A running account of the Augusta area’s basketball and football scene. This is the blog. Go to @AugBball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live coverage.
Showing posts with label Laney (2014-15). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laney (2014-15). Show all posts
My blog post below may read like Morgan County's Tookie Brown was solely responsible for Saturday's win. Not so. Morgan County has a great team. Laney too. Hopefully my video report above does both teams justice.
A reader of this blog and I have been texting since Laney fell to Morgan County 68-62 Saturday in the semifinals of the state playoffs. The question I have been asked is "how can one player beat a team like Laney?" The answer is easy. No matter what the upside projecting recruiting experts think, when it comes to winning basketball games, there is no better high school player in our state than Morgan County's Tookie Brown, especially when he has a second half like Saturday when he scored 32 points. My good friend Keenan Mann's remark gives some insight into how impressive a feat that is: "That is literally one bucket every minute for a whole half." An unbelievable performance.
Before Saturday I believed the only just outcome for coach Harris's team would be a state championship. It is no secret I am a huge fan of the program. After watching the team's 29 game winning streak and the way the guys accomplished it with stunning class, I couldn't stomach the thought of the pain they would go through if they were to come up short. And honestly it took a little while to get over the pain I felt thinking about the pain they were likely feeling after Saturday's loss.
Laney won 29 straight games against the toughest schedule an area team has ever played.
But the text conversation with my friendly reader helped to clarify my thoughts. I now understand there was always more than one "just outcome" for our beloved Wildcats. And Saturday's outcome, the temporarily more painful one, is a true testament to the team's greatness that the only thing that could derail the Wildcats was what had to be the best performance ever by one of the greatest high school players our state has seen.
No matter that the final game of Laney's season was a loss. I still believe this team is as great as any our area has ever seen. And state title or not, there is only one other team I believe may have been as great.
The video above is obviously the last game report of the 2014-2015 season featuring Laney's boys team. Congratulations to the Wildcats for having a historically great season.
Senior Jashawn Brooks scored 25 points to lead Laney
I try to put meaningful information and insight into my posts about area basketball. I have commented about Laney countless times this season. Not once have I asked for a particular player's point total after a Laney game. The number of points scored by one player is never the story behind Laney's success, in my opinion. But tonight I had to double back and find coach Buck Harris to ask how many points senior Jashawn Brooks scored. His 25 points led the Wildcats to a 92-67 third round win in fellow number one seed East Hall's gym. Brooks's barrage of threes was the story tonight. Kind of. Let me explain.
That a player with Jashawn's size, athleticism, and basketball smarts has a shooting stroke as sweet as his is noteworthy. But there are so many noteworthy things about Laney's team that it is easy to lose track of the gifts of any one player. Brooks's three pointer that swished right as the second quarter buzzer sounded put Laney ahead 39-27. And this was just the beginning of an array of bombs from the senior leader as Laney would score 49 points during the game's next 12 minutes before nursing its 20+ point lead in the game's final minutes.
Coach Buck Harris had high praise for junior point guard Zep Jasper
But as well as Jashawn played, there were long stretches of time when other Wildcats carried the offensive load. Junior Collin Young gave his team an early ten point lead with a string of key baskets during the first half. And the Wildcats exploited a matchup advantage inside by isolating senior Jaylen Taylor, who finished at the rim consistently.
A key to all of this scoring coming from all of these sources was the control of the offense exhibited by junior point guard Zep Jasper. Coach Harris shared an interesting tidbit after the game when he commended Jasper's play against East Hall's full court pressure. Zep handled it so well that I told Buck I didn't even notice he was facing a full court trap!
No player on Laney's team averages more than 13 points per outing. So many different guys have made winning contributions during the team's 27 game winning streak. I would predict anyone who saw Thursday's game would tell you Brooks was on fire. But they may not immediately guess that he scored a ton of points. That's because when it comes to Laney, a team in the truest sense of the word, a single player scoring a lot of points is never the story. Even when it kind of is.
Jaylen Taylor has been teaching me
"the Laney rule" all season.
I have discovered a law of nature I'll call "the Laney rule." This rule applies only to camera operators. Luckily players, coaches, and fans need not learn the Laney rule. But people like me who aim to capture and share all the goodness found at Laney games (boys and girls) ignore it at our own peril.
The Laney rule simply dictates that while the ball is in play, cameras must roll. I relearned the Laney rule Saturday in the teams' sweet sixteen round blowout wins. If the camera isn't rolling, I am likely to miss Jaylen Taylor gliding through the air for a rim shaking dunk. Or Aliyah Collier will steal the ball in the back court and hit a cutting De'sha Benjamin, who will finish in stride with her left hand. Or coach Buck Harris will holler "four," prompting the floor to be spread, and Zep Jasper will dart to the hoop or bury a three off the bounce.
