Colin Young hits the ground running at Miller Grove; I-20 Connection intro

SUVtv's Marques Burnett and I are connecting Augusta with Atlanta and all the great, 

hoops crazy spots in between in the I-20 Connection podcasts and shows.
Here is a link to episode 1.

Check out episode 2 (above) of the I-20 Connection podcast. SUVtv's Marques Burnett and I bring hoops action and commentary, focusing on the basketball played along the hoops crazy corridor between Augusta and Atlanta.

As you'll see in the game report video below
Laney transfer Colin Young looks to be
at home at Georgia power Miller Grove.

Basketball season is tipping off and we are wasting no time in bringing you some great action. Two of the state's best teams, 6A Miller Grove and 3A East Jackson squared off in a scrimmage last Wednesday. It was broadcast live on SUVtv. Two of Georgia's best players, UConn commit Alterique Gilbert (Miller Grove) and sophomore dynamo Drue Drinnon (East Jackson) headlined the preseason test.

Miller Grove is the winner of six of the last seven 6A state titles. East Jackson has the firepower to be as good as any team in any class the next few years. If the teams and players weren't enough of a draw, the game, in true "I-20 Connection" form, included Laney transfer Colin Young (Miller Grove). And Gilbert is a prized signee at UConn, where Augusta basketball legend Ricky Moore is an assistant coach.

Young's baskets last season were of the highest quality. He made the most of every opportunity, scoring 11 points per game and earning all region honors. His scoring sprees against Saint Francis, Pebblebrook, Norcross, and Washington County, among others, made a huge contribution to Laney's historic season.

But enough with the background information. On with the game report!





It's easy to get wrapped up in the hype of game previews. "Miller Grove's Alterique Gilbert versus East Jackson's Drue Drinnon" or "a battle between two of the state's best backcourts" may have led you to believe Wednesday's (globally streamed) scrimmage was likely to be close. But Brandon Clay, speaking on SUVtv's broadcast, nailed it, saying Miller Grove is probably Georgia's best team and a top 25 team nationally. And coach Sharman White's Wolverines proved it with a 94-68 win on the road against what has to be one of Georgia's most talented teams.

East Jackson's challenge was made clear early as Miller Grove pounded the offensive glass on one end and smothered Drinnon with pressure and plenty of help on the other, establishing an 18-9 first quarter advantage.

Clay nailed it again, saying Drinnon must have been seeing his two years older self (the more polished senior Gilbert) in the mirror. I'll extend that to East Jackson's entire young team. Drinnon, Travis Anderson, Lamont Smith, and others are highly capable. It will be scary if as they age they emulate Miller Grove's no nonsense, north-south attacking, ball moving, and ball hawking habits.

Flashes came during a second quarter as Drinnon started attacking the paint. Trailing 18-9, the gifted guard blew past Gilbert and fed Kamron Walters for a point blank dunk that he missed only to spark a five point East Jackson possession as an offensive rebound led to an Anderson 3. A simultaneous foul off the ball gave East Jackson another possession, and Walters tapped in a miss to cut the Wolverines lead to 18-14 in the first period.

Gilbert answered with a three in front of the student section, the same place where he had drained one to answer an earlier Anderson basket.

But Drinnon stayed aggressive. After getting and missing a high percentage 14 footer, the highly skilled sophomore worked his way deep into the paint and scored after a jump stop, a pump fake, and a soft finish. After seeing the ball go in, he followed with a couple bombs. After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, East Jackson entered halftime trailing 44-37 with solid momentum.

The momentum extended to the second half's first possession as a Travis Anderson brought East Jackson to within four, the closest the Eagles would get the rest of the night. George Wilson did his best Gilbert impersonation and answered Anderson's trey with his own. From there it was all Miller Grove as the Wolverines scored 54 second half points and took a 94-68 decision.

Jolly, Watson-Gayle, Smith light up the scoreboard in preseason play

After seeing Augusta Prep and its nifty sophomore guard Ryan Jolly, I got even more excited about the local private school scene. I followed Alleluia and Augusta Christian last season. Now I'm adding Westminster and Augusta Prep, arch rivals and region foes.

I had seen Westminster's players this fall, and I ranked them #6, right behind Alleluia in my preseason top 11. If I'd known better, I would have had made Augusta Prep the third private school team on my list.

But better late than never say I. Actually, I'm not late because Saturday was the last day of the pre-season. So there's time to show you what to expect from the Cavaliers, who compete in class 3A of the GISA.

Ryan Jolly (Augusta Prep) scored 26 points Saturday
in a scrimmage against Northwood Academy.

Sophomore point guard Ryan Jolly leads the way with a silky smooth handle, a soft shooting touch, and good agility and explosiveness. I'm surprised I only recently heard his name. He looked great Saturday against a very talented Northwood Academy.

Jolly does a great job of creating in coach Mike Guthrie's offensive system. The Cavaliers ran that scheme impressively, especially for a preseason scrimmage. The ball moves, and the players cut and attack the basket.

After seeing Augusta Prep live, I've circled these dates on my calendar:

See Jolly, Westminster's Watson-Gayle, and North Augusta's
Jaquez Smith in the video above.

