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Monday, January 22, 2007
No. 1 Norcross to rout No. 2 Peachtree Ridge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On paper, No. 2 Peachtree Ridge has the athletes to match up with No. 1 Norcross in tonight’s Region 7 showdown at the Blue Devils’ gym. Burn that paper — Blue Devils are going to roll.
Norcross was impressive in Saturday’s TV performance, running past and jumping over undermanned Arlington Country Day of Jacksonville, 88-69.
Certainly, Peachtree Ridge will put up a better fight, but will it be enough? Not if Gani Lawal uses his quickness to get Ridge big man Cameron Heyward in foul trouble. Not if Al-Faouq Aminu has another monster game like he did against Country Day (23 points, 21 rebounds). And not if Norcross continues to shoot the ball well from beyond the 3-point arch. Sophomore Tarriq Mohammad hit eight 3’s against Duluth last week.
The Lions’ best chance appears to be sitting back in a zone and hoping the Blue Devils’ recent hot shooting subsides. The zone also should help prevent Heyward from getting in foul trouble.
Prediction: Norcross 91, Peachtree Ridge 73
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Hoops ready to trump football?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Next month, football will again take center stage with National Signing Day Feb. 7. The state will be in the spotlight as tons of seniors will accept their scholarship offers from colleges across the country.
But for now, basketball is king in the state. Saturday at Norcross, three teams from the state put the nation on notice that its basketball is just as good as its gridiron reputation.
Nationally-ranked Norcross and Columbia defeated highly-regarded teams from Florida and Alabama. Dunwoody, the two-time Class AAA defending champion, defeated Florida’s Pine Crest Academy. Wheeler, a perennial power in Georgia, was the only local school from Saturday’s PrimeTime Shootout tournament not to win.
The success continued a trend this season that may have begun with the Collins Hill girls team. Ranked No. 1 in the country, Collins Hill and standout Maya Moore, who is headed to Connecticut, won the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.
Atlanta trails only Los Angeles and New York City according to rivals.com in top prospects this season.
With three nationally ranked teams in Norcross and Columbia boys and Collins Hills girls, and a few television appearances, is basketball in this state ready to trump football as the marquee sport?
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