Day Three of the 2021 Best of the South Showcase did not disappoint in any way, with players from around the country making the most of an opportunity to show off their skills. College coaches were dispersed around the 38 basketball courts placed within Atlanta’s “World Congress Center”—and they had almost TOO much talent to check out. Here are my three highlights from the day.

Two 17U Florida Bayhawks Combine For 47 Points In A Win

Bryce Johnson and Jamal Jacobs were absolute cooking in their game vs. Wisconsin-Swing Bredsen.

Johnson, a senior wingman from Oldsmar Christian, put up a strong 28-point performance against some stiff defense. He proved that he can not only hit the deep-ball (finished with three treys), but Johnson was great around the rim and was able to finish in-traffic. Defensively, his timing for blocking shots was among the best of them.

Johnson’s hunger for the game is definitely on display.

“I’ve just been being aggressive this whole time, keeping up the energy, and being a leader,” Johnson said. “As a team, we’ve been talking, communicating. When we communicate, we look great out there. You can see the chemistry.”

Jacobs is doing his part to contribute to the chemistry.

The 2022 point guard from Victory Rock hit a couple of threes, shared the rock, and effortlessly got into the lane for layups on the way to 19 points. He’s an unselfish guy on top of that.

“I’m being a floor general,” Jacobs said. “I’m getting my teammates open, creating for myself and others, and being a leader.”

Johnson said he’s doing what he can to step out of his comfort zone and challenge himself on and off the floor. Jacobs voiced how there’s plenty of D-1 talent at Victory Rock, so he has to be that true, facilitating point guard that could help push his squad in the right direction.

From a skill-development POV, Johnson wants to improve his three-ball, be more vocal, and a better teammate all-around. Jacobs aims to improve his leadership skills, ball-handling, and efficiency.

Jacobs has some interest from FAMU & Florida Tech, while Johnson has garnered eyes from Dayton and Ohio University. More likely to come after the Best of the South is over.

16U TNBA South Is Undefeated After Four Games

This Orlando, Florida based squad is making waves with the way they’ve been playing these last three days.

2023 TNBA South Elite, who’s also a HoopSeen Association team, beat “BBSS National Team” 68-56 to go 4-0 since Thursday. Four players notched double-figures in scoring for South, as they’ve really been pulling in these wins by committee.

“We’ve been playing together for a long time,” said Kevins Charles, an Olympia HS guard put up 10 points in the win. “We move the ball, provide a lot of energy, get 50/50 balls, we just work harder than our opponent. That’s just the mentality we have coming out on the court.”

Jalon Cole, a fellow Olympia guard who scored 12 in the win, spoke about how the desire to improve game after game has been a constant. Clifton Johnson, another 10-point scorer who had a couple of huge slams that woke the crowd, is personally wearing a chip on his shoulder in-search of respect.

“We come to this tournament thinking we have a target on our back,” said Johnson, the Leesburg HS hooper. “We’re just trying to catch that dub, get to the Final Four, and get that championship.”

Dawson Barr, an Oviedo HS wing who led all scorers with 19 points and three triples for TNBA, spoke on how he’s just trying to make a name for himself in the most positive way possible. He says he’s “not backing down on anything”, and doing a better job of reading the floor during the course of the game.

Charles says shooting the ball with more confidence after going through a spell of doubt. His outside jumper didn’t connect as much as he desired, but he’s strived to change his mentality towards the game. Cole has been testing his passing ability a bit more.

Johnson is a dual-sporter with football, so naturally, he’s been in the weight room. He understands that can alter a jumper’s form and feel, so he’s been in the lab tending to that, as well.

Neither of the four have any offers or interest as they head into their junior seasons, but none of them are nervous about not having the chance. The group mentioned work ethic, improving grades in the classroom, and physical toughness as the main things they feel are necessary to make their college scholarship dreams happen one day.

With two years left to make it happen, the opportunity is alive and well.