OTR Notebook: Day 1 Highlights

OTR Notebook: Day 1 Highlights

EMERSON, GA – Walking through Lakepoint on Friday night it was like Christmas afternoon. Teams all ascended to the Northwest location to play in the On The Radar Hoops Sweet 16. For many, this was the first time they were stepping into a tournament after a long layoff because of the global pandemic. Others were entering as much as their third tournament of the young travel season.

Some teams showed the rust of the long layoffs, while others looked like they have a few tournaments underneath their belt.

E1T1 hits the century mark

E1T1 EYBL 17U squad stepped back into the Peach State for the second consecutive week. The previous week they showed up and handled themselves appropriately, despite only playing in its first tournament of the year. Their first game during the Sweet 16 allowed many to see their scoring prowess. The Florida based program had a 104-43 victory over Team South Carolina. It was difficult in selecting any one player to make an impact since everyone in a red uniform had their fair share of highlights against the team from the Palmetto State.

Emanuel Sharp led six players in double-figures. The 6-foot-4 guard is an efficient scorer who had his way on the opening night. He finished with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the three-point line. Someone may need to look into Brice Sensabaugh after chipping in with a solid stat sheet of 6-for-9 shooting from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. AJ Brown had 17 points. Stephon Payne 15 points. Josiah Sabino added 13 points. Dillion Mitchell had 12 points and a number of highlights.

NightRydas make presence felt

The NightRydas EYBL 17U team has a roster everyone wants to seen. The Florida-based organization had every possible highlight video person on the sideline looking to see what was all the fuss.

Let’s just say this team is more than hype.

The NightRydas looked like a well-balanced team. Leading the way for them on Friday night was Malik Renau. This Montverde Academy forward scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. At 6-foot-9, his versatility is valuable for the team. Helping him along the way was Jett Howard. The son of current University of Michigan head coach, Juwan Howard, helped run the team through all phases of the game finishing with 12 points. Jay Garfman and Fabio Basil finished with 11 points apiece.

Rising Stars have something to day

Hayden Moseley is a solid scorer. He finished with 13 points in the teams win. His ability to knockdown shots all over the floor makes him hard to guard. He plays hard and gets to his spots on both ends of the floor to be effective.

Gicarri Harris had a strong opening night. The 2024 prospect put up 20 points in AOT’s win. He is poised and determined on the court. This Grayson High products points came at a variety of ways. Look for this youngster to become a household name in the state.

Josiah Brown may have had only eight points in his teams win. His performance expanded beyond the scoresheet. The 6-foot-6 froward was just soldi on both ends of the floor. Look for late growth in his game in the next few years.