Playing For a Change: Top Performers
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Avante Nichols GA #95 SF #19 HEIGHT 6'3" POS SF CLASS 2023 View Profile Avante Nichols State: Georgia School: McDonough Club: EYA Avante Nichols Avante Nichols 6’3″ | SF McDonough | 2023 State GA had a great showing on Saturday…
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Continue ReadingAvante Nichols Avante Nichols 6’3″ | SF McDonough | 2023 State GA had a great showing on Saturday against Tucker and is looking more and more like a college guard each time I see him play. The obvious part of his game that stands out is his athleticism. Nichols is without a doubt, one of the most gifted athletes in the state and it was on display Saturday with multiple dunks and blocks. His leaping ability also allows him to get a ton of rebounds. In the past year or so, Nichols has come a long way in developing other parts of his game like his defense and shooting. He finished the game with 17 points on a handful of crafty finishes.
Tahmar Mann Tahmar Mann 6’7″ | SF Columbia | 2024 State GA may have had his best game of the year so far, going for 21 points on 5 made threes. He’s another piece in Tucker’s loaded 2024 class that also includes Josiah Lawson Josiah Lawson 6’7″ | SF Tucker | 2024 State GA , Khayri Dunn Khayri Dunn 6’1″ | CG Tucker | 2024 State GA , & Jamar Graham Jamar Graham 6’8″ | C Tucker | 2024 State GA . Mann compliments the other 3 beautifully as a 6’5 wing that can really shoot it. In addition to Mann’s shooting ability, he’s shown improvements in other areas like rebounding and ball-handling. As Mann continues to improve his overall skillset, he could blossom into a potential college prospect.
Kenneth Brayboy
Kenneth Brayboy
Kenneth Brayboy played well on Saturday and did an excellent job of protecting the rim against Hillgrove. He had several emphatic blocks and put his athleticism on full display. He’s a quick jumper and can play either the 4 or the 5 because of his rim-protecting ability. He finished the game with 9 points but showed a lot of offensive versatility. He can step out and shoot the three, operate from the high post, or play the roll man in the pick and roll. Brayboy currently holds an offer from Maryville but should be hearing from a lot more schools in coming months.
While Bailey was a bit quiet in the first half with only 6 points, he asserted himself in the second half and swung the momentum back in McEachern’s favor. He finished the game with 21 points, most of which came around the basket. Bailey was also huge on the boards and finished with 17 rebounds. Bailey is familiar with huge stat lines like that, having put up big numbers all year. Saturday proved just how crucial Bailey is to McEachern’s success but there’s no denying that when he’s in attack mode, Ace Bailey Ace Bailey 6’9″ | SF McEachern | 2024 State #2 Nation GA is a force to be reckoned with.
Jaquez Akins Jaquez Akins 6’2″ | CG Jonesboro | 2023 State GA stepped up to the challenge against McEachern on Saturday and had Jonesboro winning at the half before a 3rd quarter collapse. He finished with 20 points to lead Jonesboro, scoring in some creative ways and shooting it well all game. His confidence and mentality were contagious and rubbed off on his teammates from the opening tip. Akins is a big, strong guard that can score the ball and play either guard spot effectively. He’ll make a college program very happy when it’s all said and done.