The Georgia high school basketball tournament is done, and it was dominated by metro Atlanta and a lot of familiar coaches and schools. Here are the 10 most significant stories of the tournament:
Metro Atlanta schools win all 10 championships: For the first time in history, Atlanta-area teams won every basketball title. It’s a sharp contrast from previous decades when cities such as Savannah, Macon and Augusta were perennial contenders. Metro Atlanta teams won 33 of 80 titles (41 percent) in the 1990s. Over the past five years, metro Atlanta domination has hit 76 percent (38 of 50). The growth of metro area, the emergence of private-school state powers and the metro trend toward elite players transferring to contending teams are some of the reasons.
All six undefeated teams go down: Six teams entered the state tournament undefeated. None emerged as champion. Four unbeaten No. 1-ranked teams were taken out. Those were Wilkinson County (Class A boys), Vidalia (AA girls), Kendrick (AAA girls) and LaGrange (AAA boys), all outside the Atlanta area. Also falling were the girls at Parkview (No. 2 in AAAAA) and Emanuel County Institute (No. 4 in A).
Parkview girls stunned in first round: It’s ironic that Gwinnett County produced five of the 10 basketball state champions – and none of them was Parkview’s girls, who entered the state tournament 28-0. Parkview failed to hold an eight-point lead in the final six minutes in a first-round AAAAA game at home. Marietta sophomore Courtney Sprague, the daughter of head coach Ken Sprague, made a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left to stun Parkview 44-43. It was probably the upset of the tournament.
Milton beats Norcross with no time on the clock: Milton, the Class AAAAA boys champion, would never have made the final except for a controversial play in the quarterfinals against Norcross in a battle of state powers. Norcross, led by Connecticut signee Jeremy Lamb, led 51-50 when Milton missed two shots in the final 12 seconds, including one as time ran out. Norcross players began to celebrate. But simultaneous to the buzzer, a referee whistled Norcross for a foul against Milton star Julian Royal, who was coming down with a rebound. Royal made both free throws with no time on the clock, and Milton advanced.
Norcross girls end Redan’s 59-game winning streak: Norcross was being called the future of girls high school basketball in Georgia because of two freshmen – Diamond Deshields and Kaela Davis, both rated among the top 10 players for the class of 2013 in the country. The future came early as Davis scored 21 points and DeShields had 17 in a 76-63 victory in the AAAAA final. Redan led most of the game, but Norcross dominated the final period.
Dai-Jon Parker, Milton
File photo by Jim Redman
Marcus Thornton injured in warm-ups: The AAAAA boys final between Milton and Westlake figured to be a classic. Thornton, a 6-foot-9 forward, had signed with Clemson. Milton juniors Dai-Jon Parker, Julian Royal and Shannon Scott are each major Division I prospects. But Thornton injured an ankle in warm-ups after doing a chest bump with a teammate and played only the first two minutes. Milton won 56-46. Milton, which doesn't have a senior on its roster, will be a national-title contender in 2011.
Wesleyan, Columbia sweep boys, girls titles: It had happened only 12 times in Georgia history (or since 1945, when the state first held both boys and girls state tournaments) that one school had swept both titles. This is the first time it’s happened twice in one year. Wesleyan’s girls were considered a lock, but Wesleyan’s boys came in as only the No. 4 seed from their region. Wesleyan’s Andrew Frerking scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half of the 63-52 victory over defending champion Whitefield Academy in the A final. Columbia’s boys won their third title in five years, but the girls won their first ever in AAA.
David Boyd wins state title with fourth school: Milton coach Boyd had been the only coach in Georgia history to win state titles at three schools entering Friday’s AAAAA final against Westlake. Now, he’s the only coach to win at four schools – Campbell (1982), Tucker (1995), Berkmar (2000-01) and Milton (2010). As a matter of trivia, Julia Roberts was a Campbell student in 1982, and Boyd, who teaches English, was her favorite instructor.
Jan Azar, Wesleyan win seventh state title: Wesleyan’s girls are the most dominant Georgia basketball program, both in 2010 and the decade, during which they are 287-39. Azar built the program when the school opened in 1997. Now, she’s the first Georgia girls coach with seven titles. Wesleyan has graduated stars such as Nikki Luckhurst (Tulane), Alison Wyatt (Georgia) and Anne Marie Armstrong (Georgia). Current senior Erin Hall has signed with Wake Forest. The school is across the street from Norcross High, the girls state champion in AAAAA.
New schools, new titles for Martin, Hembree: Eddie Martin and Angie Hembree each won their fourth state championships as coaches last weekend, but they got their first at their new schools. Martin was the coach of the Norcross dynasty that became the first Georgia school to win three straight boys titles in the highest class in over 60 years (2006-08) with players such as Jodie Meeks, Al-Farouq Aminu and Gani Lawall. In the fall of 2008, he came to Greater Atlanta Christian, a private school in Gwinnett County. His second team claimed its first state title since 1977 as junior guard Malcolm Brogdon had 26 points and 15 rebounds in the 77-65 victory over Thomasville. Hembree won three titles at Collins Hill, the last one in 2005 with Maya Moore. It took her three seasons to return to the top at Norcross.
Championship scores
BOYS
AAAAA: Milton (Alpharetta) 56, Westlake (Atlanta) 46
AAAA: Miller Grove (Lithonia) 67, Mays (Atlanta) 35
AAA: Columbia (Decatur) 54, LaGrange 46
AA: Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross) 77, Thomasville 65
A: Wesleyan (Norcross) 63, Whitefield Academy (Mableton) 52
GIRLS
AAAAA: Norcross 78, Redan (Stone Mountain) 63
AAAA: Southwest DeKalb (Decatur) 65, Northwest Whitfield (Tunnel Hill) 46
AAA: Columbia (Decatur) 40, Carver (Atlanta) 36
AA: Buford 50, Vidalia 38
A: Wesleyan (Norcross) 65, Savannah Christian 49
