SUWANEE—In Keeping with our coverage of the 2022 Georgia Cup Finals, we’re excited to present you with some of the players from the 16U division that caught our staff’s attention. It was a battle for the top spot all weekend, and we learned a lot about a number of the 16U guys through it all. 

Kameryn Fountain, Atlanta Xpress Rise: This Xpress team can be flat-out overwhelming with their size and physicality. Nobody embodies that more than Kameryn Fountain. At around 6-foot-6, he’s got good size and frame to be a total bully, and that’s what he did throughout the weekend. Seldom did a team have someone to match what he brings to the game on both ends of the floor. Fountain is a stout rim protector on one end, and he’s a post presence that can be relied upon for around double-digit points on the other end. Xpress closed the weekend by capturing the 16U gold, and Fountain’s production all weekend was integral toward their success. 

Daylon Johnson, Atlanta Xpress Rise: When thinking about Xpress’ championship run at the 2022 Georgia Cup Finals, one of the lasting memories will be Daylon Johnson’s 13 second-half points to push them over the edge and capturing the gold at the end of the day. Johnson is a physical guard with a strong build. He’s a great guard to have running the show with all of the talented bigs he has around him. Johnson plays under control when attacking defenses, and he can create his own shot or serve as a distributor. When Xpress needed someone to step up when it mattered the most, the moment wasn’t too big for Johnson. 

Keith Banks Jr, Hoop Atlanta: There’s no better asset in a tournament setting than a reliable, skilled guard, and that’s what Banks provided for Hoop Atlanta on their run to the championship game. He brought it on a game-by-game basis and finished the weekend as one of the names that was being talked about the most in the division. What’s even more impressive is that the 2025 lefty was making waves while playing up. He’s got a strong build, and he’s shifty. Banks can use his quickness to get by defenders, he’s a great finisher at the basket, and he has a nice pull up game as well. Certainly, a player to track over the coming years. 

Isaac Benton, Play With Heart: We value consistency. You’ve probably seen it mentioned in plenty of writing on the site. Being an every-game guy matters. Benton was one of thise guys for Play With Heart and brought them within a point of reaching the championship game on Sunday. The 6-foot-4 guard has nice positional size and length, which he uses to get his shot off whenever he wants. Benton was great from midrange and connected from the perimeter too. In their semifinal game against Atlanta Xpress, Benton was the go-to guy, leading PWH with 15 points. 

Cobey Smith, SDA 2024: Smith brings a bit of electricity to the floor. He’s a quick, athletic guard that can get to the rack at will. He’s a strong finisher that can play through contact. Smith can also create separation with his speed to get off a quick jumper from mid-range or beyond the arc. He was one of the leaders on an SDA squad that made a run to the final four of the 16U division. Whenever SDA took the floor over the weekend, there was a chance that Smith was going to put up serious numbers. While he’s a terrific scorer, Smith is also a great passer that shares the ball well and makes tremendous reads with the ball in his hands.