Who impressed Josh Tec at the 2023 Georgia Cup II?
SUWANEE, Ga—Georgia Cup II had all sorts of talent in the field. High major stars to sleepers, my notebook was put to work this past weekend. While I won't cover every player that I took notes on this weekend, these are five of the many that caught my eye.
Not many players brought it consistently as Carter Watkins did for HoopAtlanta. He proved to be a 2024 sleeper that should attract some attention from coaches this spring. He showed a well-rounded skillset on offense and packed quite the scoring punch throughout the weekend. While he was talked about as one of the best scorers, he did a little bit of everything well on both ends for HoopAtlanta. Other than his high shooting percentage, Watkins created offense for others and defended well. He’s a name to circle this spring.
Bell is having a great start to the spring. He’s a playmaker through and through. When he has the ball in his hands, good things happen more often than not. Bell finds cracks in defenses and attacks. He’s hard to keep out of the lane. Metro Elite has a few sleepers on this team, and Bell is one of them. Time to wake up. We certainly are. While Metro Elite didn't end up with the record they wanted, Jaki Bell has put together three solid weekends in a row and continues to open eyes.
Motor, motor, motor. Big Kenneth Chime is an energy guy around the basket. Paired with his size and athleticism, his effort helps him dominate the glass. Chime will block and alter shots, and he finishes everything at the rim. He’s had a pair of outstanding Georgia Cup appearances this year.
Denis popped off on Saturday morning with a 20-point game. Before he started to really heat up, his length and athleticism at the guard spot were enough to intrigue. Then, he started to cook, and that changed everything. Denis caught fire from the 3-point line, dished dimes, and was the catalyst behind a run-away offensive outburst. He continued to impress consistently throughout the rest of the weekend too. TSF will have no shortage of fanfare from coaches to media this spring, and judging from this past weekend, Denis should be one of the stock risers from this team.
One of the best players in Georgia’s 2025 class and a player that will break out nationally this spring, Jacob Wilkins was a walking highlight over the weekend. To put it simply, he’s different. Wilkins threw down improbable alley-oops, knocked in shots from the 3-point line, and pinned shots off the backboard. It was showtime when he took the floor.
