Grayson New Year's Classic Top Performers
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Grayson New Year’s Classic Top Performers


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2024 6-10 W Ace Bailey – McEachern
The future McDonald’s All-American did a little bit of everything in McEachern’s 58-46 win over Alexander. At 6-foot-10, Bailey is impossible to cover at times. He uses his length to his advantage, multiple times rising over double teams to shoot overtop, turning what looks like a great trap into a helpless defense. The same goes for when Ace gets to his turnaround jumper, a shot that is incredibly difficult to even contest. Against Alexander, Bailey netted six jumpers including one from beyond the arc. As effective the Rutgers-signee was on offense, he was equally impactful on defense, blocking shots and shutting down passing lanes. Ace finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks.

2024 6-4 G Gicarri Harris – Grayson
Purdue is getting a gamer that gets the job done on both sides of the ball. Harris plays with a controlled aggression, able to pour it on in spurts without having to overexert himself or force the issue. Gicarri moves his feet well on defense, an area of his game where he takes great pride. He stays in front to limit dribble penetration and is able to beat opponents to spots, drawing charges in the process. Offensively, Harris scored from all three levels against North Broward Prep in a 68-51 win. He found success with strong downhill takes to the rim, but also stretched out the defense with a pair of threes. Gicarri tallied 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

2024 6-1 PG CJ Hyland – Grayson
The Western Carolina-signee is sometimes the unsung catalyst for the Rams. He plays at multiple speeds and is very good at creating for others. While his facilitating and court vision are impressive, the fact that he can pick his spots to score and do so efficiently is what makes CJ a D-I guard. When needed, Hyland can score in bunches. He opened up his scoring with a corner three and a long pull-up jumper before assaulting the rim, converting two And-1 drives in the fourth quarter. Listed at 6-foot-1, CJ’s explosive leaping ability helps him finish in traffic. Hyland compiled 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

2024 6-5 SG Ricky McKenzie – Wheeler
The Kennesaw State-signee piled in 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a 64-59 win over Langston Hughes. Ricky came out of the gates hot with nine first quarter points, sinking a pair of corner threes to go with an And-1 transition hoop. McKenzie would shoot 7-7 from the line and finish with three three-pointers. Ricky’s sharpshooting and size on the wing bode well for his transition to college.

2024 6-2 PG Brentis Schaeffer – Langston Hughes
Brentis has really impressed me this season. After watching him stuff the stat sheet in a scrimmage against River Ridge, the lefty hasn’t slowed down a bit. Schaeffer dumped in 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in a loss to Wheeler. The southpaw makes Langston Hughes tick. He plays with great energy the full 94-feet. On Saturday, it was his ability to get to the basket which caused issues for the Wildcats, scoring all eight of his field goals in the paint on drives and transition baskets. Dean College is the latest school to offer Schaeffer who is receiving interest and offers from D-II, D-III, NAIA and JUCO programs.

2024 6-8 W Joah Chappelle – Dutchtown
When I first saw Joah in the Region 2 tournament last year, I thought he would be a breakout candidate his senior season. At 6-foot-8, Chappelle is equipped with great length, athleticism and a versatile two-way game. The lefty has seen D-II, D-III and JUCO programs jumpstart his recruitment. Chappelle is a mismatch with his ability to play inside and out. The swingman has elite size on the wing and is smooth with the ball. In a 49-42 loss to Wilson Academy, Chappelle spent time in the high post attacking the defense and scored in a variety of ways. Joah sank a corner three, scored on a pair of drives – one an And-1 – threw down a dunk and had a nice step-through move on the low block. Chappelle left points on the board, going 0-5 from the foul line, but still had a strong performance with a game-high 15 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists. I would be shocked if more D-II programs don’t get involved quickly. Chappelle has substantial upside at the next level.

2025 6-0 PG Marcus Smith II – Walnut Grove
Marcus was a bright spot in Walnut Grove’s 63-52 loss to Central Gwinnett. Smith has quickly established himself as one of the best guards in Georgia’s 2025 class, exploding onto the scene as a sophomore and carrying over his momentum into this season. Marcus is an exciting playmaker that plays with reliable energy. His ability to penetrate is one of his strongest attributes. When he gets downhill, not only can he score through contact but he can finish above the rim with poster slams on unsuspecting defenders. Marcus was aggressive on Saturday, hunting his offense and living at the foul line shooting 9-10 as he finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.

2024 6-3 SG Tim Smith – Central Gwinnett
The Voorhees-commit can flat out score the ball. Smith might not jump out at you physically, a skinny off-guard, but Tim is wired to score and has a soft touch from all over the floor to pair with a nose for the ball. Tim shoots the three, goes into the post and of course slashes to the basket.  He’s good at getting out in transition and doesn’t give up on plays especially if there is a missed shot. Smith was in the middle of everything in Central Gwinnett’s 63-52 win over Walnut Grove. Smith looked quicker to 50/50 balls than anyone else. Tim totaled 26 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block. His aggressive mindset never gave the defense a chance to catch their breath.

2024 6-0 G Elijah Lewis – Greenforest
Elijah is passionate about scoring the ball. He’s a legit three-level scorer that loves getting to his jump shot in the mid-range and getting out in fastbreaks. As a driver, Lewis can be herky-jerky and elusive with the ball, able to break down defenders. In a 64-46 win over Mountain View, Lewis netted three three-pointers and scored four baskets in transition. Lewis is a very emotional player, celebrating after many of his baskets. He went for 24 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Reinhardt, Bishop State and Coastal Alabama North have all offered.

2024 6-1 G Bronson Blair – Mountain View
The shifty playmaker is flying under the radar with colleges. Blair is a potent scorer but has also become a crafty distributor that is hard to stay in front of. Bronson has the ball on a string as he manipulates defenders, getting penetration before whipping passes to open shooters. Blair has shown over his career the ability to go on scoring binges, pouring in points quickly with his floater and jumper. He netted three threes and got to the rim consistently against Greenforest. Blair went 5-6 from the line and finished with 22 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal.

2024 6-1 G Caleb Jones-Dicks – North Gwinnett
The Arkansas-Pine Bluff-signee wouldn’t let North Gwinnett squander a double-digit lead, although it took double overtime to prevent it. Caleb posted 28 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal in an 84-75 win over South Gwinnett. Jones-Dicks scored nine points in the overtime periods, including five in the decisive second stanza. Caleb’s smooth approach carried the Bulldogs. The lefty has an effortless three-point shot and is tough when he decides to get to the basket, using his body to carve out space and score amongst bigger players. His knowledge of how to use his physicality and change speeds are impressive. Caleb saw the floor well when attacking the defense, keeping his head up and hitting opener shooters and dumping off to open teammates on the block. Jones-Dicks netted four threes and went 6-8 from the foul line in the marathon win.

2025 6-2 G Marc Chavenet – South Gwinnett
Marc nearly carried South Gwinnett to an improbable victory, down 31-19 at the half and 47-39 after three quarters. Chavenet was on fire from distance throughout the day, burying six threes en route to 29 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Marc mixed in two mid-range jumpers, an And-1 drive and a transition hoop with his left hand along with 3-3 from the foul line to round out his offensive explosion. The strong framed shooter shined in his first impression.