2018 GHSA Player Rankings

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DISCLAIMER: If you are not listed, that does not mean you are not an exceptional player. There will be players omitted from this list that will go on to have outstanding senior seasons and collegiate careers. Do not pout; use these rankings as motivation to become the best player you can be. The state of Georgia is wide and vast with many talented players. With that said, here are my picks for the Top 20 players at each position.

PG

  1. Alex Jones (Buford)
  2. Travis Anderson (Grayson)
  3. Jaylon Pugh (Cartersville)
  4. KJ Jenkins (Creekview)
  5. Khalyn Weekley (Bradwell Institute)
  6. Kameron Pauldo (Dublin)
  7. Xavier Bledson (Gainesville)
  8. Jacolbey Owens (Warner Robins)
  9. Justin Brown (Georgia Prep Academy)
  10. Ashton Bonner (Monticello)
  11. Jarred Godfrey (Sandy Creek)
  12. Dalvin White (Norcross)
  13. Kris Gardner (Westover)
  14. Wesley Simpson (Union Grove)
  15. Bryce Latimer (Stephenson)
  16. Dwight Murray (Pebblebrook)
  17. Darius Bonds (Banks County)
  18. Jaylan McKinney (Swainsboro)
  19. Lamont Smith (Duluth)
  20. Nasir Love-Porter (Dalton)

CG/SG

  1. Landers Nolley (Langston Hughes)
  2. Nelson Phillips (Warner Robins)
  3. Tye Fagan (Upson-Lee)
  4. Rashod Bateman (Tift County)
  5. Devin Vassell (Peachtree Ridge)
  6. Adam Flagler (Duluth)
  7. Arusha Hunter (Dacula)
  8. Grant Howard (Pebblebrook)
  9. Spencer Rodgers (Mountain View)
  10. Mandarius Dickerson (Collins Hill)
  11. Brandon Thomas (Eagle’s Landing)
  12. Tre Gomillion (Aquinas)
  13. Christian McLean (Wesleyan)
  14. Eli Lawrence (Tri-Cities)
  15. Adrian Cohen (Etowah)
  16. Will Huzzie (Duluth)
  17. Adrian Martin (Lanier)
  18. JaQuavius Smith (Central-Talbotton)
  19. Clayton Jenkins (Macon County)
  20. Mardrez McBride (Butler)

SF

  1. Khavon Moore (Westside-Macon)
  2. Rashun Williams (Calhoun County)
  3. JoJo Toppin (Norcross)
  4. Isaiah Kelly (Pace Academy)
  5. KJ Buffen (Gainesville)
  6. Kavonte Ivery (Stockbridge)
  7. Brandon Younger (Wheeler)
  8. Brandon Suggs (McEachern)
  9. Cam Holden (Mary Persons)
  10. Clarence Jackson (Wilkinson County)
  11. Khadim Samb (Sprayberry)
  12. Terrance Boykin (Maynard Jackson)
  13. ZyTavian Hill (Central-Talbotton)
  14. Mervin James (Pebblebrook)
  15. Bailey Minor (Gainesville)
  16. Justin Lee (Collins Hill)
  17. Lorenzo McGhee (Columbia)
  18. David Viti (Buford)
  19. Cole Guenther (McIntosh)
  20. Jarred Rosser (Gainesville)

PF/C

  1. EJ Montgomery (Wheeler)
  2. Reggie Perry (Thomasville)
  3. Amanze Nguzemi (Johnson-Savannah)
  4. Kalu Ezikpe (Discovery)
  5. Austin Johnson (Wheeler)
  6. De’Undra Singleton (Stephens County)
  7. Jamari Smith (Jonesboro)
  8. Timmy Sellers (Glenn Hills)
  9. Cory Hightower (Meadowcreek)
  10. Amari Kelly (Meadowcreek)
  11. Carlos Curry (Dougherty)
  12. Chris Parks (Collins Hill)
  13. Christian Koneman (Christian Heritage)
  14. Dylan Orr (Banks County)
  15. Tyler Culbreath (Lee County)
  16. Jamari Dean (Cedar Grove)
  17. Kevin Paige (Miller Grove)
  18. Kennedy Willis (St. Pius)
  19. Tylan Grable (Wilkinson County)
  20. Jermon Clark (Miller Grove)

Best of the South/Summer Classic 16U Team Spotlight

By Trent Markwith    (@TMarkwith14)

The majority of my time at Best of the South was spent watching 17U games, but I was able to take in a good amount of 16U action at the Champion’s Summer Classic at Wheeler and a few good 16U games at BOTS as well. Here are the 16U teams that I saw a lot of and impressed me with their play.

Game Elite (Hallmon)

This group was the most impressive 16U team I saw the whole weekend, they are loaded with prospects and have incredible size for this age level.

