Tag Archives: Christian Wright

Analysis, GHSA Basketball

Best of the South: Friday Standouts

Jaxon Etter2019 6-4 SG Jaxon Etter (Etowah) and his uncanny ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage stole the show yet again in the Atlanta All-Stars’ 75-55 mercy rule of Team Georgia Magic. With a packed house of college coaches in attendance ranging from Young Harris to Georgia College to Georgia State to Cincinnati and many, many more, it was Etter who unleashed a 26-point barrage, drilling 6 threes to silence critics that question the consistency of his jumper. Not only did Etter carry the All-Stars from deep, he drew the assignment of defending red-hot prospect 2019 6-5 SG Devin Butts and held the sharpshooter to 6 points and a scoreless second half. No one quite knows what level Etter will land at, but performances like these continue to grow the mystique surrounding Cherokee County’s finest.

2019 5-10 PG Matt Gonzalo (St. Pius X) expertly orchestrated the Atlanta All-Stars with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Gonzalo’s jitterbug quickness and activity on defense kept the Magic from ever finding a flow in consecutive possession. Offensively, Gonzalo made all the right reads as he usually tends to do and sank two early threes to keep the defense honest.

Middle Georgia Prep 2019 6-6 F Clarence Jackson brought great energy and effort – as he always does – in Team Georgia Magic’s loss to the Atlanta All-Stars. Jackson posted 16 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. His passion for the game shines through with his toughness and mindset to battle every possession. Coaches in attendance said they wouldn’t be surprised to see Jackson surface on a D-I roster in due time.

The 16U Georgia Stars backcourt of 2020 6-2 PG Christian Wright (Milton) and 2019 6-4 SG Nahiem Alleyne (Mountain View) drew a bevy of High Major head coaches throughout the day. The early start time at 8 AM didn’t affect the duo in an 83-57 route of Team Parsons North Florida. Wright had 18 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Alleyne posted 17 points, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Marlon Lewis2018 6-4 W Marlon Lewis (Morrow) stood out in a Georgia Heat loss. The available senior that was a First Team All-Region 3-AAAAA performer turned in 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Lewis knocked down three deep balls and showcased nice athleticism. He averaged 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds his senior season. He could be a nice late pick up at the lower levels.

Tyrese PowersTeam ProVision showcased the type of small school guys that are a pleasure to discover. Friday afforded us the opportunity to see 2020 6-8 F Tyrese Powers (Fitzgerald) for the first time. The long lefty showed flashes of D-I level ability in his first impression, finishing with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Powers runs the floor well and can play positions 3 through 5. His jump shot extended out to 17-feet with the threat of a three-point shot possibly growing into his arsenal over the next two seasons. He could end up developing into a Rashun Williams type prospect if he decides to put more time into his perimeter training than his post game. Powers should have a monster season in South Georgia.

ProVision flaunted another blossoming big in 2020 6-8 C Amaree McGriff (Lanier County). McGriff is a good athlete with long arms and a knack for blocking shots. The defensive minded post had 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks on Friday after tallying the exact same stat line: 7-10-1-3 the night before. McGriff doesn’t have a ton of back-to-the-basket post moves right now, but he is involved in every carom off the rim and if he gets two hands on it, you can be sure that he will try to power back up with a dunk. McGriff has a tendency to have bad body langue at times. When he is engaged and doesn’t worry about a lack of post touches or calls not going his way, he is an extremely effective player at the Class A-Public level and currently an interesting D-2/JUCO caliber player due to his size and mobility.

Keandre Graham2019 5-10 G Keandre Graham (Early County) impressed with his marksmanship from deep beyond the arc. The spunky shooter caught fire, hitting five threes en route to 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal in a win over the College Park Rim Rockers. Graham is tough to corral in the half court with his ability to stretch the floor and then create for teammates.

ProVision had steady contributions from Middle Georgia Prep bound 6-1 SG Stantravious Smith (Sherwood Christian Academy). The GICAA scoring maestro averaged 29.1 points per game as a junior before finishing his career going for 34.4 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2 steals and 1.7 blocks on average. On Friday he dumped in a fine all-around game with 14 points (3 threes), 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Thursday night, he tacked on 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

The 2019 Rebels saw the dynamic Bradwell Institute duo do the heavy lifting in two nightcap wins.

