CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The adidas Gauntlet headed to the metro Atlanta area this weekend and Friday night brought out some big name coaches to see some of the top prospects in the country. Top five junior Jordan Brown and 2019's No. 2 player Charles Bassey were among the opening night standouts.
Recruitment: Kansas, California, UCLA, Oregon, Arizona, Stanford, Nevada and St. John’s are involved.
His day: It wasn’t necessarily the best game Brown has ever played, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the stat sheet as the five-star prospect finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds. He’s an incredibly talented scorer and has a knack for rebounds.
Quote: “It was a nice visit to Stanford. I’ve going up there since I was in middle school. Those guys are on me hard.”
Prediction: A number of head coaches on the west coast showed up to watch Brown play on Friday night. Among them was new California head Wyking Jones. Brown could be his first major signing as a head coach.
Recruitment: Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, Arizona and Kentucky are involved.
His day: It doesn’t take long for anybody watching to recognize who the most talented player on the court is when Bassey is playing. He’s been incredibly bless with natural ability. In a close loss to Game Elite on Friday, it was his effort on both ends of the court that stood out most. He dominates in the paint.
Prediction: It’s hard to pinpoint where Bassey will end up playing in college, but no matter which school he signs with, it’s safe to say he won’t be on campus for long. He also probably won’t wait long to hear his name called whenever he enters the NBA Draft.
Recruitment: Committed to Arizona.
His day: It took him a while to get going, but Akot was terrific in the second half for Exum Elite in a close loss New England Playaz. His versatility is his biggest strength and defenders have an incredibly difficult time keeping him out of the paint.
Prediction: Don’t be surprised if Sean Miller plays Akot in a role where he’s the primary ball handler at times. He has “point forward” ability and is a top notch play-maker.
Recruitment: Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, LSU and others are involved. UNC is watching him closely.
His day: Much like Akot, Hagans started the night off slow. Down the stretch though, he was terrific for Game Elite in their win over YIIS Texas Future. He had several tough finished in the paint and did a great job distributing the ball to his teammates. His size and quickness can be overwhelming for opposing point guards.
Quote: “UNC is starting to recruit me. They said they are going to be watching me more this weekend.”
Prediction: It will be interesting to see how his move to Oak Hill impacts his recruitment. His cousin Trey Thompkins went to Oak Hill as a junior and transferred back home for his senior year and signed with Georgia to stay close by for college. Don’t be surprised if he picks a school located relatively close to his home in Atlanta.
Recruitment: USC, Wake Forest, Villanova, Harvard, Princeton, Providence and St. Joe’s are in the mix.
His day: Laszewski is known for his ability to stretch defenses as a shooter, but it was activity playing in the paint that was more impressive on Friday night. He still showed off his perimeter jumper too, but his willingness to become a more complete “stretch four” type player will only help his stock going forward.
Prediction: It’s going to be hard to pry him away from the northeast. Several coaches from schools located in the area were in attendance on Friday night. It appears likely he won’t be going too far away from where he plays high school ball to play at the next level.
