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Elite Preview: Team 5 Breakdown

Tim Slater coaches basketball
18, Mar 2015

Elite Preview: Team 5 Breakdown

The Elite Preview was a tremendous day of basketball at Suwanee Sports Academy Cobb. We had 80 of Georgia's best players from the class of 2016, 2017 and 2018. The camp was so good we decided to break down every player at camp. Here's an examination of Team 5 from our staff of evaluators and media.

Jalen Butler - JB
Kory Keys - KK
Winston Neal - WN
Carter Wilson - CW
Justin Young - JY

Jalen Cobb, PG, Columbia, 2017: I'm glad we had Cobb in our camp because it was the perfect setting to have him with the state's very best. Cobb earned his invite because of his feel and poise in the backcourt as an underclassmen during the high school season. At camp, he stepped right in and picked up on the offense and ran things smoothly. While not the flashiest guy around, he showed that he's a complete ballplayer in the backcourt. - JY

Alterique Gilbert, PG, Miller Grove, 2016: Last year Jaylen Brown came to the Elite Preview and set the tone at camp by playing with great purpose. This year, Gilbert was the pace player. We challenged the campers to step outside their comfort zone and communicate with their teammates and everyone at camp. Gilbert did that. There wasn't a better leader than him. On the court, Gilbert was the total package in the backcourt. According to our staff of 12, Gilbert was the overall top guard at the camp. That's a huge compliment considering the amount of talent that we had at SSA Cobb. - JY

Elias Harden, SG, Sandy Creek, 2017: Looking ahead to Georgia's rising junior class, Harden will be (and should be) mentioned among the best at his position. He seems to always shine at the Preview series. A slasher supreme, Harden got to the rim at will. He's a sturdy scorer and found a comfort zone in the midrange. - JY

Anfernee McLemore, PF, Worth County, 2016: Stat stuffer is the first thing that comes to mind with McLemore.  He is undersized at the PF position but he has a nose for the ball and is athletic enough to finish above the rim on people.  College coaches will be interested in the young man from Worth County because of his ability to rebound, finish plays, and highlight dunks. I will be interested to see how his spring and summer plays out as he continues to improve his overall skill level.  He could become a hot name for A-Sun, OVC, Big South, and SoCon coaches. - WN

Alex O'Connell, SG, Milton, 2017: Never one to shy away from unleashing the swagger, O'Connell jumped into the competition and attacked the rim with confidence. He went right at the camp's top big men and challenged them to the rim. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't but nevertheless, he tried it. He's made big strides during two years in high school and could be primed for a big campaign on the travel circuit. - JY

Ikechukwu Obiagu, C, Greenforest Christian, 2017: The 7’0” big man may have been arguably the best raw prospect at the Preview.   The fans watching games were treated to Big Ike impressing everyone at the Preview with his ability to block shots and rebound everything in the paint.   However, what few people saw was how well he handled a college individual workout and the skill level he possesses.   The big fella is most comfortable with his back to the basket and has great touch with both hands on his jump hook.   He is not afraid to play physical to get position and create angles in the post but is still learning the nuances of post play.   He was extremely coachable, worked hard, and showed a thirst to get better.   HM and HM+ coaches will be flocking to Atlanta to see this young man in years to come. - WN

Mike Sagay, SF, Watkinson School (CT), 2016: The Georgia native was easily the biggest surprise of the day simply because no one knew who he was. He's incredibly athletic, possesses a great burst to the rim and he has the size to be a problem on the wing. Sagay has a nice afterburner speed to his game and only uses it when he needs to. There were several occasions that he saw a crack in the defense and exploded to the iron for a score. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him this travel season. - JY

Josh Scott, PF, Rockdale County, 2017: With this 6-foot-9 long and lean interior prospect, it is much more about the down the road rather than the here and now. Scott is very much a prospect vs. a player right now. Scott showed why we like his long term opportunities at camp. Despite his thin frame, Scott mixed it up with the collection of strong-bodied posts that were at the camp. He runs the floor quite well and had some good moments in traffic on the offensive end of the floor. Scott will be a guy that we will be watching closely this travel season. - JY

Ephraim Tshimanga, PG, Allatoona, 2016: Tshimanga came into the Elite Preview on the heels of a run to the state championship game with Allatoona. Despite that run, he remained one of the under the radar guards looking to make his name. Tshimanga earned his stripes on defense, not fearing any guards that he went up against, including some of the state’s best. On the offensive side of the ball, he was strong with his handle and was effective at getting his teammates involved. Overall he proved that he can play with any guards in the state and play at an elite level. - CW

Jordan Usher, SF, Sequoyah, 2017: Shot-maker. That's what the long 6-foot-5 wing continues to become. He came into camp after a stellar sophomore campaign and jumped right into the action without a hiccup. Usher is a problem for defenders on the wing because of his natural strength and ability to shoot well above the close out. He's good on the glass and fared well as a passer. Overall, it was a good day's work for Usher.

 


Justin Young
Editor-in-Chief

Justin Young has been the editor-in-chief of HoopSeen.com since 2013. He manages the day-to-day operations on the site and in conjunction with our national and regional events. He was the national basketball editor for Rivals.com and a contributing editor at Yahoo! Sports. Young has been earned numerous awards for his work in sports journalism, including the Georgia Press Association Columnist of the Year. His Justin Young Basketball recruiting service has been in existence since 2002 and worked with over 300 schools from all levels. He is the director of HoopSeen Elite Preview camps and our national Preview camp series. 

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