Moore shines at HoopSeen Preview

In the most recent update of the Rivals.com Class of 2018 basketball rankings, Macon (Ga.) Westside small forward Khavon Moore came in as the eighth best prospect in the country. For those in attendance at HoopSeen Preview in Georgia on Saturday, it didn’t take long to see why.

Moore possesses the unique ability to be a primary ball handler at 6-foot-8. His ball handling and court vision were on full display when the games turned into a transition contest as he routinely made plays at the rim for himself or set others up for easy baskets.

The next step for Moore to round out his game is to improve his jump shot. It’s not hopeless as he can hit shots at times, but it does need improvement for him to continue to be ranked among the top players in his class.

Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UConn and West Virginia have been involved with the five-star prospect so far. Auburn was one of the first schools to make Moore a priority last spring.

“It’s a good program,” Moore said. “I’ve been over there before. They talked to me a lot about coming there and how I much I could help their program.”

Georgia had the in-state prospect on campus for a few games this season as well.

“I like their program. I’ve been over there a lot. I like their coaches a lot. I talk to them a lot and they tell me to come up there as much as I can.”

UConn recently joined the mix and Moore is intrigued by the way they use their star player this year.

“I like them. They’ve told me they would play me like they use Daniel Hamilton right now with the ball in my hands.”

Moore will suit up for the Atlanta Xpress 16-under team during the upcoming travel season.

Alex O’Connell recently jumped into the 2017 Rivals150 and his talent was on full display on Saturday morning. The 6-foot-5 wing has as smooth of a perimeter stroke as you will see, but he’s not afraid to attack the rim as he showed by throwing down the dunk of the day on Khavon Moore. Auburn, UAB, Clemson, Georgia, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt have been involved with his recruitment.

Auburn commit Davion Mitchell rose up to 34th in the most recent update of the 2017 Rivals150, and that may not be where he stops. Fresh off a state championship win last week, Mitchell showed up to compete Saturday morning and opponents had a hard time keeping up with him on both ends. His combination of strength and athleticism at point guard makes him a force in the transition game and he’s very adept at being a distributor as well.

The camp was mostly prospects from Georgia, but Alabama native Garrison Brooks showed up on Saturday and put in a good day’s work. The 6-foot-9 post player has bulked up considerably since last summer and has polished up his low-post game. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are the main schools involved with him at this time.

Brooks wasn’t the only talented prospect from Alabama to make the trip over on Saturday. 2018 lead guard Myreon Jones did as well, and didn’t disappoint. He’s a sniper from deep and the 6-foot-2 guard is crafty off the dribble. He’ll likely emerge on high-major radars before too long.

Whenever T.J. Massenburg, son of former Maryland star and NBA player Tony Massenburg, shows up at the gym, rims are in danger of being torn down. The 6-foot-7 post player may be a tad undersized to be a center at the highest level of college hoops, but he’s an explosive athlete and very physical. He’s a dominant rebounder and his length makes him a quality rim protector.

Camps like The Preview are the perfect place for a player like Zach Cooks to shine. On the small side for a guard at 5-foot-10, Cooks is never lacking in energy and was one of the fastest and quickest players in attendance. He’s a knock-down shooter and thrives in an up and down game. If there is a candidate to be the next J.J. Frazier out of Georgia, he’s certainly one of them.

Gabe Bryant, a Class of 2018 forward out of Dawson, Georgia, is an intriguing prospect. He’s a very good athlete at 6-foot-10 with an intriguing skill-set.