In the video above, I try to show you what I mean by the Laney rule. The Wildcats teams are those rare teams that even make blowouts like Saturday's must see events!
Laney has played brilliant basketball all season. But what should be particularly worrisome to class AAA playoff participants is that for three consecutive games the Wildcats have been scorching hot from the field. The Wildcats scored 92 points in a region tournament semifinal victory over Josey, 40 in the first half of the championship game versus Washington County, and 85 Tuesday in the opening game of the state playoffs.
Laney's Zep Jasper is featured in the video above. Tonight
was the first game in weeks he didn't face AJ Gray (WACO),
Darius Williams (Josey), or Don Coleman (Butler).
Watch the second episode of "The Playoffs" above to see Zep Jasper, Jashawn Brooks, Christian Keeling and company lead Laney to a 44-18 halftime lead in front of a roaring, filled to capacity home crowd.
I've learned Butler, Josey, and Washington County lost Wednesday. Expect something special from me soon about the seniors on those teams.
Harlem won Wednesday. And I should know Aquinas and Augusta Christian's next move soon.
My weekend schedule will probably include the sweet sixteen round games for Greenbrier's girls, Laney's girls, Laney's boys, and Harlem's boys, as well as GRU's homecoming game.
And expect an update soon on the college hoops scene. At halftime of the Laney game, I left to see GRU hammer Francis Marion. I'll report on that here tomorrow. Until then, you know where to find me.
Taylor then crosses right back
over, again using her left hand.
Morgan Taylor splits a double team
with a left handed dribble...
Destiny Marshall drives hard right
against Carver's full court pressure...
Marshall then spins hard from right
(her weak hand) to left to beat the defender.
I strive for sincerity in describing the players and teams I watch. So when I called Greenbrier's attack in Tuesday's playoff win "fast paced and fundamentally sound", I meant something specific. The thought that spurred the comment was about how few high school players have mastered the game's most basic fundamentals. I don't mean to say that other local teams on both the girls and boys sides are lacking in fundamental skills. But there are reasons the best teams are the best teams. Mastery of the fundamentals makes the game look simple. And it enables teams to play fast and at times score a lot of points. Our area's best girls and boys teams are also the most fundamentally sound teams. Take for examples the Greenbrier girls, the Laney boys and the Laney girls teams. All three won their respective region tournaments this past weekend. All three have had recent stretches where they've lit up the scoreboard. And all three have shown great mastery of the game's fundamental skills.
Lady Wolfpack guards Morgan Taylor and Destiny Marshall display their abilities to beat defenders with either hand in the "frame by frame" picture sequence above. Laney's Aliyah Collier's highly effective habit of "throwing ahead" to teammates in transition, and her overall gift for making teammates better, is shown in the video below. Laney's senior Jashawn Brooks's ability to pull up and knock down perimeter jump shots off the bounce and the accurate outlet passes from Greenbrier's Jennifer McMahan during Tuesday's game are also shown in the video.
One night of "the playoffs" is behind us. The girls teams of Greenbrier, Laney, Grovetown, Cross Creek, Washington County and Hephzibah are still alive. Tonight the boys teams of Laney, Washington County, Josey, Butler and Harlem take the court for round one. And Aquinas, Augusta Christian, and Alleluia will start their state tournaments soon. Stay tuned for daily episodes of "The Playoffs." Right here. I'll see you in the gym.
Jasper appears to be beaten here. But
his coach's instructions not to let Gray
"get to his left" are surely in his mind.
I got the opportunity to coach again Saturday. Just for a moment. After shaking hands with Laney's Junior point guard Zep Jasper hours before he was to draw the unenviable task of checking the hottest player coming into Saturday's region championship game (Washington County's AJ Gray) I reflexively gave him my only advice. "You better take advantage of almost every foot of the 94 feet long court because the few feet around the basket are going to belong to him," I instructed. Gray made "Dirk-like" fall aways and 18 foot pull up jumpers with hands in his face all week. When a player with his size and skill is able to make those kinds of shots, there is not much a defender can do.
Zep has almost recovered. I see coach
Buck has taught him what he taught his old
"Metros:" How to use the inside forearm!
