17U Best of the South Standouts from North Carolina Part I
Let's dive into the state specific accolades from The Best of the South. North Carolina always has some talented prospects at The Best of the South and this past weekend was no different.
Asa White, Team Wall - Probably the best overall week from a guy that needed to have a great week. White showcased his ability to score from the mid-range, his motor and what he can do on the floor as well as anyone from North Carolina this week. Anyone that had doubt about the 6-foot-8 versatile forward had those questions answered with his play here at The Best of the South. White is tough on the glass, he can defend and he can score in different positions. He had multiple 25+ point games and came to play when it mattered the most. - Justin Byerly
Jacob Tiller, Team Swish: I don’t know that there was a player that made a better first impression on me than Team Swish’s Jacob Tiller. This guy’s a competitor, and he’s toughness personified. Tiller’s a coach’s dream because he embraces the dirty work whether it’s diving for loose balls, playing hard-nosed defense, or crashing the glass intensely. He’s also a guy that has some sneaky bounce to him. Guys like Tiller can play for me any day of the week because they’re guys you don’t have to tell to play hard. It’s just naturally there. - Josh Tec
Dylan Purnell, Team Trezz - The explosive forward out of Raleigh spent last school season at Tennessee Prep, with a re-class. The 2023 prospect had a productive week and was once again named a top performer from North Carolina. He has some bounce in his game and against Team Judah Nation on Sunday, he had a monster dunk in traffic. Purnell can score off the bounce and has a strong handle to get through traffic. He rebounds at a high-rate and can push off the break. Low-to-mid-major programs should be taking a look at Purnell. - Justin Byerly
Treyvon Byrd, Team Trezz - Has anyone played with a higher-motor? Byrd has been playing his heart out every weekend he has been on our stage. Sometimes the recruiting world can be harsh. Around this time last year, Byrd had offers from Eastern Kentucky, UNC-Wilmington, UMass, USC-Upstate and South Carolina State. He was playing at Bull City Prep in Durham, North Carolina and had announced on twitter that he would transfer to NC Good, Better, Best but never enrolled. I think college coaches thought he had moved schools too much. It came out later in the year that he was not qualified academically and then back in March, he qualified. The schools that he had offers from had moved on. Leaving Byrd to showcase his talents again. He has done that and then some over the travel season and someone at the mid-major level can get a steal with this long and lanky 6-foot-8 prospect that can score from anywhere. - Justin Byerly
Trevor Barrett, Grassroots NC - Barrett has been consistent all travel season and on the biggest stage of the summer for independents, he came through again. The thing with Barrett that sticks out is you can tell that he has been playing behind some college-level guys for a few years at Trinity Academy of Raleigh. Noah Ross is headed to UNC-Wilmington and Sam Perez is going to High Point. For the Best of the South, Barrett averaged 16.3 points, 2.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. This seeps out in Barrett’s game, the way he carries himself on the floor and the way that he can get himself into scoring opportunities. While he is gaining some Division I interest, he looks like he can play at a high-level Division II school or a low-major Division I. - Justin Byerly
