Scout Notes: South Georgia Road Trip Pt. 1

Scout Notes: South Georgia Road Trip A 525-mile drive to South Georgia allowed me to catch a great Class A-Public battle between previously undefeated Claxton and Portal in the Turpentine City on Friday night. Portal handed the Tigers a 55-50 loss. On Saturday, I visited Veterans, the lone remaining undefeated team in Class 5A and witnessed the Warhawks rout a shorthanded Peach County team 81-42. Here are some quick notes from the long weekend. 2024 5-8 PG Elijah Coleman Elijah Coleman 5'8" | PG Portal | 2024 State GA – Portal Great feel for his age. A little undersized but has good body control and knows how to get downhill. Uses a variety of moves to work his way to the basket, implementing spins to set up short turnaround jumpers in the lane. Absorbs contact. Impressive passer that should continue to get better. Has a chance to become a special player and one of the best in school history. 2024 6-5 PF Amir Jackson Amir Jackson 6'5" | PF Portal | 2024 State GA – Portal Sturdy and strong. Doesn’t look like a freshman. Battles on the glass and scores through contact inside. Has room for growth as a ball handler. Can hit mid-range jump shot but is best suited on the block for now. Still developing go-to post moves. Should be able to expand his game over time. Physique is comparable to Leslie Black Leslie Black 6'6" | PF Statesboro | 2023 State GA of Statesboro. 2024 6-0 CG Joseph Thomas Joseph Thomas 6'0" | CG Portal | 2024 State GA – Portal Struggled shooting the ball. Took some difficult off-balance shots. Dangerous shooter doesn’t need much space. Can attack off the dribble and spin into fadeaways from the mid-range. Would have liked to see him get to the rim more often. Good future as a high-level scorer. Great bloodlines. 2021 6-7 C Fred Spells Fred Spells 6'7" | C Portal | 2021 State GA – Portal Reported 7-foot-3 wingspan. Blocks everything in his area. Bouncy. Plays above the rim.  Long and gangly. Has to stay out of foul trouble. Needs to add strength to be effective on offense. Didn’t finish well inside through contact. Jump shot is flat but can keep defenses honest. Has tools to be an effective defender at the next level. 2021 6-0 G Jamon Mangusho – Claxton Played high-post vs. zone. Versatile piece can play 1-5 for undersized Tigers. Quality rebounder and passer. Good hands on defense. Solid mid-range jumper.