Scrimmages and regular season games get going this week in Georgia, but before those start to take place, we wanted to wrap up things from our Select 80 camps with one final recap. We highlighted some of the very top prospects at camp with the Superlatives and All-Camp Teams; now we will focus on some of the other guys who helped themselves and had productive days. You might not be as familiar with these names, but they will be important pieces on their respective high school teams this winter.
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First, I wanted to start by pointing something out- There has been an influx of out-of-state & international transfers that will have big impacts during the 2021-22 season. Atlanta is always a popular spot for move-ins but there seem to be even more than usual this year. That being said, we had a good number of those transfers in attendance for the Select 80 camps, so I’ll talk about them before moving on to others.
* Nordin Kapic is at Denmark from Austria and was named to the 2022 Select 80 All-Camp Team, so he is highlighted there.
* Albert Wilson is at North Cobb Christian from Arizona and was named to the 2023 Select 80 All-Camp Team, so he is highlighted there.
Starting with 2022’s, Aidan Bevrotte is at Sandy Creek after moving from Louisiana. Although he’s new to the program, Bevrotte won a state championship in Louisiana and will bring some important veteran qualities to this young group. He’s right around 6’7″ and is adept at playing both on the block or from the perimeter. His feel inside is impressive as he makes good decisions on whether to score or pass. Bevrotte has an effective shot that is most useful from 12-15 feet, can handle in the open court, and knows when to get physical. His ability to fill different roles should help Sandy Creek a lot given their youth that might only be ready for specific things.
Coming to one of Georgia’s top teams from Virginia is Berkmar’s Brycen Blaine. He was one of the most aggressive players at camp and has lots of ability with the ball in his hands. He’s quick, strong, can hit a variety of jumpers, or get to the basket. Berkmar has lots of big games this year and will be in the spotlight, so if Blaine is able to be efficient and fit in well with the Patriots’ other talented players, he should have a handful of college options.
I can’t remember a player making his way over to Georgia from Germany recently, but that’s what we have in Paul Urban at Alpharetta. He was great for the Raiders in Fall League play and proved he belonged against a lot of good prospects at the 2023 Select 80. Urban has a sturdy build, powerful athleticism, and comes with a determined, business-like approach. While he usually gets himself going by attacking the paint, Urban is skilled and a capable shooter, which makes for a difficult combination to stop. His offensive ability and competitive mindset will be a big boost for Alpharetta.
There couldn’t have been a more perfect fit than Blake Wilson landing at St. Pius. He fell into their laps after moving from Connecticut and is exactly what comes to mind when you think of a Pius player. Wilson had moments creating off the dribble with quickness & aggression at camp and brought lots of energy to his team. He can sneak up on you with his athleticism and has a competitive edge that will fit in well with the Golden Lions. Get used to hearing his name.
2 more new faces at Denmark are Keinan McFarlande & Chad Molloy, both 2023’s who are from the Virgin Islands. McFarlande is close to 6’9″ and had a really productive day at camp by playing with a high motor. He ran the floor hard and crashed the offensive glass to create scoring opportunities. I was impressed with his hands and shooting potential as well. Camp coaches loved Molloy’s commitment to defense. He is strong & quick, staying in front of ball-handlers consistently and making them uncomfortable. Molloy plays with control on offense and can score when needed.
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It happened whenever I watched him this fall, but I really liked the effort that was put forth by Malachi Dooley at the 2022 Select 80. His energy was infectious as he brought tons of activity on defense and flew down the court in transition throughout the day. Dooley’s speed and explosiveness make him hard to contain in the open floor; he is fearless as a finisher and can go left or right. The way he was locked in and aggressive both offensively & offensively was great to see. His team had a combination of guys with a similar mindset and that resulted in them making the championship game.
Niko Wilson was given honorable mention for the 2023 All-Camp Team and very well could have been placed in the Top 10. He had some nice games as a sophomore for Lambert and now he’s going to be asked to step up as a primary option for them; he looks ready to do so and played like it at camp. Every chance he got, he was attacking downhill hard and making things happen for his team. I liked how he played fast & aggressively but also limited his wild moments and struck a balance between creating for himself or getting others involved. The backcourt of him and James Tyre will be a good one in Forsyth this winter.
