The Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Basketball Classic is back and bigger than ever. After the inaugural kickoff in 2023 was a great success, there are more teams and phenomenal programs in the talented Peach State that will be in attendance.
This year will feature two locations with action beginning at Norcross High School on December 20th and ending on Saturday at McEachern High School on December 21st. Score Atlanta’s executive director and president talks about the expansion and what the event will look like this year.
“We are going into our second year of Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic Basketball and have moved to two days and eight games which is really exciting,’’ said Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic executive director and Score Atlanta president I.J. Rosenberg. “I love the variety of teams this year and the fact we are playing at two of the gyms where some of the top basketball is played in the state for boys and girls in Norcross and McEachern. It will be two great two days of basketball, and everything will be on TV.”
This year will feature eight matchups consisting of 16 teams over two days with action being televised on the Peachtree Sports Network. There will also be an out-of-state team for the first time as Pinson Valley (AL) makes its debut in the classic. Two Dekalb County teams will also be in attendance in Redan and Clarkston. Two state champions from a season ago will also be in the classic with Riverwood (Boys) and St. Francis (Girls) making their debuts. State-runner-ups Josey (Girls) and McEachern (Boys) will also make their first appearances. Staple Norcross’s boys and girls program will be back in action. Heritage-Conyers and North Springs will also make their debuts.
Here is a look at the matchups on December 20th and December 21st.
Friday
Redan vs Heritage Boys 2:00 PM
Redan is making its debut in Corky Kell and is coming off a 10-14 season. Redan lost a lot of their key players from last year’s team including their leading scorer Zion Green (15.9 PPG), Jamir Brown (13.5 PPG), and Josh Westbrook (6.5 PPG) Redan lost six seniors from last year’s squad and will have a revamped roster heading into this matchup.
Heritage-Conyers is coming off a 10-20 season and missed the playoffs after an 18-9 season the year before. The Patriots have an impressive freshman returning from last year’s team in Armond Smith. Smith averaged 8.6 PPG and was the second-leading scorer on the team. He had six games last season where he crossed double-figures
Clarkston vs North Springs Boys 3:30 PM
Clarkston went 4-21 last season and lost five seniors from last year’s team. Shooting guard Na’Shaun Porter was the third-leading scorer on the team last season and is one of the main returning pieces on offense for Clarkston.
North Springs went 10-20 last year and lost in the second round of the playoffs to Winder-Barrow 94-73. North Springs lost six seniors from last year’s team but will return Robert Harris who averaged 8.4 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Norcross vs North Paulding Girls 5:00 PM
A top matchup between two teams with state title aspirations will face off in what should be a thrilling contest.
For North Paulding, they had one of its better seasons in recent memory going 25-7 and lost to Grayson in the state championship. They will return senior standout Ava Andrews. Andrews was an all-region selection last year and is considered one of the best players in the state. She committed in late October to the University of Delaware. She is a three-level scorer who has a knack for getting to spots on the floor and creating easy buckets for herself. True freshman point guard Kenzie Hinkson will be another one to watch. She picked up an offer from Jacksonville State before even entering high school. It will be interesting to see how she adjusts to the next level but she has already created some buzz for herself.
Norcross went 24-6 and won a region championship in 2023. They lost to eventual state champion Grayson in the quarterfinals 59-38. The Lady Blue Devils lost their talented point guard Jania Akins who is now at Mercer. In this matchup, they will be led by forward Justus Fitzgerald who had an outstanding performance in the inaugural event against Baldwin last year. She has a great motor and is good on both ends of the floor putting the ball in the basket and rebounding at a high level. She was named GBCA/GACA (Georgia Basketball Coaches Association) 7A North All-state team, and Gwinnett Tip-off Club All-County and ALL-Academic team. Fitzgerald is currently committed to Syracuse. The Lady Blue Devils also added Tobi Owolabi and Jah’Naesia Spiers as key players this upcoming season. Spears is committed to Memphis and will give the Lady Blue Devils another great front-court presence to go along with Fitzgerald.
Norcross vs Pinson Valley (AL) Boys 6:30 PM
Pinson Valley is the first out-of-state team to compete in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter classic coming over from nearby Alabama. Pinson Valley went 17-12 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Muscle Shoals. The Indians will be led by Austin Coner who averaged 13 PPG, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals a game. Another player to watch will be Quay Lynch who averaged 9.3 PPG and started to come on later in the year. He scored 15 points or more in two of the final three games.
Norcross has one of the more talented teams they’ve had in the last few seasons. They are led by star wing Jaron Saulsberry who is a high flyer and a defensive menace. The Blue Devils will also have one of the top sophomores in the country in Naasir “Rudy Anderson who became a hot name in the summer circuit. The Blue Devils also have Peachtree Ridge transfer Connor Teasley, Miles Clanton, Josh Smith Jr, Kimario Sherman, and Thomas McBride. It is a very deep roster with a plethora of guys who will contribute. Norcross will be in contention for a state championship and have one of the best coaches in the peach state in Nate McMillan.
