Atkinson truly does show flashes that make him such a dynamic prospect. He has good size, elite athleticism, and once he makes his mind up he can’t be stopped. It’s just about doing that consistently. As his scoring has slowed down from the hot start to the season, he’s found other ways to be effective. Atkinson has been a solid rebounder; he runs the floor well and finishes. In the past few games, he’s been very assertive, and opponents have had to foul him where he’s gotten going from the FT line. We want to keep that same aggressiveness on both ends of the floor as he’s a spark who can sway games. Excited to see him return to form and put it all back together. 

Atkinson rose in the rankings for good reason. What stands out about him is him being an explosive athlete with length who thrives in transition and finishes above the rim. He’s a versatile defender who can make things difficult for guards but also slide down inside and hold his own with bigs. Grandview keeps the ball in his hands for a reason as he makes good things happen when he’s in attack-mode. He’s a real difference-maker and easily a top-three X-factor in the entire class that we want to see more from. 

When Atkinson gets going and is in a groove, that Grandview team is one of the most dangerous teams in the entire state. They already have the length and size to get after teams, but when you have him in the front of the press or zone, using his length to turn teams over and get out on the break for steals and dunks, they really suffocate teams. Atkinson is one of the better athletes in the state. He has good size, he looks to score, and that aggression becomes contagious. He can put the ball on the floor to attack, has a developing jumper where we started to see him shoot it a bit more, but we do know that the best we’ve seen from that talented Grandview bunch is when he’s out there. We liked watching him in the Fall league. Want to see him consistently put it together and lead that group this season. He makes a jump in the rankings. 

Atkinson was one of the most exciting players of the night and a surprise standout on Day 1. One thing that stands out about Atkinson is his size but he blends that with elite athleticism as well. Early on in the game he was finishing everything around the rim. He runs the floor and was thriving in transition which helped build a big lead for Grandview. He played smart off the ball, finding holes in the defense and capitalized on run-outs. His feel for the game and versatility make him a player I’ll be bullish on moving forward this season and I am excited to see if that is the norm for him. Charlie has my attention. 

Atkinson worked hard off the ball, quickly pushing the pace in transition, often one of the options in the break. A willing rebounder, Atkinson brings a high motor, always competing regardless of opportunity.