GBCA Live Boys 2028 Top Performers
Analysis

GBCA Live: Boys 2028 Top Performers


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Merrick Ham2028 6-6 F Merrick Ham – Marietta
Marietta won the Red Bracket Championship, riding the play of Merrick Ham. A four-star defensive end, Ham is a stud on the hardwood as well. 6-foot-6, 240 pounds with a 33-inch vertical, Merrick is a man amongst boys on the floor but it’s not always in the way you would think by reading off his measurables. Sure, Ham can play bully ball around the rim with his strength and explosive finishes, but it is his incredibly smooth catch-and-shoot touch from beyond the arc which is most impactful. In a 69-66 win over Burke County, Merrick moved off the ball working around screens to free himself for three-pointers, catching and shooting without hesitation as he buried five triples. When he wasn’t nailing threes, Ham was attacking from the wing fluidly making moves downhill before spinning into baby hooks. Merrick hung 21 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks on the Bears. Ham is not kosher for defenders. He is a complete mismatch with his versatility. The 4.32 GPA student would be a D-I basketball player if it weren’t for football.

De'Quayvian Lovette2028 6-2 G De’Quayvian Lovette – Burke County
The All-State guard is starting to make a name for himself outside of Waynesboro. Lovette is a pure scorer. While he is a combo-guard, De’Quayvian is at his best off the ball. He’s a very good jump shooter both off the catch and off the dribble. Lovette loves getting to his spots where he can score with his lift to shoot over contests. The wiry rising junior netted four pull-ups against Marietta, two threes and two mid-rangers. Every once in a while, De’Quayvian could force a tough shot here and there, but for the most part he was savvy with how he chose to attack Marietta. Continuing to strengthen his downhill game will benefit him moving forward. He displayed a floater and was able to get to the line three times, once getting fouled on a three-pointer. Lovette collected 22 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal in the 69-66 loss. College programs will want to get familiar with De’Quayvian over the next two seasons.

Braylen Bellamy2028 5-10 PG Braylen Bellamy – Burke County
Coming off a 16-win Sweet 16 season, even with three important seniors graduating, I may be bullish once again on the Bears if Braylen Bellamy can consistently replicate how he played against Marietta. Coming off a season in which he averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 assists playing behind now graduated La’Quinton Morgan, Bellamy looks primed to breakout as a starter. I loved how aggressive he was against the Class 7A Blue Devils. Braylen was in attack mode the entire game, penetrating incredibly well, turning corners getting his shoulders low past defenders. Braylen drew foul after foul as he shot 6-8 from the free throw line en route to a game-high 27 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals. Bellamy added in a pair of threes and a mid-range pull-up to balance his offense. He played well off De’Quayvian Lovette, connecting with him numerous times on three-pointers. The one-two punch of Bellamy and Lovette will have to be good in order for the Bears to compete in the newly formed Region 4-3A, an unforgiving grouping featuring Cross Creek and Butler among other strong CSRA programs.

Hudson Huff2028 5-11 G Hudson Huff – Franklin County
In a 56-48 loss to Roswell, Hudson Huff had a strong showing as he poured in bucket after bucket. A stout guard with strength and coordination, Huff is wired to score from all levels. He’s got a bit of a unique follow through on his jumper with a split leg landing, his left leg drifting back, but Hudson is a solid shooter who gets good snap on his release. He drilled three threes against the Hornets and netted two mid-range shots, finishing with a game-high 27 points. When he gets into the paint, Hudson has some craft to finish against length. He’s also got a tight handle with a low dribble to avoid getting the ball stolen in traffic.

Calvin Goss2028 6-1 G Calvin Goss – Jonesboro
Que’s consistent production at GBCA Live landed him a D-I offer from West Georgia. Goss had battle after battle against certified D-I guards and held his own with his robust offensive onslaught. In a 61-59 overtime loss to Woodstock, the lefty dropped in 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Goss plays with balance. He’s confident attacking the paint off two feet, finishing through contact. Calvin works his pivot in traffic and can be tricky to cover on the perimeter with how he is able to get to his strong hand off the bounce. Que sank three threes, hit a turnaround jumper on a pull-up and scored steadily on drives. He flashed advanced court vision when passing the ball and was up to the challenge of guarding fellow 2028 star guard Jahmar Maurice.

