Mr. Georgia Basketball Watchlist 2019-20
Intro The season is finally back, practices are underway, and as the first games of the 2019-20 season inch closer and closer, there are a lot of questions to be answered throughout the state of Georgia. Who will end McEachern’s…
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The season is finally back, practices are underway, and as the first games of the 2019-20 season inch closer and closer, there are a lot of questions to be answered throughout the state of Georgia. Who will end McEachern’s 28 game win streak? How will a bevy of summer transfers mesh throughout the regular season and into the postseason? Who will be this year’s “Mr. Georgia Basketball?” A lot has occurred since the final weekend of last year’s season and another fun-filled year should be in store for Peach State basketball this winter. Inside we take a look at the specific question of who will win Mr. Georgia Basketball and the favorites for the award this season:
Senior Favorites
- Sharife Cooper (McEachern)
Sharife Cooper- Offensive MVP of the Nike EYBL Circuit, State Champion, leader on an undefeated team, and reigning Mr. Georgia Basketball during the 2018-19 season? Cooper undoubtedly leads the discussion when it comes to taking home this year’s illustrious award. The 6′ guard, who recently committed to Bruce Pearl and Auburn Tigers, will look to have an equally productive senior campaign. After averaging 26 ppg and 8.6 apg and 4.0 spg he last season, Cooper will need to do just as much as he did as season ago, if not more, as long-time running mate Isaac Okoro is no longer in Powder Springs. Instead, it will be a new host of Indians by his side including 7′ Oak Hill Academy (VA) transfer Dylan Cardwell, a teammate of Coopers on the AAU circuit with the AOT Runnin’ Rebels. Other new faces include Mercer commit Jovan Tucker, and Rhode Island commit Randy Brady.
- Walker Kessler (Woodward Academy)
- Kessler is another recent commit, as the 7′ center recently gave his pledge to the Tar Heels of North Carolina a few weeks ago. He will be searching for a Class 4A title with the War Eagles who on paper should have more fire power to surround his 21 ppg, 12 rpg, and 6 bpg efforts a season ago. The versatile big can knock down threes, work inside on the block whenever he wants and does a good job of not only blocking shots but keeping them in play to score in transition. He has been on the radar for some time now and his final campaign should see his best numbers to date. The addition of transfer and Davidson commit Emory Lanier as well as former Fayette County guard Will Richard should bode well for Kessler and the War Eagles which could equate to more success from an individual standpoint because of his team’s success.
- Deivon Smith (Grayson)
- Another hot prospect in the Peach State comes out of Loganville, Georgia and Grayson High School with in Deivon Smith. He committed to Mississippi State recently and before that had been receiving a lot of offers after a productive AAU campaign with the Atlanta Celtics. Smith’s athleticism is as good as any 6′ guard in the country and his play making ability is getting better and better. Grayson should have one of the more talented rosters in Class 7A and his productivity could be enough to put the Rams above teams like Norcross, McEachern, and Wheeler. It will take a monstrous effort to overcome those teams mentioned but a valiant effort and success on Georgia’s highest level of basketball could equate to Mr. Basketball honors by season’s end.
- Dwon Odom (St. Francis)
Dwon Odum- A state champion and travel teammate of Deivon Smith this past summer, Odom has done a lot during his prep career at St. Francis. He is the next great guard to come out of the Alpharetta private, following in the footsteps of Malik Beasley and Kobi Simmons. Both players went on to play high major as well as professional basketball; however, neither player had an opportunity to be named Georgia’s best player during their careers. Odom has a chance to buck that trend and the way that he can get it done is because of the energy he brings to the floor night in and night out. A 6’1” floor general with just much athleticism as Smith, Odom has an impressive lay-up repertoire and thrives in an up and down style of game. He really gets after it on the defensive end and possesses a nice handle with the basketball to get other involved. He will lead a young group of Knights back through the 1A-Private classification and look to become a back to back champion before heading to Xavier next fall.
- Chris Youngblood (East Coweta)
- Kennesaw State Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim received a gift in the form of the 6’5” wing prospect. Youngblood’s stock was trending up at the time of his commitment to the Owls and he is someone that can’t be overlooked when talking about the best seniors in the state of Georgia. He is a big-time scorer that can get it done of all three levels with the departure of nearly 66% of their offensive output a season ago, that scoring ability has to be put on display for the Indians to be successful. Youngblood will be East Coweta’s leading returnee after averaging 16 ppg and 8rpg a season ago and will look to lead them to a region championship and deep run in Class 7A.
Juniors
- Jabari Smith Jr. (Sandy Creek)
- After a productive spring in combination with winning a Gold Medal in Brazil with the USA’s Under 16 Squad last summer, Smith Jr. comes into the season with as much confident as any player on this list. The 6’8” stretch forward has created a reputation as having one of the better shooting strokes in the state, regardless of position, and he has continued to develop his ability to put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim. His shooting ability opens everything else up inside and that’s where Smith Jr. can pour in his points in bunches. His high school team, Sandy Creek, has reached the Final Four in each of the past three seasons in Class 4A and they will turn to Smith Jr. to get over that hump this season.
- Matthew Cleveland (Pace Academy)
- This could be the most significant transfer in the Peach State as Pace Academy has become the favorite to win the Class 3A State Championship. The 6’5” athletic slasher can jump and finish at the rim with best of them and those attributes were put on display in his first trip to Colorado Springs and USA Basketball’s October Junior National Minicamp. Cleveland had bright moments over the course of that weekend, capping off a productive offseason. He will join a loaded junior class for the Knights and his play can help out tremendously in a tough region. Cleveland has received offers from California-Berkley, North Carolina State, and Alabama in the last two months and his stock will continue to rise with a stellar first season under Head Coach Sharman White.
- Peyton Daniels (Tri-Cities)
Peyton Daniels- A leader even as a sophomore, Daniels will be looking to bring Tri-Cities another 6A State championship. The 6’1” guard is smooth in his offensive attack. He can break you down off the bounce to finish at the rim or use a consistent step back to knockdown shots from outside 15 feet. He possesses a nice handle with the basketball and knows how to get teammates involved in the half court. Daniels knows how to use the glass when finishing in the mid-range area and is an active defender on that end as well. I have been a fan of Daniels since his emergence onto the high school scene and his development leading up to this point has been phenomenal. Offers from the University of Georgia, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt have shown that collegiate coaches see his worth and his junior year will be an opportunity to take another step forward in the state of Georgia and nationally.