Miller Grove’s Alterique Gilbert, who recently was announced as a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American game, picked up more national recognition last week. The point guard was one of 25 players named on Thursday to the Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year Midseason Team, and it was announced on Friday that he will play in the Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 15.
Gilbert, who has signed with Connecticut, averaged 14.5 points last week in lopsided victories against Clarkston and Dunwoody. No. 2-ranked Miller Grove is 17-2 overall and 8-0 in 6-AAAAA Division A.
Here’s a look back at some of the other top stories from the week in Class AAAAA basketball:
*Good times in Brunswick: The top two girls teams in Class AAAAA hail from Brunswick, and both improved to 17-1 on Friday with their second victories of the week. No. 1-ranked Glynn Academy got 22 points from Danesha Murray in a 59-49 victory over Effingham County. No. 2 Brunswick got 17 points from Symone Palmer in a 48-47 victory over Statesboro, the Pirates' second one-point win of the week.
Glynn Academy and Brunswick are 1-1 against each other this season, although Brunswick’s win came in the Savannah Holiday Classic and did not count as a 3-AAAAA game, so Glynn Academy leads the region by one game.
“We’re very much two different teams. They say there’s not just one way to skin a cat,” Glynn Academy coach ChoRhonda Gwaltney told the Brunswick News. “The hope is, on Feb. 5, we’ll both still be No. 1 and No. 2, fighting for the region. That’s a good thing for the county.”
*Top-10 boys matchups: Top-ranked Allatoona and No. 4 Cedar Shoals were the big winners in a pair of battles between top-10 boys teams on Friday. Ephraim Tshimanga of Allatoona (17-0, 10-0) scored 15 points in a 53-44 victory over No. 7 South Paulding that gave the Buccaneers a game-and-a-half lead over second-place South Paulding and New Manchester in 5-AAAAA. Cedar Shoals outscored No. 6 Heritage-Conyers 10-5 in the fourth quarter for a 54-51 victory that put the Jaguars (18-2, 9-1) in control in 8-AAAAA South. No. 10 Shaw lost 65-58 to LaGrange on Friday, leaving four teams with one loss each in 1-AAAAA.
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