A-Town Showdown Standouts
Analysis

A-Town Showdown Standouts

KJ Reid2022 6-1 G KJ Reid – JC Ducks – Social Circle
I loved what I saw out of KJ Reid back in January when I watched him net 26 points in a win over the eventual Class A-Public State Champions Towns County. I knew he could shoot the ball against the zone and find cracks in the defense, but it was my first time watching him and who knows, maybe it was a career day? Well fast forward four months later and that impressive debut was not just a flash in the pan, it’s just what Reid does. At the A-Town Showdown, Reid exploded for 34 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals against SBT. Reid was unconscious again from deep, drilling 6 threes.  The wiry guard is wired to score. He is one of the best jump shooters I’ve seen over the past year as he consistently is able to score from the mid-range and three-point line. He’s creative off the bounce and can get past his man without toying with him. Reid doesn’t waste his dribbles and can get to his spots quickly. KJ impressed with how he used picks. He refused screens and could take one or two dribbles to his left to get to his mid-range. Reid is a playmaker, not just a pure scorer. When he got downhill he finished with floaters and finesse, but he did so while keeping his head up. Reid whipped in a handful of one-handed bullet passes that were right on the money. Reid is trending in the right direction. He may not get the pub he deserves since he plays at a small school and a homegrown travel team, but I’m here to let you know that KJ Reid is legit. Get him in a college weight room and watch out. He’s a serious prospect that colleges need to keep an eye on. Social Circle has some scary firepower this season.

Xzavier Wilcher2022 6-5 W Xzavier Wilcher – Tri-City Elite – Mitchell County
No one opened my eyes more than Xzavier Wilcher who entered the event as a virtual unknown, averaging a mere 3.8 points per game in a COVID-ridden season that saw Mitchell County play just 10 games in Class A-Public. If what I witnessed this weekend wasn’t an aberration, I would be stunned if Wilcher wasn’t in the mix for All-State honors his senior season. He checks off a ton of boxes. He’s long, bouncy and skilled. When I saw him pull-up for his first three, I was pleasantly surprised, not sure whether it was really a part of his game or not. But seven threes later, I had seen Wilcher drill 24 points worth of threes in two games alone. Wilcher has a smooth release and gets his shot in rhythm both on the catch and more impressively off the bounce. Xzavier was on the receiving end of a few alley oops throughout the weekend and played above the rim whenever he got the chance. With his length and fluidity, Wilcher is capable of playing multiple positions on both ends of the floor. He can be a long three-point shooting swingman or play the combo-forward position and cause mismatches with his ability to attack off the dribble and stretch the floor. Defensively, he can stick with multiple spots and erase shots at the rim. He finished with 19 points (5 threes), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 3 blocks vs. North Florida Elite before finishing his weekend with 15 points (3 threes), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks against NME. Wilcher is the definition of a sleeper. He has all A’s and is taking college courses. Wilcher has plenty of room to add muscle onto his lanky frame. All the natural tools are there for Wilcher to be a real steal come this time next year.

2022 6-8 C Zaquien Whitehead – Tri-City Elite – Campus Academy
What is the Campus Academy? Your guess is as good as mine, but apparently it is in Columbus. It comes as no surprise that no one knows who Zaquien Whitehead is. It’s never a good sign when your school doesn’t even have a MaxPreps page to prove its existence, but nonetheless, the 6-foot-8 Whitehead is not a myth, he is a real man. If college coaches are able to figure out where to watch Whitehead outside of when he is with Tri-City Elite, they will find out that he is an intriguing prospect. With his size and length, Whitehead moves well and can rim run when needed. He keeps the ball high when rebounding and can play above the rim with lobs and dunks. Whitehead worked the glass hard and earned putbacks all weekend. He’s a little slow when loading up inside to go up and finish, but it’s nothing that more reps and an aggressive mindset can’t fix. Whitehead alters shots and can help spark fast breaks with outlet passing. He had 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks on Saturday and finished Sunday with 6 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks. You can’t teach size, but you can mold a raw talent like Zaquien Whitehead.

