Three breakout players from the 2019 HoopSeen #ATLJAM
One of the great things about the Atlanta Jam is watching players start of continue to build upon their story. We asked our staff to roll out their favorite breakout players from the 2019 Atlanta Jam. These three players made the cut.
Every year there seems to be a long forward who comes to our events, catches my eye and drives my intrigue radar wild. Hill is this year’s guy. Although we’ve seen him before at several other of our events, Hill certainly made me take notice even more now that he’s a rising senior. Every bit 6-foot-7 and every bit a perimeter-centric forward, Hill is tough to guard because of his length and size out to the 20 foot mark in the halfcourt. There are still plenty of things to work on and improve but the raw potential is there to be a terrific Division I sleeper. - Justin Young
As the highest levels of basketball continue to move toward position-less players and small-ball lineups, 2020 forward Decorian Payton is someone who should have no problem finding a collegiate home in the future. The 6-foot-6 forward is a bit undersized in the post but he makes up for it with his length and versatility. Payton has the ability to guard multiple positions with his athleticism and quickness. He’s also the type of player that provides mismatches all around the floor. He did most of his offensive damage going to the rim, but he is definitely an intriguing option for low-level Division I programs. Most of the SWAC is keep close tabs, and I could see some A-Sun, Big South, and OVC schools giving him some looks, too. - Garrett Tucker
One characteristic I have always been a fan of when evaluating prospects is toughness. Maybe the era I was raised in causes me to find those players more appealing and I think it is something that we do not see a lot of anymore. One guy that played with a chip on his shoulder this weekend was 6-foot-7 wing/forward Michael Phillips. He jawed with Team CP25 players and at the end of the game shook hands. I like players that are out to kill during the game and can turn it off afterwards. Phillips does that. He is a rim attacker and consistent shooter from the mid-range out. He is hard to stop in transition with his long stride and go hard instincts. He has an offer from North Florida and is hearing from Stetson, College of Charleston, Miami (Ohio), Air Force, Lipscomb, IUPUI, Wofford and Rice.
