Civic Center in Marietta. Now in its 2nd year, the event brought together a quality 10 team field to compete in 5 games. The field was highlighted by Hillgrove Hawks (undefeated and ranked #3 in Georgia's latest Class AAAA poll) and the Blessed Trinity Titans (who came into the game ranked #2 in Georgia's Class AA). The Festival was well attended by fans and featured good competitive basketball throughout the day.

2008 SEBA Hoop Festival Game Action


Below is a recap of each game as well as some of the event's prospects who caught our eye:

Game # 1 - Etowah def. Osborne; 61-55
The opening game of the day was a definite contrast in team styles as Osborne likes to run, run, and run some more; while Etowah is more of a deliberate half court offensive team. Osborne's outstanding team speed was effective in getting a significant amount of transition buckets. However, Etowah did a good job of handling Osborne's trapping defensive pressure with poise and as a result were able to convert a large number of high percentage shot attempts. Osborne did put together a 14-4 run in the 4th quarter to even the score at 50 all. However, the rally was not enough, as Etowah countered with 9 unanswered points of their own to take a 9 point lead with under a minute to go. Senior guard Chris Brasher led Etowah with 16 points while Osborne's 6' 6 Freshman Devonte Thorton scored a game high 20. Brasher received the MOP Award for Etowah. Speedy Senior PG Justin Browner received the award for Osborne. Browner scored 15 points and dished out 5 assists on the day.

Etowah's Chris Brasher

Game # 2 - Sprayberry def. Jonesboro; 68-65 OT
This was the certainly the day's most exciting game; keyed by several big time plays in the last minute of regulation and throughout the overtime period. After a first quarter which went back and forth, Jonesboro maintained a slim but steady lead throughout most of the first 3 and 1/2 quarters of play. The teams battled their way into the 4th quarter where they both exchanged blows. Jonesboro looked like it had probably sealed the victory when Junior Guard Jesse Gardner hit two free throws for a 58-55 lead with 5.6 seconds left. Sprayberry inbounded the ball, brought it just over half-court and at the direction of Head Coach Marc Carver, called the time out with 2 seconds left. The strategy was golden as Carver drew up a sideline out-of-bounds play to get the ball into the hands of senior sharpshooter Bradley Grayson. The play worked to perfection. Grayson came off the screen, caught the ball in the deep corner and let a long three point attempt fly. The shot swished through the net as the buzzer sounded, sending the game to OT. The overtime period also saw Grayson be the key difference maker, as he scored six points, including an offensive putback on a missed freethrow which clinched the 68-65 victory. Jesse Gardener won the MOP honors for Jonesboro with a 15 point, 6 assist effort. Bradley Grayson, who finished with 14 points, was named MOP for Sprayberry. 2011 Point Guard Roger Hubbard also scored 14 for the Jackets.

Sprayberry Team hoisting Trophy

Game # 3 - Lassiter def. Blessed Trinity; 57-40
Blessed Trinity came into this game as the clear cut favorite. The Titans were ranked as the #2 in the State in Class AA, and were coming off a tremendous 2007-08 season in which they went 27-4. Lassitter High however proved that they are a team to be taken seriously as they dominated this game from the get- go. The Trojans, who led by 20 points at the half, forced 30+ turnovers on the evening and also forced Blessed Trinity into a very tough shooting performance. Lassiter Senior PG Blaise White (5' 10, PG, 2009) played very well on both ends of the floor. He scored 15 points and dished out 6 assists on his way to receiving Game MOP honors. Junior Wing Joey Parry also showed his shooting range on the way to 15 points. 6' 5 Senior forward Phillip Lutzenkirchen, who is a highly recruited standout on the football gridiron, came off the bench to score 11 points and rip down 7 boards for Lassiter. There were not many bright spots on this evening for Blessed Trinity. The Titan's senior duo of Arris Brundidge and Ryan Legates, who came into the game averaging a combined 35+ points per outing, struggled throughout the evening. The duo combined for only seven total points on the night. A lone bright spot for Coach Brian Marks was the play of 6' 5 Freshman Roch Rucker, who showed glimpses of a bright future with 6 second half points and 4 rebounds.

