McDonald’s Shootout: Top Guards
McDonald’s Shootout Hart County High School in Hartwell hosted the McDonald’s Shootout on Monday, part of a three-day event. Typically a 50/50 split between South Carolina and Georgia schools, constant adjustments to the schedule has led to a majority of…
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Continue ReadingMcDonald’s Shootout
Hart County High School in Hartwell hosted the McDonald’s Shootout on Monday, part of a three-day event. Typically a 50/50 split between South Carolina and Georgia schools, constant adjustments to the schedule has led to a majority of the field being GHSA programs. Here are some of the top players from Day 1 of the event.
Top Guards
2022 5-11 CG Avery Hamilton – Loganville
Avery Hamilton provided solid play from the guard position in Loganville’s 66-38 blowout of Lincoln County. His ability to create offense for others caused Lincoln County to come out of their zone and extend their defense. Hamilton scored from the mid-range and at the rim. He took advantage of the Lincoln County backcourt and turned over their guards. Hamilton is a solid athlete that doubles as a running back for the football team. He recorded 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals.
2022 6-1 PG John Lawton – South Atlanta
With South Atlanta fully his team, John Lawton has a chance to reignite his stock. He turned heads as a freshman with his aggressiveness and athleticism and looked poise to be in the mix as a potential D-I guard. Now in his junior season, Lawton is inching closer to breaking out. He’s a big guard that has put on significant weight over his first three seasons. Still quick with his first step, Lawton can overpower defenders. On Monday it was his outside shooting that carried him. He hit three threes and consistently connected from the perimeter. Against the Madison County zone, Lawton displayed his versatility by playing at the high post. It looks like he is making a concerted effort to be a team leader this year and a calming presence on the floor. He finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in a 60-49 win. Lawton has all the natural abilities to be a solid contributor at the next level.
2021 5-10 CG David Hollis – South Atlanta
The lefty scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half to push the Hornets to victory. Hollis got hot from deep, scoring 10 points with two threes in the third quarter. His outside shooting started to open driving lanes. Consistency has always been key for Hollis. If he can remain locked in for 32 minutes for the entire season, he will help turn South Atlanta around quickly.
2021 6-2 G LaMarr Randolph – GAC
LaMarr Randolph scored in bunches vs. Elbert County. He hit three threes and scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the fourth to finish with 15 points and 4 rebounds. It wasn’t his best performance, but the scoring touch was apparent. Randolph has some muscle to his frame and shouldn’t take long to be ready to contribute to a collegiate backcourt.
2021 6-0 PG Jaden Brown – Elbert County
Jaden Brown came out of no where to lead Elbert County to an upset win over GAC, 55-52. Brown scored nine of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter going 7-7 from the foul line over the final eight minutes. Brown also added 6 rebounds. Jaden hit a pair of threes earlier in the game and remained aggressive as Elbert County went cold in the third quarter. He heated things up by attacking the basket and drawing fouls. Brown has a nice touch from the mid-range but his ability to draw contact up close was the difference, finishing 10-11 from the line. Brown is a crafty slasher that provides effort on both ends.