AAU Workout Visit: Atlanta Wolfpack 17U

<p>The Atlanta Wolfpack are undergoing something of a transition this year, moving from the successful 2021 version headed by coach Adam Craft (and spearheaded by his son Jake of Dawson County), to the 2022 group coached by Rusty Pruitt and organized by Director Jason Hudson. They were gracious and inviting in having me in for a scrimmage earlier this week against players from the Roswell basketball program, and the eye-openers were aplenty on this interesting roster.</p> <p><em><strong>Peyton Law, SF, Calhoun (pictured above)</strong></em></p> <p>Calhoun is a solid program, having won 48 games over the last 3 seasons, and play in a competitive 5A Region 7 that features among others the always competitive Blessed Trinity program. But being up in the northwest corner of the state a mere stone’s throw from Chattanooga can mean things slip through the cracks, and after watching the 6-6 Law get up and down the floor and get pretty much whatever he wanted out there it became clear what the Wolfpack have on their hands. He’s a long, rangy, athletic specimen out there who combines that superior athleticism with cat-like quickness around the cup and a smooth J that extends out past the 3-point arc. He can erase shots at the rim and has all the foot speed to guard 4 spots, and has, after one 2-hour session, emerged as one of the real serious sleepers to watch this summer.</p> <p><em><strong>Grant Moore, PF, West Forsyth</strong></em></p> <p>Law will team up front with West’s Moore, he too coming off a solid season for a steady and well-coached bunch from Cumming. Like Law he utilizes superior athletic ability to achieve more than many can, getting up and down the floor like a gazelle and showing off tremendous lift either finishing on<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> the O-glass or cutting to the hole off the fast break. Another instinctive rim protector also at 6-6, he will get right up in your shirt as well on D and is the kind of high IQ baller that next-level coaches seek with a vengeance and one they will be more aware of after he bursts on the scene this grassroots season. </span></p> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="870180" first="Grant" last="Portera"], SG, River Ridge</strong></em></p> <p>A new arrival for the Wolf[pack this year, and a welcome one for sure, as the uber-athletic 6-3 Portera will add just what this team needs - an easy versatility to play and guard multiple spots on a team with two exceptional bigs and a slew of heady smaller guards. he’s coming off a season for the Knights where he had several wow moments while fighting thru injury. A healthy and motivated Portera can see his stock jump mightily with a big summer showing off his inherent gifts.</p> <p><em><strong>Aidan Tulley, PG, Blessed Trinity</strong></em></p> <p>With the senior triumvirate of [player_tooltip player_id="806746" first="Jax" last="Bouknight"], Ben Hamcher, and Jonathan Frachi gobbling up the lion’s share of backcourt minutes this past season, Tulley’s contributions were limited. But this will be a big summer for this guard who likes to push pace and looked very comfortable and sleek with the ball in his hands earlier this week. At 6-1 with smarts and savvy, he can shoot, pass and defend and I’m excited to see what he does with a strong opportunity and good fit with this roster. He joins JT Hudson, Clay Ellis and Jack Hope, all future rotational guards from BT, who like Hamacher and Franchi in particular, can slide between guard spots and will give you energy, shooting and defense.</p> <p><em><strong>Jackson and Mason Kemp, SG’s, Roswell</strong></em></p> <p>It seems natural to lump these two together, and of course they possess similarities in their play (together with their nearly identical face and frame similarities), but what’s intriguing about the two brothers is how each has the skills to bust out on a possession and show you something else. The deadeye long-range shooting is there for both, as is the steady ballhandling and sound decision-making. But after a really good season for the Hornets where they were notable contributors playing alongside stellar 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="873086" first="Jase" last="McCullough"], there are moments when either might put the ball on the floor for a slick drive or get a dunk off the break when you didn’t see it coming. With both right at 6-3, they have the size to affect things at both ends, and next-level coaches peeking on the Wolfpack will love the way they play the game just the way it was drawn up.</p> <p><em><strong>OTHERS TO WATCH: Jackson Pruitt (Roswell, sick), Trey Kaiser (Pope, not present) </strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>