basketball

Busy Busy Busy  is all I can say about how I have been in the last two weeks and that has left little time to do what I love which is blogging. Since the last time I have blogged I have been to Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Florida, all in a 8 day period.
But now I am back
I got to see Khavon Moore sigh with Texas Tech in a recreation center gym and nobody really knows what that was all about. He visited Texas Tech and obviously loved it because he signed in a rec center gym almost as fast as he got home. He is probably the best player ever to sign at a rec center gym.
I am sure it will be a great move for him but selfishly I wanted him to stay home and attend Mercer and play for Bob Hoffman. Khavon could have been a program changer for Mercer, already a good program but this guy could have taken them to another level.
I got to see Stratford stay on its amazing run and beat Prince Avenue to advance to a final four. Ed Smith has done maybe his best job of coaching with this team because to be totally honest, they are winning with mirrors. Ok Ok what does that mean ? Well it means that they win because everyone thinks they are good and at times they are that good, but in reality they are good not great. I think they can be great but their best two players are only sophomores. That makes it hard to be great.
I can see both Nadia Reese and Mary Elaine Mitchell playing college basketball and the seniors on the teams Evans McCook and Carey Woodcock accepted the fact that these two younger girls were going to be the focus on offense. Ed Smith sold it and it has worked in a great way.
I wrote this before any games on Wednesday and I see Westside winning, along with Warner Robins, but I don't have a great feeling about Central, who ended up with a terrible match-up. But Andre Taylor is a great coach so give them a chance.
Macon lost another great sports reporter in Mason Prince this week. Mason has lived with me and my wife for the last four months and it has been great having him here. Macon loses yet another great young sports reporter, and it is Macon's loss for sure. I will miss him although I wanted to hurt him a few times. Gingers have short fuses you know.
By the time I write again it will probably only be Warner Robins left and I know Jamal Garman can win a championship with this team. Nelson Phillips wont and Jacolbey Owens wont let them lose.

Hypesouth’s Middle Ga “Glue Guys”

 

With GHSA region tournaments and state playoffs upon us, Kowacie Reeves and John Kosater examine a couple players who are not household names that will be key components in the postseason.

 

Mary Persons senior Tre Edge has been the perfect Robin to Cam Holden’s Batman. The 6-3 combo guard is the team’s second leading scorer at 16.4 points per game and will definitely have to keep up that pace if the Bulldogs want to make a deep run.

 

Central-Macon point guard Kanuri Williams has been up and down all year, but has managed to help the Chargers more than hurt them. With Kylan Hill leading the pack along with the emergence of Tymir Robinson, Williams is now the clear third option and will have to pick his spots accordingly moving forward. The south-paw floor general has cut down on his turnovers and upped his point production as of late and will need to continue that trend in order for Central to make some noise in the playoffs.

 

Upson-Lee falls under Hypesouth’s Middle-Georgia coverage area and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Knights “glue guys” Jacorey Smith and Cameron Traylor. Smith is one of those guys that’s always seemingly in the right place at the right time. I really don’t know what position to identify him as, but he’s a player that often gives the Running Knights a spark to jumpstart their onslaughts. Traylor is probably the best role player in the state because he understands his duty and never gets outside of himself. Being a part of this core group since elementary school probably explains the aforementioned. The sweet shooting off-guard averaged 10.1-points, 2.4-assistss, and 2.5-rebounds per game during the regular season on a squad that saw 4-of-5 starters average double figures in points per game. Upson-Lee has won 57 straight games and counting relying on amazing chemistry from homegrown talent and I don’t see that ending in the near future.

 

Warner Robins has a few “others” that are worth mentioning. Champ Dawson and Jaron Zanders are both experienced players who will more than likely be called on at some point to make a play for the Demons this postseason. Dawson is a high-IQ kid that doesn’t need a high volume amount of shots to affect the game. In fact, I believe that Warner Robins is at its best when Dawson is facilitating, but the team is in search of another scorer. Nelson Phillips and Jacolbey Owens are arguably the best one-two punch scorers in the peach state, but need a third-wheel if the Demons want to bring home a title. Will it be Champ Dawson? Zanders is a ball-hawking defensive stopper. He often draws the assignment of guarding the opposition’s best player and is always up for the challenge. The tough-nosed senior isn’t going to give you much offensively, but every championship team needs a player like this.

