Joe Greene Classic Top Performers
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Robert Spaulding IV2024 6-3 W Robert Spaulding IV – Savannah Country Day
The 4:00 AM wakeup call was worth it to see Savannah Country Day and New Hampstead go down to the wire. Even in a 66-61 loss, Robert Spaulding rose above all others with his tantalizing upside as a true sleeper in Chatham County. Spaulding was terrific, carrying Savannah Country Day back from an 18-point deficit to trim the lead to 61-59 with 2:27 remaining before the Hornets couldn’t get over the hump. Spaulding really impressed me with his nose for the ball. He was involved in almost every single play, whether it be creating offense on the perimeter, tracking down loose balls or jumping into passing lanes. Robert poured in points using his mid-range jumper as his primary weapon. Spaulding does a nice job getting to his spots. He knocked down seven pull-up jumpers and showed the ability to finish through traffic at the rim. Spaulding did a good job of following his shot, leading to multiple second chance opportunities. In total, Robert finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. With Timo Moeller out for the season with an ACL tear, a massive scoring burden has been placed on Spaulding. I fully expect him to continue to put up robust stat lines. Spaulding should start popping up on college radars. D-II schools among others need to get out to Savannah to see one of the area’s very best 2024s.

Rashawn Truell2025 6-0 G Rashawn Truell – New Hampstead
Coach Jeffrey Williams deemed Rashawn Truell the best 2025 shooter in the state following his 4 threes on Tuesday, part of a 27-point barrage that also included 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in a 66-61 win. Truell is a stocky guard that has strength and some baby fat that is still being chiseled. The three-sport athlete serves as the quarterback on the football team and as a floor spacer on the hardwood. Truell helped bust the Savannah Country Day zone with his quick trigger from the corners. Once he had established himself as an outside threat, nailing two quick threes, Truell used his physicality to get to the rim. Rashawn utilized the one-dribble pull-up from the mid-range and got on the offensive glass when defenses lost track of him. Truell’s scorer’s mentality and toughness bode well for the next two-plus seasons.

Joseph Thomas2024 6-2 SG Joseph Thomas – Portal
Joseph Thomas saved Portal in their Sandy’s Spiel Tip-Off Classic rematch from a season ago. In a game the Panthers controlled throughout, cruising to a 52-40 victory 12 months ago, this time it took overtime and Thomas heroics for Portal to stave off Forest Park 58-56. Thomas poured in 27 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals, drilling 6 threes including one off the dribble with 2:06 left in overtime to tie the game at 56 sparking a game-deciding 5-0 run to close. While All-State teammates Elijah Coleman and Amir Jackson had off nights with a combined 16 points, it was left to Thomas to deliver when called upon. Joseph has always been a tough shot maker, but could take a few wild shots. On Tuesday, you could see why Thomas has the neon green light as the basket felt as big as the ocean with Thomas firing jumper after jumper seeing the points rack up. Joseph converted on two four-point plays, fouled on a pair of threes. Aside from going 5-5 from the foul line, all of Thomas’ points came on jump shots. Defenses have to push up on Thomas when the ball is in his hands. If they don’t, he will burn them with his deep range. The next area of growth for Thomas will be adding to his offensive repertoire, finding ways to slash all the way to the rim which will force defenses to play with a little more cushion. When Thomas, Coleman and Jackson are all clicking at the same time, the Panthers have one of the best trios if not the best in Class A D-II.

2023 5-11 PG Kyrion Thornton – Forest Park
The Panthers are much improved from a season ago, already matching last year’s win total just four games into the season. An attitude adjustment and mindset change look apparent with players like Kyrion Thornton leading by example. Forest Park is willing to bring the fight to opponents instead of waiting back as counter punchers. Thornton’s scrappy energy was infectious in their 58-56 overtime loss to Portal. Kyrion tallied 17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals, hitting a pair of threes and scoring in transition twice off steals.

Kisean Robinson2024 6-0 G Kisean Robinson – Lithia Springs
As he did all season long in the Sandy’s Spiel Fall League, Kisean Robinson made plays for Lithia Springs and scored when the Lions needed it most, lifting them to their first win of the season beating Groves 65-56. Robinson finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He played a big role in helping stabilize the Lions as they dealt with Groves’ relentless full-court press. Robinson found his points on a three drives and knocked down a three in the third quarter. With Groves in early control, Robinson had five timely points to settle Lithia’s early nerves. There’s not much flashy about Robinson’s game, but there is great value in a guy that goes out and contributes across the board nightly.

