Big night in S.C., Florida and Georgia for hoops

Think Devan Downey wants to be a McDonald’s All American? Try 49 reasons why. That’s how many points the Cincinnati bound guard put in on Tuesday night as he helped improve his Chester (S.C.) High School team to 3-0. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound guard has put in games of 45, 32 and 49 points this season. The No. 42 ranked player in the country is playing just like he played all AAU season - simply unstoppable.

Staying in the Palmetto State, Jeremiah Richardson led his Lower Richland High School (Hopkins, S.C.) to a win over Aiken High School. The 5-foot-9 unsigned senior point guard had a game high 28 points in the win. His teammate, Mike Jones, a talented 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior forward, added 23 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Jones is the No. 54 ranked player in the country by Rivals.com.

For Aiken, Marshall Moses, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound sophomore forward, had 18 points and eight rebounds in the defeat. South Carolina head coach Dave Odom was at the game as was a member of the Clemson coaching staff.

Finally, one of South Carolina’s top prospect is just a freshman. From Latta High School, yes the same school where Raymond Felton starred as a blue-chipper, LeShay Page scored 31 points in a Tuesday night victory.

A starter since seventh grade, Page has already been tabbed as the next Felton but some believe he has a chance to be even better (if that is at all possible). Keep his name on your mind, you’ll be hearing more about him over the next four years.

Marshall signed themselves a player that will help from day one in Florida’s Darryl Merthie. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound combo guard scored 52 points in his team’s 75-72 win over Bishop Moore. Teammed with Georgia’s Markel Humphrey, a 6-foot-4 athletic guard from Stockbridge High School, the duo have the potential to do some damage in post season play for the Herd.

Aaron Holmes, who recently committed to NC State, scored 39 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists in the season opener for St. Pete (Fla.) Catholic. In a preseason game, Holmes poured in 46 points.

The duo of Kyle Marks and Alonzo Gee came up big on Tuesday night in Dwyer’s (Fla.) win over Palm Beach Gardens. Marks, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward who signed with Nebraska, had a triple double with 17 points, 20 rebounds and 11 blocks. Gee, an Alabama signee, had a game high 29 points and 12 rebounds to help improve Dwyer to 2-1 on the year.

In Georgia, last year’s single A state champion Southwest Atlanta Christian traveled to the north side of town to play St. Francis, a strong candidate for title this season and Rivals.com were in the stands for the game. Without Dwight Howard, the Warriors couldn’t get enough out of their guys to win despite Javaris Crittenton’s 31 points. SACA dropped it’s third game of the year, 89-82.

The 6-foot-4 junior guard also did a good job of spreading the ball and had seven assists as well as a thundering dunk in traffic.

St. Francis, a team that features Landon Milbourne, the 6-foot-6 four-star forward, has emerged as one of the top teams in the South thanks to their high-octane offense. The No. 55 ranked player in the country struggled with fouls and finished with eight points by our account. Maryland assistant Mike Lonergan was on hand to watch Milbourne play.

St. Francis had 29 points from sophomore guard Trevor Gaskins. The strong bodied shoot first point guard was automatic from deep and displayed a keen midrange touch in the victory. Kevin Willis, the son of the NBA player of the same name, dialed in with 21 points in the win as well.

Finally, Louis Williams scored 38 points against Brookwood High School. In the crowd were four NBA scouts, according to a source at the game.