Top Big Men at the Battle for Georgia Showcase
1. 2019 Travon Walker (Team Georgia Magic / Upson-Lee)
a. The 46th best football player in the country for the class of 2019 made quite an impression at the Battle for Georgia and Team Georgia Magic. You can see what makes him such a specialist on the field with his athleticism, soft hands, and swift feet. All those attributes are key but his IQ on the floor is high and that of a Division I hoopster as well. He knows angles when he guards and can meet any attacker at the rim defensively. On the offensive end he was just as much of a threat with big time dunks and put back layups to keep the game close with Atlanta Xpress. Walker made good decisions with the ball in his hands as far as outlet passes for potential fast breaks and cutting teammates along the baseline in the half court when in the high post. He’s a legitimate Division I football prospect but if he ever decided to hang up the cleats, he’d be just fine with just lacing up his basketball shoes.
2. 2021 Quay Primas (HypeSouth / Central-Macon)
a. The young sophomore from Macon was one of several underclassmen playing up, in the 16 and under division of the Battle for Georgia bracket. He is a bowling ball physically and has good size for his age at 6’5” but he impressed the most with his body control going against the taller frontline of Infinite Skillz. He made great catches on the interior and used his strength for tough and one opportunities. Primas showed his willingness to run the floor and was the beneficiary of passes from the HypeSouth guards as well as put backs on initial misses in both the half court and in transition. Primas is a prospect that has a knack for being in the right place at the right time for points and rebounds and he had a good showing in their quarterfinal matchup, earning all-tournament team honors.
3. 2019 Ibrahima Jarjou (Atlanta Xpress / Greenforest)
a. Jarjou is another athletic forward that made his presence felt consistently on both ends of the floor at the Battle for Georgia. He is a vicious attacker when going up for dunks and is a prospect that you can put in pick and roll situations with a crafty guard for lob opportunities. He is elite on the defensive end, blocking and altering shots every time someone attempts to drive the lane. His showing at the Battle for Georgia reminded me of McEachern and AOT’s Babatunde Akingbola with his length at 6’8”, first and second jump on the glass, and rim protecting ability. He was another key component to Atlanta Xpress 17U runner-up finish and he should be a key factor in his final prep campaign at Greenforest Christian Academy.
4. 2019 Demond Robinson (Atlanta Xpress / Carver [Alabama])
a. Demond Robinson is a more of traditional big that can play with his back to the basket but can also face up and knocked down the mid-range jumper consistently. I thought Robinson and Jarjou complimented one another well as they could space the floor and allow each other to get in the paint when the situation presented itself. Robinson owned the defensive glass and has a very polished game which is evident when out on the floor. He thrived against zone defenses as he could set high screens and find the open spot in the zone to knock down the 15-foot attempts at the end of shot clock. He has soft hands a is deceptively quick if he were to get caught out on the perimeter defensively. He holds offers from UT-Chattanooga, South Florida, Georgia Southern among other and represented the state of Alabama well at the Battle for Georgia.
5. 2019 Ahmir Langlais (Atlanta Xpress / Holy Spirit Prep)
a. Langlais is the fifth forward on the list that made a lasting impression at the Battle for Georgia. The 6’8” big man was a significant piece to this Atlanta Xpress team that took home the title as Georgia’s best 16U team, and did so showing his versatility all afternoon. Langlais looked good finishing his lay-ups with strength on both sides of the rim and has solid foot work once he receives passes from penetrating guards to finish on either side. He can stretch his game out to the perimeter, using his slashing ability from as far as the three-point line and looked comfortable using the floater for finishes with both hands. The lefty has a consistent stroke from the free throw line area and runs the floor better than a lot of big men in the state, regardless of class. Langlais was too an all-tournament selection and he’ll be teaming up with arguably the best player in the state, 2020 guard Anthony Edwards, at GISA defending state champion Holy Spirit Prep this season. College of Charleston, Old Dominion, and ETSU have offered.