Isaiah Scott
Isaiah Scott
Javonte Lecounte
Javonte Lecounte

6-5 W Javonte Lecounte and 6-4 W Isaiah Scott flourished under Coach Simon Steele. Lecounte had 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in an 85-73 win over Team SC Red before scoring 21 points vs. Pro One Select Grey. Scott stuffed the stat sheet as well, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals at 4:10 PM then exploding for 30 points at 8:50. If you’re a fan of big guards, Lecounte and Scott fit the mold as off-ball options. Lecounte is a strong downhill finisher. Scott has packed on muscle to his wiry frame and can score within the arc in a variety of ways, highlighted by a poster And-1 dunk against Team SC Red.

The Atlanta Timberwolves buried 12 threes in a big 85-74 win over the Nike Elite Stars.

2019 6-4 F Jon Morgan (Combine Academy) dropped in 20 points, drilling three threes to open with before using his supreme athleticism to get to the basket. The recent LaFayette graduate collected 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks as well. Morgan has turned himself from just a nice North Georgia player into a statewide known producer and a national prospect.

2019 6-7 F Austin Sloan (Houston County) had 18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Sloan, much like Morgan, is an explosive athlete that bounces high above the rim. His leaping ability helps him score around the basket. Sloan’s range extends close to the three-point line with a high release point. He still needs to get stronger to survive the rigors of a long grinding season. His post physicality and defense can improve. Sloan can block shots but working on his stationary defending and preventing deep post catches will be an area to focus on.

2020 6-2 G Jack Kostel (Mill Creek) has nice size, sharp mechanics and some wiggle in his game. He tossed in 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Kostel sank two three-pointers and did the rest of his damage getting to the foul line, going 6-of-8. Kostel looks like a very nice option come his senior season as he continues to progress.

The human microwave, 2019 6-0 PG DaMarcus Johnson (Tri-Cities) pumped in 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 steals in a loss to the Georgia Kings. Johnson hit 5 three-pointers, scoring 18 in the second half. Johnson is wired to score. I would like to see him stay aggressive throughout the course of the game. He can be a 20-point scorer and may need to be for Tri-Cities to repeat the success they had last season. As good of a scorer as Johnson is, give him credit for trying to stay true to his point guard position and rarely forcing bad shots. Johnson is content to get his in the flow of the game instead of constantly being on the hunt to find points.

Zeff Felton2019 6-6 F Zeff Felton (Dooly County) is a great sleeper in South Georgia. After growing two more inches since the end of last season, the double-double machine is primed to breakout. While he may not ever average 20 points per game, Felton knows where his strengths are: provide energy and attack the glass. Felton averaged 11.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as a junior. You can pencil him in to average another double-double. Felton is always crashing the boards and has a quick second leap to clean up misses. Felton should be a collegiate player. It’s up to him to determine what level.

Analysis, GHSA Basketball

Georgia Tech Team Camp Standouts

D'Antaye Page2019 6-4 W D’Antaye Page (Westlake)
Looking like one of the state’s most improved players, D’Antaye Page has come out of nowhere, flourishing over the past two weeks. At the Adidas Memorial Day Classic, Page had outbursts of 37 and 32 points with the GA Elite Ballers. This weekend, Page continued his unassuming offensive onslaught. He pumped in 23 points and 6 rebounds in 52-49 win over Upson-Lee. Page doesn’t have eye-popping athleticism or elite size, but what he does have is a scoring touch. He drilled two threes and went 5-of-9 from the line on Friday night. Page says that he has been working extremely hard in the offseason. His recent switch to the GA Elite Ballers has now given him a platform to showcase his hard work and the early returns are nothing but positive.

Messiah Thompson2019 5-9 PG Messiah Thompson (North Atlanta)
Locked up in a 2019 point guard battle with Upson-Lee’s Zyrice Scott, Thompson came out in attack mode and willed his team to a 37-35 victory with 21 points (9-17 FG; 1-2 3PT; 1-4 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 turnovers. Thompson likes to force the issue and put pressure on the defense, attacking the basket even with his lack of size. He has an array of floaters and pull-ups that make him a tough cover. For North Atlanta to live up to expectations, Thompson has to toe the fine line of being aggressive while still getting his teammates involved.

