SUWANEE, GA - The opening night of the 2020 Atlanta Jam is in the books as we had a busy slate of action from Suwanee Sports Academy. Let’s take a look at the notes from Brianna Patton’s notepad from high above the action. 

ETHAN DAVIS…AGAIN 

I know that I wrote about Ethan Davis on my last 3 things at the HoopSeen Tip-Off, but this kid flat out stands out. His physique is extremely impressive for his age. I cannot even imagine what he will look like as a senior in high school. Davis dominates on the court in so many ways. He imposes his will on the offensive end. Once he gets the ball on the block, there is not much that players in the 15U age group can do. He is also a monster in the paint on the defensive end. If he does not just block the shot, he uses his long wingspan to at least alter it, making him difficult to finish over. Davis recently picked up his first offer from Ole Miss. He said that the offer really boosted his confidence, but he knows that he must continue to work hard and stay in the gym. He said he is also hearing from Georgia State often. When asked how he would describe his game, Davis had this to say:

“I’m versatile. I can attack the rim, step out and hit a three, or shoot it from midrange. I can also find my teammates in the open floor.”

As an upcoming sophomore at Collins Hill High School, Davis said that he wants to improve on his motor and athleticism before the upcoming season. Davis is so young and raw; I am excited to see where his development takes him.

SHINE SO BRIGHT

This team really stood out to me tonight, even in a loss. The Georgia Suns fell to Team Northside 2021 63-62 in an absolute nail biter. Trailing for most of the game, the Suns stepped it up on the defensive end to gain momentum. The Suns scored turned four consecutive turnovers by Team Northside into points, finally taking a one-point lead with under two minutes to go. It looked like the Suns would complete the comeback until Team Northside’s Jay Joshi hit the game winning three with 8 seconds left. The Suns were unable to convert on a last second attempt to retake the lead. Despite the loss, the Georgia Suns was the most fun team that I was able to watch this evening. This team plays with a ton of energy on the defensive end and does not let up. I really like BJ Wright. Wright finished the game with 18 points. This kid is a straight up banger. He is built like an SEC football player. He made some skilled moves on the block and showed off his soft touch. I am looking forward to watching this team play the remainder of the weekend.

THE EXTRA PASS

The art of making the extra pass has seemed to sometimes get lost in this generation full of young hoopers wanting to emulate James Harden. Do not get me wrong, Harden is a generational talent, but some of the kids trying to play like him make it look incredibly bad with all the pointless dribbling. This has not been the case in the games I have watched this evening. The guard play has been fun to watch. The guards were always looking to make the extra pass over to the open shooter and it was beautiful to watch. I am not just talking one team either. Every team that I got a chance to watch today had a point guard who made the extra pass when it was necessary. I have always been a proponent of the whole ‘pass up a good shot for an even better shot’ saying, so obviously I have been pleased to watch it happen.