Plenty of strong Atlanta teams figure to contend for state titles last season. South Atlanta and Miller Grove asserted themselves as two teams amongst those contenders for the upcoming season, as both notched impressive wins at the Elite 8 Thanksgiving Hardwood Classic at Georgia State.
The Hornets kicked off the evening’s set of games with a resounding victory over the Greenville Patriots, who feature UGA commit Kentavious Caldwell, the state’s undisputed No. 1 talent. Caldwell was fantastic, scoring 32 on the evening. But Michael Reddick’s defense held him at bay in the first half, as the usual dead-eye shooter went 0-6 from three-point range. The Hornets went into a half with an essentially insurmountable 37-19 lead at the break.
Caldwell responded with a fine second half, scoring ten straight to open the third quarter and finishing with 32 points. But South Atlanta has a star of their own in 6-8 Alabama commit Nick Jacobs, who dominated the paint and helped to keep the Patriots at bay. Despite Caldwell’s second half performance, GHS never pulled within ten.
Big props to the South Atlanta backcourt, you might have thought that Naquavious King, just a sophomore, would have had trouble with Caldwell. But he and others were able to harass the sharpshooter as they stormed out to a big early lead. With a nice mix of athleticism and hustle play, they are a team to watch this season.
Meanwhile, Miller Grove impressed greatly in a resounding 79-57 win over Kevin Ware and Rockdale Co. in a battle between the state’s top two ranked squads. The Tennessee commit had to deal with an impressive opening victory. They will have a tough road in Region 6, Class 4Awhich features a plethora of great teams this season per usual. But you’d be hard pressed to find a team in the region with better personnel. Do it-all big man Tony Parker is the man to watch, but 6-7 Brandon Morris is also there to take pressure off of one of the state’s top juniors.
With the two nearly flawless performances, it’s clear that both teams will be major forces in their respective classifications this year.
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