Electric guards Brenden Tucker and Reco Hallmon lead the Game Elite backcourt. Tucker is a freak athlete who throws down huge dunks and wreaks havoc on defense. Tucker has improved as a shooter and this really opens things up for him as a scorer off the dribble, which is where he excels. Hallmon has good shooting ability also and is super energetic on both ends of the floor. He gets the team going with his intensity on defense and puts pressure on opponents with the ball in his hands.

Dacula standout Mekhail Bethea and Kamar Robertson also get a lot of time at the guard spots. Bethea just joined the team and is still getting a feel for being with them, but his scoring ability was on display as usual. Robertson is a solid PG who has a smooth game off the dribble and a nice stroke from deep.

The Game Elite frontcourt is a huge problem too, composed of Rodney Howard, Luka Jaksic, Romano Solis, and Armani Harris. Howard is a fast-developing big who is a great rim protector and a physical presence inside on offense, his recruitment is really starting to pick up.

Jaksic and Solis both bring versatility to the team with good touch from mid-range and around the basket while also providing rebounding. Harris does it all as a forward; he is a bouncy athlete, a great mid-range shooter, and is extremely active on defense with tons of rebounds and blocked shots. This team is a scary sight for anyone in front of them.

Vanguard Elite

After seeing this team multiple times during the spring, I was excited to see how they have developed since May. The group challenged themselves against multiple Adidas teams this week and I had a few new observations after watching.

First, I felt like Terrell Burden established himself as the leader and alpha-dog on the team. Burden won’t let his lack of size stop him from being effective; he is ultra-competitive, fearless when he weaves through defenders on his way to the basket, and showed an improved jumper.

A very undersized team, I liked how Abraham Onkoyi and Sebastian Mallory used their athleticism and energetic play to provide toughness and rebounding inside for Vanguard.

Alongside Burden in the backcourt, Donaven Hairston continued to show that he is a solid 3-level scorer and looks even better slashing and finishing at the basket. The same goes for Myles Todd, who displayed more of a willingness to attack the basket and was hitting mid-range shots with consistency.

Already a very good shooting team with a bunch of guys who can heat up from deep, Vanguard has added two more perimeter players in Davis Herndon and Sam Jennings. Both Herndon and Jennings are smart shooters with decent ball skills and good feel for how to score. Only their first week with the team, if these two are productive in Orlando and Vanguard can get DJ Patrick and Morgan Mulrain going from 3-point land, this team will be dangerous during the last live period.

Game Elite Orange

This 16U Game Elite crew, just like the other, has some prospects that will attract a bevy of coaches. This team is led by Malachi Rhodes, Isaac Martin, and Roscoe Eastmond. Eastmond sets the tone for the team; he plays gritty defense, forces turnovers, and pushes the pace off of these turnovers. Eastmond is no slouch on offense either, he makes good reads on pick and roll opportunities and makes up for his size with a variety of finishes and floaters inside.

Rhodes had a good start to July during the first live period and maintained this momentum at Wheeler this week. Rhodes has a non-stop motor and grabs every rebound in sight, which are both qualities you love to see from an athletic forward like him. Rhodes stays within himself and keeps things simple, making his mark with activity and toughness in the paint.

Martin pairs with Eastmond to form a solid backcourt duo for Game Elite. He has great size for a shooting guard and a nice lefty stroke to go with it. Martin has shown some strides off the bounce as well; he is more determined to drive to the basket and is looking for his pull-ups often instead of settling for threes.

Another productive player for this team is Kevin Hester. The big, burly forward provides physical play for the team and showed a nice skill-set from 15 feet and in. Hester isn’t a guy who demands the ball much but he is efficient and makes the most out of his opportunities.

Best of the South 17U Team Spotlight

By Trent Markwith    (@TMarkwith14)

Atlanta All-Stars

Ben Miller has cemented his All-Stars program as one of the best in Georgia from year to year and the story is no different this season. Alex Jones is the unquestioned leader for this team; he is a proven winner and floor general who controls the game with great poise. Jones can take over a game with either his passing or scoring, it is not hard to see why he has become such a hot recruit this year.

Adam Flagler and Arusha Hunter are pure scorers for the All-Stars, coming into each game with an aggressive approach and understanding how to score in a variety of ways.

David Viti and Austin Deckard are excellent shooters on the outside for the team, connecting on 3’s consistently when Jones found them. It seems like Viti made a good choice to come over to the Allstars from Southern Stampede for July; he had a big weekend and should be getting calls from coaches.

Cole Guenther is another solid shooter for this team and has great height and length to go with his shooting ability. When you pair him with Adrian Cohen and Christian Koneman, you have 3 versatile forwards who can go inside or outside and give good boosts to the team.