After AJ continued his lights out shot making throughout the first half of Saturday's region championship game, Jasper began to wear him down by denying him the ball all over the court in the second. I am tempted to believe I helped him focus his thoughts on this task. But the truth is Jasper has employed this strategy successfully all season against the state's best guards. Tookie Brown (Morgan County), Jared Harper (Pebblebrook), Don Coleman (Butler), Darius Williams (Josey), TreHansbrough (Buford), and Gray are a few. And the further truth is that, as is usually the case, Zep's coach Buck Harris has everything to do with the point guard's preparation.
The state's best two way guard finished
the job. He has had a great season!
I recall Buck recently saying "when AJ gets to his left hand, it's over." The photo sequence (right) shows Jasper making certain he keeps Gray from getting to his left hand on a second half drive to the basket Saturday. Zep obviously listens well. Certainly to Buck. And possibly to me. After all, Zep made Gray stop short of the paint, the area I predicted AJ would own. Kudos to the guy who has to be the best two way point guard we will see playing high school basketball this season, Laney's Zep Jasper.
***This post was inspired by the (what I think are) cool action pictures I caught during Saturday's region championship game. Here are links to four posts from last week, which include my thoughts and four "Championship Week" episodes. Laney and Washington County's paths to the region championship game, and much more, are featured in these episodes.*** Championship Week (Episode 4): Laney's Boys and Girls Sweep Region Championships
Every morning, starting Wednesday and ending today, I have tried to release an episode of "Championship Week," which chronicled all the region tournament action I could see!
Here is my account of the final day of region 3A tournament basketball. I'll tell it in the order I saw it...
Laney's Aliyah Collier seemed to be everywhere
in the Lady Wildcats' region championship game win.
I anticipated the region 3A tournament's third place game being a classic. I was wrong. Butler and Josey's players showed little interest in winning a basketball game Saturday. Josey's Darius Williams and Donald Jordan eventually mustered enough energy to claim the consolation prize. But these two teams will need to make adjustments to make the type of noise we all expect in the state playoffs.
Luckily the championship games were nothing like the consolation game. The Lady Wildcats of Laney looked as sharp as I've seen them. I have been writing about Aliyah Collier's ball hawking and playmaking. Saturday she blocked shots, rebounded, stole passes, picked up loose balls and converted those opportunities into easy baskets for her teammates and herself. Freshman De'sha Benjamin played extremely well, making jump shots and finishing with both hands. But Laney's region championship was a team effort of the best kind. The girls appear to sincerely enjoy playing together and making each other successful. They are very fun to watch.
Zep Jasper did another masterful job of running the team
on one end and defending the opponent's best on the other
in Saturday's region championship win.
After Thursday's semifinal round, I said both Laney and Washington County's boys were playing their best basketball of the season. I hoped they could extend that rhythm to Saturday's championship game, but I was prepared for a let down. No such thing occurred. It is a testament to Laney's greatness that even with Washington County's dynamo AJ Gray making shots from everywhere (like he did Thursday), and with forward Ti Lewis converting around the rim, the Wildcats were still able to build a 40-30 halftime lead.
I explain in the Championship Week episode above
my reasons for giving Jashawn Brooks a "first ballot"
slot on the coming "All AugBball Team"
Senior Jashawn Brooks had a special evening in his last region outing. He buried threes, sank jumpers off the dribble, and even broke free for a fast break dunk. Zep Jasper and Collin Young provided more offense, and forwards Jaylen Taylor, Tommy Smith, and Jervon Walker were their usual active selves.
While Laney extended its lights out play for 32 minutes, WACO was unable to finish in the second half what it started in the first. Laney's Zep Jasper did a great job of denying Gray the ball after halftime, and the Golden Hawks only scored 16 points after the break.
Three months after losing its home opener in Saint Francis's gym, Laney has won 26 consecutive games and earned a region championship along with the accompanying #1 seed heading into the state playoffs. Both Laney teams and the Washington County boys look poised for state tournament success. I sincerely hope Butler and Josey join the party. If so, it will be a great "march to Macon!"
Every morning, starting Wednesday and ending Sunday, I will release an episode of "Championship Week," which will chronicle all the region tournament action I can see!
Laney's Zep Jasper will likely draw his customary
"double duty" Saturday: run the offense and guard
Washington County's AJ Gray!
A general rule of thumb is that close basketball games are the best kind. But mistaking Laney and Washington County's region 3A tournament semifinal blowout wins over Josey and Butler, respectively, for a disappointment would miss the point. The point is that at the end of a thrilling season, and at the beginning of what we all hope will be a great post season, Thursday's winners played, in my opinion, their best games of the season. What more could coaches Buck Harris and Carlos Hope hope for? And what more can we fans want? Two great teams, each playing great basketball, will collide Saturday in the championship game of the region tournament of the best region we have seen in a long time. This season's "championship week" is a special one!