Blaise White receives MOP Award from SEBA Director Billy LoPresti

Game # 4 Hillgrove def. Harrison, 66-47

Hillgrove's Darius Baugh shoots over Harrison defender

Picture courtesy of Marietta Daily Journal

The Civic Center was heated up for this matchup between the two Cobb County schools which are located only a few miles away from one each other. Hillgrove came into the game undefeated at 9-0 and ranked as the State's #3 ranked Team in Class AAAA. Harrison was primed to pull off the upset, and played Hillgrove very tough through most of the first half. The lead went back forth between the two teams until the 2:30 minute mark of the 2nd quarter, when the Hawks forced several turnovers and scored on three consecutive fast-break opportunities. Hillgrove took a 32-22 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Hoyas scrapped their way back into the game in the opening minutes of the third quarter behind the hot shooting of Casey Belli (6' 3, SG, 2009). However, Hillgrove's Millan Rodrigo (6' 2, PG, 2009) spearheaded a 10-0 run with two driving layups, a steal, and a block shot that broke open the game. From that point onward, Hillgrove was completely in control and cruised to the nineteen point victory. The Hawks put forth a very impressive team effort, receiving big plays from a number of players. Rodrigo, who was named the Game MOP, scored 13 points and played stellar defense throughout the evening. Darius Baugh (6' 3, CG, 2009) scored 18 points, while Junior Mike Lawrence (6' 3, Wing, 2010) added 16 points for Hillgrove. Hillgrove Big Man Heath Houston (6' 8, F, 2010) chipped in with 8 points and was big on the boards throughout the game. He also added the game's top highlight with a monster alley oop dunk in transition off of a long lob thrown by Rodrigo. Harrison's Casey Belli received MOP honors for the Hoyas with his 17 point performance.

Hillgrove's Millan Rodrigo receives MOP Award

Game # 5 - Marietta def. Southwest Atlanta Christian, 73-58

The final game of the evening paired two prestigious basketball programs with outstanding traditions, state titles, and which have have produced All-American and NBA caliber talent. However, both Marietta and SACA are in rebuilding mode this season and have struggled in the early 08-09 season. The nightcap was a hard fought game in which Marietta's fast break play and sizeable rebounding advantage proved to be too much for the young and inexperienced SACA squad. Marietta took a 21-9 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and never looked back from there. The Blue Devils received solid contributions from their entire roster, putting 12 players in the scoring column. Senior Kenny Sprague (6' 2, SG, 2009) led the way for Marietta with 14 points and earned MOP honors. SACA's Michael Murray (6' 3, SG, 2010) put in a very admirable effort on his way to scoring 26 points in the losing effort.

Notes and Observations:

• Hillgrove has an excellent squad and could very well make a strong push for the Class AAAA State Crown. The team is extremely well coached, has excellent guard play, size in the post, and plays with good chemistry. Coach Ed Morris has done a tremendous job with building this program (only in it's 3rd year).
• Hillgrove boosts two good looking unsigned senior guards in Darius Baugh and Millan Rodrigo. Both are players that could make good targets at the Low D1 or Mid to High D2 levels.
• Hillgrove's 2010 SG prospect Mike Lawrence played his way onto the radar of several of the Low Major D1 Coaches that were in attendance. He is athletic, good in transition, and can create well off the dribble.
• Hillgrove's has a pair of 6' 8 juniors with nice potential in Heath Houston and Mike Voso. Houston is a good Low/Mid-Major D1 prospect right now and could very well see his recruitment reach the High Major level as he continues to mold his offensive game and skill. Voso comes off the bench for the Hawks but plays with solid fundamentals, and understanding of the game. He also seems to have pretty decent footwork the two times we have seen him play.
• Osborne's Devonte Thornton (6' 6, Forward, 2012) is just a freshman, but the kid has tremendous upside potential. The lanky rookie looked very good on his way to scoring 20 points and making several impressive plays on the defensive end. If he continues to develop and improve, he is a sure fire D1 prospect.
• Sprayberry has a nice looking 2011 tandem of Roger Hubbard (5' 11, PG, 2011) and Chevelan Pearson (6' 5, SF, 2011). Hubbard is a pure point guard who plays with good instincts and quickness. He plays with good intensity and can create offense. Pearson is an athletic wing with length that has the potential to be a very impressive prospect.
• SACA's young team is struggling, but one of the few bright spots for the Warriors has been the play of Junior SG Michael Murray (6' 3, SG, 2010). Murray is a good ball player. The 6' 3 guard can score in a variety of ways and has put up big numbers all season long despite being double consistently teamed. We were impressed with his non stop effort despite SACA being down double digits throughout the game.
• Lassiter PG Blaise White is a prospect that should be closely evaluated by D2 and High D3 programs looking for a smart and skilled lead guard. White has a very good handle, good court vision, and can stick the jumper. He also does very well in the classroom, making him especially attractive to Elite Academic D3 programs.
• Jonesboro's "Gardner Brothers" were both impressive, but in different ways. Antonio Gardner (6' 8, Forward, 2009) is a big forward with excellent length and potential. His play was inconsistent and he has definite rawness to his game. With that said, he showed spurts of excellent play and is the type of kid who should fully blossom at the college level. Jesse Gardner (6' 1, PG, 2010) is a nice looking lead guard who distributed very well and showed the ability to score. He also plays with a positive swagger which compliments his skills well.

