Best of the South Notebook from @TJBScouting
Atlanta, Georgia - The Best of the South is here again. The epicenter of July recruiting happens every year at The Georgia World Congress Center and we were there to take it all in and be the first ones to tell you about the best independent teams in the country in downtown Atlanta.
Fitzgerald Opens Strong
2025 guard Bryce Fitzgerald opened up his weekend here at The Best of the South with a 34 point outburst for Mark Black All-Stars in their win. The 6-foot-1 guard out of the Miami, Florida area put on one of the more dominating performances of the day. He was doing it all by getting to the basket off the dribble and in transition or making the mid-range jump-shot. The 4-star football prospect can also play some hoops.
Take The Reins
DB Elite wing Jackson Rein was the best that I saw him today in their win to start The Best of the South off. The 6-foot-7 prospect went for 23 points and connected on seven three-pointers on the day. He has the size that can cause problems for the defense with a guy that can shoot that well. He can get hot from the outside and rattle off four or five in a row. He can also hurt you with his ability to rebound the ball and get easy baskets right at the rim. I think college coaches should take a look at this DB Elite squad and have Rein as a guy to watch over the next three days at event.
Gabe Marquise had a strong showing during DB Elite's first game today. The guard was able to show that he can get into the lane with his quick first-step and make the difficult finish and he is a capable shooter from the outside.
Two other guys that I am looking forward to seeing more of is 2025 prospects Jaevian Alston and Akila Proctor. Alston has the length and the skillset to be a guy that colleges are going to want to see. He has great timing with his rebounding jumps and blocking shots. He also showed he can step out and knock down some outside shots. Akila was impressive again after not seeing him for a while with his ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a quick first-step and he has a good understanding of the game to go along with his play.
Give Me The Best You Got
I have been a fan of Trevor Best for a while. Last year at our first Carolina Jam, Best was one of the top performers from the weekend. It was good to see him again, this time playing with Team Wall. He brings a different component to this team and his scoring ability is hard to match. The 2025 prospect has the tools and the game to be a high-level college prospect and it shows a lot when a kid plays up a division. Best showed he can make shots from the outside and he can get to the paint where he can find the open man or he can finish at the rim.
Jullien Cole continues to impress me and I keep wondering why his recruitment isn't picking up. I like his size and his ability to score from all over the floor. He is a big guard that can make plays and can shoot it at a high-rate. I think college coaches need to take a look at what he can be at the next level over the next few days.
Team Scoot's Shepard Shines
Our guys Josh Tec and Garrett Tucker asked me how #2 played for Team Scoot, I immediately said he was the best player on the team and I knew I must have been watching the right guy. He went for 25 points in their win over Team Wall. The 6-foot-5 guard out of Hillgrove High School has the length to cause problems on both sides of the floor, he can score from all spots on the floor and he has a high-level of athleticism. His size at his position allows him to be able to score over smaller defenders and he can create off the dribble where he can get into the lane and make things happen. I am looking forward to watching more of him over the weekend.
