The 5th Annual
GAC Showcase
Presented by Blue Collar Basketball
When:
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Where:
The Long Forum at Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC)
The 2012 edition of
the Showcase welcomed 14 teams and 7 games all packed into one full day of
competitive basketball between some of Georgia’s most successful, proudest and
tradition rich programs.
The event hosted over
40 college programs and 2,000 fans. When planning the 2013 event, we asked how
we could equal and surpass the previous year.
The solution was simple-attract some of the top programs, talent, and
coaches.
This year’s field features 12 teams with a combined wins
total of 288 from a year ago. There are 4
state champions (Norcross, Miller Grove, GAC, Greenforest Christian), 3 State
Finalists (Hillgrove, Columbia, St.Francis), an Elite 8 team (North Cobb
Christian), and a Sweet 16 team (Cartersville).
pic above: 2014 PG Keith Pinkney (Miller Grove) &
2014 Andre Chatfield (Norcross) will be competing in the showcase for a 2nd
straight year. They are two of GA’s better players and are sought after by
several D1 programs -photo courtesy of
Ty Freeman
The Line-up
12:30 pm Kell vs. Columbia
The opening game of
Kell HS vs. Columbia HS will be one to watch. 6’7 Forward Grant Bryant looks to
lead his Kell team against a Columbia team that has been to four straight State
Title games. They will be looking to prove there is life after Tahj
Shamsid-Deen who took his talents to Auburn University. They will be led by
2015 guard Bryce Brown and 2014 wing Maurice Rivers, both of which are capable
of helping keep the winning tradition alive for the Dekalb County powerhouse.
Bryant (who has narrowed his list of D1 schools to six=East Carolina, Boston
University, Wofford, Long Island, Winthrop, and Appalachain State) will look to
prove that he can not only put up big numbers but lead his Kell team to success
while doing it.
2:00 Hillgrove vs. Cartersville
All Coach Mike Tobin
did in his first year at Cartersville was go 27-2 and take his team to the
Sweet 16. Good news is he returns all 5 starters and bad news…well, there is no
bad news unless you believe high expectations to be. Cartersville has a pair of
wings with size in 6’3 Ryan Davis (17ppg-Jr year) and 6’5 wing Corey Tobin
(14.9ppg-JR year). Hillgrove comes off a title game appearance vs. Norcross and
28-5 season. They are led by do-everything guard Kyle Castlin and fellow senior
teammates Keith Ray and BJ Brown. This trio is hungry to make another deep run
and expectations are high in Powder Springs, GA.
3:30 Norcross vs. Greenforest
Christian Academy
The 3:30pm match-up
will have GA’s highest classification 2012 state champion vs. the smallest in
single A champion Greenforest Christian. Veteran coach David Jones knows a
thing or two about winning and cutting down the nets. He has been roaming
Georgia high school sidelines for almost 40 years and has a young crop of
talented players despite losing big man Tosin Mehinti to UAB. Norcross has
proven it reloads, not re-builds. The tough, defensive-minded Blue Devils will
hit full-strength when their football guys join the team and Coach Jesse
McMillan blends them into the mix as he did during their title run last season.
For Norcross, look at back-court returning starters Khalen Pinkett and Andre
Chatfield to lead the way. It would be hard to find a better on-ball defender
in the state than Pinkett and Chatfield has proven he can put the ball in the
hole offensively.
5:00 Miller Grove vs. St.Francis
Two of GA’s top backcourts
will square off in this game that includes arguably the top two GA 2016 point
guards in Alterique Gilbert (Miller Grove) and Kobi Simmons (St.Francis). But
these two teams have plenty of talent across the roster. PG Keith Pinkney may
be the peach state’s best point guard prospect in the 2014 class. Head Coach
Sharman White and his wolverines are gunning for an unprecedented 6th
straight state championship. Bottom line is this program is used to winning and
the expectations remain the same coming into this year. While Miller Grove has stood atop Georgia high
school basketball for several years, St.Francis has slowly climbed the ladder
over the last few years culminating in a title game appearance last year with a
roster full of underclassmen. Kaiser Gates has received high major interest due
to his size and perimeter shooting ability. The most unheralded of the group
may turn out to be their most valuable in 2015 guard Malik Beasley who saved
his best for last in the state play-offs last season.
6:30 Luella vs GAC
Luella’s two-headed
monster of 6’4 wing Temarcus Blanton and 6’11 big man Doral Moore is tough to
match. Very few teams boast a duo that garners high-major recruitment. Blanton is one of GA’s top 2014 prospects and
has a motor that gives opposing coaches nightmares. Luella coach Demond Sims
and his crew have high aspirations and plan on making a big splash into the
conversation of top teams in Georgia. GAC
returns four of their five starters off a 29-3 State Championship team
spearheaded by versatile and productive forward Isaiah Wilkins. Wilkins has a
nice supporting cast that looks to give GAC their fourth title in five years
under head coach Eddie Martin.
8:00 North Cobb Christian vs. North
Gwinnett
North Cobb Christian’s
entire back-court returns from a 23-5 team. Mercer commit Stephon Jelks is
complimented by two other division 1 caliber guards with Hunter Ware and Kendall
Crute. Coach Greg Matta’s teams have
been knocking on the door for a few years and some think this may be their year
to win it all. They will face a hungry North Gwinnett team that was upset in the
region tournament last year and have a lot to prove this season. Head coach Zach
Smith has all five starters back and should build on a 19 win season and be a
serious threat in the always tough region 7-AAAAAA and at state level as well.
2015 point guard Tobias Howard headlines a strong group of Bulldog perimeter
players.
pic above: 2014 Isaiah
Wilkins, a top 5 GA high school player battles in 2012 showcase vs. Morgan
County. He and GAC will have their hands full against Luella HS led by 6’11
Doral Moore and Temarcus Blanton – photo courtesy of Ty Freeman
