Day 1 of the Atlanta Jam brought a lot of bright moments. Here are my three main takeaways on the day. 

Atlanta Allstars 2023 Shine

The Allstars had a monster 80-45 win in their opening game. This 2023 team has a ton of young talent that plays extremely well together. I really liked what Brandon Rechsteiner brings to the table. After a solid season at Etowah, he seems ready to get his name out there this travel season. He plays with a lot of control and can impact the game in a variety of ways. This team also has another interesting prospect in Cole Weaver. At 6-foot-6, his athleticism jumps through the roof. He has a lot of raw talent, but his potential jumps out at you. There are a slew of other sophomores that could make some noise in Mason Etter, Dylan Faulkner, James Connolly, Brigham Rogers, and Kyle Walters. This is a loaded team filled with players that could open some eyes.

Hello, Demarco Davis

Demarco Davis of Metro Elite had quite the performance in his opening game vs Team Pettway Elite. The 6-foot-1 guard out of Griffin Christian High School has a ton of talent. He was able to get to his spots and score effortlessly on his way to 25 points. He can blow by defenders, dance off the bounce, and knock shots down from the perimeter. The fire he plays with also shows on the defensive end where he is a solid on ball defender. This is a smooth and shifty kid that I will be keeping an eye on over the duration of the weekend.

Upward Stars Fagan Size

The duo Julen Iturbe and Hayden Assemian was the difference in the game against the Tennessee Tigers. At 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6 respectively, the two dominated the paint in every aspect. Iturbe is a skilled freshman that can be effective inside out. He shoots it confidently from the perimeter and will bang with the best of them down low. Assemian is a big body forward that embraces physicality. His strong upper body helps him to finish through contact and impact the game. Scary thing about him is that he is only in 8th grade.