SUWANEE—As has been the case all spring, the underclass divisions have provided a great glimpse into the future, and we’ve gotten to see how bright it is. 

The 2022 Georgia Cup Finals provided some more great underclass action. Here are some of the names that stood out over the weekend. 

Connor Teasley, Georgia Canes: Forget about age group, there’s a real case to be made for Teasley to be among the tournament’s best, most impactful players. Full stop. He just finds ways to leave his stamp on the game from the guard spot. Whether it be rebounding, creating for teammates, playing tough defense, or putting points on the board, Teasley produces. This weekend, he did so via his scoring. Teasley routinely boasted big numbers through the Cup Finals, and this happened after a great Bama Jam outing to start the month, and a Bob Gibbons weekend in which he dropped 20 or more multiple times. It’s safe to say that not many players had as good of a May as Connor Teasley. 

Charlie Gersmehl, Redline Athletics Elite: Redline Athletics started the 2022 Georgia Cup series by winning Georgia Cup I’s 14U division, and they closed it by winning the Cup Finals 14U division. One of the central figures behind their success both weekends was big man Charlie Gersmehl. He’s a guy that continually thrives on our platform. Gersmehl is a productive big that makes his presence felt on both ends of the floor. He’s a great rim protector that blocks and alters a number of shots. When he gets the ball around the basket, there’s a high likelihood of him putting it through the bottom of the net. Gersmehl also shines on the glass where he uses his size and strength to clear out space and create opportunities to pull boards. 

Nico Searl, TSF North: In terms of shooting, there weren’t many who had a better weekend from distance than TSF North’s Nico Searl. This guy can flat-out let it fly from the perimeter. He routinely filled it up from all over the floor, but with shooting being emphasized at all levels of the game, we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize his efforts in that regard. On one of the best shooting teams in the entire tournament, Searl is one that certainly made a lasting impression. 

Marcus Gillespie, Outkast Elite: From one gifted scorer to another, Marcus Gillespie is another guy who filled it up all weekend. A super-skilled guard, Gillespie is a nightmare to defend because he can get to his spots with ease and score consistently from multiple levels. Outkast Elite made a deep run to the final four of the 15U Orange division because of big-time performances from Gillespie throughout the weekend. 

Isaiah Jackson, Birmingham Blaze: Two of the things that we value on a basketball court are consistency and versatility. Isaiah Jackson brought both for the Birmingham Blaze over the weekend. The guard/forward hybrid can slot in at multiple positions for the Blaze, and he puts up numbers wherever he’s at.