Antonio Baker2023 6-3 SG Antonio Baker – Johnson-Savannah
Hiram bottled up Antonio Baker for three quarters holding him to six points and just two at the half, but when the game was on the line Baker took over, scoring 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to go with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block as Johnson-Savannah stormed from down eight points heading into the fourth to force overtime and eventually win 62-61. The Atomsmashers leapt out to a 9-0 lead but a 21-1 Hiram run put Johnson-Savannah behind for nearly the entirety of the game. Instead of letting go of the rope however, Baker and company kept chipping away at the lead. Antonio got stronger as the game went on, finding cracks in the defense and exploiting them with his elite ability to finish in traffic. Baker had four And-1s in the game, three in the fourth quarter, going 10-12 from the foul line. Every time it looked like Hiram would finally put away the Atomsmashers, Baker would strike. The Hornets led 53-49 at the 3:20 mark of overtime before Antonio keyed a 5-0 run to regain the lead, their first since the first quarter. Down one with 1:53, it was Baker again with a wild And-1 through 6-foot-8 Walter Matthews to pull ahead 57-55. The final blow landed by Baker came at the foul line, swishing a pair of free throws with 7.3 seconds left to take the lead for good. Kennesaw State and Voorhees are Baker’s only known offers to date. His knack for coming up clutch in big spots and his ability to finish around the rim should draw looks from D-I and D-II programs.

2024 6-2 G Joshua Quarterman – Johnson-Savannah
While Antonio Baker carried Johnson-Savannah through the finish line, Joshua Quarterman was crucial as well with his scoring touch from the perimeter. Quarterman hit a pair of threes and finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks before catching a cramp and finishing the game on the bench for the final 1:15, Joshua’s last bucket a tough left-handed drive that gave Johnson a 59-58 lead before hobbling to the sideline. Quarterman’s shooting helped balance the Atomsmashers as Baker looked to attack the hoop. Quarterman is good at creating space on the perimeter to get to his jumper and can hit contested shots. He’s got a smooth wiggle downhill which keeps defenses off balance and is a sneaky good defender with length.

2024 6-4 W Chase Tyler – Hiram
Chase Tyler immediately passes the eye test at 6-foot-4, maybe closer to 6-foot-5 on the wing. A standout on the football field at wide receiver, Tyler is a lean, long athlete that scores from all three levels. He’s got an easy release on his jumper which extends beyond the three-point line. He’s a graceful slasher that plays above the rim. Tyler can find points on the offensive glass and doesn’t panic with his back to the basket on the block, able to implement up-and-unders to score when he has a size advantage. A shot maker on offense, Tyler is also a high-energy contributor on defense with the ability to defend multiple positions. He’s quick enough to swallow up smaller guards on the perimeter and is adept at rotating over to block shots at the rim. Chase finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. If basketball is his choice in college, which isn’t likely considering he has Power 5 offers in football, expect D-II schools to swarm him with D-I schools not too far behind.

2024 6-7 PF Walter Matthews – Hiram
Another high-profile football recruit, the four-star tight end is a mountain of a man in the paint. It’s not only that Walter Matthews is physically massive, it’s his scary explosiveness that makes him look like a future NFL pass catcher. Matthews can dominate inside with his strength and leaping ability. He can bury defenders underneath the rim when sealing and can simply drop step and elevate for dunks and hook shots. Walter isn’t just a bruiser however. He has a nice touch on his jumper, stepping out to hit a pair of mid-range shots. Matthews sat nearly the entire third quarter with three fouls, but still managed to collect 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. When Hiram got the ball inside, there wasn’t a ton Johnson-Savannah could do to stop him. I would have liked to see him established more consistently, but there were stretches at a time where he was indeed force fed and delivered by scoring or drawing fouls. No doubt, if Matthews wanted to double up and play both football and basketball at a Power 5 school, he could. You won’t find many if any big men in Georgia that blend the type of size and athleticism that Matthews possesses.

Shamarrie Hugie2023 6-5 W Shamarrie Hugie – Beach
You know a player is good when a 25-point performance seems like a mere blip on the radar. Hugie made things look easy in Beach’s 69-40 win over Dougherty, racking up 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block to add to his ledger in a game that was never close. Hugie went 11-12 from the foul line including 9-10 in the first half. As the game continued to open up in the second half, Hugie started to find his stroke, hitting a pair of threes, a pull-up jumper and scoring on a dunk and a coast-to-coast finish.  I’ve always thought Hugie was one of the most underrated players in Georgia. He checks all the boxes when it comes to skills and physical tools. Shamarrie routinely fills up box scores and does so many things well. He plays above the rim but is a legitimate three-level scorer that doesn’t rely on out-athleteing opponents. Hugie rebounds, sees the floor and can defend all over. I like Hugie to eventually end up at a D-I school. He just has too much talent to not at least have the opportunity to play at that level.

James Leach2023 6-5 PF James Leach – Beach
Dougherty had no answer for the incredibly springy James Leach who stands nearly 6-foot-6. After a one-point first quarter, James started to dominate with his offensive rebounding, gobbling up second chance opportunities. Leach scored on a pair of dunks and showcased a nice mid-range game, hitting two jumpers including a fadeaway. Leach likes to get to his turnaround jumper from about 10-feet when he doesn’t have a clear path to the basket. James’ activity drew plenty of fouls as he went 7-11 from the stripe. Defensively, Leach wiped away shots up close using his length to alter numerous attempts. Leach finished with 17 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks. D-III Bridgewater College became the first school to offer James back in September. Don’t be surprised if other D-III and NAIA schools get involved for the high energy defensive ace.