2019 6-1 PG Zyrice Scott (Upson-Lee)
The first 10 minutes of the game, Zyrice Scott and Messiah Thompson matched each other point for point, assist for assist and turnover for turnover. As the game went on, Thompson ramped up the scoring while Scott continued to share the ball. Scott scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the first half. He shot 4-13 FG; 1-2 3PT; 7-9 FT. After a big first half with Thompson guarding him, North Atlanta switched over to 5-foot-8 Virginia-transfer Jarontez Garrett, who really slowed down Scott (1-8 FG second half). While his scoring dried up, Scott still played like a true lead guard, collecting 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal while turning it over 4 times. In their 52-49 loss to Westlake, Scott finished with 19 points (8-19 FG; 2-3 3PT; 1-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 5 turnovers. Scott will have a high usage rate this year as the Knights’ only true point guard and their top perimeter scoring option.

Christian Wright2020 6-2 PG Christian Wright (Milton)
A smooth guard with maturity beyond his years, Christian Wright was in complete control playing in front of a Georgia Tech staff that has already offered. He opened up camp with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against Kennesaw Mountain. Later vs. Sandy Creek, Wright finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals, keying a late flurry that led to a 68-61 win. Wright drilled two threes apiece in each game and scored from all three levels.

Hasahnn Reynolds2019 6-4 CG Hasahnn Reynolds (Discovery)
The transfer from Immokalee, FL fit in seamlessly with his ability to share the lead guard duties. Reynolds can run the offense and facilitate or play off the ball. He’s got a knack for delivering flashy passes on point. He has a nice stroke and a slender build that helps him slip past defenders. Reynolds finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in a 63-60 overtime win against Sandy Creek.

TJ Bickerstaff2019 6-8 SF TJ Bickerstaff (Sandy Creek)
TJ Bickerstaff will shoulder a lot of the load his senior season as the Patriots try to work some rotational players into bigger roles while also bringing up younger players to the varsity level. In their loss to Milton, Bickerstaff finished with 18 points (7-8 FG; 2-2 3PT; 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Later on Friday night, Bickerstaff’s efficiency rolled on, going 13-of-14 from the line to post 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal against Discovery.

Jalyn McCreary2019 6-7 F Jalyn McCreary (Kennesaw Mountain)
In Kennesaw Mountain’s 64-59 win over Milton, Jalyn McCreary totaled 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. McCreary used his size advantage to attack the rim and score around the paint. The lefty still has a few unorthodoxed kinks in his game, but they make him a tough cover as defenses never know what angle he will attack from. McCreary will take his game to the next level as he matures with his shot selection and lets the game come to him.

2020 6-3 CG Khalil Shaheed (Kennesaw Mountain)
Khalil Shaheed is a big, physical, explosive guard that likes to get his feet in the paint. He uses his quickness and strong frame to turn the corner past opponents to get to the rim. He had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. The combination of Jalyn McCreary and Shaheed should lead to a lot of victories this upcoming season as a reliable cast of role player with their own functionable skill sets are in place at Kennesaw Mountain.

2020 6-6 F Ja’Queze Kirby (Jeff Davis)
Coming up from Hazlehurst, GA, the Top 100 recruit did not disappoint. Although Jeff Davis might take a step back this year due to an important 2018 class graduating, Kirby won’t let that stop him from carrying his team to a potential playoff berth. Kirby’s elite athleticism was on full display against Westlake while his ability to take over a game offensively shined through against North Atlanta. Kirby is an active rebounder with a quick jump. He has to play every position for Jeff Davis which allows him to serve as a playmaker. Kirby’s floor vision standouts. He had a few great passes that looked like easy assists get fumbled away by an inexperienced supporting cast. Georgia Tech Head Coach Josh Pastner was courtside for every one of Kirby’s Friday night matchups. As a passive team-oriented player by nature, Kirby will have to be assertive this year and get more selfish at times. On Saturday against Southwest DeKalb, he did just that, hitting five threes to finish with 30 points and 5 assists in a 5-point win.

2020 6-4 G Jaden Walker (Discovery)
The size, ball handling, shooting and overall smoothness of Jaden Walker’s game makes him an easy target to breakout this year. Walker hasn’t had the success at the varsity level that some other 2020 guards have already had, but the reins may finally be off. In a 63-60 overtime win against Sandy Creek, Walker drilled four threes en route to 21 points, 2 rebounds and 3 steals. The Titans will put out a solid starting five next season and if Walker is truly ready to orchestrate the offense, Discovery could develop into one of the tougher teams in Class AAAAAAA.