Saturday
Newton vs West Forsyth Boys 12:00 PM
Saturday’s action kickoffs at McEachern High School and will feature two teams looking to establish themselves as contenders.
Newton is a team that was ranked high in preseason polls across the state in 6A after finishing 2023 at 20-7 and losing to McEachern in the second round of the playoffs. Senior forward Davin Neal will be one to watch for the Rams. The Appalachian State commit is a good finisher around the rim and has a lot of athleticism. Point guard Marcus Smith is another to watch for the Rams. Smith is a shifty point guard who can create space from opposing defenders to get to the rim and finish through contact or create other chances for teammates. This is probably one of the deepest rosters Newton has had in a while. A few years ago they had Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs) and Jakai Newton (Indiana), but this team has depth at every position.
West Forsyth went 18-10 last season and finished 2nd in Region 6-7A with an 8-2 record. The Wolverines lost in the first round of the playoffs to Norcross 74-49. For West Forsyth, it is a program that lost eight seniors from last year’s team including standout Will Moore who is now at Marshall. Forward Grayson Smith is a player to watch for the Wolverines. He had a standout performance in our event last year winning most valuable player in the win over Lanier and hitting some clutch shots late in the game to lead West Forsyth to a win.
McEachern vs St. Francis Girls 1:30 PM
Another stellar matchup with two teams is expected to be in contention for a state title this year.
St. Francis went 24-7 and won back-to-back state titles last season after defeating Galloway 74-71. In route to their state championship, St. Francis won nine consecutive games and defeated Galloway twice during that span. They will be led by sophomore Giaunni Rogers who as a freshman was the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 13.6 PPG. Rogers scored in double-figures in four of the final five games as a freshman last year. Another player to watch is Aila Courtenay will be another to watch as she dominated the glass averaging seven rebounds per game. She had four double-doubles last season.
McEachern went 17-12 and lost in the second round to Grayson 76-31. The Lady Indians were senior-laden last year and lost six seniors from their team who were key pieces. A key player to watch is Ava Co uzens who is a multi-sport athlete who not only shines on the gridiron with her teammates in flag football but is also a dynamic point guard on the hardwood. Senior Chelsea Njoku who is known for athleticism and ability to get to the cup will also be another to watch for McEachern in this game.
Josey vs West Forsyth Girls 3:00 PM
Josey was a state-runner up, losing to Mt. Paran Christian in the state championship game. Josey returns the majority of their talent from last year’s team that will look to avenge their loss. The Lady Eagles return wing Shaniya Sanders, guard Kerri Fluellen, and forward Za’Miyah Jenkings and were named preseason all-state players. They will be contenders in 2A this year. Josey is excited to participate in the event and showcase their talent to the entire state.
“We are excited to showcase our talented student-athletes live on TV in front of the entire state. Coming from a small market in Augusta, Ga tournaments like this give our athletes the exposure they need and deserve. We are preseason ranked #1 in the class on AA. See you on December 21st,” said head coach Jamal Bailey.
The Lady Wolverines went 14-14 last season and 7-3 in region play. They lost to North Gwinnett 60-53 in the first round of the playoffs. West Forsyth will be led by junior point guard Sydney Neel, sophomore Ella Cowan, and forward Marlee Raymond. Cowan made some noise on the summer circuit with her performances. Katherine Bottoms and Zaira Smith were both all-region selections for Region 6-7A last season.
Riverwood vs McEachern Boys 4:30 PM
Both programs made it to state title appearances last year, but their rosters will look different and will have new players contributing in 2024.
For McEachern, they lost in the state championship game to Grayson 51-41. McEachern lost five-star forward Ace Bailey who is now at Rutgers. However, they do have several players to watch this year. Point guard Isaiah Dulaney is one to follow this year for McEachern. He made some noise on the On The Radar Hoops Sweet 16 this past summer with his athleticism and finishing ability around the rim. Another is big man Emmanuel Alofe who stands at 6 ’7 and is a great two-way player. He can defend on the perimeter and also defend the rim. He is known for his ability on offense to finish around the rim. A story to follow this season for the Indians is JD Palm who is a phenomenal player but has dealt with some health issues that sidelined him last year. He is on the active roster this season.
For Riverwood, they won its first state championship in program history in Class 6A defeating Alexander 67-63 in a thrilling contest. The Raiders lost three-star Karris Bilal who is now at Vanderbilt, but will have his little brother Kaleb Bilal taking over the point guard duties. Riverwood also returns prolific scorer and four-star combo guard JR Leonard (Stetson commit). Leonard is one of the best 1 on 1 scorers in the state and when he gets going is tough to contain. Another player to watch is Aiden Aponte who had a strong summer drawing interest from several colleges. He can play with or without the basketball and is an aggressive scorer who can create for himself or others. Aponte can also play multiple positions.
This will be an intriguing matchup to see who comes out on top with roster turnover on both sides. The 2nd annual Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Basketball Classic is set to be another great event that will showcase various in-state and out-of-state programs as the Corky Kell brand continues its ascension.
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