MILTON, GA – Southwest Atlanta Christian and Griffin locked horns on opening night of the Verizon Hoops For a Cure event in North Fulton County. The game paired two of the more intriguing players in Georgia’s 2017 class against each other. The game, however, was what you’d expect it to be in mid-November. SACA won 64-37. Here’s our three takeaways from the contest.

1.     Deaundrae Ballard is one of the best overall scorers in Georgia. But I knew that coming into this game. He’s getting better as a versatile scorere. Ballard was four for four from three-point land from three in the first half. In the second half, he worked the baseline for pull-up mid-range jumpers. He finished with a cool 25 points in the game. It was too easy for the 6-foot-6 junior.

2.     Ballard’s passing, however, is something that we should be talking about more. He was good in the halfcourt as a passer. Ballard got into the paint whenever he wanted and then dropped off passes for scores time and time again.

3.     Tyshaun Crawford, Griffin’s 6-foot-11 big man, still has a long way to go. Granted this was just his third game of the year and the young junior is still early in his overall development. With basically a whole new roster, Griffin has a lot to work through. Once the team has better flow on both ends of the floor, Crawford should come along fine.