NPS: Friday night takeaways part 2
Bigs. Bigs Everywhere
One of the most refreshing aspects of the spring has been the emergence of a lot of Georgia’s post players. The big men at Norman Parker Showcase did not disappoint on opening night. The best may have been 2017 big man Ikey Obiagu. The Greenforest big man had 18 blocks in a Georgia Stars 16U win over Southern Stampede. Throw in Wendell Carter, Udoka Azubuike, Abdulhakim Ado (All of Georgia Stars 17U), Chris Lewis (Atlanta Xpress 17U), Raekwon Long (PSB Select 17U), Romello White (Stackhouse Elite 17U), and Victor Enoh (Georgia Stars 16U) were all standouts on the night. These players will make for some fantastic matchups as the tournament continues.
15U Bracket Impresses
There is a ton of talent in this 15U division. Between the Georgia Stars Elite, Georgia Stars 2018, Atlanta Celtics, Game Elite, and Stackhouse Elite, there are a lot of prospects with big time potential. Some of the standouts in the 15U tonight were Damon Harge Jr. (Georgia Stars 2018), Corderius Hastings (Georgia Stars 2018), Arusha Hunter (Atlanta Celtics), Ashton Hagans (Game Elite), Drue Drinnon (Georgia Stars Elite), & Alex Jones (Georgia Stars Elite).
Georgia Stars on the Rise
The Georgia Stars have had a rough go in the last couple years of the Nike EYBL. However, all signs point to that changing very quickly. The 17U Stars are one of the biggest teams in recent memory with three starters at 6-foot-10. Toss in the guard play with Trent Forrest and Brandon Robinson, and there is a potential for a special summer with this group. Along with them comes the Stars 16U Elite. One of the better 16U teams in the country, the 16U Stars have star power (no pun intended) galore and size across the board, as Georgia’s 2017 class is loaded with talent. Ikey Obiagu controls the middle, with Chuma Okeke & DeAndre Ballard on the wings and Davion Mitchell & Danny Lewis in the backcourt. Add Victor Enoh and Baybe Iyiola and you have a team with serious talent.