Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo: Stockrisers
In its 2nd year of existence, the Georgia edition of Prep Hoops’ Top 250 Expo was nothing short of a success. Over 250 of the Peach State’s best made their way to the infamous Lake Point Complex in Emerson, Georgia…
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Continue ReadingIn its 2nd year of existence, the Georgia edition of Prep Hoops’ Top 250 Expo was nothing short of a success. Over 250 of the Peach State’s best made their way to the infamous Lake Point Complex in Emerson, Georgia for 6 hours of scrimmage competition. Teams selected at random provided a good mix of upper as well as underclassmen from all regions of the state to prove who could work with who when the ball was rolled out. There were a lot of big names that attended the Expo, however there were several prospects who hadn’t received as much as exposure in front of college coaches but took advantage of the opportunity. Those same athletes have been in contact or have already received offers from coaches on the Division II, Division III, and NAIA levels with more to come in the near future. These were some of those standouts who put on a solid showing and will look to have productive campaigns as we move closer to the 2019-20 high school season.
- 2021 G Zach Bell (Grovetown) – Speed, athleticism, and grit are great attributes to have on the basketball floor and Bell consistently displayed all of them at the Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo. He forced a lot of turnovers on the ball defensively, which led to above the rim finishes on the other end and momentum swings in his teams’ favor. The junior was seemingly everywhere on the floor, and I enjoyed the tenacity that he played with in front of several collegiate coaches during his match-ups. With the ball in his hands, Bell used that speed to blow by his initial defender and knocked down tough shots off the bounce when help defenders were ready to help in the paint. At 6’1” has good size to play the point guard position and can make a lot of things happen on both ends. I love the upside of Bell as he will lead a Grovetown team looking to put together a more productive season this winter.
Jaylon Hand
- 2021 G Jaylon Hand (Eagles Landing) – The junior from McDonough was arguably the purest point guard I had the privilege of watching play this past weekend. He was able to work the pick and roll, make great decisions in transition, and made teammates better throughout the course of the afternoon. Offensively, he’s a guy that can score the ball on all levels and looked good going to the rim to finish in traffic. Hand is quick in the open floor and knows how to get to his spots, looking most comfortable in the mid-range area where he connected on floaters on the baseline and pull-up jumpers at the elbow. His point guard play will be critical for Eagles Landing this season and with a solid group around him, the Eagles could make an even deeper run in the postseason than they did a year ago.
- 2020 G Dawson Wilkins (Woodland) – Wilkins is a mature floor general that finds different ways to put the ball in the basket. He showed great strength in his drives to the lane and his finishes through contact, which is a big part of his game. The senior from Cartersville looked good at the PH Top 250 Expo when making decisions once he got downhill which, outside of finishing lay-ups, included big time assists in the paint. Wilkins is a very cerebral guard, knowing when to cut back door off the ball and is a capable three-point shooter off the catch as well. He looks to attack often but he can impact the game in other ways and his offer from Point University after the Expo was indicative of that.
Caleb Williams
- 2020 W Caleb Williams (Buford) – Williams made the biggest impression during the 1st round of games and it was is his physicality that ultimately won me over. He is aggressive in everything that he does and his 6’4” frame makes for a good combination when he decides to dominate the glass and make plays with or without the basketball. He was impossible to keep out the lane and his ball handling ability in transition allowed him to start and finish breaks at the rim. Williams is a very good passer for an off guard as he was able to find cutting teammates in a fast past style of play at the Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo.
- 2021 G Elijah Wilson (Georgia Knights Prep Academy) – A smooth slasher is the phrase I think of when describing Wilson’s game and what ultimately allowed him to produce at a high level this past weekend. He stands at a lanky 6’5” with long arms and effortless finishing ability at the rim. He can handle the basketball and knows how to play at different speeds. That change of pace ability from the former Mountain View (GA) guard allows him to get that first step when he explodes out, creating a big advantage against smaller defenders as he makes some type of play downhill. His efforts at the Top 250 Expo earned him an invite to the Phenom America Top 150 Camp in San Diego, California next summer. Invites and offers should become a more relevant for the rising junior over the next year.
Elijah Wilson