Tip-Off Classic: Day Three Feature - ATL Timberwolves Green vs NME

We put a bow on a productive weekend for a bevy of local prospects, and despite the long shutdown and limited practice time for many teams we got some entertaining and revealing matchups at The Tip-Off Classic. Among them was a highly emotional, high-level Day 3 clash between one of the weekend’s breakout teams, North Metro Elite and coach Calvin Taylor, and a scrappy and skilled Green team for coach Benji Oxman and the Atlanta Timberwolves. Standouts from the clash: ATL T-Wolves (Green) [caption id="attachment_1012779" align="alignleft" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/20200705_133119-rotated.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1012779 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/20200705_133119-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> ATL T-Wolves Green vs NME[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="869619" first="Dylan" last="Garrington"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1011332" first="Jace" last="Saxton"] (North Oconee, 2021, both CG) - Both are listed as combos because last Sunday they spent equal time on the ball as well as playing from the wing, but for these two it didn’t matter, they excelled at both, each is 6-0 and are low-to-the-ground physical players who just come at you in waves with a deflating combination of high energy, sneaky skill and the kind of basketball IQ coaches dream of, their skills-sets are a mirror, built around tough, strong drives to the basket, great vision on the push or filling the lane, proficient outside shooting all the way past the arc and sound defense, big summer steps can be made by these two as they catch your attention virtually every time down the floor with either a heady play or eye-opening offensive highlight. Robert Reisman (Gainesville, 2021, SG) - Another pain in the rear all night was the 6-3 Reisman, a highly-skilled 2-guard with deceptive speed off the bounce, an aggressive edge trying to get to the basket, and more hop off the floor than it appears at first glance, he had a big 2nd half against the highly athletic kids of NME, going right at a rotating string of guards and big forwards, I loved his in-your-face toughness when things got chippy at multiple junctures in the game, he has no back-down and plays a sound brand of basketball that will translate very well to the next level, everything I saw points to a monster breakout opportunity upcoming for the Red Elephant star. [player_tooltip player_id="1011352" first="Aidan" last="Hadaway"] (LaFayette, 2022, SF) - Among two juniors-to-be on Samach’s Green roster (the other being Telfair County’s 6-4 [player_tooltip player_id="870196" first="McRae" last="Ball"], another good-looking small forward), the 6-5 Hadaway was all over the place at points in the game, going nose to nose and not shy about it with touted NME forwards [player_tooltip player_id="869604" first="Bobby" last="Moore"] and [player_tooltip player_id="869638" first="Kevin" last="Taylor"], he like Reisman had several moments when the T-Wolves were right on the heels of NME and Hadaway let his opponents know it, yet it was an edge which never took away from his control with the ball or his ability to finish at a high percentage in close, add to that a controlled dribble-drive game which caught NME by surprise throughout, so even playing out at LaFayette shouldn’t hurt the skilled forward as he is noticeable almost every time down the floor. Lucas Garabadian (Denmark, 2021, PG) - His transfer to Denmark from King’s Ridge will add yet another skilled backcourt man to an already star-studded group, and last Sunday the 5-11 Garabadian showed his chops handling the ball and setting up teammates, while also like his mates displaying a ready-made willingness to drive it into traffic and finish in close, he’ll give Danes coach Tyler Whitlock one more weapon to unleash on opponents next winter. North Metro Elite Having followed NME since early in the restart, it’s been fascinating to see how their depth of talent can wear teams down and how that talent has grown to complement the whole, adding three terrific talents from East Hamilton HS just outside Chattanooga in guards Darwin Rudolph, Marcus Long and Jordan Harris only enhance the dangerous qualities of Taylor’s roster of 2021’s ... [caption id="attachment_1009880" align="alignright" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/IMG_6246.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1009880 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/IMG_6246-225x300.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="225" height="300" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="869629" first="Kristian" last="Ford"][/caption] East Paulding’s [player_tooltip player_id="869629" first="Kristian" last="Ford"] continues to have one of the most impressive summer starts on the circuit, shining in all aspects, knocking down bombs consistently from all spots while also showing plenty of athletic ability at 6-4 to mix it up inside or fly out on the break, he’s a must-watch riser as July heats up ... Allatoona’s [player_tooltip player_id="869638" first="Kevin" last="Taylor"] also continues to show a versatility that will have him opening eyes all summer and surely rising our rankings, Sunday he played the 2 all the way up to the 5 at times against the T-Wolves, finding himself down in the post and then guarding the post at the other end then stepping out and making you pay from 3-land (as he did all of last regular season), I’m a big fan of that versatility and how he can help a team at both ends ... McEachern’s [player_tooltip player_id="869604" first="Bobby" last="Moore"] is always someone you notice on the floor having made his debut for NME on Tipoff’s Day 2, and even though he often had his hands full as mentioned above with a flurry of T-Wolves forwards, you can see how effective he can be with his assertiveness in wanting the ball and making things happen from all three levels, all of that will be key as he looks ahead to showing off his athletic game to next-level coaches the rest of the summer and next winter for the Indians.