Matthew Carter-Adams2022 6-3 G Matthew Carter-Adams – Tri-City Elite – Hardaway
The first adjective that came to mind watching Matthew Carter-Adams was smooth. Add in his funky hair and it felt like I was watching a version of Caleb Murphy with the way Carter-Adams liked to slither his way to the rim. Matthew has great size at the guard position. He loves to get downhill at all costs. The next step in his development will be adding an outside shot. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2 steals on a good Hardaway team this year but with their top three leading scorers set to graduate, Carter-Adams will have to improve upon his 6-18 (33%) three-point shooting and trust his shot more as teams will certainly look to slow him down as the head of the snake. The one good thing about MCA, is his overall effectiveness across the stat sheet. His floor game is impressive as he has a knack for doing a little bit of everything. He had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals on Saturday. Carter-Adams is a sneaky good player coming out of Columbus that JUCO’s among others will want to keep an eye on.

Mekhi Witter2022 6-6 W Mekhi Witter – Georgia Vision – Rockdale County
Mekhi Witter gave me shades of Makai Vassell. Witter is a combo-forward that can be a mismatch inside and outside. He’s got an aggressive mindset when in the paint. He can hit the occasional three-pointer and attack off the dribble, but I loved his toughness inside when battling for rebounds and scoring around the rim. He almost single-handedly won Georgia Vision the game in overtime vs. Atlanta Select Elite with his effort on the glass. He scored four of their five points in the frame. Witter hit a pair of free throws and then later grabbed an offensive rebound in traffic using multiple efforts to tip the ball to himself off a missed free throw and coolly went to the line to extend the lead to three with two more clutch free throws. On the final possession, he almost completely broke up a Hail Mary pass down the floor and did just enough to rush Select into a tough three at the buzzer. Witter has switchability on defense. On offense, as mentioned earlier, he has soft hands and finishes in a variety of ways. He hung 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 2 blocks in the win. His motor and mindset win close games.

Shamarrie Hugie2023 6-4 W Shamarrie Hugie – Georgia Ignites – Beach
Shamarrie Hugie is back in Savannah after playing at Franklin Prep Academy in North Carolina, a popular landing spot for Chatham County transfers this offseason. Hugie is a big-time talent. He may explode back in Georgia. He’s a gifted athlete that’s wired with cut muscle. He’s a three-level scorer that can play all over the floor. Hugie is a highlight reel in transition as he soars for dunks but he’s more than just a leaper. Along with his improved ball handling, his three-point shot has turned into a lethal weapon. He drained 3 threes as he finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals against the Atlanta Nets. With the track he is currently on, Shamarrie could garner some serious D-I looks by the time he is a senior.

2022 6-6 F Jerald Colonel – Georgia Ignites – Groves
One of the elite rebounders and shot blockers not just in Georgia but in the entire Southeast, I got my first look at Jerald Colonel this weekend. The long and springy forward averaged 7.3 points, 14.6 rebounds and 7.8 blocks as a junior, earning him Class 3A Best Shot Blocker honors. Colonel runs the floor extremely well. His agility helps him cover ground defensively and even attack off the dribble on offense. He used a nice eurostep on the baseline to get to the rack. Colonel loves to play above the rim with eye-catching slams, capable of throwing down alley-oops. Compared to another long-armed elite shot blocker, I think Colonel is farther along on offense than Portal’s recent graduate Fred Spells. While Colonel doesn’t quite have the crazy reach of Spells, he’s still extremely effective and has better balance and strength around the rim. Colonel finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. He will be an interesting project at the next level with nice upside.

Chris Hickman2023 6-4 F Chris Hickman – Atlanta Nets – Pebblebrook
The toughness of Chris Hickman impressed me. He proved he could get a bucket in the paint or do damage on the perimeter.  Hickman has a diverse skillset. He scores inside with physicality, on drives and most eye-opening was his three-point shot as he hit four in a two-game span. Hickman had 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block vs. the Georgia State Warriors and followed up with 22 points against the Georgia Ignites. I like his skilled yet rugged nature.

2023 6-4 F Seth Langston – Atlanta Nets – Sandy Creek
Seth Langston was the best 16U rebounder I saw this past weekend. He is lanky but bouncy with a nose for the ball and a motor that doesn’t quit. Langford’s offense is primarily layups and putbacks but his effort is relentless. He had 8 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block on Saturday before collecting 12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Langston is the perfect glue-guy that does the dirty work on the boards and on defense.