WACO's AJ Gray had the best individual performance
I've seen this season Thursday in a win over Butler
Coach Harris and I must see the game with similar eyes. During a Friday morning phone conversation, he took the words out of my mouth (and off this screen), saying that Thursday's 92 point offensive explosion is noteworthy because it has been a while since the Wildcats "made a bunch of shots" in a game. "Making shots" is coaching short hand. It is understood that almost all teams are good when their shots are falling. But great teams win when they aren't. That Laney has won 25 consecutive games against the most difficult schedule any of us has seen, and that those wins have come even during stretches of time when shots aren't falling is the reason I call the Wildcats the greatest high school team our area has seen... at this point in the season.
Even Coleman's 34 points were not enough
against WACO in Thursday's seminfinals
And Harris didn't object to my saying Washington County's AJ Gray put in the best individual performance of any area player this season in his team's semifinal win over Butler. Gray played like a "point-power forward" and absolutely picked apart the Bulldog defense, finding teammates for easy baskets and seemingly scoring at will with an array of drives and finishes. The area's (and state's) best football player has been one of our five best hoopers all season. At times I have thought he has been our BEST hooper. Last night I know he was.
With two great teams peaking at the most important moment so far this season, we should be in for a real treat Saturday. That would be a fitting end to Championship Week, and to the past two months of thrilling region 3A basketball.
The last day of regular season high school basketball did not disappoint as our city's most intense rivalry (Laney vs Josey) provided a fitting end to a captivating journey. I've told many that I don't think Laney has played in front of an empty seat during a local game this season. But as expected, the crowd and the electricity at Josey was unique and special. I talked to several friends who arrived 1.5 hours before the girls tipped off to be sure to get a seat. The walls and halls were stacked several deep and the home and visiting crowds each played a major factor in the game.
Josey's fans had the most to cheer about during the first half. Senior dynamo Darius Williams showed it is possible to dominate a game whether or not the shots are falling. He was relentless in attacking coach Buck Harris's traps and double teams, scoring in transition, and following his own misses.
The regular season's last game was between our
city's biggest rivals: Laney and Josey
When Darius wasn't scoring, diving on the ground, and wrestling rebounds from the opponent, he was supporting and leading his younger teammates Donald Jordan and Jonathan Butler. These two made me look smart for featuring them in last week's post about Josey and Westside's key underclassmen. Jordan was as steady as ever, making threes and getting to the basket. And Butler sent the crowd into a frenzy twice with his best Darius Williams impersonation, weaving through traffic and finishing in acrobatic fashion.
With Laney's starters ALL in foul trouble and on the bench for most of the second quarter, Laney looked as vulnerable as I've seen them as the Wildcats trailed 39-31 at halftime. But the second half belonged to Laney. Junior Christian Keeling started the third quarter with back to back mid range jump shots. Senior Jashawn Brooks continued his habit of impacting both ends by scoring in the paint, making jump shots, getting to the free throw line and saving a basket with a block from behind. By the time Zep Jasper went to work, the Wildcats had turned an 8 point deficit into a 12 point lead.
Check out the video above to see Josey's gutsy attempt at handing the Wildcats their first loss since the season's first game. Also featured in the video are highlights from the girls contest. When you watch, keep one thing in mind: we get to do this all again next week at Laney in the region 3A tournament! We are lucky. I'll see you in the gym!
Friday was certainly not my first time watching the Laney and Washington County's boys teams play. They are among the area's top handful of teams. And the region 3A rivalry game was as fantastic as expected. As good as that game was, I was probably as excited to take a close look at a Laney Lady Wildcats game. And a late afternoon viewing of a 13 year old scoring machine, and a brief but emotional stop at "Willie 'Tebow' Tolbert Gymnasium" for Josey's "Flashback Friday Night" senior ceremony was icing on the Friday night hoops cake.
Laney vs WACO (Boys)
This game felt like a region 3A tournament preview, especially because it was game two of a three game series in an eight day period featuring the region's/area's four best teams. Here is a list of those games:
And to think we get to do it all again this Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the region 3A tournament at Laney... No wonder a college coaching friend whose Augusta basketball experience includes only this January 9th Laney-Butler game and last night's senior night showdown texted me the following message just before tip-off: "I love it here. This is where basketball lives." Heck yes!
