Best of the Preview Circuit: The 2019 awards
We travelled all over the Southeast this fall to take a look at the talent in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. We had nearly 700 players compete in our camps and from all levels of basketball. We asked our staff to identify the best of. In today’s recap, we hand out our superlatives.
Top Scorer
”Have you ever seen AJ play bad?” It was a valid question our staff tossed around when we thought about our previous evaluations. There’s something to be said about that level of consistency shown throughout the years. While some may get caught up in the measurables, those that focus on what’s important will see his level of production. Being regarded as a “three-level scorer” is loosely tossed around, but it’s fitting when describing his play. Pound for pound, there shouldn’t be much push back into claiming White as one of the state of Georgia’s best scorers. - Tai Young
Top Shooter
Look back to last years Alabama Fall Preview camp and you’ll find that Youngblood made a name for himself as a shooter. With some added confidence and an improved handle, Youngblood was almost unguardable at this years camp. Smooth mechanics and a tendency to only take great shots separated him from the pack of his peers as no one shot the ball quite like him. Even his few misses looked good as Youngblood had a very efficient day from both inside and outside the arc. It was a beautiful thing to watch as Yongbloods textbook jump shot took defenders to class. - Tai Young
Best rebounder
No one rebounded better in our camps than the sophomore from metro Atlanta. He not only skied for boards but he knew how to properly box out and win with technique. Campbell is athletic and strong enough to win in the trenches but when the moment called for him to play above the rim to grab a board, he would do that too. There is a maturity to his approach that you can appreciate. Campbell plays like a seasoned veteran in the paint and his value as a prospect will certainly be linked to his ability to clean the glass. - Justin Young
Best motor
The 6-foot-5 junior said he watches a lot of Draymond Green and that makes sense. It makes total sense. Armbrester is a full-energy, full-throttle forward that challenges the defense on several levels. His game is predicated on energy and effort. That allows him to shine in the paint and be a beast as a straight line driver as a wing. I suppose you could also make the case that the class of 2021 forward is also one of the most versatile guys that played our Preview camps this year. That interchangeable value is anchored in his non-stop hustle. - Justin Young
Top defender
Talk about a guy that gets in your face and really defends, Kory Davis showed his worth on the defensive side of the ball, something that you rarely see in a camp setting. The son of former University of North Carolina and University of South Carolina player Larry Davis. The younger Davis stands at 5-foot-10 and is an explosive lead guard. Most impressive stat in my opinion on the defensive side was that Davis took 7 charges over three games, including four in one game. His lateral quickness and quick hands caused deflections which resulted in steals and easy baskets. The class of 2022 prospect recently picked up an offer from Steve Forbes and East Tennessee State University. - Justin Byerly
Top athlete
Explosion. That's the one word that describes Pittman’s game the most for me. He is one of those prospects that is productive all over the floor purely off his athleticism. His second and third jumps are being taken before some guys can jump once. The Lancaster (SC) HS product is always in attack mode and had his share of high-flying dunks during our SC Fall Preview. He is a threat to alter shots solely on his leaping ability and force guys to change their path to the basket. At 6-foot-3, Pittman was grabbing rebounds near the square on the backboard and bigger opponents were left watching him come down with rebounds. - Justin Byerly
