6A Playoffs Round 1: Pope at Douglas County Takeaways
There’s an old adage in basketball – “The team that scores the most usually wins.” Comically, it’s more than an adage, it’s of course a statistical fact which cannot be undone by any science known to man. Such was what…
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Continue ReadingThere’s an old adage in basketball – “The team that scores the most usually wins.” Comically, it’s more than an adage, it’s of course a statistical fact which cannot be undone by any science known to man.
Such was what caught up to Pope Friday night in a 6A playoff opener as they endured a super tough atmosphere at Douglas County and just couldn’t get enough shots to fall to overcome a tough and athletic home bunch in falling 66-57.
Here’s a Trifecta of takeaways:
STEPPING UP WITHOUT A BIG GUN
Omarion SmithDouglas County boasts talented players across its roster, but it was notable to see rising junior Jaylen Jackson suited up but not in the starting lineup. As it turned out, he did not play at all, and while PrepHoops Georgia was able to confirm it was not due to injury, no other info was made available. So it fell to DC’s three other junior stars, point guard Jermichael Mahorn, shooting guard Omari Fonteno and forward Omarion Smith, to pick up the slack. And that they did, as the floor general Mahorn played his usual poised game out front and added 17 points, 10 of those coming at the line (including 8 for 9 in the 4th quarter). Fonteno had a strong all-around game, harassing Pope star point guard Will Kolker all night, while excelling in the transition game, especially in the 4th, getting two key buckets late. Fonteno at 6-3 has a ton of intriguing upside, his best moments though come off the ball as a catch and shoot threat or cutting to the basket and then utilizing his leaping ability. But when talking leaping ability, one has to make note of Smith, an absolutely electric 6-5 athlete, who makes you hold your breath when the ball goes up toward the rim in his direction. He didn’t bring the house down this night, but that uber athleticism paid dividends as a shot-blocker and rebounder, two areas where he affected the game all night. He added 11 points and made life hard for Pope forwards Ross Shepherd and Gannon Brown to get things going in close to the basket.
BUT THE BENCH HAD SOMETHING TO SAY
The stars didn’t have to do it all for the Tigers though, as 6-4 forward Jonathan Jefferson, yet another solid junior, came off the bench and played in Jackson’s role extremely well, getting 12 points, most in close and many of which came as Pope was inching closer and DC needed a big bucket. Subbing for Mahorn or Fonteno, and often on the floor at the same time, senior guard Najeh Bess was also superb, both in spelling Fonteno on Kolker, and also contributing on offense, including 5 huge 4th quarter points that, combined with Pope’s inability to get a key shot to fall, kept the lead at a safe distance.
ALL GUTS
Ross ShepherdGrit and drive can get you a long way in life, but on the basketball court, the ball must go through the net. In seeing Pope multiple times this year, I’ve seen all the guts a team can muster, and the Greyhound seniors certainly left it all on the court. Shepherd had a gutty last game, battling hard inside with Smith and Jefferson all night, finishing with 19 points (and four 3’s). His emotion coming off the court for the last time says it all about why kids play so hard for their schools, and why sports matter so much. Wherever he lands next fall, that program will have a winning player with the kind of attitude you’d beg for. Brown too went hard at the DC frontline and had a good showing defensively, but he wasn’t able to factor offensively, and with shots not falling in spurts across the lineup, that was a noticeable omission. Shooting guard Caden Jessop, forced to look for his offense with Kolker seeing so much attention out front, played a terrific all-around game, getting 12 points in his final game. Looking ahead, Pope’s future rests in the hands of the dynamic junior Kolker (18 hard-fought points against relentless pressure), whose passing wizardry is sometimes so precise that even savvy recipients can’t finish the play. Rising sophomore Cam Bleshoy too will be an anchor for outstanding coach Patrick Abney, and the offseason for both will go a long way toward seeing how much weight the two will need to carry next year with new frontcourt pieces needing to step in for graduation losses.