Since Kowacie went with some unbelievable guys I feel like I will switch it up and go with those girls who are "glue" girls.

Central is one of my favorites to win a state championship and a little known fact for someone that has not seen then play is that they only play six girls in most games. Well that means all six had better be able to play. Now everyone knows the big three of Clowers, Williams, and Wilder, but ReNesha Goolsby is a shooter and everyone knows how I love shooters. She had over 50 threes this year and that is from a girl who missed last year with an ACL tear. The Chargers indeed have more than three weapons.

The Stratford girls team has been good enough to dominate play this year and cruised through the region tournament, and I just feel like I have to give props to Evans McCook and Drake Miscall. Now Evans is a SHOOTER and I love shooters while Drake( and I hope that's the right name) just battles and doesn't worry about scoring. Stratford has their stars but these two girls are indeed the glue for Stratford.

Stacie Jones: Now this young lady is a sophomore is she averages a double double for Veterans and I want to know how many other sophomores in the state are averaging a double double. I know everyone expects Veterans to so what Veterans does at this time of year and that is win basketball games and Stacie Jones can make that happen.

I cannot be ignoring  BreAsia Davis and her 55 three pointers, a main reason why Rutland has advanced to the state playoffs. She is the lead Cane but she is the GLue of the Canes.

My advice to you is go watch some of these people play. Its almost over

who can win a state championship

It is hard to believe that the regular season is over and we are moving into the region tournaments but that's what the schedules are showing.
Now I could tell you it's been a long long time since a Macon team won a state basketball championship (not counting GISA) but you probably already know that. I am thinking it has been the old Southwest teams were the last ones, but I am not a historian so I will leave it at that.
In any way shape or form, its been a long time and it's definitely time for someone to break the streak.
I think the same can be said for Middle Georgia, unless we include Upson Lee as a Middle Georgia team.


So I present to you, the area teams (and one that is maybe in the area) that have the best opportunity to win a state championship this year.


The darkhorse


Central's boys team has had a strong 19-5 season and they are certainly capable of beating anyone. They have a great coach in Andre Taylor and two great players in Kylan Hill and Tymir Robinson and I would say with both of them playing, they have an outside shot to win a state championship. Tymir has only played the last 11 games and he has given the Chargers that offensive threat that they need, averaging 20 points a game with 29 3-pointers in those 11 games. Put that with Hill's 18 points and 11 rebounds a game and Central has a nice one two punch.
on a scale of 1 to 10 with a 10 meaning state championship bound, what are the odds of Central winning.
I would say a 3. I think they can make a run to the quarters and then they will have to play their best basketball of the year. REMEMBER THOUGH they have won six straight games.


If only
The Mary Persons boys didn't play in the same class at Upson-Lee.
These guys have only lost three times this year and two of them are to Upson, and both of them were blowouts. This is the Bulldogs best team in years, and they have four guys that can score, led by the amazing Cam Holden who averages 28.3 points per game to go with over 10 rebounds a game. Tre Edge does a little bit of everything and scores 17 points a game, while Dee Morton is a legit 3-point shooter with 55 of them on the year. Desmond Williams gives Mary Persons another threat . Thus us a very good basketball team that I like a lot.
Chances of a state championship?
I cant give them more than a 4 out of 10 mainly because of Upson-Lee.