I have watched two Washington County games from the top of the bleachers and two on film. Standing along the baseline Friday made me appreciate the size of the Golden Hawks' frontline. Before Friday I had guessed the skilled junior post Ti Lewis's height to be 6'3". After standing near him I'll say he is a solid 6'5". He is mobile and strong. And his greatest strengths lie in his fundamental skills. He has a nice touch around the basket, he makes floaters, and he is a solid mid range shooter. I'm appreciating region 3A inside play more all the time. Underclassmen Lewis, Ricquail Smoot (Butler), Bobby Jackson (WACO), and Elijah Brown (Westside) have joined seniors Jaylen Taylor and Jervon Walker (Laney) as difference makers in the paint.
And I haven't gotten to AJ Gray, one of the area's top five players, not to mention Georgia's best footballer. Gray does it all on the court, from long range bombing to assaulting the rim. And after standing near him for the first time in two years I'll say he has become a mountain of a man.
Washington County played as well in Laney's gym as any opponent has this season, further convincing me this region has at least four teams capable of reaching the final four in Macon, and under the right circumstances, grabbing a state championship.
Despite a meaningful attempt by the Golden Hawks to hand Laney its first loss in three months, the Wildcat train continued to chug Friday. Long distance makes were hard to come by for the home team on senior night. But Laney relied on its stellar defense to get easy baskets and played its customary brand of balanced team basketball to make it a loss free regular season at home.
Christian Keeling's steals and dunks ignited a Laney run Friday
After falling behind 21-18 in the second quarter, senior Jashawn Brooks, who was honored before the game for eclipsing 1000 career points, splashed in a deep three. And after a flurry of fast break points, including four on two Christian Keeling steals and dunks, Laney's lead stood at 33-25 at the break.
Washington County's second half start looked a lot like its first as guard Antonio Jackson buried a three from the left corner and Ti Lewis scored difficult baskets from short and medium range. This time it was Laney nursing a three point lead midway through the half. But as happened in the first sixteen minutes, a couple Wildcat High fliers got loose for breakaway slams. And this time it was Zep Jasper who provided a well timed bomb to give the home team a commanding lead.
I expected the showdown between two of the area's (and state's) best to be a blast to watch. And the game surpassed all expectations.
See highlights in the video above.
Laney Lady Wildcats vs WACO Golden Hawks
The Lady Wildcats are the first girls team
to be featured on the blog
Speaking of expectations... I expected the girls game to be a possible preview to next weekend's region 3A tournament championship game. And I expected Laney's Aliyah Collier to be as entertaining as ever. But I learned more about Laney's complete team, and it's impressive skill level, teamwork, and grit, than I foresaw.
Jasmine Bartlett and Jhessyka Williams immediately ran off nine points on 3 three pointers (one for Bartlett and two for Williams) after Collier went to the bench with foul trouble in the second quarter. And as she continued to sit through much of the third, freshman De'sha Benjamin worked her impressive inside-outside game to maintain Laney's double digit lead until Collier's return. Collier buried a three and weaved her way through the WACO defense for a basket midway through the second half and the Lady Wildcats would not be threatened again.
See highlights in the video above.
Bonus Feature: Alleluia Middle School's Ben Freed scorches the nets in as good of an offensive performance as I've seen this season
Josey's Willie Tolbert in
the gym named after him
If you love great offensive basketball, check out the highlights of Alleluia's sharpshooting eighth grader, Ben Freed. And if you are tempted to think his output is somehow less impressive because it was earned against a small private school, consider that it is extremely rare to find a player regularly scoring 30 plus points in 24 minutes, no matter the level. And when the buckets are made from all angles and spots (including the 25 feet away step back variety), that is worth noting, watching, and enjoying.
See highlights in the video above.
Extra Special Bonus:
The images coming out of Josey's Flashback Friday game versus Hephzibah in the "old gym" were moving. The late Recardell Sheppard was honored during senior night. Longtime Josey fixture and, as former Josey and College of Charleston star Tony Mitchell described him, "father to so many Josey Eagles throughout the decades," Willie "Tebow" Tolbert posed for a picture in front of a sign that identified the old gym by his name. We all love Tebow. And that is how I will end this post, with love for my Josey family. Hopefully nobody minds me calling it that.
Laney's Jasper is part of the "committee"
that gets the job done for Laney
Episode 6 of "Region Race 2015" is exclusively about region 3A, its key games this weekend, and the impact of those games on next week's region tournament. Here is the outline for the show:
- Introduction
- Last Saturday's Laney vs Butler matchup was supposed to be the last big event of the regular season...
- But Westside's win over Washington County Tuesday caused a possible shakeup in the region standings.
- Key weekend games (Glenn Hills vs Westside, Laney vs WACO, and Laney vs Josey) can impact seeds 2 through 6 in next week's region tournament.