Featured Game: McEachern vs. North Cobb (12/09/2008)

The Atlanta Roundball Report was at North Cobb High School Tuesday this evening to watch the Warriors take on visiting McEachern High. What looked on paper to be a good Region 5-AAAAA matchup turned sour as North Cobb was forced to sit three starters who were serving suspensions from an incident in previous game. One of the players suspended was standout senior and Murray State signee Colin Slotter (6' 5, Wing, 2009).

With North Cobb's suspended players out of action; McEachern cruised right from the tip-off. The Indians used excellent defensive ball pressure to key a 18-2 run to start the game. This run included 4 dunks. As a result of the suspensions, North Cobb was forced to play a number of underclassman heavy minutes. The bigger, stronger, and faster Indians pretty much had their way with the younger North Cobb crew throughout the evening. McEachern demonstrated good patience on the offense end and was pretty much able to get a high percentage shot on almost every possession. They also did a fine job of attacking the offensive glass for easy second putbacks and forcing turnovers which led to easy transition buckets. North Cobb put together a modest 6-0 run in the 2nd quarter to cut the lead to eleven points with 6 minutes to go before the half. However, that was short lived as Trae Golden (6' 2, PG, 2010) knocked down several tough 3-pointers and Kadeem Batts (6' 9, Forward, 2009) converted three buckets inside to put the game permanently out of reach.

Our observations from the game:

• 6' 9 Kadeem Batts has improved quite a bit from last season. While his size and athleticism allowed him to be very effective last season; he seems to have been working on both his inside post moves and his stroke from mid-range jumper. The Providence signee has excellent potential and should only get better as he adds to his game.
• Trae Golden can score just as well as any player in the state of Georgia. He has established that during his strong freshman and sophomore campaigns. However, the one knock some people had on Golden was that his defensive game was significantly below his offensive prowess. Well that certainly was not true this evening as Golden's defensive play was fantastic. He put excellent pressure on the ball against North Cobb's quick backcourt players and at times dominated defensively with his quickness and upper body strength. His defensive effort certainly fed down to his teammates.
• McEachern's Alioune Diouf (6' 6, Wing, 2009) is a first-class athlete. He has the kind of elite athleticism craved by coaches in today's college game. However, he needs to continue to develop his offensive skills and overall understanding of the game. The extent in which he improves in those areas will dictate the amount of success he has at the college level.
• McEachern overall talent level is impressive. They have athleticism, size, skilled players, and seem to play with better chemistry than last year's squad. McEachern has a very legitimate shot to challenge for the State Title.
• North Cobb does have a very solid collection of younger 2011 players in the rotation for them. While they started off with the "deer in the headlights" look to start the game, they did eventually calm down and played hard throughout the game. North Cobb Head Coach Terry Gorsuch is one of the best coaches in the state and this group should develop nicely under his tutelage.
• McEachern (6-0) will take on Marietta this Friday at home while North Cobb (4-2) will face South Cobb.

Featured Game: Hillgrove remains Unbeaten

The Atlanta Roundball Report traveled to West Cobb County on Tuesday night to watch Hillgrove High battle Lassiter High School in a early out-of-region matchup.

