Morgan County's Balanced Attack

Tonight we continue posting as much information and highlights as possible about the unofficial "first weekend" of the high school basketball season in, and beyond, the greater Augusta area.  ABR Live was present Saturday (November 10) at Evans High School for the Hoops preview scrimmage games, featuring some of Georgia and South Carolina's finest basketball programs.  And we also observed a tournament of a different kind, the Crusader Classic in Ludowici, Georgia, featuring some of the southeast's finest "prep school" and independent school teams.  Here we post stories and highlights from both events!



The Morgan County Bulldogs of Madison, Georgia, appear poised to improve on an impressive 2011-2012 record of 25-5.  After bowing out of the class AA playoffs in last season's elite 8 state playoff round to eventual state champion Laney, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the Bulldogs pegged as class AAA's third best team in this pre-season prediction.

With the inside-outside combination of point guard Tookie Brown and 6'9" center CJ Turman (featured above), Morgan County is a formidable team.

Turman, a junior, is very strong and agile for his size.  And his skills are improving rapidly.  In addition to being an intimidating force in the paint, Turman is a great teammate.  He defends and rebounds extremely well and he is very active without needing to constantly touch the ball to stay motivated.

But Morgan County's impressive guards, led by 6'0" sophomore Tookie Brown, are too smart not to feed the imposing Turman.  And if defenses collapse, Brown will make them pay.  The young point guard is a very capable shooter.  And he can get to the basket off the dribble and finish with contact due to his strong frame.

The Bulldogs took a double-digit first half lead in Saturday's scrimmage against the perennial South Carolina powerhouse Keenan Raiders.  The Raiders stormed back and won the scrimmage.  But it is easy to believe Morgan County's young team will not learn from the early season contest and play very well throughout the regular season and into the post season.  And because of the youth of the Bulldogs' leaders, Morgan County will be a force in Georgia's basketball scene for years to come.