Recapping the Bear Brawl, U-Save-It Classic
There were a couple of fantastic events in Middle and South Georgia that boasts a number of prospects worth watching. HoopSeen.com spent the last two days in the gym checking out some of the Peach State's most competitive teams and promising prospects.
Bear Brawl @ Houston County
1. Best Prospects
Chris Clerkley (JR), Power Forward, Perry
The fact Clerkley made our list is no surprise as the 6’9” forward continues his impressive play from the summer into the high school season. His athleticism was on display as he threw down a couple of monstrous dunks but what stood out more than anything is how he alter the opposing teams shots when the drove the lane.
Khavon Moore (FR), Guard, Westside
Get use to hearing this name as the 6’7” freshman has a ton of upside. He definitely looks the part of a big time prospect and has worked hard to improve his ball handling to the point where he is splitting time at both guard positions this year. He hasn’t played half a high school season and he told us Kansas, UConn, Clemson, UGA, and Georgia Tech have all been in contact.
Amari Colbert (SO), Shooting Guard, Houston County
Amari Colbert was the sleeper of the event. The 6’2” Guard is a good athlete with good size that plays with tremendous maturity for a sophomore. He uses his athleticism to get after it on the defensive end and has a nice shooting stroke for 3. Not only does he play on the basketball team he is the starting QB on the football team.
Others to Watch: Josh Linder (SO) Veterans, Dathan Boyd (SO) Veterans
2. Intriguing Unsigned Seniors:
Jaylen Haslem, Center, Northside
Haslem is a legit 6’9” wide body center that eats up a lot of space in the paint. He has good hands and finishes well around the rim. He is still working his way back into basketball shape as he played Right Tackle on a team that won the state football championship.
Brandon Barnes, Point Guard, South Cobb
Barnes is a strong body point guard who knows how to put the ball in the basket. He has a good outside shot and is strong enough to finish in traffic around the rim. He is always in attach mode on the offensive end drawing contact and getting to the free throw line.
Brian Hollis, Forward, Veterans
Hollis is a 6’6” athlete that has a very high motor. He has a nice mid-range game with a soft shooting touch out to about 18 feet. He has a knack for find the ball off the offensive glass and isn’t afraid to dive on the floor for a loose ball or take a charge.
Others to Watch: Josh Holliday (South Cobb), Shazier Lawson (Veterans), Tyler Wheeler (Westside)
3. South Cobb is better than their record indicates.
Coming into the Bear Brawl it would have been easy to dismiss South Cobb if you just looked at their early season record, 7-6, but I predict they will make some noise before the seasons out. Three of their losses come against region foes Pebblebrook, Westlake, & Douglas Co. so they will have the opportunity to play those 3 teams again. With 3 quality seniors in Brandon Barnes, Josh Holliday, and Aaryon Davis leading the way this team is capable of stringing together some good wins and reaching the State Tournament.
U-Save-It Holiday Classic @ Albany High School
1. If you were looking for quality unsigned seniors this event had plenty of them on display.
Jordan Young, Forward, Albany
Albany jumped to a big lead early so Young didn’t play very much in the second half but still came away with a double-double scoring 17 and grabbing 11 boards. He is a high-energy guy that competes on both ends of the floor.
Reginald Scurry, Forward, North Clayton
Scurry is a long 6’6” forward that does a little of everything for North Clayton. On the defensive end he has good timing and long arms which allows him to On the Offensive end he can put the ball on the floor, get past bigger defenders, and score at the rim.
Kenneth Lewis, Guard, Cedar Grove
Lewis is a big point guard who knows when to distribute and when to score. He does a nice job getting in the paint and making the correct play. He is deceptively quick for a guy his size and has good handles in traffic.
Others to watch: Taiyon Hector (North Clayton), Jordan Floyd (Westover), Alec Williams (Westover)
2. Plenty of Young Talent too.
Detravion Bishop (SO) Guard, Terrell County
Bishop always seemed to be in the right position to make a play when his team needed him to. He knows how to play without the ball in his hands getting most of his points on basket cuts or offensive rebounds. He scored 14 of his game high 18 points in the 2nd half
Ahsan Asadullah (SO) Center, North Clayton
Here is proof that you don’t have to score a lot to get attention. Asadullah only had a couple of baskets but he was a dominant rebounder on the defensive end and moved his feet well enough to defend out to the three-point line. He has soft hands and showed a few good offensive moves in the post.
Jacara Cross (JR) Forward, Cedar Grove
Cedar jumped out to a huge lead right from the start so Cross played very little in the 2nd half as the coaches opted to get their younger guys some experience, but while he was playing the offense ran through him. He has good size and length and a high basketball IQ.
Others to Watch for: Kristopher Gardner (FR) Lee County, Jelani Woods (SO) Cedar Grove, David Quimby (SO) Dougherty, DeMarcus Addie (Jr) Manchester