Michael Reddick has had some great teams and coached some great players over his 17 seasons at South Atlanta. But he’s never quite had a team like this one.
The No. 9-ranked Hornets are 14-4 and have won four straight since losing to Greenville, Ala., in the Dwight Madison tournament in Montgomery, Ala. But unlike past teams that have included two players when went on to be selected as Mr. Georgia Basketball (James Banks and Derrick Favors) this year’s team relies on its depth.
“We’ve got 13 or 14 players and there’s not really much difference in them,” Reddick said. “It’s frustrating and it’s a blessing at the same time.”
As a result, South Atlanta is probably as deep as any team in the state rankings. Reddick doesn’t hesitate to interchange players, depending on who’s hot, and there’s rarely a problem of getting in foul trouble.
“We’ve been able to win a lot of games with our depth while we’re waiting for someone to emerge,” Reddick said.
The team’s floor leader has been Devontae Dean, a 6-foor-2 junior, who has been one of the most consistent contributors. Other top players have been a 6-4 senior Dexter Swift, 5-9 junior Orlando BeBee, and 6-2 senior Martaveous Favors.
“But, like I said, it’s hard to pick out two or three guys because they’re all about equal,” Reddick said.
South Atlanta will need all the help it can muster tonight when it travels to No. 3 Cedar Grove. The Saints are 12-2 and 5-0 in Region 4-AAA Div. A and beat South Atlanta 72-49 on Dec. 9. South Atlanta is 3-1 in the subregion after its 63-56 win at Decatur on Saturday.
Other important games on tonight’s schedule are:
Boys
Josey (12-4) at No. 6 Butler (11-6): Darius Williams averages 26 points for Josey, but the Eagles have struggled against good team, including a 20-point loss at No. 1 Laney on Saturday. Butler won the first meeting 67-60, but had the victory overturned by forfeit. The Bulldogs had to forfeit four games because of it played Don Coleman in those games when he was supposed to be sitting out two games with a suspension for a flagrant foul.
East Hall (15-4) at Banks County (17-3): First place will be at stake in Region 7-AAA; East Hall leads at 7-0 and Banks is a game behind at 6-1. East Hall won the first meeting 84-80 on Dec. 12 in Homer.
Calhoun (11-3) at Ringgold (15-3): The Ringold boys are led by senior Jordan Ransom (14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds) and have won three straight. Calhoun's balanced attack is led by junior Kaelan Riley (15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds). Ringgold is 10-0 in Region 6-AAA, with Calhoun at 8-0. The two play again on Jan. 31 at Calhoun.
Girls
No. 8 Calhoun (16-3) at Ringgold (15-4): The two teams meet for the third time this season. Calhoun won the first game 65-37 at Calhoun and prevailed 66-54 in holiday tournament at LaFayette. Calhoun is 10-0 in Region 6-AAA, while Ringgold is tied for second with Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe at 8-3.
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