Five Things Friday with Josh Tec: Georgia Standouts from EYBL Louisville
In this debut column, I wanted to add some locals-only flavor to my EYBL coverage. Each week, I’ll be running through five things that are on my mind, and this week, EYBL Louisville has been the center of my focus.
Georgia was in the building and well-represented by some of the state’s finest. To usher in the weekend, I’ve got five Georgia players who stood out from last weekend in Louisville.
This past weekend in Louisville felt like a breakout one for Panoam from a national perspective. He started the spring by helping Norcross to a state championship, and he ended it by helping the Georgia Stars to a 4-1 record in Louisville.
Panoam averaged double figures in scoring, and his highlight performance included 27 points and 7 rebounds against Team United. Peach State faithful are well aware of his athleticism and dynamism when getting downhill and attacking the basket. An area in which he showed efficiency was from the 3-point line. While he didn’t shoot a ton from the perimeter, he picked his spots well and connected more often than he missed.
He’s built momentum this spring, so June and July could be fruitful for Panoam on the recruiting trail. With as well as he played in Louisville, he should be one of the players to monitor in the state during the summer months.
Keeping with the Georgia Stars, let’s go down an age group to the 2024 group. As we’ve seen all spring, Trajen Greco had another solid outing for the Stars over the weekend.
The explosive, high-level scorer has emerged as one of the state’s best in his class, and he showed some of that prowess by leading the Stars in Louisville. Greco has deep range on his jumper and flexed that part of his game by connecting for 100% from the perimeter over the Stars’ first two out of three games. He’s more than just a scorer though. We’ve routinely seen Greco impact the game in all aspects. He’s well-rounded in that regard.
Reid is one of the most high-upside prospects in Georgia’s 2024 class to this point. At 6-foot-6, he’s a versatile player that can excel both on the perimeter and around the basket. At EYBL Louisville, he showed that off with his consistent production.
He was especially strong around the basket in terms of scoring and rebounding, but Reid also showed ability as a playmaker from the wing. As his game continues to round into form on all fronts, Reid will continue to emerge as a can’t-miss prospect.
He’s already got a state title under his belt with Grovetown, and they’ll be among the favorites to repeat. TSF is one of EYBL’s better 16U teams. Winning follows Reid, and it’s not a coincidence. His versatility leads to him making his mark on wins however he can. During the summer recruiting cycle, he’ll be a fun player to follow.
Lavonta Ivery: Let’s stick with TSF’s 16U squad and go to the backcourt. Explosive is the best way I can think to describe the hyper-athletic 2024 guard, Lavonta Ivery. Like Reid, he’s coming off of a deep GHSA playoff run, and he’s carried that momentum into the spring where he’s been a breakout star for this TSF group.
The way he uses his athleticism to beat defenders off the bounce is impressive and fun to watch. He’s like lightning in transition and finishes well around the basket. Ivery has plenty of bounce and can rise up for a highlight dunk. More functionally, he uses those springs in his legs to help out on the glass. For his position and size, he’s a reliable rebounder. In terms of shooting, Ivery is solid from midrange and can consistently connect from the perimeter.
With more weekends like this past one, it won’t be long before he’s a more discussed prospect at the next level.
The Georgia commit has had a strong spring. Back at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, he was a can’t-miss player, and over the weekend at EYBL Louisville, he replicated a lot of the same production.
Jordan put up numbers all weekend. Overall, he shot the ball well from three, and he was a consistent scorer for the Stars. If his shot wasn’t falling he found ways to leave his mark on the game in other ways. The Stars went 4-1, and Jordan was key on their success.
Jordan has played the best I’ve ever seen him play this spring. Every time I catch a Stars game, he’s terrific. Georgia fans should be thrilled about his potential when he gets to Athens.
