2023 Atlanta Jam Top Performers
SUWANEE, GA - The first April live period is in the books. The recruiting landscape has shifted a bit, but this weekend is valuable as an indicator of who can go when the lights get a little brighter.
It was also a good time for coaches to start their evaluations and build out their roadmaps for a more prominent recruiting summer.
Our team was in the gym watching familiar, known commodities, stock risers, and some of the South’s can’t-miss independent players.
During the three days of Atlanta Jam, these five had us as excited as ever to get back out on the road for the next April live period.
Some guys walk into the gym and you can just tell they are guys that will be talked about at the college level. Ware was that guy this weekend at The Atlanta Jam. Playing for 1 of 1 Rare, Ware was a force to be dealt with in the paint where he gets a majority of his baskets. At the college level, he looks like a guy that can protect the rim and get a lot of rebounds. He has a muscle-car motor that goes and goes, while never seeing him take a play off. He can handle the ball well enough to push it off the break and don’t get in his way when he is attacking the rim. It won’t end well. - Justin Byerly
We love seeing guys on this stage that know the college coaches in attendance are watching and waiting for a performance to make an offer. Otyaluk took this advantage and ran with it. In the opening game for No Guts No Glory on Saturday, he made seven three-pointers and scored 26 points in the first-half. He finished with 34 points in the win. All weekend, he showed that a 6-foot-7 slender wing can dominate a game and with some work in the weight room, Otyaluk is a guy that can be a difference maker at the right collegiate program. - Justin Byerly
Wilson has leveled up this year in every way. He’s bigger, stronger, more confident, and more skilled overall. He showed all of that and more throughout the weekend at Atlanta Jam. Wilson averaged 18.5 points per game and bookended the weekend with 20 points and 27 points. He filled it up in a variety of ways and showed that his 3-point shot is a real weapon. Wilson is a strong presence on the glass as well. His stock is rising. When coaches have turned toward high school recruiting after the portal madness, Wilson should get plenty of looks. - Josh Tec
Bradford wasted no time making his presence known on Friday night, scoring 15 points in a win for The League, a team based out of Austin, Texas. He followed that up with a 28-point performance on Saturday morning and left plenty of onlookers impressed. While Bradford put up points, I don’t think scoring is the best quality of his game. He did a nice job controlling the game, playing with pace, and making quality decisions that made him one of the top guards in the event. He’s a quality sleeper that has surfed under the radar to this point. - Garrett Tucker
I caught a glimpse of Freeman from across the gym on Sunday morning and after watching for a few minutes, I was instantly hooked. The slender 6-foot-6 wing showed a smooth offensive arsenal with the ability to score from all three levels. He turned in two 20-point games in Sunday viewings, mixing the ability to finish above the rim and make perimeter jumpers. Freeman was also comfortable handling the basketball and being a secondary ball-handler. I’ll be tracking Freeman next weekend in Louisville during the Grassroots Showdown, but he definitely looks the part of a Division I wing. - Garrett Tucker
