Shut out of the 68-team field — nary even a local tournament venue to be had — the state of Georgia finds itself absolutely NCAA hoops-less in this, the season’s most celebratory time.
But a second look at the tournament, which takes full flight at noon Thursday, finds the bracket crawling with Georgians. Some two dozen of the participating schools will send out state players all weekend, all the way from Pittsburgh (Norcross forward Alonzo Nelson-Ododa) to USC (Rockdale County forward Darion Clark.)
Big men, little men. Big schools, little schools. Plenty of local angles will play out over the next three weeks. Here are a few to watch:
VIRGINIA
What does Malcolm Brogdon, the ACC player of the year, do for an encore? Win it all? The Cavaliers, seeded No. 1 in the Midwest Region, are the most-Atlanta-populated team in the tournament, with Brogdon, the 6-foot-5 senior guard from Greater Atlanta Christian (18.7 points per game) and reserves sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins (GAC) and senior forward Evan Nolte (Milton).
First opponent: Hampton
When: 3:10 p.m. Thursday
Where: Raleigh, N.C.
CALIFORNIA
The good news? Wheeler standout Jaylen Brown lived up to the billing when he hit the Pac-12. The 6-7 forward won conference freshman of the year as well as making first-team all-league, ranking second in Bears scoring (15 ppg) and rebounding (5.5). The bad news? He arrives at the tournament in a grievous slump. Over the Bears’ past four games, Brown is shooting 21.4 percent, including a 3-for-17 showing the conference tournament semifinals loss to Utah.
First opponent: Hawaii
When: 2 p.m. Friday
Where: Spokane, Wash.
AUSTIN PEAY
Ever heard of Chris Horton? The senior center from Columbia High hopes you do this week. He’ll take center stage when the Governors take on tournament-favorite Kansas on Thursday. Horton, a centerpiece in Columbia’s run of three consecutive Class AAA championships, leads Austin Peay in both scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounding (12 rpg). A 6-8 center/forward, he is one of only 13 Division I players to reach 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocked shots.
First opponent: Kansas
When: 4 p.m. Thursday
Where: Des Moines, Iowa
CHATTANOOGA
When Justin Tuoyo transferred in from Virginia Commonwealth three years ago, the 6-10 forward from Lovejoy High was little more than a long, long question mark. When the Mocs end a seven-year NCAA drought Thursday against Indiana, they will depend on the Southern Conference’s defensive player of the year against Indiana’s rugged front line. It took Tuoyo just two seasons to break Chattanooga’s career blocked-shots record (179).
First opponent: Indiana
When: 7:10 p.m. Thursday
Where: Des Moines, Iowa
MARYLAND
When Robert Carter transferred from Georgia Tech, he said he was looking for a better chance at the NCAA tournament. After sitting out the mandatory one season — voila! — the Terps are dancing and the Shiloh High 6-9 forward is keeping time on the backboard. Carter led the Terps in rebounding (6.8 rpg), was third in scoring (12.8) and was an honorable mention Big Ten selection. Q: His averages at Tech? A: 10.5 points, 7.4 rebounds.
First opponent: South Dakota State
When: 4:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Spokane, Wash.
Some other hardwood minutiae:
And one to coach them: Steve Prohm was a good enough player at Northwest Whitfield High that Oglethorpe signed him, but after one season, Prohm knew his destiny was not playing basketball but coaching it. So he transferred to Alabama to become a student manager and began climbing the long ladder. On Thursday in Denver, Iowa State and Prohm, its first-year coach, take on Iona. He is the lone Georgian coach in the field.
Westward ho: How to explain this? There are more Georgians representing the Pac-12 (three) than the SEC (zero). In addition to USC's Clark, who also played quarterback and pitched at Rockdale County before heading to Oak Hill Academy for his senior year, Austin Montgomery, a 6-9 freshman forward from Lakeview Academy, walked on at Utah. Jamal Reid, also part of Columbia's string of state titles, is a senior reserve at Oregon State. The SEC, between Kentucky, Texas A&M and already eliminated Vanderbilt, have no Georgian players.
North Avenue blues: Georgia Tech might have missed the NCAAs again, but a host of its former affiliates will have good views of the action. Ex-Tech assistant coach Sherman Dillard, on staff for the 1990 Final Four season, is an assistant at Iowa while Cliff Warren, a five-year assistant to Paul Hewitt, is an assistant at Maryland. Rod Balanis, a former Tech guard, has been on Notre Dame's staff since Mike Brey arrived 16 years ago.
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