Day 1 Notebook from The Atlanta Jam
The live period is back at The Atlanta Jam for the first time in two years. With the transfer portal and college athletes getting a COVID year, there are not a lot of scholarships to go around. Nevertheless we had some college level players in the gym at Suwanee Sports Academy.
Team United Back Right Where They Left Off
After finishing second last year at our Grassroots Summer Championship in Florida, Team United Elite started the weekend off with a win over Loyalty 2A2 62-50. Leading the way for Team United was Ollie Alford. The 6-foot guard who helped lead West Charlotte to a NCHSAA state title this past season finished with 18 points, mostly on drives to the basket where his quickness was the key factor. Alford has blow-by speed and couldn't be contained when he was driving to the basket.
Big man Muhammed Kone was impressive in our first viewing of the 6-foot-10 forward. He was blocking and altering shot selection, rebounding and getting easy put-backs with his soft-touch around the rim. He runs the floor well for his size, he has footwork that looks like is coming along and at the the end of the day, he is nearly 7-foot.
Mallard Creek High School guard Bryson Davis scored 13 points, mainly on mid-range shots and showed he can knock down a shot or two from beyond the three-point line when he needs to. The 6-foot-2 guard can distribute the ball and looks like he will be a major scoring option for Jermaine Walker's Team United Elite squad this season.
Hello, My Name Is
Team Raleigh had the first game of the Atlanta Jam over in the original section of Suwanee Sports Academy and I left impressed with what Head Coach Shawn has from Raleighwood.
2025 guard Nathan Fife was outstanding in the opening round. The 6-foot freshman guard was playing like he was a rising senior. Making tough shots, making hard passes look easy, was able to control the tempo of the game, and never got rattled. He wanted the ball in his hands and was always looking to make a play. He is a natural scorer with a strong passing game in his arsenal.
Also for Team Raleigh was 2024 guard Dakari Jones, a quick-twitch guard that can knock down shots from the outside and can get hot while doing so. He made some hard passes also look easy and has a good tight handle when he is controlling the ball. Jones finished the opening game with 10 points.
Overall, it was quite a first impression from Team Raleigh as the game was never really close. We hope to see more of them today.
Team Vision Opens With Win
One of WNC's most notable coaches, Andy Ray from Asheville Christian Academy has his Team Vision squad down here this weekend and they have started off with a win. With a groups of guys that play the right way, it was big man Dyllan Barnwell that made a big impression and two brothers.
Barnwell was beast on the rebounding side of the ball. He was grabbing offensive boards with ferocity and was getting the out-backs while also being fouled and heading to the charity stripe. He has a soft-touch around the rim and has footwork that is improving every time I see him. He finished the game with 14 points and close to 12 rebounds.
The Bailey brothers for Team Vision were equally impressive. 2024 guard Brendan Bailey finished with 16 points. He was just able to get to the basket and was able to score with his ability to be around the ball at all times. He scored on a few tip-ins, he score with a few turnaround jumpers and he is just a guy that has a nose for the ball and understands where to be to get baskets.
The younger brother, Ian Bailey looks like he has the skillset at an early age and understanding of the game to be a high-level college player. He didn't;'t get rattled going against guys that are 3-4 years older and he made his shots when they came around to him. He handles the ball well, he understands when to try and score and when to just let the offense runs it's course. There is a lot to like about both of the brothers and will be two to watch over the next few years. He finished with 10 points for the game.
Grassroots North Carolina With Impressive Start To Atlanta Jam
Grassroots NC started off the Atlanta Jam with a 61-36 win over Chattanooga Elite. Heading up the performance was Marcus Portis, a 6-foot-6 small forward who scored 25 points in the win. He is a explosive small forward prospect that has length, gets off the ground in a hurry and he gets to the FT line. Portis gets his hands on a lot of rebounds and has a soft-touch around the rim on putbacks. Portis also showed a nice touch from just inside the three-point line.
Another prospect to watch for Grassroots NC is 6-foot-1 guard Trevor Barrett. The 6-foot-1 point guard finished with 15 points.
