2028 6-4 W Ben Elson – West Forsyth
Smooth efficiency. That is what Ben Elson tends to bring to the table each and every game. Standing around 6-foot-4 with the athleticism to play above the rim, Ben is a bit of a tweener. He has great touch scoring in the paint but also from the perimeter. His inside-out versatility can create mismatches. Elson has good feet when working the pivot, scoring with turnarounds and step-throughs. On the wing, Ben swiftly gets to the cup and is a threat to stop short for pull-ups. He netted a corner three and went 6-6 from the free throw line as Elson pumped in 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in a chippy 82-70 win over Creekview in which Ben avoided the needless extracurricular activities.

2027 5-9 PG Jaylen Ivy – West Forsyth
Jaylen didn’t score a single point out of West Forsyth’s 82 but he was as integral a piece as anyone without even attempting a shot. I loved how Ivy pushed the ball in transition with pitch-ahead outlet passes. When teammates ran their lanes, he rewarded them. The pass-first guard got everyone involved. Defensively, his agility and activity helped turn over the Grizzlies. Ivy recorded 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals as a table setter for the Wolverines.

2028 6-3 F Brandon Beam – West Forsyth
Coming off the bench, Brandon provided 11 points and 5 rebounds. I appreciated his activity level 15-feet and in. He ran the floor for a layup, got to the hoop off the bounce and scored in the post. Beam showed off a nice hook shot, scoring twice including his final bucket coming via a putback. Brandon looks and plays taller than 6-foot-3 and has go-to moves with his back to the basket.

2027 5-11 G Colin Cane – West Forsyth
Colin has splash play ability. He can turn the game on its head with his instincts. Cane scored in a variety of ways against Creekview. He had an And-1 drive to open his scoring. Colin then proceeded to hit a one-dribble baseline turnaround, a left-handed layup on the right side and converted a steal into a layup. Cane created off the dibble for teammates as well, finishing with 10 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 1 steal.

2027 6-3 SG Abram Gaddis – Creekview
It was tumultuous night for Creekview and Toccoa Falls-commit Abram Gaddis especially as the West Forsyth student section harassed him mercilessly throughout the game. Emotions eventually spilled over for both sides in a technical-laden physical game but before things got too messy, Abram was able to dump in 26 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, draining five threes in the process. Gaddis opens up the floor with his deep range, never afraid to let it fly. While he can be a bit streaky at times, Abram’s presence on the floor alone changes the way opponents defend the Grizzlies. The contact-filled play he faced led to 7-8 shooting from the foul line in the 82-70 loss.

2030 6-7 F Michael Link – Creekview
Michael Link is going to be one of the best players in Cherokee County. I came away quite impressed with the freshman’s blend of skill and size. Link has a smooth perimeter game. He shoots the three well off the catch and mixes in off the bounce attacks getting to one-dribble pull-ups. Michael can be a handful to handle when placed in the high post with his ability to catch and shoot over smaller defenders. Link also utilized his size one short drives to the hoop, kissing the ball high off the glass through contact. The stretch-forward tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in the loss to West Forsyth. Link is one to track. He could be a centerpiece in helping rebuild Creekview.