MLK Peach Ball Classic: Standout Seniors

Mt. Bethel left Berkmar with a big win over South Gwinnett on Saturday despite sitting Mo Diao Mo Diao 6'9″ | C Mt. Bethel | 2024 GA with injury. They were able to get it done with a balanced perimeter attack from James White James White 6'3″ | SG Mt. Bethel | 2023 State GA , Will Kuimjian, and Jackson Bell Jackson Bell 6'3″ | SG Mt. Bethel | 2023 State GA . White finished with 12 points including 3 three-pointers. He moves well without the ball and knows how to find open looks. When needed, White can be a dominant scorer but he’s got a great feel for when to take shots in the flow of the offense versus when to be aggressive. White is headed to Roanoke in the fall which seems to be a great fit for him.

It was a tall task for King’s Ridge on Saturday as they took on 7A powerhouse McEachern but Zak Thomas Zak Thomas 6'0″ | PG King's Ridge | 2023 State GA didn’t back down a bit. Thomas was his typical self, diving after loose balls and making tough, energy plays on both ends. He led King’s Ridge in scoring with 15 points, getting his points in a variety of ways. Around the paint, Thomas is really good with his pivot foot and had some crafty finishes inside. He made the most of his 3-point opportunities and connected twice from behind the arc. Thomas is still uncommitted but sits with a couple of offers.

Despite losing to Mt. Bethel, Ansar Osman Ansar Osman 6'5″ | SF South Gwinnett | 2023 State GA scored it well for South Gwinnett and finished with a game-high 20 points. While we often see Osman knocking down perimeter threes and turnaround jumpers, most of his production came around the paint on Saturday. He showed some really nice touch from 5-10 feet out, hitting multiple floaters and close ones. Osman’s inside-out scoring ability has to entice college programs, especially knowing that he could add 15-20 pounds in a college weight program.

Jay Boyd Jay Boyd 6'2″ | SG Hiram | 2023 State GA is coming off a huge offseason where he sent shockwaves through AAU circuits and fall leagues. He recently signed to play at Lincoln Memorial so it’s great to see him playing without that pressure, focused solely on a state championship run. Boyd realizes he doesn’t have to be a volume scorer playing alongside Chase Tyler Chase Tyler 6'4″ | SF Hiram | 2024 State GA and has been extremely effective getting his shots within the flow of the system. There’s no hesitancy on his 3-point shot and he knocked down 3 of them on Saturday afternoon. Boyd finished with 15 points in a 23-point win over St. Anne Pacelli.

Despite a tough loss to Hiram on Saturday night, Cam Ellis Cam Ellis 6'0″ | CG St. Anne-Pacelli | 2023 State GA did some good things for St. Anne Pacelli. Ellis is a big-body guard that has played a huge role in Pacelli’s success over the past 2 years. His 1,000th point came on Saturday night as well which is always fun. He led them in scoring with 11 points, 10 of which came in the 2nd quarter to make things interesting for a bit. His shooting stroke looked pure and he hit on it twice. Ellis can also play multiple positions on the floor and looked good handling the ball against a great defensive team.