Best of the South Day 2 Notebook from Justin Byerly
Day two of The Best of the South is in the books and with pool play starting, it's shaping up to be a big weekend at The Cobb Galleria. With 16 courts going at once, this is a little big of a smaller scale then we are used to for our Best of the South but the talent level is still the same. We had coaches from D3, NAIA, D2 and Division One on hand for most of the day taking in the games.
Hello My Name Is
Tri-City Elite guard Colin Brown caught my eye this weekend with his stellar play at the point guard spot. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Tennessean High School in Bristol, Tennessee is a southpaw with great passing ability, feel for the game and scoring ability. In the game I saw, Brown finished with 16 points but it was his ability to not turn the ball over while making tough plays that made me take a second look. Come to find out, he holds offers from King College, Milligan College and Lees-McRae. He is also sniffing some Division One looks right now. College coaches at the Division II and lower-level Division I, need to get a look at Brown with two days left here at our Best of the South.
Shooters Shoot
ATL Pivot guard Tyson Baumgardner might be the most fluid shooter here at Cobb Galleria this weekend. I have not seen any three-pointers that he has made hit the rim yet. The 6-foot-3 2025 prospect has good size and length coupled with a deadly shooting stroke that is textbook. The son of a well-respected and championship winning high school coach, Baumgardner plays like those type of kids. He understands spacing, moving without the ball and knows where to be on the defensive side while being vocal out on the floor. With some pieces around him, Collins Hill (GA) High School could be a team to watch in Georgia this upcoming season. Baumgardner and Ruben Borg combined for nine threes in their win this afternoon.
Take Me Back
Watching Team Swish's Caiden Brewer brought back some memories for me from another WNC standout, Caleb Mills. The way that Brewer was handling the ball and making defenders miss while getting into the paint or the free-throw line was just like what I witnessed Caleb Mills do for Sim Frazier's PSB club back in the late 2010's. He scored 25 points against Kountry Wayne Elite and scored 16 in a win over Norcross Heat. Nobody could handle him and nobody could handle Brewer yet. Mills would go on to play at Houston, Florida State and Memphis and I think Brewer can play at the next level too. College coaches looking for a guy that can just break defenders down and get to where he wants on the floor is something a lot of guys can't do all that well anymore. Brewer can. He has done it in both games we saw today.
Team Curry-East Has Another Prospect
Team Curry- East, formally known as No Guts No Glory continues to pump out college prospects. This time around it looks like Ian Bush may be the guy. The 6-foot-6, 2025 prospects was a force on the glass, blocks shots, finishes at the rim and plays with energy on both sides of the ball. He has helped Curry to a 2-1 record on the weekend and has finished with double-digit points and rebounds in nearly every game. I like what he can do defensively with his timing as as rebounder and a shot-blocker.
