Baseline “Drive” Club Report – Part 2: North Metro Elite
I was excited to catch a glimpse before tournament season heated up of coach Calvin Taylor’s group of 2021’s for North Metro Elite based out of Paulding County, and the 17U’s didn’t disappoint Tuesday night at Furtah, showing against a…
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Continue ReadingI was excited to catch a glimpse before tournament season heated up of coach Calvin Taylor’s group of 2021’s for North Metro Elite based out of Paulding County, and the 17U’s didn’t disappoint Tuesday night at Furtah, showing against a well-coached Georgia Legacy group why many of their players already highlight our rankings list and why those can make a case for rising.
Standouts included:
Kristian Ford Kristian Ford 6'5" | SG East Paulding | 2021 State GA (East Paulding, 2021, SG) – The depth of talent in the ATL Metro is perfectly illustrated in the person of Ford, who at #93 in our rankings, could easily be much higher. Rankings are of course subjective, and from what he showed me Tuesday night, he’s far better than the number next to his name, he was the most impressive player on a floor full of good ones, extremely athletic and fluid, plays much bigger than his 6-3 frame, often above the rim getting dunks or skying for rebounds, he was a defensive fiend picking pockets, was unstoppable at the rack, and stepped out to show plenty of range beyond the arc, I didn’t get to see him this past season, but he is a major threat to rise our list with play like I saw earlier this week.
Kevin Taylor Kevin Taylor 6'5" | SF Allatoona | 2021 State GA (Allatoona, 2021, SG) – Taylor is not often overshadowed when he steps on the floor, be it for Coach Taylor or with his Buccaneer teammates in north Cobb County, but even with Ford showing his exceptional worth, the 6-3 Taylor still did many of the outstanding things he’s known for – sneaky-elite athletic ability, an anywhere-in-the-gym range from outside, and a savvy feel for the game as a passer, rebounder and defender, which makes him one of the Metro areas best all-around players and certainly one who has all the potential to rise from his current spot at #75 in our rankings.
Isaiah Logan Isaiah Logan 5'10" | PG Allatoona | 2021 State GA (Allatoona, 2021, PG) – Logan really impressed me when I saw Allatoona during the last regular season, and he didn’t do anything Tuesday to make me think he’s not only one of the most underrated PG’s in the area, but one of the best period, he’s calm, cool and collected with the ball, an A+ handler and passer, terrific vision, and when he’s not lighting up defenses with his assists he’s lighting you up with his scoring, be it fearlessly driving it to the hole or knocking down 3’s after a shake and bake, a definite “diamond in the deep ATL-Metro rough” of talent.
Andrew Peacock Andrew Peacock 6'3" | CG Cherokee Christian | 2021 State GA (Cherokee Christian, 2021, SG) – Interestingly, I had heard Peacock’s name both during the regular season and as grassroots began ramping up prior to Tuesday, and he lived up to everything people had were saying about him, a hard-nosed, hustler who runs the floor, defends, can beat you from distance and can assume the role as central scorer or morph into the consummate team guy who leads a team to victory in other ways, I can only see this summer season as a massively positive developmental period for Peacock playing with these kind of quality teammates.
Cameron Baldwin (Allatoona, 2022, PF) – The third of the Bucs on this squad, Baldwin, unlike Logan and Taylor, doesn’t currently occupy a spot in our rankings, but should and likely will, rangy and athletic he showed both a strong finishing game at the rim as well as a nice back to the basket acumen, and at around 6-5 he showed that he will be a real handful next winter in the painted area for Bucs opponents who are spending too much energy marking Taylor and Logan.