The Bob Gibbons TOC Day 1 Notebook from Justin Byerly & Mekhi McKinney
Suwanee, GA -
The granddaddy of travel basketball events is back. The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions at Suwanee Sports Academy is one of the most prestigious events in the country for the last 20 years. We are taking in all of the action before bracket play starts up tomorrow afternoon. Let's dive into some of the action we saw today.
Hello, My Name Is
Starting out the weekend with a bang was Aramis Harwick for Team Georgia Elite. 38 points. Yes, 38 points in their win to start out The Bob Gibbons.
He was unstoppable at getting to the rim and knocking down the mid-range shot. He is a natural scoring guard that had one of the best outings to start Gibbons this weekend. Harwick is going to be a guy that we follow tomorrow and into bracket play to see how his scoring average shakes out. We might have a guy that is making himself a name here at Gibbons.
Team Thad 16's Start Strong
The 16-and-under group for Team Thad was impressive tonight to start out The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, taking one from Gold Coast Elite. The guy that I think will be a name we hear at the top of the next level is Dylan Jones.
The 6-foot-6 wing from Memphis had a 28-point outing and some crowd-pleasing rim bends. He is an elite defender that can cover a ton of space. Jones is a guy that can score from all spots on the floor (made three, three-pointers) and is at his best when he is attacking. If he continues to grow a little more he could end up being a major problem.
This Michael Wright and AJ Jones coached 16's group is fun to watch and they get after it on both sides of the ball. - Justin Byerly
Top Shot 16's Handle Business
Mac Habenicht was on fire in Top Shot 16U’s win over HoopAtlanta (Harping). The 6-foot-4 shooter out of Davidson Day did a great job finding openings in the defense to knock down open threes.
He also showed he can create his own shot when needed, finishing with 18 points on six made threes. Habenicht brought energy on the defensive end as well, making an impact on both sides of the floor. - Mekhi McKinney
Empire State of Mind
Team New York was fun to watch tonight in their opening game here at The Bob. Alden Cornelious was the guy that caught my eye.
Wearing gray and black Air Jordan 1's, he is a jumping-jack that loves to attack that rim. He finished with 20 points in their almost mercy-rule win.
Alden is a long and athletic wing that has timing on blocks and rebounds. He's a guy I am going to find time to see again tomorrow. He's an unsigned senior that could probably garner some junior college attention. - Justin Byerly
Joshua Huggins is a powerful wing with versatility and the ability to impact the game all over the floor. In Team Thad’s matchup against Team SMASH, Huggins played a point-forward role, operating from the middle of the zone, making next-level passes, finishing through defenders with his strong frame, and dominating in transition with rim-shaking dunks. Playing up in the 2027 division, he looked more than comfortable—showing why he’s a name to know in the 2028 class. - Mekhi McKinney
Bobby Harpring was solid for HoopAtlanta (Harpring) despite the loss. A true floor general, Harping plays with pace and poise. He has a quick trigger from three and knocked down five triples in this one, finishing with 17 points.
Other Standouts
Noah Baqai Team Work
Noah Baqai was an absolute pest on defense; he played 94-foot defense on skilled ball handlers, constantly forcing turnovers in the backcourt. He dominated in transition during their win over Hoops United (Allen), scoring 14 points with crafty, tough layups. - Mekhi McKinney
Baganley Donzo Team Thad EYBL 2028
Baganley Donzo is a strong, mobile forward who made his presence felt in Team Thad’s frontcourt. He fought for deep position in the post with powerful duck-ins, played off of two feet, and consistently finished around the rim. Donzo rebounded well on both ends, ran the floor hard in transition, and showed great hands and touch. At 6’6 with a strong frame, high motor, he was a too much to handle in Team Thad EYBL 2028’s win over Team SMASH HGSL. - Mekhi McKinney
