Hi My Name Is : Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions
SUWANEE, GA - Off-site gym. Late afternoon game. Sometimes you get lucky and find some dudes. I did at The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in metro Atlanta.
Williams hails from one of the top programs in North Carolina, regardless of classification. Farmville Central High School. Title after title. College prospect after college prospect. Larry Williford's program is what is right with public school basketball in North Carolina. Introducing MJ Williams. I saw him go against Team CP3 16's for Warriors Life Elite. A program based out of Greenville, North Carolina. If you have followed North Carolina grassroots hoops for a while, you know that Eastern North Carolina has some guys. Williams, a class of 2025 prospect is the next guy out of the area. In the first half against Team CP3, Williams, a 5-foot-10 guard scored 14 points and knocked down four shots from beyond the three-point line. He can get into the lane at will, has a good handle and is a shooter. A very consistent shooter.
Quasim Oden, Team Wall - Oden has all the tools for a future Division I point guard. With a North Carolina A&T offer already in hand, Oden had a superb weekend at The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. The 6-foot-1 lead guard averaged 13 points per game, helping to lead Team Wall to the semi-finals of the tournament. Oden has stepped-up with player movement on his team and was given high praise from our Georgia editor Josh Tec, “when I look at a player, I take into account who they’ve put up numbers against and when they’ve done it. When I saw Oden, he dropped 16 on an EYBL team in Alabama Fusion, and he led Wall to the final four of one of the most prestigious tournaments in travel basketball. That performance told me that he’s a player that can thrive under the bright lights.” - Justin Byerly.
Brandon Callahan, Team Curry - Callahan has been on our HoopSeen stage for a couple of years and seeing him with a new squad this travel season was new to us. We knew him as a scorer with All-Carolina in past events. Now with Team Curry, he is showing that he can facilitate, he can defend at a high-level and he can distribute the ball. With some teams, a prospect will be relied upon to take the scoring load, with Team Curry who have so many options, it was refreshing to see a guy understand his new role and adapt to it. Callahan still has a scoring mentality but now he has shown what college coaches want to see a prospect do. Develop. He has done that. He can make plays off the dribble that get open looks for his teammates, he is a really good passer and he can sit down and defend. Overall, Callahan is showing the complete package as a college level prospect. - Justin Byerly
Drake Powell, CP3 - Powell averaged 10 points a game for Team CP3 during their six games and championship run at The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. The 6-foot-5 wing out of Northwood High School, is one of the top sophomores in the state. He has quick hands and his length on the defensive side of the ball leads to steals and deflections. He can make shots from the perimeter, attack the paint off the dribble and consistently make mid-range shots. - Justin Byerly
Iverson King, Team Curry - Explosion, size and athleticism. With a name like Iverson, you have to at least give him a watch and I left impressed. He gets off the floor with bounce, has a nose for cleaning up the boards and finishing at the rim. King is a threat from the perimeter with his shooting. I was intrigued with his smooth overall game at 6-foot-6 and use of shots fakes to get to his spots. Playing at Forsyth Country Day in Winston-Salem under former college coach Doug Esleek, King will continue to develop and keep adding to his already stacked arsenal. He is tracking as a mid-major or higher college prospect at this time. - Justin Byerly