Last but not least is Gabe Bryant, an explosive forward who puts his imprint on games with physical play and thunderous dunks in traffic. The All-Stars have taken home championships in both live periods so far, look for them to end with a bang in Orlando this week.

Georgia Bulls

I watched this Bulls team a good amount during the first live period and I was impressed with them once again this week. They have a lot of solid prospects who aren’t always talked about much but who will be good additions to a college team.

The Bulls are led by Ryan Jolly, a calm, smooth PG who can dominate with his scoring ability. Jolly is also a very good passer and has a nice understanding of when to distribute or get his own shot. Also in the backcourt with Jolly are Michael Dukes and 2019 Kalen Williams.

Williams is an ultra-quick guard who can really fill it up and plays with a lot of confidence and energy. Dukes has a strong build for a wing player and used that strength and his athleticism for some eye-popping dunks this week. He is also skilled on the perimeter, hitting 3’s and getting by guys for tough layups.

Austin Canaday and Cameron Armstrong are two other productive perimeter players for the Bulls; both of them are good shooters and have a solid feel for scoring the ball.

The only true big man for the Bulls is 6’8” Brady Spence, a 2019 player. I had heard some good things about Spence when he was with Team Forrest in the spring and he has now made the jump to 17U with the Bulls. Spence has had some good moments so far with his new team; he moves well and is seen blocking shots and running the floor in transition frequently. Spence also has good touch inside and from the mid-range area, he is a prospect with a lot of upside in Georgia’s 2019 class.

Atlanta Timberwolves

The Timberwolves had a very good weekend going 5-1 and are another team with some nice prospects who are overlooked. Controlling the team at point guard is a player I loved in June: 2019 Matt Gonzalo. Gonzalo is exactly what you would call a pass first PG, always keeping his head up and finding guys at the right time and in the right place. He uses his speed to blaze past people and create things on offense with regularity, whether that’s for himself or others.

Dylin Hardeman was great this week for the Timberwolves, giving defenses fits with his scoring prowess. Hardeman is a knock-down shooter from the outside and showed a lot of craftiness on his drives to the basket. It seemed liked every few possessions Hardeman showed me something new in his offensive repertoire.

Along with Hardeman on the wing is Will Bracknell. Bracknell had some excellent play with his Chattahoochee team and kept it up this week. Bracknell is just one of those guys who knows how to put the ball in the basket. He never seems to be in a rush, using his strength and ball-handling ability to get to his spots with ease. Bracknell can score from all 3 levels and takes whatever the defense gives him.

Ryan Jenei also impressed me with his play this week. Jenei has a good body that he can use to get inside from the wing but what stood out to me this week was what looks like an improved outside shot; he was confident and effective from deep, which is a huge boost for the Timberwolves.

FCI Warriors

This team comes out of the Southeast Basketball Academy (SEBA), and although they may not have players who are garnering Division 1 interest, they carry a handful of guys who should have the attention of lower level coaches.

Joshua Strong takes a lot of ball-handling responsibilities for FCI and pushes the pace whenever possible. Strong can score from anywhere on the court, whether that be draining 3’s, hitting tough floaters, or shifting past defenders to reach the rim.

On the wing for FCI are Christian Kelly and Micah McCuen. Kelly and McCuen have different offensive games but both can be effective. McCuen excels in transition, where he takes the ball down the court himself and uses his length to finish and draw fouls. Kelly is more of a half-court player, he is very patient in looking for opportunities to score and had some good moments off the dribble but also has an effective outside shot.

Jackson Baylark is basically a hybrid for this team, doing whatever the team might need depending on the game. He is really athletic, plays extremely hard and uses his athleticism to the best of his ability; you’ll see him flying in for blocks, rebounds, and dunks with regularity.

Down low for FCI is Kyler Ingram. Ingram has a big, wide body and is an enforcer inside both offensively and defensively. Nothing gets past him in the paint, swatting shots like nobody’s business and securing big rebounds. On offense, Ingram moves defenders wherever he wants and puts himself in easy positions to score around the basket, where he finishes through contact consistently.

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 23: Wheeler hires Greenforest’s Larry Thompson

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At 5:41 PM today, Wheeler principal Peter Giles announced on Twitter that the Wildcats had hired 2x state championship winning head coach Larry Thompson away from Greenforest to fill the void left behind by 6x state champion and 25-year leader of Wheeler, Doug Lipscomb. Kyle Sandy discusses what the move means for Wheeler and Greenforest as one school pegs the GHSA’s most successful coach over the past two seasons while the other looks for direction in a crossroads for the program.

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 22: The Transfer List Episode

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The Fourth of July has come and gone and Sandy’s Spiel has collected 72 known GHSA transfers with plenty more still to uncover. Kyle Sandy highlights a handful of these moves and what they mean to their new school.