- I look at Laney's outstanding run through the season and Will Avery's great point about Laney beating teams "by committee."
- I share thoughts and footage about Butler's Don Coleman and Josey's Darius Williams. After watching their games versus Westside last weekend (homework for this blog post), I had to share what I saw from these two exciting players.
To say Laney's Buck Harris is a great coach who gets the most out of his players would be to state the obvious and fall short of properly explaining a key reason behind his team's exceptional accomplishments. I've been guilty of using such generalities in explaining Laney's greatness. "Laney plays hard," or even "Laney plays much harder than its opponents" may have been sufficient explanations when the Wildcats shocked us all in November and December with wins over a who's who list of traditional peach state powerhouses. But a key reason for Laney's 22 game winning streak, not to mention the fact that since its season opening loss at St. Francis no team besides Morgan County (on November 29) has even seriously threatened a Wildcat lead in the final two minutes of a game, deserves a more complete telling.
Senior Jashawn Brooks and his Laney teammates have learned how to compete and win
The game's greatest minds, from Roy Williams to Jay Bilas and countless others, identify having a heightened "sense of urgency" as a prerequisite for success. Installing such a habit in teenagers is much easier said than done. In doing this, Harris is a world class teacher. I know. I am a student of his. I was reminded of that when Buck walked past me along the baseline after his players had taken the court before Laney's showdown at Butler Saturday, one of the biggest games our area has witnessed. With his own sense of urgency, Buck shouted his customary "What's up, Cook!?" greeting. I'm sure he meant what he said, a simple hello. And I realize what I will share seems unreasonable. But in that moment I flashed back to my playing days when he taught me to compete. And to have a sense of urgency. I began questioning myself. Was I right to skip Laney's recent games against Buford, Glenn Hills, Westside, and Hephzibah? Was Buck sending me a hidden message?: "If you are going to write a blog about basketball in Augusta, what the hell are you doing skipping the games of (maybe) the best high school team our city has ever seen?" It is fair to say he instantly raised my sense of urgency. Almost certainly without trying. Buck does that.
So it is easy for me to imagine his players habitually being prepared to give maximum effort during practices; behaving in a reputable manner at school; and not only accepting but cherishing their roles as members of a truly special team. And will they get on the floor for a loose ball? Please! These are not the normal habits of teenage basketball players. Hall of fame coaches like Roy Williams struggle to get the most dedicated young adults on basketball earth to approach their craft in the manner Buck so consistently draws out of the young men he teaches. And like Williams points out in this article, which attempts to define what having a "sense of urgency" means to him, the concept goes much deeper than the sprinting and diving on the floor that passes for playing hard.
Because most teams do not play hard, a team can be good by simply sprinting and diving. I have seen a few good teams this season. But the sense of urgency that Williams describes, and Harris teaches, separates great teams from good ones. Laney is great. And the ability to instill in young people that sense of urgency separates great coaches from good ones. Buck Harris is a great coach. One who compares favorably even to the Roy Williams types. I know from experience.
***Here are some posts from the past about the Laney Wildcats***
Episode 4 of "Region Race 2015" follows this outline:
- Laney beats region foes Washington County on the road and Josey at home. I show highlights and talk to Laney coach Buck Harris about junior Collin Young.
- Augusta Christian faces Hammond and Seventh woods Friday in what should be a packed house. I talk about the Lions' impressive advantage inside and its exceptional talent level.
- Region 1A update: Aquinas is heading for a second place finish heading into region tournament action. But the post season will give the Irish another chance at region leader Hancock.
"Mr. January" Christian Keeling flies over Josey in region action
- Region 2A update: Harlem can finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd, depending on the results of approaching home games against Swainsboro (Friday) and Dublin (Saturday).
- Region 3A update: I vent some more about the silly decision the GHSA made in stripping Butler of two region wins. But I detail how Butler made up a 17 point deficit in a key win over Josey Tuesday and gets a chance to get back into second place in a showdown with Washington County Friday.
- Region 5A update: Grovetown has won five consecutive region games and taken current control of the lead in the region standings.
Thank you for reading and watching. Please comment here or on the YouTube video if you like. I have been getting a lot of emails (cookchad08@gmail.com), phone calls (706) 550-2229, and texts. Thank you for that. I like hearing from you. Please continue. Feedback helps me make better stuff!
