The first annual Lemon Street Classic at Marietta High School began its first day with a great slate of games. There was some of Georgia's top talent in attendance and sleepers who need to be on radars. Here are my take aways from day one of the event. 

Miller Grove Makes a Statement

In its matchup against Grovetown, Miller Grove began the game with its foot on the gas and never let up winning the game 75-66. This is a team with strong, physical guards that like to push the tempo. The Wolverines are pesky on defense, especially when applying full court pressure. A team can have all of the talent in the world, but when there is a group of players in front of you who take pride in playing defense, my money is on them 9/10 times. Unsigned senior Zyair Greene was exceptional. He was the best player on the floor and scored a game high 35 points. Greene was getting his buckets from any spot on the floor he wanted. 

Zach Bell Impresses

Although Grovetown lost, I was impressed with what I saw from Zach Bell. Coming off a week where he earned his first offer from TCU, Bell showed why coaches are finally catching on. He's an explosive guard who is crafty in transition. He has great body control and instincts that allow him to score efficiently in the open floor. He has a solid stroke from three which adds another dimension to his offensive game. He led Grovetown with 23 points. 

McEachern Outlasts Heritage in Dog Fight

This may have been the most anticipated matchup of the day which consisted of future college players Camron McDowell, Randy Brady, James White, and RJ Noord. McEachern got off to a quick start behind McDowell's excellent first half including 10 first quarter points. RJ Noord and Dash Boston led the charge as Heritage came alive in the third quarter. The Patriots overcame a double digit deficit to pull within three. The play of Randy Brady ultimately proved to be too much to overcome. The unsigned senior had himself a game scoring a game high 24 points. The way Brady operated in the paint was surgical. He reminded me of an old school forward with how physical and patient he was in the paint. McEachern held on to win 85-80.

Young Guns of Evans

For the past couple of seasons, the offense of Evans has been known to revolve around Christian Chambers. In its win over Lanier, Evans showed that it has a new offensive identity revolved around the young shooters. Juniors Brasen James and Devin Story got off to a hot start beyond the arch. The duo combined for seven 3-pointers in the first half; James hit four in the first quarter. Along with the young shooters, Evans also has seniors Rashad King and Joshton Mincey who are proven winners and dynamic offensive players. 

Norcross Dominates

In the nightcap, Norcross dominated Warner Robins 82-48. The Demons came into the night shorthanded after losing star senior Greg Jones to an injury and the Blue Devils took advantage of his absence. Norcross is a fun team to watch. There are a lot of playmakers on this team including available senior Jaden Harris. He is a true floor general that sets the tone on both ends. Norcross ended the night with four players in double digits led by Harris who scored 18 points.

Sleeper Seniors

There were several sleepers who put on a terrific performance on day one. Miller Grove's Zyair Greene and Dash Boston of Heritage showed that they deserve to be noticed. Both players have the capability to be high volume scorers. Greene and Boston are lead guards who like to get down hill and create. Greene scored a game high 33 points against Grovetown and Boston scored 21 points against McEachern. Schools still looking for 2021 guards definitely need to be tracking these two seniors.