SUWANEE, GA - The 2023 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions is off and running at the famed Suwanee Sports Academy in north metro Atlanta. The most storied stage in travel basketball brings out the stars and it is a platform that allows players to really start their story. Let’s dive into the Friday night action.
TOP DOGS 

Eli Ellis, Team Loaded 828: The stage is never to big for Ellis and he came ready for it. In a major match-up against AOT, Ellis did what he always seems to do. He delivered. The Overtime Elite guard pumped in a cool 35 points. Ellis dropped in four threes and went on a 15-point run by himself in the process. Playing against the likes of Ace Bailey and Jermichael Davis, Ellis stepped up - per usual - and delivered the viral moments of the night. 
Jermichael Davis, AOT: The Rutgers-bound guard came on strong to the tune of 29 points that came with a constant rim attack throughout the action against Team Loaded. Davis is so fast, so tough and so smart when it comes to scoring in the paint. He leaned into the mano y mano match-up and stepped up on the big stage.

Ace Bailey, AOT: The five-star forward will always have a play or two that remind you that he’s a different kind of dude compared to the rest of the class of 2024. Bailey plays above the rim as well as anyone in the country. We saw plenty of that on Friday night. And so did the mixtape mafia. He was his usual self in the match-up game. 

Micah Smith, Anthony Edwards Five: He’s always been one of the more interesting players in the Peach State because of his length, his range and his interchangeable value as a forward. We saw him do some good things against Team Wall in the open floor that keeps ya coming back for another look. Now headed into his senior season at Sandy Creek, Smith could be a player to level up his recruitment in the June NCAA Live Period. 

Jullien Cole, Team Wall: Once again, Cole came to play in a big way. He’s been one of the most consistent players on the HoopSeen Association platform this season. Against AE5 on opening night, he pumped in a cool 21 points. Cole has all of the tools to be a plug-and-play guy in the right program at the college level. He’s stringing together a fine travel season and warrants more attention on the recruiting front. 

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Ron Bribson, Tennessee Marathon: The 6-foot-4 wing was a nice eye-catcher on Friday night in his team’s match-up game against ECU Family. Here’s the thing about the spring - just stack up the good weekends. Consistency is key when it comes to “being seen” and this Marathon team out of Tennessee has racked up big wins. Bribson has a game that translates well to the next level. For me, he was a terrific revelation on opening night here at the TOC. 

Christian Jeffers, NY Lightning: Coming down from New York, the 6-foot-4 wing had a nice showing on Friday night with a productive scoring night with good athleticism, good finishes and good explosiveness to the rim. Jeffers is a quality student that brings a level of toughness to the court that catches your attention.