No. 1 Grayson vs. No. 2 Shiloh: 5 Grayson Takeaways

<p>It’s not all that often that the No. 1 ranked team in the state meets up with No. 2 in the regular season, but for top-ranked Grayson (14-1), the Rams already for the second time this season locked horns with the team slotted directly below them. As if they needed to, Grayson announced their national presence with an 83-57 rout of then-ranked McEachern and Auburn-signee Sharife Cooper 83-57 back on December 14 at the Hawks-Naismith Classic. Fast forward to this Friday, Grayson had its latest test – a physical war with No. 2 Shiloh who entered at 15-0. In front of a standing room only crowd, the Rams pulled away in the second half to notch a 72-60 victory. Here are some takeaways from Georgia’s biggest game of the night.</p> <h4><strong>Get your cameras ready</strong></h4> <p>Grayson might be the most aesthetically pleasing team in the state to watch as far as highlights are concerned. The ball can stick sometimes when Mississippi State-signee <strong>Deivon Smith </strong>or USF-signee <strong>Caleb Murphy </strong>tries to break down their man in the half court, but in the open floor the duo is as electric as they come. For any team hoping to slow down the Rams, it has to start in transition by limiting their easy buckets – easier said than done. Don’t forget about <strong>Toneari Lane</strong>, a Winthrop-signee and 6-foot-7 junior <strong>Ian Schieffelin </strong>who round out Grayson’s high-flying attack.</p> <h4><strong>What a difference a year makes</strong></h4> <p>In last year’s season-ending Sweet 16 loss to Norcross 68-53, Grayson struggled to get anything consistent at the rim. The since-graduated 6-foot-9 frontline of Issa Muhammad (Daytona State) and Daniel Ramsey (Xavier) was too long for the Rams. <strong>Ian Schieffelin </strong>contributed just 4 points and 3 rebounds in the loss. Now in his junior season, Schieffelin has chiseled his body and has polished his game into becoming a legitimate Mid-Major to potential High-Major prospect. The former quarterback has been the X-Factor for Coach Geoffrey Pierce. His triple-double against McEachern was his official coming out party, posting 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks. Against Shiloh, Schieffelin was unmatched, finishing with a game-high 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks.  He was effective from the three-point line and down on the block, powered his way through traffic to score with defenders draping over him. The big man added a few rim-rocking dunks for good measure. His emergence makes Grayson not only a legitimate state championship favorite, but a team that is rightly ranked in the Top 10 nationally.</p> <h4><strong>It takes a village</strong></h4> <p>To win a state championship, a deep reliable bench is a comfort for coaches to turn to in a pinch. Coach Pierce has seemingly all the pieces he needs incase adversity strikes. He played eight players and usually can go even deeper when CJ Dixon is available. Grayson got big minutes from its bench. Sophomore <strong>Kaden McArthur </strong>drew a charge, junior <strong>Quinones Corpman </strong>immediately drilled a three when he entered and 6-foot-7 junior <strong>Taje Kelley </strong>provided rugged play in the paint, finishing with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal.</p> <h4><strong>Pressure is a privilege</strong></h4> <p>Grayson has found itself in some tight spots this season, rallying to beat Milton 81-80 and pushing past Wheeler 73-68 are two signature wins that come to mind. The Rams were in another dog-fight at the half when they led 36-34 after Shiloh closed on a 10-2 run. The Rams stepped on the accelerator in the third quarter and outscored the Generals 22-8 to race away. The veteran play of seniors <strong>Deivon Smith</strong>, <strong>Caleb Murphy</strong>, <strong>Toneari Lane </strong>and <strong>Josh Smith </strong>have made Grayson a second-half team. They don’t often get rattled and as long as there is time left on the clock, they known they have enough playmakers to pull out a win. Murphy scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half while Lane netted 10 of his 12 in the final 16 minutes. The Smiths both scored single hoops in each quarter, giving them 8 points apiece. Deivon’s impact was felt with his floor game, contributing 10 rebounds and 7 assists.</p> <h4><strong>Playoff preview</strong></h4> <p>Friday night’s atmosphere was everything you could ask for in a premier matchup. By halftime of the girls game, seats were getting scarce. Eventually the game was ruled a sell-out and fans who were lucky enough to squeeze in had to hang over the rails to catch a glimpse of MaxPreps’ No. 10 ranked team in the nation. Grayson will have a ton of fanfare the rest of the season and in Region 8-AAAAAAA, expect many more sell outs and more upcoming Top 10 showdowns with rematches against No. 6 Newton, No. 10 Archer and No. 2 Shiloh looming.</p>