Takeaways from adidas Atlanta Memorial Day Classic
The adidas Atlanta Memorial Day Classic brought out some of the top travel teams and top prospects to the LakePoint Sports Champions Center this weekend. Some already highly ranked prospects lived up to expectations, but we also saw some under-the-radar prospects emerge at the regional qualifier for the Adidas Summer Championships.
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The Atlanta Celtics backcourt of four-star point guard Deivon Smith, four-star point guard Dwon Odom and three-star guard Caleb Murphy brings out as many cameras to catch their highlight reel plays as any trio in the country this year. There is more to their games though than just highlights. Smith and Odom both have terrific end-to-end speed in transition and both are really gifted as passers and finishers. Murphy is just the ultimate competitor and is just relentless attacking the rim. He was key in the Celtics' 15-point second-half comeback win over the Upward Stars. Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Oregon and Xavier are among the schools in the mix for Smith. Odom is already committed to Xavier. Murphy recently added an offer from South Florida and has a lot of high-major interest coming in.
Keon Johnson recently trimmed his list down to Ohio State, Tennessee and Virginia. The school that ends up landing him will be glad they did. His combination of size, length and athleticism is great on the wing, and he uses it to his advantage. He has the potential to be an all-league defender. He’s great attacking the basket on offense and really tough on the offensive boards because he’s so quick off his feet. He does need to be a more consistent shooter though.
It’s not hard to appreciate what PJ Hall does. He’s not going to blow you away with the highlight reel plays, but he’s just a very complete big man. He catches everything thrown his way and snatches every rebound within his reach. He has really soft touch finishing around the rim and can also step out and hit jumpers. He’s a more-than-adequate athlete. Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Tennessee are some of the schools in the mix for him, with Florida and Tennessee getting most of the buzz behind the scenes.
Bryce McGowens is definitely going to be a hot commodity in the 2021 class. The younger brother of Pittsburgh star Trey McGowens is already about 6-foot-5 with a smooth stroke and deep range. Clemson, LSU, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and TCU are among the schools with offers out to the South Carolina native already. Expect that list to continue to grow over the next year.
Elijah Tucker looks like a prospect high-major coaches will want to familiarize themselves with very soon. The light bulb looks like it is starting to click on for him. In a Sunday night win, Tucker went for over 20 points and scored in a variety of ways. There were put-back dunks. He knocked down a couple jump shots. Made a couple nice moves to the basket, one of which was a spin move that resulted a rim-rocking dunk. Having seen him during high school season, some practices with him Game Elite team and in a game this weekend, his trajectory over the past few months has been noticeable. It should be noted that his father played offensive tackle for Tennessee and his mother played basketball at Tennessee for Pat Summit.
Ryan Mutombo, the son of former Atlanta Hawks star Dikembe Mutombo, is starting to come on a little bit. Like his father, the 6-foot-10 center in the 2021 class is an impact player defensively in the paint. He played a big part in Team Forrest knocking off Upward Stars 16U, who ended up winning the Gold Bracket Championship. The offense is still a work in progress, but definitely coming along, as he’s making some mid-range jumpers and free throws.
Ja’Quavian Florence is one to watch this summer in the 2020 class out of Georgia. He’s an explosive athlete at about 6-foot-3 and can score it from all three levels. Georgia State and Wofford have offered, but interest is also coming in from Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Mississippi State and Providence.
Three underclassmen post players jumped out this weekend. Joyful Hawkins, who received an offer from Georgia before playing a high school game this year as a freshman, tracks as one of the better post players in the 2022 class. He’s a really good athlete at 6-foot-8 and has really improved his skill level away from the basket over the past year.
Jared Russo, a 6-foot-7 power forward in the 2022 class who is only 14 years old, showed a lot of long-term promise this weekend as well. He’s a tough finisher in the paint despite a thin frame and can step out and hit jump shots as well. His length and timing blocking shots is impressive as well.
Lastly, Gai Chol just arrived in the United States from Sudan within the past month and hasn’t even played a high school game yet, but he’s going to be a major problem in the 2023 class. Already at 6-foot-11, he has great hand-eye coordination and can finish in traffic with the best of them. His father is 7-foot-6, and his mother is 6-foot-6, so it’s likely he’s not done growing. Expect Greenforest Christian School in Atlanta to attract a lot of college coaches over the next few years to lay eyes on him.