AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 22 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHoops 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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Comments
By Carlos
January 22, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this
Not likely, although it should be at least on par with football. But during the weeks of the football semifinals and state championships and the week afterwards, the AJC ignored the fact that basketball season had even begun. There was one, ONE article maybe two on basketball games. The AJC didnt even bother to run scores in print or online of the early season basketball games. WHY? Because football trumps everything in GA.
By Ernest
January 22, 2007 03:41 PM | Link to this
I agree with Carlos. Even on the High School page on the AJC, the football picture was there until VERY recently. I guess basketball is just a bridge until spring football practice. There is a LOT of basketball talent in GA, especially in the metro area. Hopefully the AJC will give more attention to this sport.
By jsleazy
January 22, 2007 04:47 PM | Link to this
If you look closely into blog archives, you will see that I practically wrote this article back in November. Look, ajc sports writers have the power to provide info. But we should not even be suprised that HS basketball gets no exposure in GA. It hasn’t ever in all the years Ive even cared about it. The thing about Saturday was even though GA teams proved themselves on a national stage, the game was played at Norcross. You would have thought such a high profile event could have been played a more high profile location. It was definitely refreshing to see so many good players representing GA though. As a Dekalb county native especially, seeing traditional powers Columbia and Dunwoody roll was really sweet. Ajc is still on the clock with its lack of HS basketball coverage though.
By The Mane
January 22, 2007 06:40 PM | Link to this
IMO, Dekalb County produces some of the best athletes in the country.
By Norcross07
January 22, 2007 07:33 PM | Link to this
The event was orginally going to take place some where else, “a more high profile location.” But due to circumstances, it was moved to Norcross.
By coach
January 22, 2007 08:42 PM | Link to this
Had the chance to see the teams at Norcross “House of Blue” Boy there is some great talent in North Georgia, Norcross, Wheeler, Columbia, Dunwoody, not to mention Meadowcreek, Peachtree Ridge. If I was a college coach, I wouldn’t have to leave the Metro Area. I believe Norcross would be ranked in the top 30 if it played a college schedule.
By Alex
January 23, 2007 06:21 AM | Link to this
The sad reality of the AJCs basketball coverage, is that it is pathetic. The Gwinnett Daily Post talked more about the Prime Time Tour games then the AJC did. The AJC had an article about Columbia’s performance at the event and then the end of the article had a sentence for each of the other three games. No mention of Al-Farouq Aminu breaking Lebron James’ tournament record for rebounds. The Gwinnett Daily Post, on the other hand, had a full article about the Blue Devils’ performance followed by another full article about the rest of the games, and just for those who don’t know the schools well enough, none of the other Georgia teams at the event were from Gwinnett, yet the GDP provided better coverage for them then the AJC. Not even the prestigeous Gwinnett section of the AJC had an article for Norcross about the event. Once again, the AJC blew a great opportunity to show there high school sports coverage is deeper then one sport. I have an idea, why don’t they just forget about a high school sports section and just make it a high school football section?
By SD
January 23, 2007 09:10 AM | Link to this
I think it is very SAD that basketball in the state of Georgia gets little to no representation in the AJC. The Georgia state basketball tournament is some of the best basketball in the country, on every class level. Metro Atlant has three teams ranked in the nation, and you hardly hear about them. The talent level is among the best in the nation. It’s just sad you don’t hear about it.
By Charles Koontz
January 23, 2007 09:24 AM | Link to this
Oh, yes Columbia Boys team is extremely good no great. The talent is outstanding there. Let us also not forget the Girls Team In Dekalb Schools either, just come and check out the Lady Blue Devils of Avondale. The senior’s on this team are good, come see the ninth graders there are three two of them are outstanding three point shooter as well as they will bring it to the whole no matter what your size or ability.This team also has a ninth grader around 6’3 or 6’4 is good and will only be better as she continues to play, not to say these Ladies start. Two squards one that starts and the other as back-up are this good, those Lady Blue Devil are off the hook. Anyone reading this today 01/23/07 this team plays GAC tonight at Avondale, number 1 rank team against number 2 rank team in AA ball. Tonight at 5:oopm.
By H2F
January 23, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this
Does south Georgia basketball even exist these days? Up until this year, we were at least mentioned on occasion on the online score listings.
The Thomasville boys are undefeated and get no attention. Turner County’s boys are pretty good. Kendrick’s girls are having another great year.
I’m tired of every sentence being about Mike Vick, the ineptitude of the Hawks, or the Thrashers being unable to hold a lead. The original driving force of the Atlanta sports section - preps - still have a lot of new stories to tell.
By blaque
January 23, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this
Well basketball is a mess right now. With players changing schools at a drop of a hat. There are too many schools/ coaches that are cheating right now. There are some schools that are playing the right way, but they are never covered in the AJC.