Top Players Remaining in the Elite 8
2020 6-1 PG Sharife Cooper – McEachern – Auburn Though his senior season hasn’t quite went according to plan up to date, the reigning MaxPreps National Player of the Year is still one of Georgia’s most prolific scorers. Cooper has…
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Continue Reading2020 6-1 PG Sharife Cooper – McEachern – Auburn
Though his senior season hasn’t quite went according to plan up to date, the reigning MaxPreps National Player of the Year is still one of Georgia’s most prolific scorers. Cooper has the Indians back in the Elite Eight where they will face a young defensive-minded North Gwinnett. Cooper has been a second half player this year, scoring when it matters most. There’s no time for coasting anymore. The star will need to play hard and look for his offense for a full 32 minutes each game moving forward if the Indians want to repeat.
2020 6-0 PG Deivon Smith – Grayson – Mississippi State
Deivon Smith has been full-tilt the entire season, enjoying his new Atlanta Celtics running mates fulltime in Caleb Murphy and Toneari Lane. Smith’s aggressiveness and motor on both ends of the floor is what separates him from most big-name guards. He has possibly his toughest task yet, taking his Rams into war with Norcross who defeated Grayson last season in the Sweet 16. The jaw-dropping athlete will need make plays on both ends of the court and take advantage of his individual match-up to push Grayson into the Final Four.
2022 6-1 PG Bruce Thornton Jr. – Milton
The cool, calm and collected point guard provides a slow burn as he squeezes the life out of his opponents with his ability to control a game on both offense and defense. Thornton wastes no possessions when the ball is in his hands and on defense, is a physical defender that keeps ball handlers out of the lane. Thornton’s footwork is supreme whether it be a quick step to get to the basket, pivoting in the paint to find space for a shot against taller defenders or his lateral quickness to cut off driving lanes. Thornton’s pedigree is as polished as it gets.
2022 6-2 PG Scoota Henderson – Kell
Scoota Henderson has enjoyed a breakout year carrying Kell into the Elite Eight. Once labeled an all downhill guard with freak of nature athleticism, Henderson has well-rounded his game into that of a more polished scorer. He has a great pull up, especially getting to the left elbow and has made teams pay when they don’t honor his three-point shot which continues to get better and better and is now a true weapon. Henderson does the heavy lifting for his Longhorns and has an interesting game coming up at Buford against mastermind Head Coach Eddie Martin. Henderson’s depth perception on his jumper will be put to the test with Buford City Arena’s wide-open backdrop which can sometimes affect opposing jump shooters.
2021 6-9 F Jabari Smith – Sandy Creek
Averaging 24.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, Jabari Smith‘s breakout season could be seen from a mile away. The skilled forward provides minutes both on the block and at the wing. He leads Sandy Creek with 76 made three-pointers and shoots 59 percent from within the arc. Smith’s length and mobility give him the ability to guard multiple positions at a high level. He will need to have a big game against Woodward Academy and try to exploit any one-on-one match-ups on the perimeter with Walker Kessler and use his quickness to try and score around the All-American.
2020 7-0 C Walker Kessler – Woodward Academy – North Carolina
Kessler’s showdown with Jabari Smith is Georgia’s biggest matchup both literally and figuratively. Kessler averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds this year while blocking away 6 shots per game. Much like Smith, Kessler is extremely skilled and has deep range beyond the three-point line. Kessler isn’t as gifted athletically as Smith, but the true 7-footer knows how to use his size and positively affect games. Kessler isn’t asked to do as much as Smith is as Kessler has a strong supporting cast filled with D-I players. Expect Kessler to go out with a bang and put up big numbers in his final game, whether it be at Woodward Academy or in Macon.
2021 6-6 W Matthew Cleveland – Pace Academy
Pace Academy has been the heavy favorite to win Class 3A since Matt Cleveland transferred over in the offseason. The long swingman has averaged 22.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.9 steals as the Knights have mauled the competition. Monroe Area will hope to turn Cleveland into a jump shooter. He doesn’t take many threes but when he does, unfortunately for the competition, he makes them hitting 27-60 (45%).
2020 6-1 PG Dwon Odom – St. Francis – Xavier
For another season, St. Francis has absolutely run roughshod over Class A-Private behind Dwon Odom. The St. Francis legend has poured in 20.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.2 steals as the Knights have blowout the competition. Odom’s mixture of power and grace makes him one of the most appeasing players to watch, especially in transition. It will take a Herculean effort for someone to knock Odom from his throne and deny him a second ring.