2024 Best of the South: 17U Top Performers, Part III
Another Best of the South is officially behind us. Our staff was all over Cobb County Galleria and spent the entire weekend sorting out the best of the best. Meet some of the 17 and under top performers from the NCAA Live Period event.
Tyson Baumgardner, ATL Pivot: Between Jarvis Wright from Triangle Offense Elite and Baumgardner, I would be on the betting end of fifty made threes between the both of them throughout the weekend. Bumgardner, a 6-foot-3 guard, was one of the best shooters we saw on the weekend and every time he shot, I felt like there was a good chance the ball was going in. He has good size and length at the guard position and if you leave him open anywhere around the arc he will make you pay. - Justin Byerly
Markus Blackwell, All In My Bag: Blackwell was one of the most efficient scorers I watched. Throughout the weekend, he consistently scored at a high rate. After putting up 35 points — scoring 28 of those in the 2nd half and wheeling his team to the win — he followed up with 29 points in the next game. Blackwell plays at a smooth pace, and his change of speed catches defenders off guard. He is dangerous at all three levels on the court and creates his own space for shots very well when needed. - Zack Cepress
Jaylen Richardson, Team Scoot TJ: Richardson is one of those guards that coaches want the ball to be in their hands most of the game. He is an athletic floor general that has explosiveness when driving by defenders and getting into the lane. He was a consistent shooter from beyond the three-point line throughout the weekend and got a lot of his points by either breaking down defenders and scoring at the rim or by getting to the free-throw line. He makes good decisions with the ball in his hand and he doesn’t turn it over at a high rate. - Justin Byerly
Hutson Rowe, Panhandle Prospects: Very rarely do you find players that can fill it up with scoring but also dominate as a passer, too. Well, look no further than Hutson Rowe as a prime example. The skilled guard shot extremely well over the course of the weekend, knocking down shots off the dribble with his shot-creating ability. Rowe kept defenses on their toes with his high basketball IQ and precision passing, too. Sporting a 4.0 GPA and high test scores, the Gulf Breeze (FL) native is a name to know this month. - Garrett Tucker
Jeremiah Ruffin, Norcross Heat: Ruffin had a big-time weekend for Norcross Heat. The athletic lead guard did a good job of controlling the game's tempo and knew when to put his head down to get to the rim for a layup or a dump-off to his big man. Ruffin has a next-level body and game that I believe can be vital to some big-time schools in the next few years. - Mekhi Mckinney
