Georgia Perimeter College Head Coach Alfred Barney and his GPC “Jaguars” hosted Atlanta Metro College, Miami Dade College and Okaloosa-Walton College in the two-day 2007 GPC Tip-Off Classic. Several former 4SHOT Hoop all-star performers were featured in the event including the return of one of the best high school players to lace up a pair of sneakers in the state of Georgia.

Day 2 – Saturday, November 10, 2007

Georgia Perimeter College - 89 vs. Okaloosa-Walton College - 79

Vincent Banks recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 points and a game high 10 rebounds

Decatur, GA - When I heard that former South Atlanta H.S. star and 4SHOT Hoops 2003 “Player of the Year”, 6-4 Fr.-Vincent Banks had resurfaced at GPC, I had to see for myself if one, it was true and two, did Banks still have the skills that made him one of the most feared scorers in Georgia High School history.

After not seeing Banks hit the court in Friday’s opening round game (he was serving the second of a two game suspension) I quickly saw that even after a few years of non-college competitive action that Banks was the most skilled player in the tournament.

Banks who had short stints at the Univ. of Miami and the Univ. of Cincinnati before being dismissed due to some personal problems.  I pray that his personal problems are now behind him and that he can get back to doing what he loves best, playing ball.

6-6 power-forward So.-Josh Hunter (Dougherty H.S. - Albany, GA) scored 17 points.

The game started off slow as OWC jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead. The “Jaguars” behind the rebounding of Banks (10 first-half rebounds) and a balanced scoring attack also led by Banks, 6-4 Fr.-Jamail Turner (Swainsboro H.S. - Swainsboro, GA), 6-4 So.-Brody Langston (East Hall H.S. - Gainesville, GA) and 6-5 Fr.-Chris Lightner (Raleigh, NC) they stormed back to take a 15-12 lead.

Okaloosa-Walton’s 6-9 So.-Keith Ramsey and 6-6 power-forward So.-Josh Hunter (Dougherty H.S. - Albany, GA) did the damage inside for the “Raiders” as they out-rebounded the “Jaguars” 29 to 16 to take a slim 38-37 halftime lead.

The pace of the game really picked up in the second-half, OWC’s 6-2 Fr.-Charvez Davis lit-up GPC drilling 5 three-points as “Raiders” increased their lead.

During the next couple of minutes Banks made two separate moves that know one on the floor could have even dreamed up, unfortunately for GPC he missed both attempts.

6-4 Fr.-Jamail Turner (Swainsboro H.S. - Swainsboro, GA) scored 14 pts and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Okaloosa-Walton’s 6-2 So.-Tay Waller (Manchester H.S. - Manchester, GA) continued to be a non-factor in the second-half, finishing with only 6 points. Hunter however had his back as he continued to beast out in the paint, going to the foul line 10 times in the second half. 

Down the stretch GPC showed their metal as 5-9 sophomore point-guard Nathaniel Mitchell (Toronto, Canada) steadied the offense and 6-1 Fr.-Anthony Miller (Liberty County, H.S. - Hinesville, GA) came in and knocked down a couple of long jumpers to help the “Jaguars” pull away to a 89-79 victory. 

Scoring Recap

Georgia Perimeter College: Vincent Banks recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 points and a game high 10 rebounds. Jamail Turner added 14 and 8 boards, Anthony Miller had 13 and teammates Nathaniel Mitchell and Azive Armour each chipped in with 10 points.

Okaloosa-Walton College: Charvez Davis scored a game high 19 points for the “Raiders”. Josh Hunter finished with 17 points (including 13 of 16 from the line) and Johnny Lett chipped in with 9. 

Atlanta Metro College - 80 vs. Miami Dade College – 79

JaMarquis Steverson scored a game high 23 points

Decatur, GA - After a dismal loss on Friday against Okaloosa-Walton College the “Panthers” from Atlanta Metro bounced back to upset Miami Dade.

Will Coleman (Glennwood H.S. - Columbus, GA), Miami Dade’s powerful 6-9 freshman center continued to be the most dominating big man in the tournament with his rebounding and shot altering defense. Although AMC was outmanned and over matched inside they used the quickness of guards JaMarquis Steverson (6-1 freshman) and 6-3 So.-Rodney Washington to battle the “Sharks” to a 44-44 stalemate at the half.

In the second half it looked as if Miami Dade would seize control of the game behind the play of 6-3 So.-Chris Silas and former Lithia Springs H.S. star 6-1 F.-Sharod Minus, as they consistently took their defenders to the hole. The duo combined to hit 12 of 14 free-throws.

Former Lithia Springs H.S. star 6-1 F.-Sharod Minus scored a team-high 18 points

Not wanting too fall victim to the runs Miami Dade made Atlanta Metro turned the tables and went on a few runs of their own. Leading the runs with Steverson was 6-5 So.-Patrick Shopeka, who lived around the basket getting some big put-backs.

With 2.7 seconds left to play in the game Shopeka topped off a big-time performance with the game winning points as Atlanta Metro shocked Miami Dade; 80-79.

