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Friday, January 19, 2007
Golden’s urge to shoot kept under control
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sometimes, the name goes with the game so nicely, as if the parents had a vision. For a basketball player with a sweet jump shot and a bright future, Trae Golden fits the McEachern ninth-grade sensation perfectly.
The 6-foot guard shoots the 3-pointer in a beautifully controlled stroke. His overall game is polished as if with wax, a smooth customer on the court who belies his youth.
For all his talent, Golden had not played in a game with the local significance of Friday’s matchup with fellow Cobb County mainstay South Cobb. You might expect a young gun to use that platform to show off his considerable skill set or to shrink under the anticipation.
But here’s what was so impressive about Golden: He did not feed into the emotion of the occasion. And he did not crack.
Instead, he bided his time as a crusty old senior might, never once forcing the action. For a 15-year-old to be that controlled was remarkable enough.
But there’s much more to this wunderkind. South Cobb assigned its energetic senior Austin Kelly to defend Golden, which fazed the youngster none the least. Resisting the urge to go it on his own, he passed to teammates in the post or perimeter when no one would have complained if he had made a move to the basket.
He took just three shots in the first half and made two — a follow layup and a 3-point jumper. After the break, he was equally at ease allowing senior DeAndre Washington (20 points) to dominate the ball. Hobbling on knees that have pained him for too long now — “Doctors say it’s growing pain,” the freshman said — Golden scored on a beautiful reverse layup and another trey from the baseline in the second half that hit nothing but twine.
He also showed that he is an uncanny passer whose quick first step gets him into the lane at will. He did more of that than shoot in McEachern’s 60-52 victory.
“When you’re in a rush, it seems that you lose focus,” said Golden, who came in averaging 17 and scored 10. “So, I just go out there under control. I get my patience from my dad. He’s pretty laid back, lackadaisical.”
Golden’s patience can at once be a virtue and an issue. It’s admirable that he has no compulsion to hoist shots every time down the floor. At the same time, there are moments when the best player has to assert himself for the good of the team.
“Sometimes it can be a problem, but it’s a team game,” he said. “I rely on my teammates and they rely on me.”
Gotta love that perspective from any player, but especially one so young. He’s unimpressed with himself and not pressured to impress anyone.
“I’ve always had confidence in myself,” he said. “I thought I could do what I’m doing. But I’m just having fun. It’s like I’m playing with my homeboys.”
His homeboys probably could score on him, defensive energy needs that much upgrading. But there is no doubt that the kid with the name that fits him perfectly will become a name that everyone knows before he’s done at McEachern.
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Griffin boys out of hibernation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Each Friday, the AJC’s Jay Stone takes you outside the arc in the State Hoops Report. Check what’s happening around Georgia and shoot us your comments below.
The Griffin boys have been a state power for a long time, so few developments around the state were as shocking as the Bears’ 1-9 start.
It was all a function of absent players, though, and with the return of forwards Charles Corbin, Frank Craven, Curdarius Curtis and Akeem McKinney, Griffin is at full strength and making up for lost time.
Corbin, Craven and Curtis all regained eligibility with the beginning of the second semester, and McKinney was slowed early in the season while recovering from injuries he sustained during football.
“We were missing those guys, and we weren’t playing real well on top of that,” said Griffin coach Ferris Qualls. “When you add turnovers to it … it was real disappointing.”
Bobby Rainey, the star running back from the school’s football team, missed seven games while taking recruiting visits, and the resolution of the recruiting cycle will essentially give the Bears another player back.
Griffin, which lost four of those games by five points or less, beat Jonesboro 61-54 Tuesday for their fifth straight victory, a streak that coincided with those players’ return. Senior Sidney Harris may be the biggest beneficiary.
Harris leads the team in scoring a 19 points per game, and the inside presence of the 6-foot-7 Corbin should create more open shots for him. Corbin averaged 14 points and eight rebounds in his first five games back.
Turner trio: Ternell Davis, Lennie Richardson and Demetris Ewing have Turner County riding an eight-game winning streak. Davis scores 16 points and averages five rebounds and five steals a game for the Rebels (15-1), who have benefitted from the emergence of Ewing (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) in the current streak.
Keeping pace: Behind leading scorer Ricky Eades (17 ppg), Hart County (15-2, 6-1) is one game back of Franklin County in Region 8-AAA.
Win, win, win: Cedar Shoals has won 125 games over the past five seasons and is 14-1 so far this season after rallying from a 15-point deficit to beat Rockdale Tuesday. Chris Kupets scored 30 points and had 11 assists.
Girls persevering: Carrollton has maintained its unbeaten record despite losing leading scorer Velicia Bell (17 ppg, 6.5 assists, 5.5 steals) to a knee injury two weeks ago. Sophomore guard Karisma Boykin, who was averaging 16 points before Bell went down, has averaged 22 points and seven assists since then The Lady Trojans enter the weekend at 17-0, 7-0 in Region 6-AAA.
Dealin’ Demons: Warner Robins’ Kittery Maine had a double-double by halftime against Valdosta last Friday and finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Demons (12-3).
Ram tough: Since losing their season opener to Colquitt County, Worth County has won 15 straight, thanks to Tia Lewis (15 points, 16 rebounds per game), Shonterria Walker and Logan Youngblood (13 points per game each). The Lady Rams are holding their opponents to 40 points on average.
State hoops talk starts here. Got something you think Jay should know about? E-mail him.
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