Five Takeaways: No. 6 Berkmar vs. West Forsyth

<p>The first round of the ever competitive GHSA Class 7A State Playoffs tipped off in Lilburn as R7 #1 No. 6 Berkmar (17-9) hosted R5 #4 West Forsyth (18-11). In what proved to be a physical and defense-oriented game, the Patriots pulled away in the second half after an ugly low-scoring 20-14 halftime lead, cruising 62-29. Here are five takeaways from Thursday's game.</p> <p></p> <h4><strong>A Tale of Two Halves</strong></h4> <p>Defense dominated the opening 16 minutes as both teams struggled to score. Berkmar with its outstanding length bothered West Forsyth and limited any clean looks going towards the basket. On the perimeter, the refs let the players play and Berkmar's big guards were able to bump the Wolverines ball handlers and keep them from setting up their offense. With the way the game was called, it certainly benefited the more athletic team. Points were hard to come by, but West Forsyth did a good job having long offensive possessions. It was effective, but it may not have been the complete game plan since Berkmar didn't give them any clean looks and the Wolverines' slow pace was a necessity to get any type of quality shot off, more so than a choice. In the second half, the Patriots busted it open by getting into transition. Electric athlete <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jermahri-hill/">Jermahri Hill</a> flourished in the open court. The 6-foot-3 sophomore got downhill and made West Forsyth's guard expend a lot of energy on defense. Berkmar asserted 6-foot-9 senior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-deloach/">Jalen Deloach</a> inside in the opening moments of the third quarter while 6-foot-10 sophomore <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malique-ewin/">Malique Ewin</a> was just too big in the paint to handle.</p> <h4><strong>Up to the Challenge</strong></h4> <p>Outmanned in size and athleticism, West Forsyth didn't back down. They hunkered down defensively and slowed down the Patriots in the first half. Mixing between man and zone, the Wolverines used solid team defense to limit paint touches and jumped to the ball to close off most driving lanes. 5-foot-9 senior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nick-zabetakis/">Nick Zabetakis</a> and 5-foot-10 junior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/broc-bidwell/">Broc Bidwell</a> attacked the Patriots' backcourt. Zabetakis did a nice job of rushing the ball down the floor and on occasion, found enough space to wiggle his way into the paint. Bidwell, who finished with 7 points to lead the Wolverines along with Zabetakis, never was able to find a consistent flow. He drained a deep three and had an acrobatic finish in the lane, but Berkmar honed in on the playmaker and did a nice job of taking him out of his comfort zone. In the end, the Wolverines just lacked fire power to compete for the full 32 minutes. Missing <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joseph-staiti/">Joseph Staiti</a>'s toughness and versatile scoring ability hurt West Forsyth's odds of an upset.</p> <h4><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-deloach/">Jalen Deloach</a></strong></h4> <p>Regarded as one of Georgia's best unsigned seniors if not the top in the state, Deloach showed his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. In the first half he was more of a passer, dishing off some nice high-low feeds for easy buckets. In the second half, Deloach made an impression on the offensive glass and hurt the smaller Wolverines on the boards. He finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Deloach is a mobile combo-forward that is suited for a fast-pace game. He didn't have to stuff the scoring column on Thursday, but Deloach has a nice touch out of the post and can score on face-up opportunities.</p> <h4><strong>Garbage Man</strong></h4> <p>6-foot-4 junior post Dara Olonade will play a key role down the stretch for Berkmar. The physical backup post is rugged inside and willing to do the dirty work. He rebounds aggressively and tries to play above the rim. He's a defense first type of player and an invaluable rotational piece to give Ewin and Deloach a blow.</p> <h4><strong>What's Berkmar's Ceiling?</strong></h4> <p>Good question. The Patriots are definitely among the state's hottest teams and have tons of talent on paper. Coach Greg Phillips subs a lot, shuffling guys in and out as he has a strong seven-man rotation. With Berkmar's length across the floor, they are a scary team. Focus, outside shooting and ball security are three areas that could hold them back from a state title. The Patriots hit just one three-pointer on Thursday. With a huge size advantage, they did the right thing of punching it inside, but still, the ability to play inside-out is an important factor come playoff time. West Forsyth played great defense and had a good game plan, but a lackluster 20-point first half is still troubling. In the second half they dictated tempo and thrived in the open court. If they can play fast, they are hard to stop. The Patriots will need to value the ball in big games. In a few possessions, players found themselves out of position and tried to do too much with the ball. Even with a little room for improvement, Berkmar is as dangerous as it gets and are a trendy pick to make it to the Final Four.</p>