Maybe with a few good bounces ?
Stratford's girls have won a lot of games against some decent teams, but I am just not sure how far they can go. 21 wins shows that the Eagles are very good but class A-private is loaded with loaded teams and that includes Holy Innocents,Wesleyan, St Francis, Our Lady of Mercy, and Calvary Day, all of which are, well, loaded. When I say loaded you can take that any way you want but they are well, umm, loaded.
Stratford is pretty good too. They have the sophomore guards Nadia Reese and Mary Elaine Mitchell, who are both electric and have the ability to score inside or outside. Most teams they play have one outstanding  defensive player, and one can't stop two players. But the Eagles have other weapons with Carey Woodcock, who can score inside and outside, and along with Drake Miscall, handles all the banging inside. I have seen them do quite well defending bigger teams in the post, but if they meet someone that has real size, Stratford could struggle.
Lets not forget what happens when those quick guards penetrate. One pass back to the corner will leave senior 3-shooter Evans McCook wide open and while I do not know her percentage, I think its about 7 out of 10 when I am watching. This team plays and acts like a complete team and head coach Ed Smith has a chance with this group.
Chances of a state championship ?
Lets give Stratford a 5 out of 10 , which means a 50% chance.


Its time
Those Warner Robins Demons have 10 seniors on the roster and a great head coach in Jamal Garman and I think they can win. Garman told me earlier that their practices are much harder than the games because everyone is battling for playing time. Well maybe not everyone but I get the feeling that the games are the easy part for the Demons.
WRHS has that legit superstar in Nelson Phillips, but he really doesn't have to have the basketball in his hands to be a superstar. He can do a little bit of everything. I mean this kid could go for 30 points a game if needed, but Phillips gets his without being selfish. They have another legitimate star in Jacolbey Owens, who should be on everyones radar, including d1 colleges, but the role players on this team can also get it done. Champ Dawson will play in college and runs the team while Jam'l Dillard and Bobby Kelly are big football players who give the Demons the size they need. I absolutely love this team. And please don't forget Jaydon Norman
Chances of a state championship ?
Lets go 6 out of 10. I believe that Coach Garman can get it done with this team.


Its definitely time
I think the Central girls have a great opportunity to break the bank this year and walk out of the bank with a state championship .
Why ?
They have the inside game, led by Jada Clowers who has learned how to score as she matures as a basketball player, and has always known how to block shots and play defense. Hello folks, she should be getting mid-major offers right now with those 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game. Will she ever be a great scorer in college ? Probably not but she brings too many other things to the table not to be a very good college basketball player. She can run the court all day and block shots and rebound. That's all good enough for  me. Oh yeah she is a legit 6'2.
They can score.
Tyleia Williams and Jenya Wilder give the Chargers 26 points per game between them and both of them can do a lot to help a team win. They can score inside and out and when one isn't on the other one is. They are both very athletic girls and can play shut down defense, which always helps in the playoffs.
They now have a 3-shooter
I look up and all of a sudden Renesha Goolsby comes alive with 53 3-pointers this  year in only 110 attempts. That's over 50% if I am reading Centrals stats correctly. That just adds another threat to this Central team.
Seniors and coaches.
Central has 7 seniors on the team who have been together since middle school and made a deep run a year ago. They also have Shelia Toombs, who knows these girls inside and out and can flat out coach. She was there when Central couldn't win and has a lot to do with why Central now expects to win.
Chances of a state championship?
I will give them a 6 out of 10 which isn't bad.


The truth
Upson Lee is not a Middle Georgia team. They are  50 miles away which makes covering them impossible, but to be honest, they are on the fringe. So today I talk just a bit about that winning streak, which I think is 55, and I talk about the best high school player around here in Tye Fagan who can do everything at this level and probably the next level too. Fagan averages 26 points a game, 7 rebounds a game and 5 assists a game and is the leader of this wonderful team. But Upson-Lee has another world class athlete in Travon Walker, a 6'6 250 pound post player who everyone wants as a football player. He scores 12 points a game and goes for 11 rebounds and I am told he could score more if they needed him too. Don't forget double figure scorers Zyrice Scott and Cameron Traylor because they can also burn you from the outside or from getting inside. They are working on their second straight undefeated season.
Chance of a state championship ?
I would say something crazy would have to happen for them not to win.
9 out of 10.

