2023 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions Top Overall Performers Pt. II
SUWANEE, GA - Another year of one of the most storied stages on the travel basketball calendar is in the books. With each Bob Gibbons TOC comes a flood of notes and evaluations. This year is no different. We’re kicking off our coverage of the event with a look at 17U’s top overall performers.
When we think back on this weekend, these will be some of the first names that come up.
Related: 2023 Bob Gibbons TOC Top Performers
If you’re supposed to play to win the game, I don’t know how else we grade a point guard than that of his victories. 1 of 1 Elite is the best independent team in America this spring and Akins has a lot to do with it. He’s written quite the resume this spring and looks like a guy who should warrant inclusion into any national top 150 list of any sort of credibility for the class of 2024. He’s an elite shot-maker, a very skilled passer and shifts gears like an F1 racer. - Justin Young
This guy just knows how to score the basketball. He’s one of those natural scorers that is always looking for his next basket. He was making shots from the outside, he was driving into the lane with some tough finishes, and he was getting to the free-throw line. He was a big reason this Upward Stars program was able to compete against some of the best teams that were in the building. He’s not going to be a guy that gets his baskets by being bigger and stronger, he is just one of those prospects that understands how to score and he can do it as well as anyone. - Justin Byerly
It’s fitting that We All Can Go participated in the Anthony Edwards bracket at Gibbons because Gilliland is right in tune with Edwards’ explosiveness. The 6-foot-2 was a nightmare for opposing defenses all weekend because of his ability to get in the lane. Unfortunately for other teams, Gilliland stayed in attack mode from start to finish, where he showcased his ability to convert acrobatic finishes in the paint and make consistent trips to the free-throw line. The southpaw was easily one of the most explosive players in the backcourt at Gibbons, and he was a big reason why WACG had such a successful weekend. - Garrett Tucker
If you ask anyone that was around, AE5 was one of the most entertaining teams to watch. Micah Smith was a big part of that. It was his overall versatility that had us coming back to see him and AE5 all weekend. Smith can stretch the floor from the forward spot, and he can play above the rim. He has perimeter skills and can use them to be a slasher when needed. Big dunks, 3-pointers, Smith did a little bit of everything on their run. He seemingly surpassed the 20-point mark more often than not. He should be one of the hotter prospects in the south when June hits. - Josh Tec
So now that we have a huge body of work for travel teams, we have consistent data for players and teams. One shining piece of information is the game-to-game and event-by-event success of Cole. He’s a regular scorer, shot-maker, slasher and match-up problem for Team Wall. I’d argue that Cole is one of the best players in independent hoops nationwide. Brings it every single game. Cole scores so well at all three levels. For programs looking for incoming high school players that can grow up through a collegiate culture, Cole allows a team to sustain long term success. He’s an important prospect to really focus on this summer. - Justin Young
