NGS HOOPS
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Day 2 of the Lemon St. Classic I was able to catch the last 3 games. N. Cobb vs McDonough, Pope vs Etowah, and Academy of Central Florida vs Wheeler. Here are just a few of the standouts from these games:
McDonough (GA)Â
McDonough has a tough starting 5 led by senior Keenan Gray. They have an elite group of juniors in Zion & Zaiden Greene, Nigel Thomas, and Nathadeus Fambro all in starting lineup.
2024 6'3 PG Keenan Gray is the leader of the group. Gray like to get out in transition and run. He's athletic and finishes well around the rim. His hustle was one thing that stood out to me, he recovered a lot of 50/50 balls whether it was a rebound or a loose ball on the floor. Gray also has good court vision as he was able to find open teammates all night long. He led his team with 20 pts.Â
2025 6'7 W Nigel Thomas was the smoothest kid on the floor. Thomas likes to play on the perimeter but don't get it confused, he does have the ability to slither his way to the basket. He shoots the ball well off the catch when he spots up but he can also shoot it off the dribble. His length is a problem for teams on the other end. He finished with 19 pts.
Pope (GA)
Pope has a solid team led by junior guard Zach Bleshoy. They are currently 11-2. 2025 6'4 PG Zach Bleshoy is a lefty who can score the ball in many different ways. Attacking the basket he was able to convert on a few runners in the lane. He also was able to knockdown an open shot on the perimeter. Bleshoy has a solid frame and he uses it to his advantage against his defenders. He led all scorers with 19 in a win vs Etowah.
The Academy of Central FloridaÂ
The Academy of Central Florida used a huge 3rd quarter to make a statement against a good Wheeler squad. They were led by 2025s Josiah Sutton, Maodo Niang, and 2026 Justin Roman.Â
2026 6'7 SF Justin Roman has a versatile skillset. He showed he can play some point guard with his ability to handle the ball, run the offense, and find open teammates. He then showed the ability to play small forward. He moved well without the ball, and was a good spot up shooter. He can also play in the paint using his physical frame to create around the rim. Â
2025 6'2 PG Josiah Sutton has a good motor for a guard. He made a number of hustle plays, he helped rebound, and he continuously pushed the ball up the court putting pressure on the defense. Sutton found his shooters in transition which led to a 27-4 run in the 3rd after being down at halftime. Sutton also knocked down a few 3s himself. Â
2025 6'8 SF Maodo Niang is a high energy guy. He talks more on the court than any kid I've seen this year. He's not scared to play physical in the paint even though he has a slim frame. Majority of his points came either in the paint or free throw line. His length caused problems on defense forcing Wheeler to take a lot of perimeter shots. He led all scorers with 16 pts.Â
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Darlington continued its impressive season, moving to 10-0 in region play and 20-2 overall after a commanding 87-55 win over New Faith Christian Academy. From start to finish, Darlington controlled the game with pace, ba