breathe please

What an exhausting week it has been.
But with that exhaustion comes the feeling of accomplishment.
I wanted to see what kind of numbers a mere blog could put up in a week and with the help of a few friends, we put numbers up that even surprised me.
1650 page views on Thursday alone which just about blew up my blogsite.
Middle Georgia Sports is alive and well and people want to read about it.
Now I will tell you this.
If Kowacie Reeves walked into my office right now, I would not know who he is. But I have seen the work he is doing with Hypesouth and I let him know that I loved what he was doing with high school basketball. I mean it is obvious that he knows more about what's going on with basketball in this area than me or anyone else, so that started us talking.
When he offered to get together and write a blog talking about the best freshmen in the area, I jumped at it and I hope it is something we can do every week. This area is not only a hotbed for football but it is also a very strong basketball area too.
Thank you Kowacie for your help. I owe you a beer or a cup of coffee whichever you prefer.
The biggest thing about us and why we get along so well is we both believe that high school sports is important and we have enough good players that deserve recognition. My goal is to get these kids talked about and just because they don't see their names in the newspaper anymore, they can still see it on this blog. This weeks numbers show that people read it.
I also want to thank my friend Luke Hetrick who stepped in and volunteered to write probably the best thing ever on my blog site. I mean the guy can spell and use proper grammar and its like he just got out of college. Oh wait he almost did get out of college. I loved his column and evidently a lot of other folks loved it too because it had over 250 hits on it. Luke people still love you my man and you are welcome to work here any day, (for free of course)


I have already had two other great journalists volunteer to write on here and you will see one next week. I will choose to keep it a secret until it hits, but I will say that he is the ultimate professional and a long time reader. I gave him the freedom to write on whatever he wanted to.


My main goal is to grow this blog to where everyone reads it. My only real question is should I keep it to high school sports or should I stretch it to Mercer sports, and the Mayhem and all the other sports teams in the area. That is where the readers come in. Let me know what you like and what you don't like. That is truly why I am doing this.


Please feel free to introduce yourself to me when you see me out and about and tell me how you like or dislike my blog. It's okay to tell me that it looks like a 10 year old writes my blog. Its okay to tell me I am brilliant. I am here for you guys .
I will always have my phone number on the bottom of the blog because I want you all to contact me with ideas, or complaints.
Have a great weekend everyone, and as always thanks for reading
478-394-1155

talking with Kowacie

Middle-Georgia Boy’s High School Basketball Roundtable

“Fabulous Freshmen”

 

By John Kosater koknowsportsblog.com

By Kowacie Reeves hypesouth.com

• Who has been the most important Middle-GA freshman for his respective team in this season?

For me, it is between Jaden Harris (Stratford Academy) and Jordan Jones (FPD). However, if I were forced to choose, my pick would be Jordan Jones. He has been the lead man for the Vikings in 2017-18. The talented floor general has been a perfect pick-me-up for proven senior Maurice Gordon who is having a bit of a down final campaign. Through fourteen games, the 6-0 point guard led the team in scoring at 12.9-points per game and three-pointers made (34). If Jones can carry his school ball production over into the upcoming travel season, he could easily begin his story on the recruiting trail.   –KOWACIE REEVES

 

I honestly feel like the two freshmen from Westside, Javian Mosely and Kowacie Reeves Jr have saved Westside’s season . I talked to Josh Grube a few days after he lost Khavon Moore, arguably the best player to come out of Macon in 25 years, and Coach Grube was confident that his team would be fine. I feel like a lot of that is because he knew he had these two freshmen who could really play. Sure no fill- in is possible for a player of Moore’s ability, but they have held it together. – John Kosater

• Who has been the most surprising Middle-GA freshman this season?

I would have to go with Westside-Macon guard Javian Mosley here. The 6-3 combo guard started out the year very slow, but has picked up the pace after being inserted into the starting lineup following Khavon Moore’s injury. He’s been a pleasant surprise for the Noles the last six games averaging 14.5-points, 2.6-assists, and 2.9-rebounds per game. With a couple inches left in him to grow, Mosley could become a very intriguing prospect in the Middle-Georgia area moving forward. –KOWACIE REEVES

 

While Mosely is a surprise, I would have to go with Jordan Jones. This guy had to come in to a senior laden team and he has probably been the  Vikings most consistent player on the year. He has handled point guard responsibilities and kept FPD in the playoff hunt. Kowacie Reeves Jr probably didn't even think he would get varsity time this year but he has hit over 30 3-pointers. Yeah that's a surprise to me.- John Kosater

• Which Middle-GA freshman has the most high-major collegiate potential?