2019 5-11 PG Donaven Hairston (Milton)
Coming off a shoulder injury, Donaven Hairston looked energized to be back on the court. He had 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals against Kennesaw Mountain before going for 14 points, 5 rebounds 1 assists and 5 steals against Sandy Creek. Hairston is a shifty guard with a nice touch. He isn’t afraid to finish through contact. Most impressive is his on-ball defense. Hairston gets into ball handlers and has a knack for knocking balls loose.

Brandon Barron2019 5-9 PG Brandon Barron (Alpharetta)
Brandon Barron was simply electric to kickoff Day 2 of Georgia Tech Team Camp. No one helped their stock more than the elusive 5-foot-9 point guard on Saturday. Locked up with fellow dynamic scorer 2019 PG Da’Marcus Johnson of Tri-Cities, it was Barron who stole the show and carried the Raiders to a 61-49 win. He exploded for 32 points (11-15 FG; 4-6 3PT; 6-6 FT), 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers. Barron thrives in a pick-and-roll heavy offense, splitting defenders and getting into the lane. His great leaping ability negates the fact that he is usually the smallest player on the floor. Barron scored all over the floor with his quickness leaving defenders in the dust. Barron is looking for a travel team to finish his summer with.

Dwon Odom2020 6-1 PG Dwon Odom (St. Francis)
It is hard not to fall in love with Dwon Odom. He turned himself into one of the best point guards in the state, regardless of age last season and now he is continuing to build on it. It’s poetry in motion watching him dissect defenses and hardly ever make mistakes. His freakish athleticism lets him glide past defenders to set up his pinpoint passing or his thunderous dunks. Odom’s jump shot is getting better each season. He posted 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against Tri-Cities; 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals against Dacula and 17 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals including the game-winning layup after rallying the Knights from down 14 points against Drew Charter. The stat sheet stuffer may end up as one of the nation’s top point guards come 2020.

Mekhail Bethea2019 6-2 PG Mekhail Bethea (Dacula)
If Brandon Barron is lightning and Dwon Odom is thunder, then Mekhail Bethea is Mr. Ice. So calm and so suave with the ball, Bethea is heavily underappreciated by colleges even though he is a consensus Top 5 point guard in the state. Bethea does a great job of shielding the ball when getting to the basket, finishing tough hoops through contact. He has a nice outside jumper that rounds out his game. Sometimes Bethea can be too unselfish, deferring to the likes of Brenden Tucker, Quincy Ademokoya and the recently graduated Arusha Hunter. Bethea is a guy that can get you 18 a night if he wanted, but is content with being a pass-first point guard that will settle for 14 & 5. With no Tucker or Ademokoya this weekend, it was time for Bethea to shine with a ton of new faces angling to play alongside the star guard come the Winter. Against St. Francis, Bethea finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists; he had 17 points, 1 rebound and 4 steals vs. Greenforest and against Morrow, Bethea tallied 16 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. Bethea is a high academic D-I point guard.

2019 6-0 SG CJ Riley (St. Francis)
CJ Riley is a three-point specialist that has improved his game off the bounce and defensively. He will make a college program very happy as a shot maker. Playing alongside one of the best passers in the state in Dwon Odom, Riley has the perfect situation to flourish in Coach Drew Catlett’s offense. He heated up as the day went on, scoring 8 points against Dacula, 17 (2 threes) against Tri-Cities and capping his day with 18 points (4 threes) against Drew Charter.

2019 6-4 SG Marcus Foster (Drew Charter)
Getting my first look at one of the hottest prospects in Georgia, the physical Marcus Foster looked sharp in the first half against St. Francis. He muscled his way to 15 of his team-high 17 points in the opening 20 minutes, using his strength to fluster Dwon Odom and other defenders. Foster drilled two threes and finished at the rim. He tacked on 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. As Drew Charter faltered down the stretch, St. Francis made sure the ball stayed out of Foster’s hands. They pressed and trapped Foster, forcing him to give it up. A lack of another true ball handler really hurt the Eagles down the stretch. Foster could have stood to demand the ball more over the course of the second half.