Friday Night Floater, Tournament Edition: Lambert Holiday Classic Game 1
Even though game one of the Lambert Holiday Classic at Lambert HS in Suwanee tipped at 3 pm, there was something of a sleepy, peaceful feel in the sparsely-filled gym, but Peachtree Ridge and Alpharetta did their part well to…
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Continue ReadingEven though game one of the Lambert Holiday Classic at Lambert HS in Suwanee tipped at 3 pm, there was something of a sleepy, peaceful feel in the sparsely-filled gym, but Peachtree Ridge and Alpharetta did their part well to metaphorically inject some caffeine into the gym and get the day’s four games off to an entertaining start.
Navaughn MaiseNavaughn Maise (Peachtree Ridge), C – Maise was a factor all game from multiple spots in helping to lead the Lions to a 68-58 win, be it drawing charges, hustling to the glass, or tallying 17 hard-working points. The 6-6 junior was poised and effective from as far out as the 3-point line all the way to the rim and showed himself the clear vocal leader of the squad as well. Currently at #99 in our 2021 rankings, I expect the junior to garner more attention as he enters into his senior offseason.
Jairus Griffin (Peachtree Ridge), F – Not featured in our 2022 rankings but deserving of a look going forward is the 6-4 sophomore Griffin, who impressed doing a little bit of everything for his scrappy 9-4 Lions squad. After showing gritty fight on the interior in the first half, he showed an all-court game in the second stanza, running the floor for a nice finish, showing a mid-range game with a corner pull-up and then putting it on the floor from the wing for a pretty drive. It’ll be hard not to notice this youngster going forward.
Christian Williams (2)Christian Williams (Peachtree Ridge), SW – The 6-3 senior Williams, displaying a sweet left-handed stroke, did his damage from long range in a second half which saw the Lions take control of the game. He had three 3’s in the 3rd quarter amongst his 17 total points and was very athletic running the floor and on defense.
Jayden StephensJayden Stephens, Josh Spencer, (Alpharetta), F – The two Raider big men both had excellent 2nd halves in helping their team stay close, each showing a nice mixture of athletic ability and inside-outside skills. Stephens’ versatility at 6-5 showed up in his willingness to handle the ball up the floor and create offense, be it pulling up from 3 (two for the game) or getting all the way to the hole off the bounce. The junior had all of his 11 points in the 2nd half to make his statement. Spencer had 10 of his team-high 12 in the 2nd half and did step out for a three-pointer to show off a little range, but the 6-4 senior did the majority of his damage with some nice skill in close to the basket.
Amos LongAmos Long, Jamari Denson (Alpharetta), G – The backcourt duo of Long, a 5-8 senior, and Denson, a 6-0 junior, performed well in that second half which saw the Raiders play their best ball. Long did a terrific job handling the point against some strong Peachtree Ridge pressure (6 of his 9 points in the second half), while Denson was the spot-up gunner, getting three 3’s in the back half of the game to show off a nice stroke.