Jahmar Maurice2028 5-11 PG Jahmar Maurice – Woodstock
Woodstock keeps winning and Jahmar Maurice keeps impressing. The Wolverines finished 3-1 in the star-studded Orange Bracket, their lone loss in Round 2 to Woodward Academy by three points. Woodstock got into the winner’s bracket thanks to Maurice’s opening round 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal to knock off Jonesboro in overtime 61-59, Maurice delivering an assist to Ace Graham at the buzzer in regulation to tie it. Following a seven-point first half, Jahmar stepped on the gas after halftime. He sank a pair of threes and was his usual rim-seeking self, impossible to guard without fouling once he got a head of steam downhill. Jahmar shot 3-7 from the foul line. Each season Maurice adds more and more muscle to his frame, allowing him to rip through the teeth of the defense without getting stripped. Jahmar keeps his dribble alive and low when splitting traps all while keeping his head up to survey the floor. He used that same upper body strength when guarding Calvin Goss, moving laterally defending with his chest to bump and keep Goss from easy straight-line drives. D-I schools are starting to bubble over, turning interest into offers as Georgia State is the latest to bid.

Donovan DeGourville2028 6-0 G Donovan DeGourville – Sequoyah
When Donovan first walks out on the court, he may not immediately catch your eye as being Sequoyah’s go-to guy, but DeGourville has a growing track record of being a well-rounded scorer who can take over games in spurts if not accounted for defensively. The First Team All-Region 6-5A guard has great touch when it comes to scoring the ball. His feel for finding advantageous positions helps him be effective against longer and more athletic defenders. He uses head fakes to get free for his signature floater. Donovan is a steady finisher with his left hand and can hurt defenses when given space along the three-point line. In a 58-42 win over Mays, DeGourville was crafty with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Kaden Hibbert2028 6-0 G Kaden Hibbert – South Paulding
Graduation and the transfer bug have hit the Spartans hard. Those who have willingly left have sacrificed playing time and opportunity, allowing Hibbert to take full advantage to showcase his skill in a newfound role. In a narrow loss to Redan, Kaden exceled as a shot maker. Hibbert drilled seven jumpers, four coming off the dribble and two of them from beyond the arc. Kaden was aggressive but didn’t force things. While his jumper was on, he still managed to serve as a facilitator on the move as he racked up 18 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. Hibbert should flourish this season as a burgeoning do-everything guard.

2028 6-1 G Sterling Pritchett – Tucker
Sterling has a scorer’s mentality. In a blowout win over Hebron Christian in the Teal Bracket Championship, Pritchett found success attacking from multiple levels. He’s got a creative sense on the perimeter and understands how to exploit how defenders are guarding him. The stout guard shoots the three well and is physical with downhill drives, using euro steps to avoid defenders but also not afraid of contact. Coming off a season in which he averaged 14.5 points per game in Year 1 at Tucker after moving over from Lakeside-DeKalb, don’t be surprised if Sterling moves into the Top 10 when it comes to the DeKalb County scoring title as he placed 13th last season but was the third highest scorer in the sophomore class.

TJ Woodson2028 6-2 PG TJ Woodson – Carver-Columbus
TJ was the catalyst in a 79-29 dismantling of Fannin County. The full court press of the Tigers was overwhelming as Woodson helped force his share of turnovers. TJ flashed his ball hawking skills as he picked off passes to ignite transition scoring chances. The wide receiver is starting to garner recruitment on the gridiron, but his game on the hardwood is also next level. Woodson has size, strength and skill. He’s got a slippery handle which creates separation when getting to his spots. He nailed three mid-range pull-ups against Fannin County and got two feet in the paint whenever he wanted, scoring at the rim and creating for others. Woodson racked up 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. D-II and possibly even D-I schools should periodically touch base to gauge his interest in playing basketball in college.