New Crop of Georgia Players to Look At

Linzy Davis, who coaches Team Georgia on the AAU circuit as well as an American All Star team that tours Europe, is now the head coach at Community Christian Academy in McDonough, GA. Last weekend he held an open gym at his new school and featured 30 talented prep stars. Here’s a look at some of the top performers.

2004

Yasin Id-Deen

6-foot-1 combo guard

W.D. Mohammed HS (GA)

Id-Deen was probably one of the better shooters at the event. He has great form and nice rotation on his shot. The student athlete has shown why several top academic basketball programs like Brown, Penn, Mercer and Harvard have shown interest in the shooting guard. Id-Deen can also run the point but is better suited as a scoring guard because of his technique and shooter’s touch.

Elliott McCray

6-foot-4 shooting guard

North Atlanta HS (GA)

There was just something about McCray that we really liked. He just seemed to do whatever the team needed in order to be productive. The guard would play out of position and guard a 6-foot-11 player and held his own inside. But when McCray was in his true position, he was effective as a passer and a shooter. For what he lacks in athleticism or a big time jumper, he made up for it in doing the little things that coaches love.

Archie Miaway

6-foot-4 shooting guard

Norcross HS (GA)

He’s a solid guard that loves to compete and will give quality minutes at the collegiate level. Miaway is a decent shooter as well as a decent athlete. He plays in the same region as super juniors Louis Williams and Michael Mercer as well as Wynton Witherspoon and somehow Miaway gets left out of the picture. He could be a sleeper in this loaded 2004 class.

Desmond Williams

6-foot-6 small forward

Mays HS Atlanta, GA

He played well and displayed an array of skills on the hardwood. He’s an above average athlete that will burn you if you leave the baseline open. Williams could become a shutdown defender for a team because he has long arms and has solid footwork. Williams is the younger brother of former Indiana star Jeff Newton and Bethune-Cookman player Michael Williams.

2005

J.P. Felder

6-foot-7 power forward

Campbell HS Smyrna, GA

He runs the floor and muscles players inside with his wide shoulders. He rebounds fairly well and can finish above the rim. Felder still needs to improve his post moves because he’s a bit robotic on the blocks. To his credit, he doesn’t shy away from bigger players and goes right at them. He’s a mid major player with solid upside and is very coachable. SMU and TCU have shown an early interest.

Markel Humphrey

6-foot-3 shooting guard

Stockbridge HS (GA)

Looking for the next best thing in the state of Georgia? Look no further than this sweet shooting lefty. A big time scorer last year with his brother, Quin (who is now a freshman at Youngstown State), Markel is now the man at Stockbridge. Look for him to be one of the top scorers in the Peach State this season. He’s a difficult match up for defenders because of his ability to go off the dribble with his left hand. He is a big time leaper and isn’t afraid to attack the basket.

2007

Tyrone Brambell

5-foot-7 point guard

Toronto, Canada

Community Christian Academy

Some small point guards like to be a little overzealous when they take the floor, trying to wow the crowd with passes and their blazing speed. Brambell can but doesn’t. That’s what makes him such an interesting player. He’s a smart point guard and knows where his strengths are on the court. Some have tabbed the Canada native as the next Andrew Lavender, a former McDonald’s All American now at Oklahoma. Brambell is on his way at CCA. He needs to spend a little more time refining his shot and getting used to taller defenders.

Issa Diallo

6-foot-11 center

Mali

Community Christian Academy

CCA head coach Linzy Davis is raving about this youngster but the 7-footer has a long way to go. Diallo gets a little trigger happy on defense and will find himself in early foul trouble if he continues to suffocate players with his defense. He may have tried too hard to impress people in his first public appearance in the United States. With his obvious and imposing height, Diallo certainly has a future but right now he’s raw. Real raw. Because time in is on his side and with proper coaching, Diallo could develop into an intriguing prospect.

2008

Oluseyi Ashaolu

6-foot-6 small forward

Canada via Nigeria

Community Christian Academy

This youngster may have been the most impressive player we saw all day. He’s vocal. He’s a leader. He’s a big time jumper. He’s a solid interior defender. It’s absolutely scary to think that this kid is an eighth grader. On one possession, Ashaolu came right down the middle from the top of the key and went straight at three defenders and attempted a dunk in traffic. Had the ball not been deflected on his trip up, he would have thrown it down.