Scoring Recap

Atlanta Metro College: JaMarquis Steverson scored a game high 23 points (including 4 three-pointers). Patrick Shopeka finished with 22 points and David Brown added 15.

Miami Dade College: Sharod Minus scored a team-high 18 points. Will Coleman finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Chris Silas and Kashiff Carr added 15 and 14 points respectively.

Day 1 – Friday, November 9, 2007

Okaloosa-Walton College, FL – 81 vs. Atlanta Metro College - 60

Former Greenville H.S. and 4SHOT Hoops star 6-5 Lashun Watson

Decatur, GA - The “Raiders” from Okaloosa-Walton College in Florida entered the game without one of their top scorers, former Greenville H.S. and 4SHOT Hoops star 6-5 Lashun Watson who injured his ankle just a few days ago and was on crutches. Watson related to me how excited he was about returning to Georgia to play prior to his injury. 

OWC’s Tay Waller drilled 5 three-pointers

It was evident early on that OWC’s height advantage inside with 6-9 Johnny Lett, 6-9 Keith Ramsey and 6-6 Josh Hunter (Dougherty H.S. - Albany, GA) was going to be too much for the much smaller “Panthers” to deal with. Lett and Ramsey combined for 18 first half points and Ramsey hauled down 9 boards as OWC raced out to a 42-22 halftime lead.
AMC played with a lot more aggressiveness in the second-half behind the play

Rodney Washington led the “Panthers” with 14 points

of 6-3 So.-Rodney Washington, who finished with a team-high 14 points and 7 rebounds. But it was the play of OWC’s Tay Waller, a 6-2 sophomore from Manchester H.S. in Manchester, GA that killed the “Panthers. Waller also a former 4SHOT Hoops All-Star drilled 5 three-pointers in the half and finished with a game high 19 points as the “Raiders” hammered Atlanta Metro College by a score of 81-60.

Scoring Recap

Okaloosa-Walton College: Tay Waller led all scorers with a game high 19 points. Keith Ramsey finished with 17 points and a game high 11 rebounds. Josh Hunter added 12 points including 10 for 10 from the line. Shelton Brown and Johnny Lett each chipped in wit h10 points.

Atlanta Metro College: Rodney Washington led the “Panthers” with 14 points and 8 rebounds. David Brown added 9 points and 6 boards and JaMarquis Steverson finished with 8 points.

Miami Dade College - 77 vs. Georgia Perimeter College - 68

Former Glennwood H.S. (Columbus, GA) star 6-9 Fr.-Will Coleman was a beast in the paint.

Decatur, GA - GPC Head Coach Alfred Barney wasn’t a happy man watching his “Jaguars” get their hats handed to them in the first-half against Miami-Dade College. Now on the another hand Miami-Dade headman Matthew Eisele had to pleased with the play of his “Sharks”, especially former Glennwood H.S. (Columbus, GA) star and former 4SHOT Hoops Top 50 performer 6-9 Fr.-Will Coleman.

Coleman was a beast inside for Miami-Dade, controlling the play inside on both ends of the floor. GPC did get a shot of energy from 6-4, So.-Azive Armour who also hails from Columbus, GA and Spencer High School. Armour and Coleman have gone to battle before against each other in high school, so the intimidation factor never existed. Armour finished the half with 9 points.

Miami Dade reserve, 6-5 Fr.-Kashiff Carr came into the game and made his presence felt immediately knocking down a pair of three’s helping the “Sharks” to a solid 40-24 halftime lead.

Azive Armour (Spencer H.S. - Columbus, GA) scored 15 points

I’m not sure what Coach Barney told his troops at halftime but they came out and played the second-half like a totally different team. Armour continued to play well and got plenty of help from former 4SHOT Hoops all-star performers, 6-4 Fr.-Jamail Turner (Swainsboro H.S. - Swainsboro, GA), reserve 6-3 Fr.-Kenny Willis (Warner Robins H.S. – Warner Robins, GA) and 6-7 So.-Jacquiese Holcombe (Creekside H.S. - College Park, GA).

Trailing 67-58 with less than 4:00 minutes to play the “Jaguars” had a chance to get closer but they turned the ball over on back-to-back trips down the floor. Miami Dade got two quick hoops from Carr to help keep the “Jaguars” at bay. A sweet lay-up by GPC’s 5-9 So.-Nathaniel Mitchell cut the lead to 70-62 with 1:27 to play but that would be as close as they would get as Miami Dade held on for a hard fought 77-68 win. 

Scoring Recap

Miami Dade College: Kashiff Carr scored a game high 20 points to lead the “Shark Attack”. Will Coleman finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Anthony Phillips added 11 while Sharod Minus (Lithia Springs H.S., Douglasville, GA) and James Beatty each chipped in with 9 points.

Georgia Perimeter College: Jamail Turner and Azive Armour each scored 15 points to pace the “Jaguars”. Kenny Willis did a great job off the bench scoring 12 and Jacquiese Holcombe chipped in with 10 points.