Five Key Questions: No. 1 Woodward Academy vs. North Clayton
In The Battle of College Park at Gateway Center Arena, home of the G-League’s College Park Skyhawks, No. 1 Woodward Academy (15-1) overpowered North Clayton (10-5) in a fun and festive atmosphere. Early whistles put North Clayton behind the eight-ball…
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Continue ReadingIn The Battle of College Park at Gateway Center Arena, home of the G-League’s College Park Skyhawks, No. 1 Woodward Academy (15-1) overpowered North Clayton (10-5) in a fun and festive atmosphere. Early whistles put North Clayton behind the eight-ball early as Xavier Valley picked up two quick fouls and the War Eagles jumped out to a 24-15 lead after going 11-14 from the foul line in the opening quarter. The Eagles showed signs of life and cut the lead to 47-40 with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter, but an 8-0 Woodward Academy run would push the lead to 13 heading into the fourth before closing out a 79-65 Region 4-AAAA win.
Five questions linger from Tuesday’s game…
Who in Class 4A can beat Woodward Academy?
The War Eagles are tough to stop as the move-ins of Will Richard and Davidson-signee Emory Lanier now give Woodward Academy a complete lineup. Of course, 7-foot UNC-signee Walker Kessler is the centerpiece but guys like Jacorrei Turner and Michael Whitmore give the War Eagles balance. So, who can match up with them? A starting lineup of 7-0, 6-5, 6-5, 6-3, 5-9 is tough to deal with. No. 2 Sandy Creek has size and star power to hang with Woodward in 2021 6-foot-9 Jabari Smith. 6-foot-5 junior Deshon Proctor is a physical specimen down low and guards Daryl Rice and Matt Williams are prone to making winning plays. No. 3 Americus-Sumter is off to a 14-0 start led by senior guard Trae Brown (18 ppg), but size will be a major issue and the lack of a true second leading scorer could potentially hurt as Le’shanna Ross is second on the team in scoring at just 6.5 points per game. No. 3 Eastside lost 63-50 in their first meeting but has length to bother Kessler in sophomores 6-foot-8 Chauncey Wiggins and 6-foot-7 Miokaye Grant. Myles Rice and Jaylen Woods are both bucket getters on the perimeter. If anyone can beat Woodward Academy, I would think it may be a team that is athletic enough to space the floor and pull Kessler away from the basket. They will need to be able to hit open threes and keep Woodward’s frontline off the glass – easier said than done.
Where will North Clayton finish in Region 4?
We all know only the top four teams from each region clinch a state playoff berth. North Clayton is currently in fifth-place at 3-4. The Eagles look like they have enough talent and peaked at No. 4 in the state in Week 4, but losses to Eastside (80-71), Salem (72-69) and McDonough (75-58) have the Eagles looking up at all three teams and of course Woodward Academy. 6-foot-8 unsigned senior wing Xavier Valley has had High Major interest over the summer, but the emergence of 6-foot-2 senior Jermaine Lattimore has put Valley in the backseat a little bit. Lattimore is averaging 22.9 points per game and has the green light to pull from deep beyond the three-point line. 5-foot-10 junior point guard Derrius Martin and 6-foot-6 UMass football-commit Onuma Dieke give Coach Martisse Troup a solid core. If the Eagles click at the right time, they are good enough to win a few games in state, but the challenge will be getting there first.
How important is Michael Whitmore to Woodward Academy?
The old phrase “Woodward has weak guards” has driven 5-foot-9 senior point guard Michael Whitmore into being one of Georgia’s best competitors and toughest on-ball defenders. The shifty ball-handler has taken a little bit of a back seat in terms of scoring the ball (down from 8.1 to 6.4 ppg) due to the additions of Emory Lanier and Will Richard, but make no mistake, Whitmore’s value is at an all-time high. In the past, Woodward lacked ball-handlers but now Coach Anthony Thomas has two trustworthy ones in Whitmore and Lanier and allows Coach Thomas to be more creative in sets since he has more than one option to initiate the offense. Whitmore is averaging 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.3 steals and just earned an offer from Maryville College.
How high is Xavier Valley’s ceiling?
Shooting is always a valuable skill at the next level. Being 6-foot-8 and having the touch of a guard, its no surprise that some big schools have checked in on Valley. He went for 21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks after battling foul trouble. He had a stretch where he drained back-to-back-to-back threes to get North Clayton back in the game. Valley does have some room to improve however. Getting more aggressive, making quicker moves on the perimeter and staying impactful are what can take his game to the next level. He should be a dominant high school player but he’s averaging 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. The offense isn’t necessarily centered around him and Jermaine Lattimore gets a lot of shots (50 more than Valley to date), but Valley still needs to find a way to contribute even if its more so on defense than offense. Valley is worthy of D-I looks and shows mouthwatering flashes, just his consistency and aggressiveness will determine what level he plays at. For now, you can qualify him as a sleeper but if he puts it all together, don’t be surprised to see him sign at a high level.
What type of success can Walker Kessler have at UNC?
A consensus five-star prospect and possible All-American, Walker Kessler has all the tools to play in the NBA one day. He had a modest night with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 6 blocks and is averaging 17.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.1 blocks. Kessler is very skilled and has deep three-point range and makes good decisions passing the ball. He has put on weight every season and will need to continue to be able to log big minutes in the ACC. Where Kessler lacks is his footspeed. North Clayton didn’t pull him away from the rim much and let him stay comfortable in the paint. When spread out, Kessler uses his length extremely well to cover up ground, but mismatches and quicker undersized forwards can give him problems. His athleticism isn’t that of an elite shot blocker at the next level and is something he will need to continue to improve, but his IQ and understanding of what teams try to do against him lets him hold his own against freak athletes.