SUWANEE, Ga—I love to segment part of my weekend to popping in and out of the myriad gyms we operate in across Gwinnett County. That’s where the younger guys typically cut their teeth, and I like to get eyes on them. That’s how I spent most of my Saturday. 

Here’s a recap of some of the action I saw while scoping out the 16-and-under talent. 

Allstars Shine Per Usual

Before the weekend, I was asked if the Atlanta Allstars 16U team was going to be good, and I said, “when are the Allstars bad? They’re always good.” The team proved my preemptive prognostication correct. 

This is easily the deepest, most well-coached team I’ve seen this weekend regardless of age group. They play ten guys, and there’s little-to-no drop-off when it comes to rotations. It’s a team that kept me repeating “everyone’s good” to myself. I promise that you’ll be hearing me rave about this team whenever I get to see them this summer, but for now, I’m going to stick with three guys who stood out to me specifically on Saturday morning. 

Jax Abernathy is flat-out one of my favorite players to watch in Georgia’s 2024 class. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Christian Heritage High School is as precise of a guard as I’ve seen this AAU season. He’s in total control at all times. Abernathy is a reliable, multi-level scorer who can fill it up in a hurry. In other words, he’s a walking bucket. Not limited to just being a scorer, Abernathy reads the floor well and makes great passes. He’s also a solid positional rebounder. 

Wheeler Drake is another guard on this team that I love. He was one of my favorite players to watch during some Georgia Cup weekends last summer when he was with Atlanta Allstars South. What I saw out of him then is what I saw again on Saturday morning. He’s a true point guard. Drake is smart and makes great passing reads. He gets everyone involved. Another thing he does well utilizes a change of speeds to get by his man. He’s as crafty as they come. 

Let’s do one more guard for now. Corey Gatlin is another one on this team that caught my attention. Another fantastic passer on this team. He made one specific read that literally made me say “wow” out loud. Gatlin excelled in transition on Saturday morning when I saw the Allstars. I’m excited to see more out of him as the summer goes on. 

Next time, I’ll highlight another group of players on this team because there’s no shortage of them. They have guys for coaches at all levels to watch. I highly suggest catching this group. 

A Familiar Face Shows Out

I remember first seeing 2025 guard Kaleb Evans at HoopSeen’s South Carolina preview camp back in the fall. He played so well on that stage that he got invited to our Elite Preview Camp a few weeks later. 

We’ve raved about him ever since, and he reminded me why we’ve been so high on him on Saturday afternoon. 

The 6-foot-3 guard was dominant for PCH Hurricanes at the Old Atlanta Rec. He does everything. 

He scores the ball at a high level off the bounce and from the perimeter, he’s a double-figure rebounder, and he wows with his vision and ability to set teammates up with easy looks. 

I have a feeling that we’ll be writing about him a lot over the coming years. 

Betts on Bailey

Team Mookie Betts 2024 guard Fred Bailey is among the best players I’ve seen this weekend. 

After traveling around Gwinnett County all day, I knew I had to see Team Mookie’s 16U team, so I bolted over to Discovery HS to catch their mid-afternoon game. As soon as I sat down, Bailey made an impression. 

He looked like he was playing a half-speed faster than everyone else. He’s a strong, aggressive guard that’s always in attack mode. Everything he does is quick and deliberate. 

Bailey is tremendous at navigating through defenses and drawing help. Whether he kicks to an open shooter or goes at the rim through contact, Bailey makes every move with conviction and confidence. 

His motor seems endless, which helps out on the glass and on defense. 

Without keeping official stats, I’d venture to guess that Bailey wrapped the game with nearly a triple-double despite spending considerable time on the bench because of the lopsided score he helped amass. 

Recruit this guy.