5 Takeaways: Norcross at North Gwinnett
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The basketball wasn’t pretty, but a lot of that had to do with the defense, as North Gwinnett played from behind nearly the whole game but gutted out 38-37 home win over Norcross to move on to the 7A Elite…
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Continue ReadingThe basketball wasn’t pretty, but a lot of that had to do with the defense, as North Gwinnett played from behind nearly the whole game but gutted out 38-37 home win over Norcross to move on to the 7A Elite 8. Here are a few takeaways from the matchup:
MORE TOUCHES FOR THE BIG GUY
NGHS coach Matt Garner saw what I think a lot of us did after a 12-point first half and found more ways to get the ball into star junior RJ Godfrey RJ Godfrey 6'7" | PF North Gwinnett | 2022 State #198 Nation GA ’s hands. It didn’t necessarily result in a ton of scoring output in a low-scoring affair, but it put pressure on the defense and changed the way Norcross was looking at the Bulldogs at that end. Godfrey is terrific in close and has a creative back-to-the-basket game but needed to be put in more face-up positions and use his athleticism and ballhandling ability.
HAND IT TO THE ALL-AMERICAN
North Gwinnett’s Jordan Hancock may be a football All-American, but he can ball out as well as he’s shown all season. A tremendous athlete at 6-0, he had all 5 of his points in a 3rd quarter which finally saw the Bulldogs pull into the lead. One of his buckets was a raise-the-roof slam off the break over Norcross prized 2024 product Jahki Howard Jahki Howard 6'6" | SF Norcross | 2024 #107 Nation GA that put the nice Saturday afternoon crowd into a tizzy. That energy, combined with some clutch shot-making from senior Brendan Rigsbee Brendan Rigsbee 6'2" | CG North Gwinnett | 2021 State GA (9 pts) and 2022 wing Thomas Allard Thomas Allard 6'6" | SG North Gwinnett | 2022 State GA (8 pts, a big 4th qtr 3-ball), was key for the home team in finding a way to edge the Blue Devils.
IT WASN’T ALL ON HIM
Norcross PG London Johnson London Johnson 6'4" | PG G-League | 2023 State #39 Nation GA is one of the class of 2023’s top prospects, so it’s terribly unfair to pin the game on him, when down 2 with 3.5 seconds left, he missed 2 of 3 from the line with a chance to give them the lead a likely W. He was terrific all game in an affair where possessions were few and baskets were hard to get. His on-ball defense of both Rigsbee and Hancock was exceptional showing his all-around abilities, as he already has the offensive acumen and scoring chops of a more mature player. He had 11 of the team’s 37 and is a fine prospect with a bright future who will win a lot more games for the Blue Devils before he’s done than not.
SPEAKING OF THE FUTURE
Norcross will be one of the state’s best teams next year with nearly everyone back from a 21-win team that went 11-1 in one of the toughest regions in the state. With a team featuring underclassmen all over the rotation they beat postseason participants Denmark (twice), Discovery (twice), Berkmar and Westlake. Along with Howard, they have up-and-coming 2024’s Justin Mitchell Justin Mitchell 6'4" | SG TD Prep | 2024 GA and 6-8 Aiden Sherell waiting in the wings, the 2023 class is also loaded with the aforementioned Johnson as well as athletic guards Mier Panoam Mier Panoam 6'2" | CG Norcross | 2023 State GA and Samarion Bond. Not to be outdone, the 2022’s will feature 6-7 forward Jerry Deng Jerry Deng 6'7" | SF Norcross | 2022 State GA and wing Hezekiah Flagg, both expected to be summer standouts who can make big jumps in their senior seasons.
UP NEXT
North Gwinnett heads down to Cobb County Wednesday to face 24-3 Pebblebrook in the 7A Elite 8, and it will be perhaps their tallest task of the season. Hard to find a team playing better right now than the Falcons, who boast a veteran lineup seemingly intent on not stopping without taking home a state title. With just one loss since Dec 19, seniors Jamall Clyce Jamall Clyce 6'6" | SF Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA , Danny Stubbs Danny Stubbs 6'1" | PG Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA , Tyler Shirley Tyler Shirley 6'6" | PF Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA , Blake Hadley Blake Hadley 6'6" | PF Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA and Aaron Reddish Aaron Reddish 6'6" | SF Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA form a core that has few peers statewide, and it doesn’t end there as they go close to 10 deep with quality. Should be a good one!