5 Takeaways from GE8TOC
Dwon Odom might be the most athletic guard in Georgia
Dwon Odom (pictured), currently ranked as the 6th best player in Georgia’s Class of 2020, highly impressed last weekend. Odom is an athletic, 6’3 point guard who is relentless in the open court. The Xavier commit led St. Francis with 29 points in a 78-75 loss to Westlake. He is very Russell Westbrook-like as he never takes his foot off the gas and is always in attack mode. Odom is expected to dominate Class A basketball this season.
Meadowcreek has the most complete backcourt in the state
Meadowcreek boasts many, talented guards this season. With the incoming transfers of Jalen Benjamin and Damian Dunn, they are very deep at the guard position. UAB commit Jalen Benjamin is very crafty with the ball in his hands, and Damien Dunn is an elite scorer. Dunn made a statement in his first game with 26 points against Wheeler. In addition, Meadowcreek returns guards Kedrick Green, Emmanuel Collier, and Corey Blissett from last year’s championship team. Green is a floor general who controls the tempo and can hit timely shots. On the hand, Collier and Blissett are knockdown shooters. Collier stole the show and made 5 three pointers off the bench against Wheeler while Blissett contributed with 2 three pointers of his own. In short, Meadowcreek has all the tools in the backcourt to run teams off the court.
The emergence of Brandon Suggs
Brandon Suggs recently transferred from McEachern to Mass. Military Academy (VA) and looks like a completely different player. At McEachern, his touches were limited, and we were not able to gage his complete skillset. Now at Mass. Military, Suggs is more involved offensively. He attacked the rim well and got to the line shooting 7/8 in the first half. Suggs even managed to knock down a few jump shots and looked very fluid handling the ball on fast breaks. Look for Brandon Suggs to showcase a little more of his offensive game this season at Mass. Military.
Good showing from Georgia Stars 2022
Last AAU season, I had a chance to watch prospects from Georgia Stars 2022 in the Norman Parker Showcase, Nike Memorial Day Classic, and Nike EYBL Atlanta . In particular, I was impressed with the play of Dillon Hunter and Robert Cowherd. Hunter, who is the brother of Clemson commit Chase Hunter, ran the show on Saturday for Westlake. He controlled the tempo of the game and even knocked down a few shots. He finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a win over St. Francis. On the other hand, Cowherd is sharpshooter off the bench for Holy Spirit Prep. When the defense collapsed on 5-star recruit Anthony Edwards, Cowherd made the defense pay with his three-point shooting. Even though they are freshman, Hunter and Cowherd will make immediate impacts for their teams this season.
Sharife Cooper is the truth
GE8TOC saved the best game for last as Sharife Cooper and McEachern took on Holy Spirit Prep. Cooper started the game by knocking down a few shots from distance. He would then go scoreless in the second and third quarters. Heading into the fourth quarter, Cooper only had 7 points but would end the game with 23. Cooper took over the last few minutes of the game by attacking out of the pick and roll and making correct reads per usual. He continuously delivered whenever McEachern needed a bucket to seal the game. Cooper dominated the fourth quarter with 16 points. With his performance against Holy Spirit, Sharife Cooper solidified himself as the best closer in the state.