Battle at the Border: Top 6 Performers

The 2024 rendition of Battle at the Border marked the 25th occasion that the mid-season tournament has been held.    Plenty of memorable moments have occurred throughout those 25 occasions – including more that was made at this year's rendition. From the 16 teams (eight girls and eight boys) that are on hand at Landrum every latter portion of December to the picturesque backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the shot clock, it is one of the more unique mid-season events there is.    We at Prep Hoops once again made the trip to the northernmost realms of Spartanburg County for the festivities. Without further ado, here are six standout performances that had our attention the most from this year's Battle at the Border.     After Chapman's girls team earned victory earlier in the day, it was the boys turn to duplicate a winning feat. Thanks in large part to the Panthers' star sophomore point guard – and the 25 points he put on the scoreboard, Chapman advanced to Gold Bracket play with the 80-49 win over Broome. Humphries was active on both ends of the floor – including on defense where he turned steals into transition layups. Along with efficient running of the floor, he understands the art of connecting on 3-point tries and finishing strong at the basket. Out of the 25 points he scored, 14 of those occurred in the second half.      A huge reason why 2A Chesnee is more than halfway from matching its win total from last season, Brown proved to be difficult for Spartanburg Christian to contain. He put 17 on the board to lift his Eagles to a dominant win over the Warriors. Brown may be listed at 6-foot-4 but possesses an ability to run the floor well and make plays in the transition game. He uses his height to his advantage to get in position to convert on high-percentage opportunities close to the basket and will make efficient passes. Brown's AAU career has included stints with [program_tooltip program_id='2163938' first='Next' last='Level Elite'] Poole as well as with Upstate Hornets.      It is not often that one sees a sophomore already take on a role as an on-court coach but that is what Woodruff for this season – and the next two. Gibson ensured his gold-wearing Wolverines earned a berth into the Gold Bracket by tallying 21 points in a 63-43 win over the Greenville Hurricanes. He is an excellent on-court communicator with the leadership qualities of a senior as opposed to many sophomores. Gibson is tough in the interior and is more than willing to fall to the floor to complete a play. He is ready to box out in case of an opposing team's missed free throw and is willing to draw contact to get to the free throw line.      Typically, even in a loss, coaches can find silver linings. Jeter's 3A Broome team was on the receiving end of an 80-49 decision to region rival Chapman. One of those positives was Jeter's play as he scored 15 points which led the Centurions. Listed at 5-foot-11, he can give a team productive minutes either at the point or as a shooting guard. Even with a wide gap between his team and the Panthers, Jeter still was playing hard and making plays as if it was a one-point contest. Another element to his skillset is how he excels in the transition game. One also has to game plan for Jeter when he is on offense or defense.     To say that Lake Lure Classical's matchup with 2A Landrum was forgettable for the Raptors was an understatement. The senior Watkins – who is also one of Lake Lure Classical's team captains – did have himself a productive evening at The Cage with a 15-point performance. Unfortunately, he did not finish the game due to injury. Watkins is versatile with an ability to not only give a team production from the backcourt but also as a three forward. He will put himself in position to grab rebounds and can stymie what teams hope to do offensively with his defensive presence. Recently, he made Lake Lure Classical history by becoming the first and only basketball player to reach the 1,000-point plateau.     When a team has the scoring depth that 2A Landrum possesses, one can put said team against anyone else in the state. Atkins contributed to an offensive onslaught that overwhelmed Lake Lure Classical with 15 points to a commanding win over the Raptors. Talent can be coached, but a 6-foot-9 frame that the sophomore four forward possesses cannot. That comes in useful when doing work in the rebounding game and he will also connect on midrange jumpers. Atkins came off the bench and successfully made plays for what was an up-tempo Landrum offense. It is only late December, but thanks in part to the play of Atkins, the Cardinals not only resembled a team that make a deep playoff run – it looked like a team that may be playing in Florence in March.

The 2024 rendition of Battle at the Border marked the 25^th occasion that the mid-season tournament has been held.