GBCA Live “Emergers”

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big Southeast June Live Period event at LakePoint is always a feast to find or see names emerge into the spotlight. Some of these guys are pretty well-known already, but we can still call them emerging talents from the three days, June 20-22.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2046359' first='Tobias' last='Brinkley'] | Guard | Decatur | 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Bulldog team is appointment viewing just as it was last year under Rory Welsh, but the dynamite X and O head man is in year two now, and he has a ton of firepower back. Brinkley was impressive last weekend as a long-winged perimeter threat, a springy lefty with range and a soft touch in closer ranges. Playing so effortlessly above the rim with the kind of guard play Decatur has to supply him will only broaden his profile and appeal, an appeal that has already gotten the attention of schools like Auburn and Colorado, just to name a few. Don't ignore the likes of skilled guards [player_tooltip player_id='2047515' first='Bryce' last='Howson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2308804' first='Jason' last='Welborn'] when dropping by to see this '25-26 Dawg bunch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2102285' first='Braylon' last='Luster'] | Guard | Cherokee | 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As fearless a driver as I saw all day Saturday, seeks and absorbs contact with a willingness that aligns with today's brand of drive-it-or-die basketball, but is still impressive to see with such abandon. He's a slick ballhandler and deft passer when given space, but in tight confines is where he really shines, finessing a tiny gap to either slip through towards the bucket or magician-ing a teammate for a better shot. Has been climbing the rankings wherever you look for the last year now, and with a stellar running mate in Hampton Cox and a coach in Joe Viehman who is tough and loves the up-tempo game, this is a spot up in Canton that suits Luster well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2887551' first='Gavin' last='Lesch'] | Forward | East Forsyth | 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The entire Broncos crew was really impressive as I watched them Saturday, a mix of some seasoned vets together with Lesch and fellow 2027 big Caiden Long. Lesch was fun to watch, sporting at 6-foot-4 a classic early 80's style big man game, filled with jump hooks and ball fakes, and the footwork and movement of a bigger guy. Crafty, well-schooled, cerebral - the adjectives are all there when you watch him as a scorer facing or back-to-basket, and with the likes of steady 2026's [player_tooltip player_id='1543501' first='Brennan' last='Burns'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1543517' first='Hunter' last='Holbrook'] as bedrocks, and exciting 2027 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2125522' first='Cooper' last='Elzey'] running the show, this is definitely a team after 18 wins a year ago that could be a legit sleeper in 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2767540' first='Cadien' last='Hudson'] | Guard | Mt Bethel | 2029</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Could have just as easily been fellow freshman Liam McTeer mentioned in this slot, as when the two were on the floor together after having played a season together on the Mt Bethel feeder team this winter, it was fun to watch. The duo knows where the other wants to be, and McTeer is a point guard who will be on a lot of lists very soon. But Hudson, at 6-foot-6, is the headliner for an Eagles team thinking of big things with 6-foot-9 National 2028 Top 50 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='2436950' first='Peter' last='Julius'] manning the paint. Hudson is calm and collected, a sure shot from 3-point range, but always on the lookout from McTeer or 2026 riser Nate Robinson for the lob as well. Whether MBCA can make a deep run may well depend not on Julius' very consistent production or Robinson's senior leadership at the point, but the speed of Hudson's development from intriguing freshman to legit future star.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->