Who’s That Kid? Sleepers From The 2nd Live Period.
2019 6’6” F Jaylen Bates (GA Elite Ballers)- Bates had flashes of potential during the spring with SBC and in June with North Atlanta, but he now looks fully ready to show what he’s capable of with the GA Elite Ballers. He was determined and locked in from the first game of the tournament until the end. Coaches were impressed with his combination of activity, strength, and athleticism, which you love to see from your forwards. He has taken the right approach to July by focusing, being a good teammate, and getting the job done with tough play. Expect this to continue in Orlando.
2019 6’3” W Riley Costas (God’s Property)- Costas has come out of nowhere these past two weeks with God’s Property. After some nice moments at McEachern during the first live period, he took his play to a whole different level at Lakepoint. People were shocked at how vocal and energetic he was; no one played harder or with more intensity. Costas was much more aggressive scoring this past weekend, getting to his left hand and elevating to the rim, while also shooting confidently from the perimeter. He just made winning plays and that’s what his high school program, St. Pius, breeds- winners.
2019 6’9” C Cheickna Sissoko, 2019 6’8” F Terence Porter (Smyrna Stars)- Sissoko and Porter formed an impressive forward duo in Atlanta this week. Sissoko’s big body got him easy baskets time and time again and allowed him to be a rebounding force. He rises up to the rim easily for dunks and provides the stars with a rim protector and efficient offensive player. Porter can play inside or out, showing some perimeter skills but also positioning himself well on the interior for easy drop-offs. He is a fluid athlete that runs the floor and stays active. The post-grad year he’ll be taking at TSF should be very helpful as he’ll be able to develop and show all of his tools.
Carolina Pressure– Ta’Jay Dunlap, Shaman Alston, and Dajuante Williams all had productive weekends for the Pressure at Best Of The South. Dunlap and Alston manned the Pressure backcourt, leading the team with aggressive mentalities and versatile offensive skillsets. Both can get going in a hurry and if both are on in the same game, it’s trouble for the opposition. Williams caught the attention of many by going up effortlessly in traffic for dunks because of his length and then stepping out and showing a nice touch from deep. He uses those abilities on the other end as well, grabbing boards and blocking shots. The D2 attention that these guys have gotten is well-warranted, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some D1 programs start to take a look at them also.