January 26 - Augusta Prep at Westminster
February 9 - Westminster at Augusta Prep

These schools have long been rivals. Nothing extra is needed for games between them to be exciting. But this year's version certainly adds something special: the play of Jolly and Westminster's leader, transfer Jelani Watson-Gayle, who has instantly become one of our city's best.

His bundle of shooting, ball handling, competitiveness and basketball intelligence is impressive. Deep into the second half of Saturday's scrimmage against Blythewood, the transfer from London had scored 19 of Westmister's 29 points. He made threes and finished a variety of shots off the dribble before the Wildcats fell 48-43.

Jolly constantly challenged Northwood's defense
Saturday and lived at the free throw line. 

Westminster impressed me Saturday while playing shorthanded. Senior Nygel Eaddy impacted the game with his defensive pressure and explosiveness attacking the basket. When sophomore Michael Dukes returns to the lineup and senior Steven Lambert finds an offensive rhythm, coach Mark Tebbs's team can be a force in the GISA.

The rivalry with Prep and games against region favorite and 2015 state runner up Gatewood should be more exciting than ever. Months ago I would not have said many of our area's best players play in the private school leagues. But after seeing these teams play back-to-back at Evans Saturday, and Alleluia last week, I now believe that is the truth.

Saturday's scrimmages at Evans reintroduced old friends to my AugBball coverage. The North Augusta Yellow Jackets are always a tough bunch. I followed them through their 2013 state playoff quarterfinal run and reported on heated match-ups between the Yellow Jackets and rival Aiken.

Current North Augusta coach Tony Harrell, whom I last followed as the coach of that 2013 Aiken team, always gets the most out of his players. So it doesn't surprise me that his scrappy bunch came 4 seconds away from overcoming a 14 point halftime deficit and forcing overtime Saturday against Richmond, one of our area's most talented teams.

The furious Yellow Jacket comeback was led by Jaquez Smith, who scored 31 points and made two free throws to tie the game at 61 with 4.3 seconds remaining before Chris Jones scored a layup at the buzzer after a full court dash through traffic.

I've chosen Richmond as our area's third best team in my preseason top 11 teams series. But noticeably absent was any school from South Carolina. I planned to restrict my coverage to the Georgia side of the area. I have to draw a line somewhere.

But days like Saturday make me take an eraser to such lines. I can't watch players like Smith, Jolly, and Watson-Gayle without going back to my calendar and making the right AugBball coverage schedule work. And the right schedule includes North Augusta, defending state champ Midland Valley, and the rest of the nearby "SC Bball" that is too good to miss.

Zep Jasper - Player Profile

   Zep Jasper is the fourth of seven "first ballot" members of the All AugBball Team. 

           
Statistics like points per game don't always tell the story. I watched and reported on countless games last season, and I would bet more times than not I left out the leading scorer details. But I always include video footage supporting my analysis about the factors deciding the ultimate statistic: wins.

Laney's Zep Jasper signs his national letter of intent Thursday,
November 11, at Tubman at 1:30 P.M.

When I first learned Zep Jasper's per game scoring average, last season was almost over. It was February. All season, I had been writing and posting videos about Zep's "double duty," my way of describing the defensive job he did against our state's best scorers combined with his running of Laney's team and doing whatever was needed to win against the state's very best teams.

He made threes, made sure his teammates got the ball in the right places, and scored when needed all season long. And if there were a statistic for managing your team's possessions late in the fourth quarter, handling the ball while your team is leading, using the clock, and scoring when the defense lapses, his rating would be off the chart.

Here is a tweet and video clip from an early overtime home win over then defending state champion Morgan County. Like he did all season, Jasper scored when needed, this time with Laney nursing a lead and holding off a Morgan County run.

After MorganCo cut Laney's lead to 2, Zep Jasper answered w this dagger of a FT line pull-up off 1on1 action! http://t.co/Nuf7TrMdmq

— Chad Cook's AugBball (@AugBball) November 30, 2014

Until someone comes up with a better measurement for offensive responsibility, I'll trust my eyes when it comes to Zep. They tell me he is the best point guard I know for getting his team the highest number in the only category that matters: the number of wins.

Christian Keeling - Player Profile

Christian Keeling joins Augusta University's Keshun Sherrill and Clemson's Aliyah
Collier as the first three of seven "first ballot" members of the All AugBball Team.


As soon as I first saw Christian Keeling playing summer league ball with Laney right before his freshman year, I believed he was a player. At the time he was not a long range shooter, and he certainly was not the explosive attacker of the rim he has become. But his spirit, competitiveness, and willingness to put himself in a position where he may fail are what made me an early believer. After seeing him sparingly the following couple years in an MLK Day game here, and a summer league game there, I continued to believe in him. But like I described in a post last winter regarding then senior Butler dynamo Don Coleman, I have come to realize I underestimated Christian.

Christian Keeling signs his national letter
of intent Thursday at 1:30 P.M. at the
Tubman Auditorium

Last January, I began to realize just how good he is. After a solid November and December, Keeling, then a junior, reached another gear. He was a key factor in wins against the eventual state champion, Jenkins, and against region 3A foes Washington County and Butler.

