Best of the South Day Two Notebook from Justin Byerly
Atlanta, Georgia - The Best of the South is here again. The epicenter of July recruiting happens every year at The Georgia International Convention Center and we were there to take it all in and be the first ones to tell you about the best independent teams in the country. We took in all of the action on Day 2 and let's jump right in.
The Dude
Cutter Sisk has been the "dude" throughout this HoopSeen travel season. Some words that come to mind are unstoppable, relentless and domination. Sisk has been all of those over the past 4 months and didn't miss a beat with this live period in July. He started out the day with a 30-point and 13-rebound performance against SEBA in a win. After that the 6-foot-7 big man (who looks like he is a little taller) scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in another win over a Gold Coast Elite squad that is playing up a bracket but have some Division One talent. Sisk did all of this work in front of head coaches from Lipscomb and Central Arkansas along with assistants from Wofford, Robert Morris, Lees-McRae, Newberry and more. Sisk has been the best player we have seen all travel season and he brings it every weekend. Every time.
The Newbie
I had heard a lot about Cam Blivens coming into this weekend. He impressed me. The ultra-athletic prospect that is built like a freight train had a huge one-handed tomahawk dunk on a defender during the second game that had everyone on that side of the gym talking. He is a high IQ guard that understands his mission. He can score from all spots on the floor and he can defend. I love his toughness and his feel for the game. According to X, he holds offers from High Point and Lipscomb. On the football field, he holds numerous mid-major offers. He was a nice compliment to DJ Roberson and Cutter Sisk for this Chip Smith coached program.
The Scorer
Donaven Thomas has been a regular on our HoopSeen stage and this weekend he is doing Donaven Thomas things again. This guy is one of the best scorers of the basketball that we have seen all weekend and he makes it look so effortless. Thomas is a guy that can thrive with the ball in his hands or without. He knows where he can get his looks. As his X handle says, he is the "Truth". He has a quick first-step and can get right by defenders where he is crafty enough to make tough finishes in the lane.
Hello My Name Is....
Next Step Elite's Lucas Almonte was a prospect that caught my attention today. He is always under-control and had really strong body-control. He can score it, distribute it and handle the ball. When he wants to, he can score by driving into the lane and finishing. Knocking down shots from the outside and the mid-range. His team is full of guys from his high school and you can tell. They all have great chemistry and understand where everyone is on the floor. They talk a lot. They communicate. I like the idea of the high school program staying together and playing together on the travel circuit. Seems to be working for this group from Florida. Their closest game was a 24-point win and are 3-0 going into Saturday.