Background Info:
While Hillgrove is a new school (only in it’s 3rd year) and not yet a familiar name to some Atlanta area hoops fans, the Hawks have a talented and experienced club which is quickly establishing itself as one of the top AAAA teams in the state. Coach Ed Morris, who formerly was the Head Coach at neighboring McEachern High, has done a fantastic job with the development of the program. Hillgrove advanced to the State Tournament last year in only the school’s second season, and returned virtually every key player from that team which won 19 games. Lassiter returns all of their key players from last year team which played very well down the stretch. Jeremy Morris‘ Trojans could very well earn a playoff bid this season in the state’s toughest region (6-AAAAA).

Game Outcome:
Hillgrove continued their stellar early season play with a 76-62 win over Lassiter. The Hawks improved to 5-0 on the early season and should consider strong consideration for a Top 10 ranking in the next AAAA Coaches Poll. Five seperate players scored in double figures for Hillgrove, led by Darius Baugh's 23 pts. and Millan Rodrigo's 17 pts. The Hawks quickness and defensive pressure was too much for Lassiter to handle this evening.

Our observations from tonight:

• Hillgrove has a nice combination of strong guard play, size, and quickness. The received contributions this evening from a number of players at key points in the game.
  
• The two top contributors were Seniors Darius Baugh (6’ 3, SG, 2009) and Millan Rodrigo (6’ 2, CG, 2009). Baugh is an impressive guard who spark plugged Hillgrove’s 2nd half run that broke open the game. In one critical span, he scored a tough transition layup, knocked down a tightly contested three-pointer, and had two acrobatic drives wher e he hit the bucket and was fouled. We were impressed with his aggressiveness and ability to score in traffic. Rodrigo is a physical combo guard with good size and strength. He utilizes a quick a first step to get to the bucket and his strength to finish. On the defensive side, he played good D on Lassiter’s guards (and also on their forwards on several occasions). Rodrigo is an excellent rebounder from the guard spot. Both Baugh and Rodrigo are available Senior prospects that will should receive close looks from College Coaches over the course of the season.
  
• Hillgrove’s 6’ 7 Heath Houston (Forward, 2010) showed glimpses of excellent potential throughout the game. It is that potential that has a number of D1 programs keeping a close eye on the long and athletic prospect. Houston was a definite presence on the defensive end of the floor, recording four blocked shots on the evening. He was hampered by foul trouble throughout the game and eventually picked up his 5th foul with just over two minutes left in the game. Offensively, Houston is a work in progress. At the high school level, he has the sheer size and length to consistently score inside on putbacks and around the rim. However, as is usually the case with bigger players at the high school level, he will need to continue to develop his footwork and moves both with his back to the basket and facing the basket. With that said, Houston certainly has significant upside potential and should be a hot target in the State’s 2010 class.
  
• Another Hillgrove player who impressed was point Guard Kelton Buchanan (5’ 10, PG, 2009). The senior floor leader is quick and plays with a quarterback’s mentality. Offensively, he used demonstrated good passing, and several nice dribble moves into mid range pull ups. Defensively, he played strong on ball defense and forced Lassiter into several direct turnovers.
  
• Lassiter seemed to suffer from some opening game jitters. We got the feeling that this is a good team that had an off-night.
• Senior Point Guard Blaise White (5’ 8, PG, 2009) who was an 2nd team All-Cobb selection last season, demonstrated a very good handle and court vision. He is a heady floor leader who is very adept at creating good shot attempts for his teammates. Unfortunately for Lassiter, not enough of those shots were converted this evening. Hillgrove did do an excellent job defensively on White to limit his penetration and scoring opportunities.
• Fellow Senior Alex Gilmore (6’ 5, Wing, 2009) is another talented player for Lassiter who happened to also have an off night. He did have moments that showed his capability, as evidenced with a couple of impressive drives and defensive plays. Gilmore has good length and showed the ability to create for himself on several occasions. He has significant upside and should be expected to have a good season.
• Lassiter did receive excellent good shooting from two junior wing players. Joey Parry (14 pts. and four three point field goals) and Hutson Mason (13 pts.) both had respective hot streaks from beyond the arc.

Up Next:

Lassiter (0-1) will play Sprayberry this coming Friday night while Hillgrove (5-0) will look to extend their winning streak as they take on Lithia Springs.

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.

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.