Andrew Baxley’s SC Summer Standouts – Part 2

Alex had an extremely impressive Summer playing with Upward Stars Columbia and Lower Richland High School. He made huge strides in several areas of his game and is now regarded as one of the top players in the State, including being the #1 Center in the most recent Prep Hoops SC Ranking. Atkinson is a fierce Rim Protector, but can also produce on the offensive end as a lob threat or faceup scorer. Alex currently holds offers from Francis Marion, Emory and Henry, Benedict, and South Carolina State.

Despite having a great Summer, Bell is a player I feel is still underrated from a Statewide Perspective. He has all the offensive tools to be an impact player at the next level. TJ has a terrific handle and can make shots from multiple levels of the floor. This Summer Bell was playing with Upward Stars Columbia and Westwood High School, and on both teams, he was the ball-dominant guard with a responsibility to score and get teammates involved.

Smith is one of the smoothest scorers in the state and had a very good Summer playing for Ridge View High School and Carolina Pressure , one of the most productive AAU Programs in the entire state. Josh’s constant Offensive Production was a huge reason why Carolina Pressure defeated multiple Shoe-Circuit teams during various Grassroots Events. It feels like every game Josh puts up 15 Points on good efficiency numbers, and he will likely be one of the Top Per Game Scorers in AAAA in the Upcoming Season.

Stickney might not make the highlight plays or score 20 a night like some of the other players on this list, but he is as deserving of a spot as anyone else. Travis is super consistent and is a true Floor General Point Guard, setting the tone with hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He also has a very good handle and elite vision making him a guy that teammates love to play with. Travis was good playing Grassroots Ball with Charleston Raptors, but stood out most to me at the Sizzlin’ Summer Shootout playing for Oceanside Collegiate. Stickney’s top performances helped the Landsharks win the Gold Bracket knocking off a handful of the projected top teams in the state. Travis received offers from Bob Jones and North Greenville during the month of July.

Tanner came out of nowhere early this summer but quickly made a name for himself playing with Team SC. He is a knockdown shooter that moves very well off the ball and can get the ball off in tight windows. Epps had a top performance at the U17 SC Upstate Showcase in April, where he caught fire in multiple games and won the Event’s 3 Point Competition. I expect Tanner to continue his improvement going into the High School Season with T.L. Hanna and have a big impact for them this year.