2nd Round Recap: Clutch Performances
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The round of 16 wrapped up on Saturday night and provided for entertaining headlines across the state. New names have emerged and 4-seeds have uprooted brackets across nearly all divisions. Here are a couple of players that had huge 2nd…
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Continue ReadingThe round of 16 wrapped up on Saturday night and provided for entertaining headlines across the state. New names have emerged and 4-seeds have uprooted brackets across nearly all divisions. Here are a couple of players that had huge 2nd round performances.
7A Region 5 is proving strong, sending 3 teams to the Elite 8 including the 4-seed Walton. I mentioned last week that Walton had a serious chance to take down Lambert in the 1st round and surely enough, they did. In the 2nd round, they took down Peachtree Ridge thanks to a 33-point night from Luke Flynn Luke Flynn 6’2″ | PG Walton | 2024 State GA . He’s a high-IQ guard that can create instant offense and consistently hit from the top of the key. Flynn has a handful of mid-major offers but I predict his recruiting could reach new heights this spring and summer.
Mason Lewis Mason Lewis 6’4″ | SF Woodland-Stockbridge | 2024 State GA had a good summer with AE5 and that’s where he initially caught my attention but he probably hasn’t been talked about enough this winter. He’s made some serious noise in the first two rounds and currently has Woodland-Stockbridge in the Elite 8. After leading his team to a 1st round upset over SW Dekalb, Lewis followed up with a 32 point game against North Oconee in the 2nd round. Woodland entered the tournament as a 4-seed but have already knocked off 2 top-10 teams, Mason Lewis Mason Lewis 6’4″ | SF Woodland-Stockbridge | 2024 State GA a big reason why they’re on this run.
Alfonzo Ross
Alfonzo Ross
Alfonzo Ross exploded for a career-high 42 points on Saturday night to lift Woodville-Tompkins to an 81-62 win over Pelham. Ross is a three-level scorer that knows how to get to his spots and manipulate defenses. He recently committed to USCB, a great D2 program in South Carolina, and it looks as if Ross can now focus solely on a state championship run. Woodville-Tompkins will see King’s Ridge in the Elite 8, an early season favorite to win it all. Ross will need another career night to send his team to the Final 4.
Heaven Carson
Heaven Carson
It’s not often that I get out to Dodge County but the GHSA Playoffs provide the platform for guys like Heaven Carson to put their name on the map. Carson dropped 32 points in a double overtime thriller against Putnam County, winning 85-82 to advance to the Elite 8. Carson does a lot of his damage as a catch and shoot guy but isn’t afraid to find gaps in the defense and exploit them. Dodge County will need another great shooting night from Carson in their quarterfinal game against Model who’s sound defensively and much bigger than Dodge County.
Mari Jordan had a complete showing in a Sweet 16 win over Osborne, finishing with an impressive stat line of 36 points and 12 rebounds. 27 of his 36 points came in the 2nd half as he single-handedly closed the door on Osborne. Jordan shot it well all game and was able to hit a lot of tough jumpers on the move. Norcross will see Newton in the next round, arguably the best Elite 8 game of any bracket. Jordan will face a tall task in Stephon Castle Stephon Castle 6’6″ | CG Newton | 2023 State #29 Nation GA but he’ll have an opportunity to prove something as well.