Best of the South: Saturday Notebook from Garrett Tucker
The Best of the South action continued on Saturday inside the Cobb County Galleria with loaded action from start to finish.
Here are the storylines from our own Garrett Tucker’s point of view…
THE DAY OF ELI
Saturday was declared the Day of Eli for the Pro One Basketball organization. Looking back on the action, three different Eli’s stood out and played vital roles for their respective teams.
A few days ago, I received a tip about some promising prospects on Pro One Select Tennessee Shipley’s 16U team. After approxiatemely fives minutes of watching, the tip paid off.
Eli Owensby, an athletic 6-foot-2 guard, wasted no time showcasing his explosiveness and burst. The Maryville (TN) product has a knack for getting by defenders and making plays in the lane. The rising junior made the most of his athleticism and had some eye-popping finishes at (and above) the rim. Owensby coupled that with some jumpers from the mid-range area. He’s an intriguing guard to keep an eye on.
When Owensby wasn’t slashing and scoring, he was one of the guards dishing it out to 2026 sharpshooter Eli Williams. The 6-foot-4 wing man was one of the better shooters I saw in the building on Saturday. His height and length allows him to shoot over the defense from all over the floor — and he did plenty of that in the two games I watched.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Williams progresses over the next year or so. With his lanky frame, I could easily see him growing a couple more inches before it’s all said and done.
And last but certainly not least is 2025 Huntsville (AL) and Pro One Select Academic point guard Eli Stapler. The savvy floor general has had a quality travel season from the beginning, but he was terrific down the stretch in a tight game against Triangle Offense Elite. He made big play after big play and it was only fitting that he iced the game with a couple of free throws and then pulled down the last rebound of the game.
I think Stapler has helped himself just as much as any rising senior we have in the Best of the South field thus far. He’s shown his tough and gritty side while also making the right play and consistently hitting shots. There’s been a ton of college coaches’ eyes on Stapler and his Academic teammates this weekend.
SCOOTIN’ ON ALONG
Pro One Select Academic matched up in another tight one with Team Scoot TJ on Saturday afternoon, where the Georgia-based team came out on top. Scoot is another team that’s had a strong weekend and they’re scootin’ on along through the competition.
We’ve documented our admiration for 2025 point guard Jaylen Richardson plenty of times here on HoopSeen.com. As usual, he’s piloted his team and put his teammates in promising situations with his consistent rim pressure. He’s also made difficult finishes around the rim all weekend.
I’ve learned a little bit about 2025 wing Jayden Dickens this weekend, too. The Rockdale County (GA) product sets the tone with his energy and motor just as he did against Pro One Select Academic. He focuses on production each time he steps on the floor and his success is evident.
But here’s the scary thing: he’s far from a finished product offensively. He oozes so much potential and upside and I’ve seen a little bit of him coming into his own recently. The 6-foot-6 wing is terrific in open space and he continues to get better. I think he’ll benefit from his weekend at BOTS.
THE KIDS CAN PLAY, TOO
While many of the college coaches in the building took in the 17U games, there were several competitive matchups in the 15U division that led to impressive performances. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the youngsters that caught my eye…
2027 guard Derrick Shine from Upward Stars CRSA had two productive games on Saturday, including a 27-point outburst against Team SMASH red. The slippery lefty had no issues getting in the lane throughout the day.
Speaking of getting in the lane — Sean Matthews from SCE Smith was a masterful facilitator from below the free-throw line. The athletic guard packs a punch of explosion and did a nice job converting around the rim.
Tyler Barnes, a 2027 sharpshooter from Triangle Offense Elite, has striped the nets all weekend. He’s also a key reason why Triangle is undefeated to this point — just take note of his multiple 20+ point games to this point. Keep an eye on him during Sunday’s action.
South Shore Select made the long trek from Montreal, Canada for Best of the South with something to prove. If Saturday morning was an indication, they proved plenty. The backcourt of Hendy Lavoie and Emrik Sertil were phenomenal in the morning session, both complementing each other extremely well.
You’ll hear more about them in the next few days as our post-event coverage begins on HoopSeen.com.
