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Opening night thoughts from @JustinDYoung at the 2022 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions

14, May 2022

Opening night thoughts from @JustinDYoung at the 2022 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions

SUWANEE, GA - Opening night of the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions gave us plenty of match-ups of note and plenty of players to see for the very first time. Let’s dive into three quick things from the action at Suwanee Sports Academy.

Brandon Rechsteiner

Woodstock, GA

Class
2023
|
Position
PG
|
Height
6' 1"
|
School Team
National
83
National Pos. Rank
14
State
7
State Pos. Rank
3

BIG PLAY BRANDON

One of the most anticipated match-ups of opening night was the pairing of Atlanta All-Stars, a top three team in the HoopSeen Association, and Team Judah Nation from the UA Rise circuit. The match-up did not disappoint.

The scoreboard went back and forth like a teeter-totter throughout the action. Brandon Rechsteiner did what he’s accustomed to doing - he made some huge plays down the stretch. With a pair of threes and a big steal in the clutch, his playmaking was critical in his team’s important opening night win.

I was watching old film from some of our past Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions over the course of the past week and saw Grayson Murphy of Belmont fame doing work with We All Can Go. He was a menace at this prep level before thriving as one of the best mid-major guards in college hoops.

I think Rechsteiner has the same sort of quality to him. He’s a gamer, a killer and competitive when it truly matters. It doesn’t surprise me at all why he’s such a hot target for college programs at the moment. Don’t be surprised to see him draw a long line of college coaches in the summer.

Malik Abdullahi

Miami, FL

Class
2024
|
Position
PF
|
Height
6' 6"
|
School Team
National
NR
National Pos. Rank
NR
State
NR
State Pos. Rank
NR

HI, MY NAME IS...

Team Hardaway picked up a big win over Griffin Elite UA Rise on opening night in a really good back-and-forth battle. It was balance across the board and big plays by fast guards that helped seal the deal in the end. However, the active and athletic play of 2024 forward Malik Abdullahi that really stood out. 

The bouncy prospect was big on the defensive end of the floor, playing strong vertically, running well in transition and thriving above the rim on hard drives and lobs. Abdullahi used his strength well to put defenders on their heels when he drove hard to the iron for and-one plays. 

This was my first time seeing him action and it was hard to not be impressed. It was also easy to understand why Florida Gulf Coast has already offered him a scholarship. He said he's also heard from the likes of Florida Atlantic, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State and Florida A&M. 

Mari Jordan

Norcross, GA

Class
2023
|
Position
SF
|
Height
6' 6"
|
School Team
National
108
National Pos. Rank
19
State
8
State Pos. Rank
2

MARI, THE MAN

One of the best things about having a stage that has 10 years of existence is watching players take their games and level up along the way. We're seeing that now with Dacula (GA)/Georgia Stars wing Mari Jordan. The 6-foot-5 wing has added some serious strength to his frame and he plays well with it. The Georgia-bound prospect was quite impressive on opening night with his perimeter game, hard slashes to the basket and gimmee-the-ball approach. Jordan looked like a man ready for high-major basketball. 

A product of nearly all of our platforms at HoopSeen, it was fun to see him in his final year of travel hoops. He's playing the role of a nationally-ranked prospect well and looks like he's hitting his stride at the right time as he prepares for the next chapter. 

Jordan could be a player that sees his profile rise even more this summer during the NCAA Live Period events in June and July. 

VA Beach

 


Justin Young
Editor-in-Chief

Justin Young has been the editor-in-chief of HoopSeen.com since 2013. He manages the day-to-day operations on the site and in conjunction with our national and regional events. He was the national basketball editor for Rivals.com and a contributing editor at Yahoo! Sports. Young has been earned numerous awards for his work in sports journalism, including the Georgia Press Association Columnist of the Year. His Justin Young Basketball recruiting service has been in existence since 2002 and worked with over 300 schools from all levels. He is the director of HoopSeen Elite Preview camps and our national Preview camp series.