Georgia Stars: Top performers in Atlanta tournament
The Georgia Stars hosted another tournament in metro Atlanta last weekend and once again had great success on the court. The Stars 16U played up in the 17U division and it would have been an all-Georgia Stars matchup in the 17U championship, but they decided not to play the game. In the 15U division, the Stars also took home the championship.
Several players with established reputations stood out, but there were also a few prospects that are working toward building their own.
Performance: Hamilton just oozes with talent. The 6-foot-8 forward threw down some of the better dunks of the weekend. He’s always a threat to put a defender on a poster in the transition game. Where he continues to grow is with his skill level. His jump shot looks very smooth and he’s comfortable handling the ball. He has a great future playing either forward spot at the college level.
Schools involved: Arizona, Duke, Kansas and North Carolina
Performance: If it wasn’t Hamilton throwing down spectacular dunks, it was Brown. He too is a highlight reel waiting to happen. More than his ability to dunk, Brown is a crafty finisher around the rim if he can’t rise up for an easy flush. His jump shot also looked pretty good throughout the weekend. He’s an elite wing prospect in the 2019 class and it really doesn’t take long to see why.
Schools involved: Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest
Performance: Williams may not get the attention of many of his Georgia Stars teammates, but his upside could be as high as any of them. The 6-foot-7 forward has great athleticism and some of the longest arms you’ll ever see. He’s very smooth putting the ball on the floor and knocking down jumpers. He had a terrific high school season in south Georgia and it looks like he’s picking up right where he left off so far in travel season.
Schools involved: Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech
Performance: Hagans did what he usually does. He’s the consummate point guard in that he knows how to keep his teammates involved while also picking his spots to create for himself. He scored a lot of tough buckets in a tight semifinal game, but also made sure Josh Nickelberry kept getting the ball when he got hot in a stretch that broke a tight game open.
Schools involved: Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Wake Forest
Performance: Nickelberry made his mark in a semifinal win by hitting four three-pointers in the second half against Team AJ Bouye to help the Georgia Stars break open a tight game. The strong, athletic 6-foot-4 guard is a scoring machine and has some combo guard potential long term.
Schools involved: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Wake Forest
Performance: For the Georgia Stars 15U, Josh Taylor is the anchor on the defensive end. They mostly played a 2-3 zone where the guards up top overplay and funnel everything to the paint where they meet Taylor who blocked or altered shots. Offensively, he has great hands and plays a very simple game. He knows his role as a post player and does it very well.
Performance: Eskridge had a big freshman year and earned the reputation as a shooter around the Peach State. He still does that very well, but he played a much more well-rounded game last weekend. He spent time as the primary ball-handler creating for others and was much more willing to attack the basket instead of settling for jumpers. He’s going to be another good one in Georgia’s 2020 class.
BJ BOSTON
Performance: The 6-foot-6 guard will be in the conversation as one of the best guard prospects in his class nationally. The game just comes easy to him. He possesses a smooth jump shot, can handle the ball, and despite lacking strength right now is very talented finishing in the paint. He’ll be a hot commodity soon.