ATLANTA -- He's not yet known nationally, but rising sophomore guard Elias King served notice over the weekend at the Best of the Best camp in Atlanta that people better get familiar with him real soon.
The prospect with the best long-term potential at the Best of the Best was most likely Elias King. The 6-foot-6 rising sophomore from Shiloh High School outside of Atlanta has one of the smoothest strokes you will see and has a very tight handle. At the next level, he has the type of game that could allow him to play all three spots along the perimeter. Georgia Tech gave King his first scholarship offer on Sunday while VCU and Auburn have expressed interest.
Playing in the shadow of a top five player from the class of 2017 like Wendell Carter during the high school season at Pace Academy, Isaiah Kelly flew a bit under the radar. However, the 6-foot-6 junior-t0-be has made his mark during the grassroots season. He’s been terrific for the Atlanta Xpress 16-under squad and he continued his strong play at the Best of the Best. He even put an exclamation mark on his weekend by winning the camp dunk contest. Right now, the three-star prospect is probably best labeled as a combo forward, but he’s made significant progress lately with perimeter skills to where you can see his future being at small forward. Memphis and Iowa State are his most recent offers while Wisconsin offered last summer.
Shooting guard Nelson Phillips plays alongside Kelly on the Atlanta Xpress and he’s beginning to establish himself as a high major player as well. The 6-foot-5 guard from Warner Robins High School has a smooth perimeter stroke and is an explosive athlete. With his length and lateral quickness, he flashes the ability to potentially become a big time defender at the next level. Since college coaches could begin contacting him directly on June 15, he’s received calls from Butler, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
Another talented rising sophomore out of the Atlanta area with a chance to be a hot commodity is Anthony Edwards. In a camp setting, it’s rare to see players care as much about playing defense as they do offense, but Edwards did it on both ends all weekend. Like King, he has a silky smooth stroke, but is crafty off the bounce and very unselfish. It’s scary to think that the 6-foot-3 combo guard hasn’t even put all his focus into basketball yet as he’s split time with football. Going forward, Edwards says that he’s all basketball.
Kyle Sturdivant already plays up two age groups with the Atlanta Express' 17U team. The class of 2019 prospect from Norcross (Ga.) has benefited from playing older players. He’s a very gifted shooter at 6-foot-3 that can play some play point guard, although like any young guard he'll need to continue to improve his shot selection and decision-making.
A 6-foot-6 small forward in the 2018 class, Shamarie McLeod will be one to track out of the Peach State. He’s an explosive athlete that is capable of knocking down deep jumpers or going to the rack and finishing through traffic. UAB and James Madison have already offered, but many others are showing interest.
When you've already got a nickname after your sophomore year, you've got to be good right? "Rondo" aka Ronaldo Segu is a cat-quick -- albeit quite slim -- six-foot point guard who has a tight handle and is a natural passer on offense while being a pest on defense. The three-star PG from Orlando plays with the Showtime Hoops summer program and has already grabbed offers from programs like VCU and Florida State.
Horace Wyatt Jr. is another bouncy athletic 6-foot-6 wing from Atlanta. In fact, he may have been the most athletic of the Best of the Best camp bunch. If the high flyer's skill level catches up to his athletic ability, he is one that could really take off. It doesn't hurt that hoops run in the Wyatt family. His father Horace Sr., played at Clemson and was taken in 1982 NBA Draft while his older sister plays college ball at Tulane.
If this weekend is any indication, Amanze Ngumezi is going to attract a lot of college coaches down to Johnson High School in Savannah. The 6-7 forward possesses the ability to play both on the block as well as on the perimeter. He’s the ideal fit in an offense that wants to feature a “stretch four”.
Last but not least, Justin Lee definitely opened some eyes this weekend with his performance. A 6-6 wing from Collins Hill High School in Atlanta who plays with Game Elite during travel season, Lee had his jumper locked and loaded. It didn’t even matter if his shot was contested, it was likely going in. Right now, he’s an athletic jump shooter, but players with those two attributes get recruited at a really high level and that certainly could end up being the case with Lee, whose first offer came from James Madison.