OTR HS Tip-off Classic notebook

OTR HS Tip-off Classic notebook

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

Norcross, GA – The annual On the Radar Hoops Tip-off Classic was filled with great matchups and exciting finishes on Saturday at Norcross High School.

Spectators had a chance to see which teams to really track during the regular season. Some of the preseason hype was just hype, while some players made it a point to be noticed based on their play on the hardwood.

Grayson’s McLavish comes up big

Grayson is the odds on favorite to win the Georgia High School Association state championship. The Rams also have a chance to go undefeated against any team in the state with Chris McLavish running the show.

Sure, Grayson’s roster is littered with notable names like Jacob Wilkins, Amir Taylor, KJ Garris all who have carved their name in the basketball landscape in the state. Then you add five-star guard Caleb Holt to this roster everyone was questioning was there enough basketball for this all these guys. Well, sometimes it’s not the amount of basketball’s available, this team needed a distributor.

This is where McLavish’s addition makes them a solid favorite in the state. The 5-foot-10 floor general showed out against Tri-Cities. He made plays on both ends of the floor. McLavish had 13 points, 9 assists, and 5 steals. His ability to disrupt anything Tri-Cities attempted helped set the tone. This helped Grayson jump out early and never looked back.

“For my money, Chris is one of the best point guards in the state offensively and defensively,” Rams coach Geoffrey Pierce said Saturday. “He is the catalyst for us up front defensively. He is super unselfish and a great teammate.”

St. Plus X has a talented roster

St. Pics X found itself on the wrong end of the scoreboard Saturday. The Golden Lions would have loved to pull out a victory.

However, not to be lost in the defeat, St. Plus’ roster has a roster with tremendous potential. There is Aiden Portee, Thomas Rogers, Ryan Kim, and D’Marley Elliott. These guys battled Central Gwinnett the entire afternoon and refused to quit until the final buzzer.

Portee, a senior, is the floor general who controlled everything. He handled the pressure and ran the offense with tremendous precision. Portee is a table setter with a strong knack of scoring the ball. Rogers was the utility man on the roster who just did whatever the team needed. Kim, a senior, is a poised and stoic shooter. He has a textbook jumper and has an high motor. Elliott is the manchild junior prospect who is a load to handle inside punishing opponents on the defensive and offensive end.

This group has gone through some tough games before. They will know what it takes to build a successful season. They may have a new coach but the standard will remain the standard. St. Plus X will get back on the court when its hosts North Springs High on Thursday.

Witherspoon era, at Berkmar, gets its first victory

Berkmar’s new head coach William Witherspoon could finally breathe. The Patriots (1-2) finally picked up their first win of the year, after two close games.

Witherspoon coached with the passion he knows that comes with wearing a Berkmar uniform. He played on the schools first state championship team as a player in 2000. The Patriots repeated as state champions in 2001.

His career coaching record is 157-78, since he coached boys and girls at Walnut Grove before returning to his alma mater.

Witherspoon looks to add to Berkmar’s success. Aside from the two state championships, the Patriots have won 12 region championships and have finished as three-time state runner-up finishes (1998, 2021, & 2022).

Berkmar is back on the hardwood against Riverwood on Saturday in another showcase.