2019 Prospects Poised for Big Summers
- Jordan Ogletree (LaGrange High School)
- After recently watching Ogletree participate in skill development drills and 5 on 5 competition at Central Gwinnett high school, I came away impressed with him as much any prospect at that showcase. The same production consistently during the AAU season should have his name buzzing in the state of Georgia this time next year. The junior out of LaGrange is a smooth slasher with great size, strength, and body control going against defenders at the rim. Ogletree won’t wow you with the best ball handling ability, but he gets to his spots on the floor and was efficient in his mid-range pull-up selections. Ogletree is a good rebounder on both ends and makes good decisions in transition, putting his teammates in easy positions to score. At 6’2” and roughly 200lbs, he’s already built to play at the next level and his summer showings can determine if schools will give him the opportunity to do so. The Georgia Canes travel organization are the favorite to land him this spring and there will be many opportunities to showcase his abilities. If he continues to develop I believe he will be one of the better under the radar seniors going into next season.
- Brandon Green (Buford High School)
- There are only so many minutes one can obtain playing behind one of the best wings in the state in junior Marcus Watson as well as
Brandon Green
graduating senior and Georgia Southern commit Alex Viti; however Green is in a good position to gain minutes for Buford next year as he heads into his last summer campaign. This Buford Wolf has big time athleticism with the energy to go with it which gives him an advantage on both ends of the floor. Green stands at about 6’5” and has a long wing span to wreak havoc defensively and finish amongst the big men down low when attacking the basket. He will have the opportunity to gain more minutes and play alongside Watson when the high school season comes back around, and that athletic duo could get Buford back into the discussion for a state championship in 2019 for Georgia’s class 5A. If history repeats itself, he will be running with a talented Game Elite squad to raise his status as one of the better wings in Georgia.
- There are only so many minutes one can obtain playing behind one of the best wings in the state in junior Marcus Watson as well as
Brandon Green
- Zyrice Scott (Upson-Lee High School)
- By now, a lot of people knowledgeable about high school basketball in the state of Georgia are aware of the 63-game winning streak that is still ongoing for the Upson-Lee Knights out of Thomaston, Georgia. Those same people are also familiar with the Knights’ best basketball prospect and Middle Tennessee State commit Tavias Fagan as well as their best athlete in 4-star football prospect Travon Walker; but what about the point guard that runs the show? That duty belongs to Scott who, after averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.5 apg, will be one of the few contributors looking to defend their back to back titles next season. Scott has grown up over these last two championship seasons and will be looked upon to do even more with the absence of Fagan as well as Cameron Traylor and JaCorey Smith (41 ppg averaged between the 3 seniors). Scott is electric with the ball in his hands and looks to get in transition whenever he can. He possesses great body control at the rim but can also stop on a dime for mid-range jump shots. He can shoot it from deep but excels in the corners of the 3-point arc which opens his baseline playmaking abilities. Team Georgia Magic is his AAU team and he’s already impressed this spring at the Georgia Cup in Suwanee, Georgia. Look for his name to be a hot commodity before and after the prep season campaign.
- Akil Covington (Loganville High School)
- Covington, much like Scott, is lightning in a bottle and that’s not just with the ball in his hands. He makes quick steals, pushes the tempo with the dribble or pass, and can run the floor when the ball isn’t in his hands. He’s an active player that likes to get after it defensively which is something that can always translate to the next level. He’s an unselfish point guard and does of good job of making good last second decisions of either dishing or finishing in his attacks to the basket. He is efficient with both hands; mainly going to his left hand even though he is predominantly right handed, and has a deadly floater to get a good shot off over taller defenders. Covington will be running with Blue Collar Basketball (BCB) this AAU season and will have several opportunities to continue his impressive 2018 run in front of college coaches.
- James Glisson III (Southwest DeKalb High School)
- Glisson averaged 12.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, and 1.4 bpg so the versatility is prevalent in the statistics and although a tad undersized, he’s a very skilled forward. He has an old school, back to the basket game but can step out and knock down shots from the 15-17-foot range as well. In the few games I saw this season, Glisson with his strength, owned the glass on both ends and did a good job of protecting the paint with shot blocking and shot altering abilities. Playing with one of the best point guards in the state in sophomore KD Johnson helps his cause but he compliments him well and with a lot of talent returning for the Panthers of Southwest DeKalb they could be poised for a deep run in next year’s playoffs. Glisson will be running with a historically good Stackhouse Elite squad this summer and coming off a summer Adidas championship in the 16U division last year he’ll have a chance to improve his game with some of the best players in the country.
- Matthew Gonzalo (St. Pius X)
- Gonzalo is the ultimate floor general and, like Scott, has been the primary ball handler of an explosive offensive attack the past few seasons. The junior from Atlanta has over 300 assists in his career and had an impressive 6:1 assist to turnover ratio in five games this past postseason. He is an aggressive attacker of the basket and has a quick first step to get by initial defenders. He leads the defensive
Matthew Gonzalo
attack for a St. Pius X team that picks up full court after every made basket. He is savvy off the ball and moves well defensively on the ball, knowing how to guard without fouling when the game is mostly an up tempo style game. Gonzalo will lose all-state first team and three point weapon Everett Lane but with Pius’ depth, it won’t be much of a drop off. More scoring will be expected of Gonzalo but if you surround the point guard with weapons he will find them or create for himself and cause havoc for an opposing head coach. Gonzalo ran with the Georgia Timberwolves last season and had a productive summer; much of the same should be expected this time around before his last season for the Golden Lions kicks off and for low major interests to turn into offers.
- Gonzalo is the ultimate floor general and, like Scott, has been the primary ball handler of an explosive offensive attack the past few seasons. The junior from Atlanta has over 300 assists in his career and had an impressive 6:1 assist to turnover ratio in five games this past postseason. He is an aggressive attacker of the basket and has a quick first step to get by initial defenders. He leads the defensive
Matthew Gonzalo