Georgia Elite Fall League: Week 1 Superlatives
LakePoint Sports once again acts as host for a multi-week event, bringing in many of what are expected to among the state’s best HS teams this winter. Here’s are some players who caught my eye on opening weekend: Kanaan Carlyle…
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Continue ReadingLakePoint Sports once again acts as host for a multi-week event, bringing in many of what are expected to among the state’s best HS teams this winter. Here’s are some players who caught my eye on opening weekend:
Kanaan Carlyle Kanaan Carlyle 6'2" | PG Overtime Elite | 2023 State #16 Nation GA , Sophomore, 6-2, SG, Milton
Not to be outdone by marquee backcourt mate Bruce Thornton Bruce Thornton 6'2" | PG Milton | 2022 State #36 Nation GA , Carlyle took it at Pace Academy in the day’s opener, he was his typical self off the bounce at times unguardable, Milton was without Devin Farrell Devin Farrell 6'1" | CG Milton | 2022 GA and LT Overton LT Overton 6'5" | PF Milton | 2023 GA (Pace without Cole Middleton Cole Middleton 6'6" | PF Pace Academy | 2021 State GA and Madison Durr Madison Durr 6'4" | PG Pace | 2021 State GA ), but the smooth guard seemed unaffected, love his willingness to get into the mid-range and drop jumpers and floaters with regularity, but can still get to the rim and beat you from way out past the 3-line, and that’s why he occupies the top spot in our 2023 rankings.
LJ Moore, Freshman, 6-4, SF, Pace Academy
As mentioned, Pace was without Durr in the backcourt so Moore stepped into a hybrid role that the versatile Durr often fills as both a guard and wing, love his activity for a young player, a great mover who was able to create his own offense opposite the as-expected spectacular Matthew Cleveland Matthew Cleveland 6'7" | SF Pace Academy | 2021 State #13 Nation GA , he took advantage of openings and was able to knock down some nice mid-range J’s and drive it at the basket, a 2024 to watch for sure.
DaQuan Riggins DaQuan Riggins 6'3" | SG South Cobb | 2021 State GA , Senior, 6-3, SG, South Cobb
Riggins is part of yet another deep and talented guard stable for the Eagles, playing on the wing against Norcross with the likes of Jens Rueckert Jens Rueckert 6'4" | SF South Cobb | 2021 State GA , Zocko Littleton Zocko Littleton 6'2" | SG Osborne | 2022 State #195 Nation GA , Robert Dix Robert Dix 6'6" | SF TSF Prep | 2022 State GA and the Lecky twins (Baqui and Basit), Riggins still stood out on the day for his ability to play off of others and find his own scoring chances, he’s a sneaky good athlete who can spot up and beat you from range or be an uber-dangerous part of South cobb’s up-tempo game spearheaded by PG Travis Burrus Travis Burrus 5'11" | PG South Cobb | 2021 State GA , with so many talented options for the Eagles next-level coaches will have to look deep into the game to see the many postives Riggins brings.
Jerry Deng Jerry Deng 6'7" | SF Norcross | 2022 State GA , Junior, 6-7, PF, Norcross
Big-bodied yet quick and agile, my first look at Deng confirms most of what I heard – a refined game in close to the basket and a soft touch out past the arc, he can bull his way to 20 a game if he wants but is too dangerous a shooter to plop down on the block all game, he’s a stretch 4 in the classic sense (at least at the high school level) and got better as the game with South Cobb went on, certainly among GA’s elite junior forwards and as the Blue Devils mesh a bunch of talented guards together he’ll pick up some of the slack.
Jamall Clyce Jamall Clyce 6'6" | SF Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA , Senior, 6-5, SF, Pebblebrook
So versatile Clyce makes things look easy on the court, he just has a poise about his game that is both sneaky and lethal, against Pace he showed there isn’t much he can’t do as a scorer, being it spotting up off a kick-out, power dribbling past defenders to the goal, or killing it off the offensive glass, he’ll benefit I think from Kaleb Washington Kaleb Washington 6'8" | SF Wheeler | 2021 State #120 Nation GA ’s departure to Wheeler in that his wide facet of skills will be unleashed, he’ll also benefit from a deep cadre of guards who can find him in favorable spots in Danny Stubbs Danny Stubbs 6'1" | PG Pebblebrook | 2021 State GA , Kami Young Kami Young 6'2" | PG Pebblebrook | 2022 State GA (transferring in from North Cobb Christian) and Andre Young Andre Young 5'11" | CG Pebblebrook | 2022 State GA .
Deshon Proctor Deshon Proctor 6'5" | PF Sandy Creek | 2021 State GA , Senior, 6-5, PF, Sandy Creek
Most of the attention when the Patriots hit the floor rightfully goes toward Jabari Smith Jabari Smith 6'10" | PF Sandy Creek | 2021 State #5 Nation GA , but I loved the work Proctor put in alongside the 5-star stud, he showed a nice variety of moves in close and was a terror on the glass, his physical frame was troublesome even for the giant Greenforest frontline and he more than held his own, I look to see his recruitment heat yup as eyeballs hone in on Sandy Creek and for looks at Smith at good-looking PG transfer Myles Rice Myles Rice 6'2" | PG Sandy Creek | 2021 State GA .
Aaron Smith Aaron Smith 6'4" | SF Kell | 2023 State GA , Sophomore, 6-4, PF, Kell
Thrust into a primary post spot with the departure of Joyful Hawkins Joyful Hawkins 6'8" | PF Brunswick | 2022 FL , Smith nonetheless looked the part of a 2023 on the rise with his play against a big and highly-touted frontline for Grayson, despite being undersized his fight was notable and he has an offensive game that shows signs of really becoming interesting, Kell’s lack of overall size may be offset some by their stellar guard quartet of Scoot Henderson Scoot Henderson 6'2" | PG Kell | 2022 GA , Najhae Colon Najhae Colon 6'0" | PG Kell | 2021 State GA , Parrish Johnson Parrish Johnson 6'4" | SG Kell | 2023 State GA and Jaylen Harris Jaylen Harris 6'1" | SG Kell | 2021 State GA , but Smith will see a lot of good looks as teams edge out toward those perimeter gems.