In a post following Laney's January 9 win over Butler, I nicknamed Keeling "Mr. January." But it was in the Wildcats' January 17 home win over arch rival Josey where Christian earned the name. In fact, after he uncorked two dunks, the first through a defender and the second over one, I'll say he owned the name.

Since that day, I've seen a new Christian Keeling. Or maybe I've just come to know him better. During the remainder of the high school season and through the Spring and Summer AAU circuit, I watched him grow more confident and focused. And like he told me when he decided to stay at Laney for his senior year, he is determined to bring a state title home during this final season.

Aliyah Collier: an automatic All AugBball Team member

Clemson freshman Aliyah Collier, a 2015 Laney graduate who led the Wildcats to a state championship her senior season, joins Augusta University's Keshun Sherrill as the second of seven "first ballot" members of the All AugBball Team.

Collier does it all on the court. Her performance in the state championship game last season was truly remarkable as her stat line indicates: 24 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals. She made 16 of 20 free throws in the season's biggest game.

But the moments I remember most fondly have nothing to do with statistics:

Watching from the bench with first half foul trouble on senior night against Washington County, Aliyah looked truly depressed. All players want to play. But being forced to sit appeared to eat her up in a way different from most. When she returned in the second half, she led a route that extended a historic Laney run through post season play. This was when I first realized her enthusiasm for the game and for winning was different than most players'.

In Laney's state playoff quarterfinal matchup against then undefeated and #1 ranked Dawson County, Aliyah covered the court's entire 94 feet, blocking shots, stealing passes, grabbing rebounds, assisting teammates, and showing the emotion that could no longer be contained in her final home game.

In the state semifinals on Columbus State University's court, the Lady Wildcats seemed nervous and had trouble converting easy opportunities. But Collier's defensive presence, rebounding, and unselfish play ensured the opportunities would keep coming. And she and her teammates converted enough of them to advance to the state championship game.

In the season's most important game, Aliyah posted the season's most impressive stat line (see first paragraph). And after adorably choking up during an on-court interview immediately after the final buzzer, Collier joined the Georgia Public Television crew and gave a most impressive interview (see in the video above).

For most of last season, I focused solely on boys basketball. But watching Collier as I waited for Laney's boys games made me change my plans. She eventually became my favorite high school player of the season. And the second of seven "first ballot" All AugBball players.

Collier scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Clemson's first two exhibition games.

Now she begins the next chapter in her AugBball story as a freshman starter at Clemson.

With Sherrill and Collier's player profiles now released, I'll continue soon with the remaining five All AugBball members. Then I'll post player profiles of the next 15 or so players to watch this season. And I'll look forward to seeing how many more will earn a spot during the 2015-16 season.

Keshun Sherrill - Player Profile

This info graphic at JaguarsRoar.com shows the accolades Augusta University star Keshun Sherrill has earned in just two years of action. This is almost impressive enough to prove correct my belief he is the best college guard within a few hours drive of here.

Sherrill is a returning All-American, a returning first team All Peach Belt player,

and the preseason Peach Belt Player of the year. There is no better player to
feature first in my "Players to Watch" series.

But individual honors aren't what make me such a fan. I like watching him win. Four of last season's games leap to mind as examples of his doing whatever was needed to get the Jags timely victories. Although he shot a very conservative 12 times (scoring an insanely efficient 18 ppg in so few attempts!) per outing last season, he poured in the points in the most adverse conditions, as you can see in this player profile video: 

On the road in a sold out HEAL Center against city rival Paine, Sherrill scored 25 points, all in the game's final 25 minutes, to secure bragging rights for his Jags in an exciting rivalry game.

At then undefeated Lander, Sherrill again scored 25 points in the final 25 minutes to even the Jags' league record at the time at 3-3. Sherrill was magnificent during a second half when the Jags' fate was very much in doubt. Down 4 in the final minute of regulation, he scored twice, the second time seemingly against the entire defense, to force overtime in the closing seconds. This is the game that made me nickname Keshun "Superman!"  

The win preceded a 13-1 finish in league play and the eventual number one seed of the Peach Belt East division in the conference tournament.  Two of those wins were heavily influenced by Sherrill as well.  With the Jags trailing 65-60 at Young Harris, Sherrill buried a three with 1:50 remaining and another at the :17 mark to give Augusta a 66-65 lead and eventually a key road win.  And while senior Devon Wright-Nelson nursed an injury versus then east division leader UNC Pembroke, Keshun carried the offensive load and eventually provided more late game heroics. This time he sank a three late to keep the Jags close before getting to the free throw line on the last possession, where he made two to seal the win at home.

Sherrill now stands as the Jaguar with the most experience. By a mile. Speaking about the Jaguars' preseason rankings (#23 and #17 in recent polls), coach Dip Metress pointed out the truth that most of the key players from the Jags' two straight trips to NCAA tournaments the past two seasons are gone. But Sherrill still has two seasons remaining. He has proven he is the type of player who leads championship teams. So I get what the voters in the preseason polls are thinking. And I agree.