Jaylen Taylor's leadership has been key in Laney's run
When friends have told me no area team can possibly beat Laney, I have disagreed. I have told them the players at Butler, Washington County, Josey, Glenn Hills, and Westside have played with and against Laney's guys their entire lives. These guys want more than anything shut up the mouths of we who comment on local hoops action. Also arguing for an eventual Wildcat slip is the amazingly difficult schedule coach Buck Harris has constructed. I extensively covered Laney's 8 day stretch in which they toppled class 3A's #2 (Jenkins), #3 (Butler), and #5 (Morgan County) teams. That was last week. Upon conclusion, this week's obstacle course will have included 4 games in 5 days against probable state tournament teams: Washington County (away), Josey (home), Buford (in Atlanta) and Glenn Hills (home).
So far, so good. After experiencing a brief scare at Washington County Friday and playing in front of the best high school basketball crowd I've probably ever seen in Saturday's famed Laney-Josey matchup, the Wildcats are 2-0 halfway through their trying stretch.
Laney's 17 game wining streak, and its general dominance, can never be attributed to only one player, or even two or three. But in January, a time the team has played mostly in town, giving me the chance to see the action up close rather than viewing through the web, I've found myself repeatedly saying Christian Keeling's play is making a huge impact. Before the new year Keeling certainly impacted games with his attacking style, finishing drives and getting to the foul line. Since the turn of the calendar he has added a dimension: a consistent perimeter jump shot. This is no surprise because Christian's form has always been solid. The magic of game repetitions has worked in his favor and he is now scoring from all spots and angles.
But while I am not surprised with Keeling's improving outside shooting, I truly have been by his sudden burst of high flying finishes. Christian is no first time dunker. But lately he has dunked in various ways (two-handed tip dunk off two feet versus Butler; in stride on the break after receiving a pass versus Morgan County, and another off the stride and off the pass dunk with two hands Friday at Washington County).
Little did I know these were teasers of what keeling would do Saturday to send the packed-to-absolute-capacity crowd at Laney into hysterics. For there is a difference between finger tip dunking in practice, and on breakaway plays during meaningless moments of games, and the types of plays described above. Then there is what he did in Saturday's game against Josey! In traffic and through contact, Christian rose above the crowd and finished with two "body-to-body" one handed dunks off the stride. No basketball plays electrify a crowd like these. And no crowd is more ready to be electrified than Saturday's. This sequence certainly has my vote for the most exciting sequence at this point in the 2014-15 season.
As noted, Laney's success cannot possibly be attributed to one player. Another crucial factor in the team's run has been junior Zep Jasper's play. He has consistently made life difficult for opponents' best scorers. There is not a "tougher cover" than Josey's Darius Williams. I haven't seen anybody force Williams into as many difficult situations as Jasper (and Harris' overall defensive scheme) did Saturday. And Zep absolutely controls games offensively. Through his leadership, shooters like Jashawn Brooks and Collin Young get clean looks, and finishers like Jaylen Taylor and Jervon Walker are set up properly. When Jasper looks to score, he does so efficiently. He has no trouble blowing by quick guards and finishing either at the rim or with soft floaters over taller help defenders. And Saturday he made a "rhythm dribble three" as his defender gave him space to keep him out of the paint. This was exciting to see. It's the only thing I haven't seen from Jasper this season. (Note there is a difference between this kind of shot and the catch-and-shoot three created by others that Zep has consistently made all season.)
There are too many Laney contributors to describe! Staying with juniors, I'll move to Collin Young, who has made big shots all season. In Friday's game, Young was instrumental in keeping his team close, and eventually helping it pull away from Washington County. He continued to make a difference Saturday versus Josey. During both games, Collin did far more than make open jump shots. He created opportunities off the dribble, scoring in the mid range and in the paint. And like all intelligent scorers, he crashed the offensive glass for additional chances.
And the above accounts tell only part of this weekend's Laney story. The team's battalion of senior leaders is so consistent. Brooks continues to make shots and lead in so many important ways. Jaylen Taylor always impacts games in the paint, and Saturday he showed more of his perimeter skills. And Jervon Walker, Tyqwan Wilson, Tommy Smith, and Nick Myers are all players that just about any coach of a state tournament team would be thrilled to have in his starting lineup.
There are so many good reasons Laney has had such a great season. And the results have been perfect during the first half of a particularly difficult four game in five day stretch. I wouldn't bet against the Wildcats Monday against Buford in Atlanta or Tuesday back at home.
On this week's episode, I look back at Friday's "instant classic" between our area's two best teams, Laney and Butler. I also highlight Grovetown, who recently moved into first place in the region 5A standings. And I highlight this weekend's key games with implications for region and state rankings. I hope you enjoy it!