Wow, am I only allowed to pick one? Well, I’m going to bend the rules a little bit here. With that said, I’m going with Jaden Harris (Stratford Academy), BJ Wright (Perry), and Jordan Brown (Northside-WR). At 6-foot-3, Harris is a ready-made combo guard that already possesses the physical attributes needed to survive the grind at the next level. Further, running with the 2021 Georgia Stars on the travel circuit will expose him to a broader audience and will better prepare him as he’ll be facing top-level competition year in and year out. At 6-foot-6, Wright definitely has the measurables and skill set to catch the eye of Power Five programs. I’ve only had a chance to watch him play twice and left the gym blown away with his potential. Right now, he is still raw, but there is no doubt in my mind that he has all the tools to play at a high level. 6-foot-7 Jordan Brown is another true freshman that could turn out to be a big-time player if he continues to develop. The south-paw forward from Warner Robins, GA is averaging 6.1-rebounds and 4-blocks per game this year. At the time being, he is hanging around in the paint a lot, but if he can expand his game on out to the perimeter in the next couple years, watch out!  –KOWACIE REEVES

 

Kowacie I am just not sold on Jaden Harris so I will be the bad guy here. First of all Jaden is a tremendous athlete with great physical tools, but he has to learn to play within the team, especially as a freshman on a team with loads of talent. He still takes too many bad shots but well he is 14 or 15 years old. I have no doubt his future is bright.

With that being said, I like BJ Wright. He already had 210 pounds on his frame and he is scary talented. Let’s remember you cannot coach height and he is already a big kids and I love his game.

I have not seen Jordan Brown play a game yet but he is another 6’7 kid and from people I talked to today he is already a defensive presence. He was also described as a very smart kid and that never ever hurts.

Don’t go too far on the Westside kids either. I had another coach telling me he already had to game plan for those kids in a game and he said if you didn’t know how old they were, you would never know it by the way they play.  I look forward to seeing them for years to come.

- John Kosater

 

• What are the advantages for Middle-GA freshmen playing in the GHSA Private classification versus Public classification?

 

This is a popular topic of discussion among hoopheads around the state. The answer for me is simple, there are advantages and disadvantages to playing in the GHSA Private class. However, I’ll just focus on the advantages right now. Basically, there will almost always be an opportunity to play more and have inflated statistics where you have smaller school populations and lesser competition, and this is especially true for Middle-Georgia area private schools. Now, does this determine how good or bad a player is? Not in all cases, so let’s not get all out-of-whack at my response here. –KOWACIE REEVES

I think the obvious advantage is it is probably much easier to get playing time at a smaller school. I think all of these guys would be getting major minutes at any class A school but how much playing time would Jordan Jones get at Northside or Westside ? I guess that is a question that will go unanswered but he would not be playing as big a role as he does at FPD. I will say that class A plays pretty good basketball. - John Kosater

• Which Middle-GA freshman will make his mark in the postseason playoffs?

Jaden Harris will be the freshman to make a big-time splash this postseason. He’ll probably play the most minutes and have the opportunity to make more plays than any first year player in the area, and as mentioned earlier, his physicality and raw ability will more than likely take over in the A-Private classification. –KOWACIE REEVES

I would have to agree with putting the playoff pressure on Jaden Harris. He will see the ball much more than these other guys and he is the number two option on this Stratford team. If he plays well the Eagles could make a decent run, but if he and the rest of the team play like they did Tuesday night at Wilkinson County, Stratford will be a quick exit.

My gut feeling says Jaden shows up. - John Kosater

 

So that’s it for episode number one lol. Feel free to throw us topics that you would like us to talk about . Don’t get upset at our views. We are just trying to cover some basketball as well as we can .