NORCROSS, GA - Ten seniors sat in the Norcross locker room after the team's 64-57 loss to Miller Grove on Thursday night and quickly realized that being AAAAAA state champions last year means little.

Welcome to a new season.

The Blue Devils played host to the AAAAA in a battle of champions. On Thursday night, Miller Grove put the foot on the gas in the middle quarters and took home a victory in the highly anticipated scrimmage.

Norcross head coach Jesse McMillan said there is a lot to learn from the game.

"I was happy with the first quarter and the fourth quarter," McMillan said. "The second and third quarters we were pretty down. I wasn't trying to down my own guys but I thought we played a little intimidated and unconfident and that can't happen when we have so many seniors on the floor."

Senior guard Khalen Pinkett led Norcross with 14 points in the defeat. The senior was a steady force for a team that is looking to establish identities. The rotation will be a work in progress early on the season. That much was discovered on Thursday night for Norcross.

Miller Grove, on the other hand, returns a good number of players from last year's state championship team and aren't figuring out how to use new players. It showed on the court.

"I thought the Miller Grove guys had more established guys on the floor," McMillan said. " They had guys in the right spots at the right times and had guys that knew what they were doing. We didn't. And that falls on me so we gotta get that fixed."

There were flashes, here and there, from the Blue Devils. AJ Farrar, a move-in from the Cottage School, nailed a three-pointer to open the game. Junior Ricky Madison had a couple of big blocks. Andre Chatfield did a lot of dirty work as a passer and rebounder. Tim Cameron knocked down a couple of jumpers in a reserve role.

All and all, though, this was a game for noting areas of improvement and more coaching.

"We all need to be humbled. All of us do," McMillan said. "There were a lot of people, I'm sure, that were let down and paid money to see us. All we can do is go to work now."

Norcross opens the season officially in Montverde, Florida and will play the nation's top high school basketball team next week.