We have a jump ball at the top of the local region 5A standings as four teams (Evans, Grovetown, Cross Creek and Richmond) all enter Tuesday's round of league games with records of 2-1. One of the two hottest teams is Evans. Senior guard Kameron Mason is back on the roster and coach Kevin Kenny's team has won two straight, at Lakeside last Tuesday and at home against then unbeaten (in region play) Cross Creek Saturday. Coach Kenny credits his team's ability to win close games (the Knights beat Lakeside by 7 and Cross Creek by 5) to the difficult lessons his players learned while losing 8 non conference games by 4 points or less before the new year.
The Knights visit the region's other surging team, Grovetown, which after dropping a home game to Cross Creek has since defeated Richmond and Greenbrier on the road. The Warriors had great crowd support when Cross Creek visited. I sure hope the Grovetown and Evans student sections suit up and make themselves heard in Tuesday's duel for a share of the lead in the 5A standings.
The Grovetown student section at a home game in 2013
Richmond Academy and Cross Creek will attempt to retain their shares of the lead in league's standings as each visits a team reeling in many ways. Greenbrier, losers of a heart breaker to Lakeside and a second half lead at Cross Creek, is closer to winning than its record indicates. Coach Casey Heckathorn's team will look to knock Richmond off its stride and begin a climb up the standings. But Richmond's size will pose a challenge to Greenbrier's guard oriented attack.
Speaking of contrasting styles, I credited Cross Creek's initial two region wins to its perimeter scoring. But coach Carlos Carter tells me his Razorbacks made only 3 of 24 three point attempts in its loss at Evans Friday. His guys will need to get into the paint to play well enough to win at Lakeside. After all, perimeter players can score near and at the rim. And the good ones do!
6'9" Panther center Jake Gilbert will be waiting. But to use that as an excuse not to attack would be playing to Lakeside's strength. Coach Jody Hilley received a blow last week as senior point guard BJ Raymond apparently decided not to play any longer. But I won't underestimate the Panthers. Guards Kre'sean Hall, Luke Harmon and Za Banks can all make plays, and they deliberately feed Gilbert near the rim. A good combination for sure.
- AugBball and SUVtv's live broadcast of Laney's convincing win over class 3A's defending state champ and class 3A's #5 ranked team, Morgan County...
But the rest of the region's heavyweights hardly stood in place during the past week. Josey won its second straight region contest Friday against Westside, and the Eagles will attempt to continue its march up the standings this Friday at Hephzibah. Glenn Hills, winner of a crucial home game Friday over Washington County, will aim to reach the .500 mark as the Spartans host Westside Friday. The Eagles and Spartans (and Butler as well) are in a sense being "repaid" after facing such difficult stretches in the early parts of their region schedules. Westside and Hephzibah, the only opponents on these teams' schedules this week, have combined region records of 1-7.
That said, there are hardly such things as "easy" 3A games in our area. Ask Washington County, who after beginning its schedule with the likes of Butler, Josey, and Glenn Hills, draws Laney Friday (along with Westside Tuesday). Coach Carlos Hope's team impressed me with a home win over Josey two Fridays ago. The Golden Eagles will aim to rebound from its road loss to Glenn Hills with two home dates this week.
"Single team regions"
It is more difficult for me to follow (in person) the teams who compete in regions in which I don't follow all the teams. For this reason I regret missing key games. For example, after Harlem recently dropped a game to region leader Swainsboro, the Bulldogs looked vulnerable approaching Saturday's road game at high scoring Dublin. And I hate that I missed the 83-80 Dublin victory. The Bulldogs (2-2) will attempt to get back on the winning track this week against Metter (Tuesday) and Jefferson County (Friday). The brighter side of missing the Swainsboro (3-0) and Dublin (3-0) games is that there are surely more such games on the horizon. In addition to Dublin's January 27th regular season visit to Harlem, the Bulldogs will likely face these teams in the semifinal and/or the championship round of region tournament play in February. Finishing first or second in this region is a tall order. But the prize will be one or more home games in state tournament play. I'll somehow arrange my calendar to catch some of this action!
Speaking of marking my calendar to catch some must see hoops, the 3-1 Aquinas Fighting Irish faces Hancock Central, by far the class of its 1A region, one week from Tuesday. As long as Aquinas takes care of Taliaferro County Friday, the trip to Sparta will give me the opportunity to see how far the young Irish have come since Hancock recently routed them.
Augusta Christian and Alleluia both opened region play Friday with road wins at Ben Lippen and Nathaniel Greene, respectively. The Lions host Cardinal Newman Tuesday and travel to Heathwood Hall Friday. The Angels play area rival Victory Baptist Tuesday in a non conference game and host region foe Hancock Friday. I sure hope to see these teams in person soon.
.png)
.png)
