The South Atlanta High basketball team isn't scheduled to play on national TV, as it did last year when Derrick Favors was on the roster. The stands aren't crowded with spectators, and college and NBA scouts, all eager to catch a glimpse of Parade Magazine's and USA TODAY's national player of the year, who is now playing for Georgia Tech.
Yet life is good in the post-Favors era.
Nearly everything is different about South Atlanta this year except for one thing: the program's winning ways. The Hornets are off to a 14-1 start, 8-0 in the region, and ranked No. 1 in Class AAA.
South Atlanta is threatening to do what many thought wasimprobable -- win back-to-back state championships without the superhero wearing the soon-to-be-retired No. 34 jersey in the middle of the lane.
"We're not as spectacular as we were with Derrick," Hornets coach Michael Reddick said. "We don't have that unquestioned leader with unmatched ability, the kid we can throw the ball to at any point on the court, and know that he will make something happen. Derrick Favors was a talent above most.
"However, Derrick is gone from our team. But we still have expectations for our program. Our kids want to win badly. That hasn't changed."
While Favors remains an icon among his former teammates, they're determined to compete at the highest level without him. It's no disrespect to Favors; it's about earning new respect for this year's team.
South Atlanta can't go anywhere, especially on the road, without someone reminding the team that Favors is no longer on the roster. Opposing fans chant, "Where is ... Fav-ors? Where is ... Fav-ors?"
"We've had a lot of doubters this year, even at our own school," South Atlanta forward Rashaud Bell said. "You hear people say things in the stands during the games. They don't think we can really do anything without (Favors), but we just keeping working hard as a team. I think we're doing pretty well so far."
Besides Favors, the Hornets lost three other starters off the state championship squad, along with several key reserves.
"Other teams have been saying that this was going to be the year to get payback against us," South Atlanta center Nick Jacobs said. "But we ain't letting that happen."
Why? South Atlanta, while returning only three players with varsity experience, has one of the state's most imposing frontlines with the 6-foot-9 Jacobs, 6-6 Bell and 6-7 Dominique McCoy.
"When you have size and athleticism like that, you can get away with a lot of mistakes," Woodland coach David Bice said after Tuesday's 73-56 loss to South Atlanta. "I'm not surprised they're playing so well without Favors. They have a great coach, and he always makes those kids play with intensity."
Reddick is the calming influence at South Atlanta, even though his season got off to a disastrous start. While demonstrating defensive stances in gym class last October, he tore the patellar tendon in his left kneecap. He had surgery a few days later and was forced to rest while the leg healed. Reddick attended only three practices before the season, and just returned to work at the school part-time last week.
The time away from school and basketball had positive effects on Reddick.
"It re-energized me," Reddick said on Tuesday, while walking with a slight limp. "It made me realize how much I enjoyed coaching basketball. I have a new starting point again with what we want to accomplish with this program."
Reddick has tweaked his offensive scheme to get all the players involved. The days of clearing out of the way to watch Favors put on a one-man show are history.
The heir apparent is Jacobs, who averages 22 points and already has more than a dozen early scholarship offers, among them from Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. He sharpened his skills by competing against Favors in practice every day last year.
McKoy, who is also generating major-college interest, is scoring 17 per game. However, the difference-maker might be 5-7 sophomore guard James Arnold, who made five 3-pointers against Woodland.
When Arnold is hot from the outside, it stretches defenses to the perimeter and opens up the inside game for the big men.
Can South Atlanta defend its state championship without Favors?
Reddick said his teams aim for title runs every year, dodging the question. His focus is on securing a playoff spot for the the Hornets, because anything can happen in the postseason.
Two years ago, South Atlanta was a championship contender. However, the Favors-led Hornets were eliminated in the first round, suffering a shocking upset to East Hall.
"Hopefully, if things continue to come together, we can make another run," Reddick said. "It depends on how we improve over the next few weeks. We need to (peak) around the time of the region tournament."
Maybe Favors can rub a little magic on his old team. He returns to South Atlanta to have his jersey retired on Jan. 26.
