Shortly before school started, Southwest DeKalb coach Eugene Brown officially got the news that Kadarius “K.D.” Johnson, the best player in the region as a junior, was transferring to Hargrave Military. That ended the idea of pairing Johnson with Eugene Brown III, the son of the coach and a big-time Division I prospect who had missed his junior season with a broken leg, to form the basis of a powerhouse.
Brown is one of those veteran coaches who does things the right way and he was hardly flummoxed by the news. He’s genuinely happy that things worked out best for Johnson, who has signed with Georgia. Brown realized that it might require more patience, but that his Panthers could again be among the best teams in the state. Now they’re back in the Final Four for the second straight season.
“Our schedule is extremely tough, because we expected to have K.D. and we scheduled accordingly,” Brown said. “Guys had to redefine their roles and it took a little longer, but they kept getting better, kept their focus and kept playing hard.”
It was especially tough on Eugene Brown III, who found himself the target of every possible box-and-one and double-team concept that can be drawn on a chalkboard. Although he found it difficult to get open looks, Brown still averaged 16.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.6 blocks and showed why he was such a top-rated prospect who signed with Ohio State.
“He’s had a great year,” said Brown, speaking as a father and a coach. “It’s been a process to figure out how to play against different junk defenses. And if he’s not scoring, he’s doing everything else … rebounding, stealing the ball, finding the open man. It ramped up his growth and his leadership.”
Southwest DeKalb’s record (19-12) is indicative of a growing team with a tough schedule. It includes an overtime loss to defending AA champion Therrell, perennial AAAAAAA contender Pebblebrook, and Tucker, the No. 1-ranked team in Class AAAAAA. There were close region losses to Columbia and Lithonia and Miller Grove, but in the Region 5 playoffs, SWD knocked off Miller Grove and Columbia to win title and claim a top seed.
“Our schedule prepared us for the state playoffs,” Brown said. Southwest DeKalb carries a seven-game winning streak into the semifinal, the longest active winning streak in the classification.
In addition to Brown, the Panthers have gotten solid play from Jacorry Gist, a 6-2 senior who transferred from a small private school and has gradually realized he has the ability to play against tough competition. Gist averages 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. Senior point guard Jerome Walton has been an excellent floor leader, particularly over the last dozen games.
Mo Diallo, a 6-foot-10 senior in his first season on the varsity, and long-limbed Kusamae Draper, a 6-7 junior, both cause plenty of matchup problems for the opposition. Kortney Forrest and Chandler Sanders have been instrumental off the bench.
Final Four Previews
(all games played Saturday at Fort Valley State)
Girls: Buford vs. Woodland, 2 p.m.: No. 2 Buford (29-1) got some pushback from Carrollton in the third round, but still won by 11. The Wolves are led by Region 8 Player of the Year Tate Walters, but have a legion of players who compete and contribute.
Unranked Woodland (22-9) is another strong defensive team that, like Buford, relies on a variety of players to produce the points. All-region selection Sambresha Everett and Mya Geddis is a solid two-way player.
Woodland is in the Final Four for the first time since 2014 and has never reached the state final. Buford has won the last three state championships and has won 18 straight state playoff games since losing to Americus-Sumter in the 2016 semifinals.
“At some point you’re going play Buford,” Woodland coach Roy Johnson said. “They’re what you want your program to be. Our girls want to try.”
Boys: Kell vs. Dutchtown, 4 p.m.: No. 2 Dutchtown (26-4) is the highest-ranked team remaining in the field. The Bulldogs survived an overtime thriller against Columbia and won when Cameron Bryant made a long 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left. Jamaine Mann, who has committed to Gardner-Webb, was the Region 4 Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 points. Bryant averages 15.1 and Kameron Hobbs averages 12.5.
Kell (26-5) has shown the ability to score points in bunches. They came out of the gate in a hurry to put Buford in a hole in the third round and survived a second-quarter comeback by the defending champions. The young Longhorns are led by Region 7 Player of the Year Scoota Henderson and two-way standout Tyler Clark. Henderson scored 49 in the opening round win against Kell.
Kell and Dutchtown are playing in the state semifinal for the first time.
Girls: Eagle's Landing vs. Kell, 6 p.m.: No. 9 Eagle's Landing (21-8) has won eight straight games. The Golden Eagles play an all-out attack mode … a la Buford … and hope to eventually wear down the opposition. That happened to Veterans in the third round, when Eagle's Landing went on a 16-0 run and put the game away.
No. 1 Kell (31-0) has been a juggernaut all season. The Longhorns are led by freshman sensation Crystal Henderson, who was the Region 7 Player of the Year. She scored 18 points in the quarterfinal win over Jones County. Coach Tony Ingle told the AJC’s Chip Saye, “She’s phenomenal. At any moment she can take the game over and you never know when it’s going to come. She’s good and she’s fun to watch, too.”
Both Eagle’s Landing and Kell are in the Final Four for the first time in school history.
Boys: Southwest DeKalb vs. Cedar Shoals, 8 p.m.: Cedar Shoals has a veteran group capable of doing a lot of things. The Jaguars (27-3) are led by Region 8 Player of the Year Quincy Canty, who scored the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to defeat Lithonia in the third round. Cedar Shoals has another all-region player in Tyler Johnson and an elusive guard in Kashik Brown.
Cedar Shoals made its last trip to the Final Four in 2017 and lost to Buford in the championship game. Southwest DeKalb reached the final in 2012 and lost to Miller Grove.
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