Brigham Rogers has gotten some well-earned attention & recruitment as of late, but James Connolly is another 2023 prospect at Blessed Trinity who will see his role increase significantly and should have a nice junior season. A late-bloomer who is young for his grade, Connolly was as confident as I’d seen him at camp. He’s a good 2-foot leaper who’s able to hang in the air, and that was on display plenty of times as he elevated over guys easily for clean jumpers or finished around defenders in traffic. I’m not sure you could find a mid-range game like his at the 2023 camp. His development will be worth monitoring and he should form a great duo with Rogers for BT.
Not many were familiar with Abdulh Diaby entering the fall but he has made the most out of his opportunities after coming into his own over the summer. He has transferred to Centennial from Grayson and will be in a feature role where all of his abilities will be on display. He’s a long 6’5″ who will provide defensive versatility, makes athletic plays on both sides of the ball, and continues to improve as a shooter/scorer. I’m excited to see what he does for the Knights throughout the season.
The fundamental play from Hampton Goff was encouraging and refreshing to see at the 2022 Select 80. His ability to play calmly off of 2 feet and make the correct pass consistently left coaches impressed, he also did a good job of getting to open in-between spots for jumpers. Goff was recently rewarded with an offer from Piedmont. His teammate at Greenbrier, Andrew Black, had an exceptional day as well and was part of the championship-winning team. He made a strong argument for the camp’s best shooter with marksmanship in all 3 of his games. Black was deadly from the corners and hit multiple important shots to help his team go 3-0. He also has a mature, muscular build and scrappy approach that helps him on the defensive end. Don’t forget about these 2 out in Augusta.
Making the trip from Mississippi, Ganza Rawlings was the tallest player in the 2022 camp at 7’0″ and has a lot of long-term potential as he adds to his frame and gains experience. Rawlings is mobile, has great length, and is pretty quick off the floor for a player of his size. He was active in the paint at camp, finish off dunks and erasing opponents’ shots, while also connecting on a few 10-foot jumpers. Grace Baptist has a great collection of international prospects; I also liked what GBA’s Jack Flaherty did with his quickness and creativity off the dribble at camp.
Christian Thompson is another out-of-state big man who left a strong impression. Thompson attends Homewood in the Birmingham area and is a high-academic prospect who boasts a 27 ACT. He might have had the best motor out of all the forwards in attendance; coaches were raving about how hard he ran the floor and how he attacked the boards with purpose. Thompson is very light on his feet, which helps him in those aforementioned areas and is also an asset in ball-screen defense. To go with all that, Thompson was able to convert down low with efficiency and did not need to be fed the ball much. Coaches keep talking about the need for size in this class, so he will have lots of eyes on him the next few months.
How about one more guy from outside of Georgia. Kidd Brizek hails from South Carolina and was also one of the top forwards at camp. Not just an inside presence, at close to 6’7″ Brizek has a smooth handle and uses his long arms well when slashing & working his way to the basket form the outside. He’s also a fluid athlete who’s able to get off the floor & above the rim with ease, which is evident on lobs and when he goes to the offensive glass with good instincts. His versatility has already resulted in offers and a big senior season should be in store at Powdersville.
I’ve been encouraged with the progress Trey Harris has made this fall. The 6’5″ wing looks to have a lot of positive momentum heading into the 2021-22 season. Strong performances in the Ryze Hoops Fall League carried over to the 2022 Select 80 as he shot the ball confidently, was active, and used his length to convert inside. His team reached the championship, where he connected on 4 3’s. Offers from Oglethorpe and Brevard have come in recently and I don’t think those will be the last.
Lukas Platauna & Zion Powers should be a high-scoring tandem at Woodville-Tompkins this season. Both have good size on the perimeter, can fill it up in a variety of ways, and are confident. Platauna showed more of his ability around the rim than I had seen previously, Powers did a good job of finding mid-range opportunities and was solid on defense. An eye should be kept on them in South Georgia.
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