Jared Cook Classic Top Performers
Analysis

Jared Cook Classic Top Performers


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2025 6-4 G Zac Foster – Woodward Academy
The Clemson-signee proved to be Mr. Everything for Woodward Academy, making every play down the stretch to ensure a 62-57 win over Newton. Foster drew the assignment of defending red-hot Marcus Smith II and held him to two points, his only basket coming in the fourth quarter. The two-way star used his length to swallow up the smaller Smith, forcing his only success to come as a distributor. Offensively, Zac attacked from all levels. He scored on three drives, a spin move into a pull-up jumper and tipped in a miss. With the lead trimmed to 59-57 with under a minute to play, Foster landed the dagger with 15 seconds left, drilling a pull-up three to extend Woodward Academy’s advantage to five points. On the ensuing possession Foster sealed the game by blocking a three-point attempt. Zac finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks, his winning plays late proving to be the difference.

Ted Neal2025 6-6 W Ted Neal – Newton
Down the vast majority of the game, it was Ted Neal who kept the Rams in it against Woodward Academy. The springy swingman inked to play at Appalachian State contributed in a variety of ways. He scored from all three levels, hitting a pair of threes from the top of the key while mixing in mid-range jumpers, floaters and putbacks. Ted caught an alley-oop dunk and also showed the toughness to play below the rim, using a bully-ball drive to overpower an opponent on his way to the rack. Neal recorded 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.

Will Dopfer2026 6-6 W Will Dopfer – Lambert
Fresh off a pair of offers from Stetson and Kent State following a 40-point outburst, Will Dopfer followed up with a steady 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Dopfer’s explosiveness stands out. When he gets a head of steam heading towards the basket, he finishes with rim-rocking slams. Will plays physical inside using patient footwork and brute force to power his way to hoops. In a 78-57 win against North Gwinnett, Dopfer converted two And-1s and had a jam in transition. Will is a bit of a tweener, capable of spending time both on the wing and in the post. Adding a consistent outside shot could help swing Dopfer to the perimeter full-time at the next level. Either way, his skill and of course his athleticism will play at the next level. Two exciting seasons are ahead for the red head.

2025 5-11 G Cameron Bland – Lambert
The Preseason All-State pick came off the bench to do what he always does – produce. Bland dumped in a game-high 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, fresh off the football field. The star running back is listed at nearly 6-foot tall but plays bigger with his electric athleticism, a terrific leaper who can simply levitate to finish at the rim against larger players.  Cam challenges those who jump with him, nearly putting a defender on a poster following a baseline drive. While Bland’s bounce catches eyes, his skill level can’t be overlooked. Cameron sank two threes and used his defense to spark easy transition hoops. Bland’s future is on the gridiron but his consistent production and competitiveness is more than enough to peg him as a college basketball player too.

2025 6-5 W Joseph Young – North Gwinnett
I came away impressed with Joseph Young in a 21-point loss to Lambert. At 6-foot-5, the lanky swingman was outstanding on defense, finishing with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 7 blocks. Young has great timing when swatting away shots. He displayed the versatility to guard both inside and out as a switchable defender. Young might be more of a combo-forward at this point, finding the vast majority of his offensive success in the paint, but he did do a nice job of using his long strides to get to the hoop scoring on three drives, a floater and finishing with a dunk in transition. Improving the frequency of using his left hand on the left side and developing a consistent and quicker jump shot could help him blossom at the next level.

2025 6-2 G Kaeden Gilstrap – Walton
With much of the attention keyed in on Lehigh-signee Caesar Burrows, Kaeden Gilstrap reminded Peachtree Ridge of how good of a player he is in his own right. The three-sport athlete committed to play football and baseball at Wofford pumped in 19 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Gilstrap plays with great balance and pace. He doesn’t get rattled against pressure, finding ways to get to his spots as both a scorer and passer. Against Peachtree Ridge he drilled three three-pointers, scored on a hook shot off a post up and used two spin moves to get to pull-up jumpers. If teams choose to take Burrows away, Gilstrap is more than good enough to orchestrate a team to a win. I don’t think he gets nearly the respect he deserves as one of the best guards in Cobb County.

2025 6-4 SG Nikolas Avaliani – Walton
You can’t leave Avaliani open from deep. The well-built shooting guard has a repeatable release that he gets off quickly upon the catch. Nikolas is a catch-and-shoot specialist in Walton’s offense. He isn’t asked to create off the dribble much or shoot the three off the bounce. While he is capable of making a quick move to the basket using a spin move, the Sewanee-signee’s value is in his floor spacing. Against Peachtree Ridge, he drilled five threes, often times his baskets coming in bunches as defensive breakdowns led to clean looks. Avaliani got a bucket inside off a cut, scoring with his left hand to balance his attack. He finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Nikolas must be run off the line or else he will wreck teams with his three-point touch.

2026 6-2 G Malik Rideout – Peachtree Ridge
Malik was a constant source of offense against Walton. Rideout created offense off the dribble, getting to his spots, working angles to defeat defenders. His outside shot carried him in the first half, sinking three threes and a mid-range pull-up. In the second half, it was his crafty downhill approach that led to buckets and fouls. In the fourth quarter, Rideout scored on four drives to the basket, finishing with both hands using nifty scoop layups to evade shot blockers. He shot 4-5 from the foul line and finished his night with a game-high 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block.