Jr. Peach State: Day 2 Notebook

Jr. Peach State: Day 2 Notebook

The second day of Peach State takes us to Butler High. This is where the toughest middle school matchups took place.

Teams loaded with talent made certain to showcase their tenacity on both ends of the floor. Some teams were notable names before they entered the tournament. Others made sure to leave their stamp after multiple performances on the day.

Here are the names of the standouts. 

Atlanta Celtics

Seeing the Georgia-based Atlanta Celtics program in person is fun to watch. This is a group of youngsters who look to share the basketball and get everyone involved. These are attributes not always associated with travel teams. Many times players are only interested in themselves or pointing fingers at others. The Celtics offensive balance is evident in the final stats. There is great communication with this team with players truly learning what the coach wants executed.

AJ Williams led the Celtics in a number of categories. He helped orchestrate the offense. His court vision and aggressive nature to put pressure on the opposing defense led to some smooth execution. Williams finished scoring 12 points. RJ Leslie led all scorers with 15 points. 

CP3

Sherod McCormick is on track to being one of the best shooters in the Class of 2027. The young guard shot the ball well the entire day. He hit six three-pointers for 20 points. Every time he touched the ball McCormick’s shot looked like it would find the bottom of the net. His performance allows him to open for the floor for the other players on the team. The North Carolina based team, which NBA point guard Chris Paul watching from the stands, has all the makings to win the championship title. 

Bates Fundamentals Red 

Davier White is an active young player. He is causing issues on both ends of the floor. His size has made it difficult for others to defend him. White handles the ball so well with precision vision to help get teammates excellent scoring opportunities. His entire team, however, is focused on locking up the opponents. Lou Lovejoy gets locked in defensively. He is focused on making sure his defender is eliminated form the play. Nate Sydney is a big body guard capable of shooting the ball in rhythm off the bounce. 

Students Before Athletes

This Boston based organization put on a clinic on how to run an opponent off the court. It mixed things up on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. They players worked things around the court and pushed the tempo every time. They walked away with the victory. TJ Allen had an impressive second-half performance scoring a game-high 21 points. He was a tactician at scoring the ball while also playing stifling defense. 

Bates Fundamentals

Marcel Brown stepped up big for Bates Fundamentals. He established himself inside holding off defenders. The defenses attention on him allowed for others to get into the lane.

SC Savage 

Josh Leonard is an impressive player at this age. His ability to handle the ball as a primary ball handler allows the South Carolina team beat any pressure. He can look over the defense and gets any shot in his arsenal. Leonard is a package of versatility for the Savage. He sure will be one of the more talked about players in the Class of 2027. 

Keyon Knowles is a shifty guard who gets things done at the point. He can score in a variety of ways.

Team Thad

Playing fearless is the Memphis way. This is the mindset the players walked onto the court with for its late game. Team Thad never flinched when things got tight. All they did was dig their feet deeper into the defensive end. Thad Young sat courtside and watched how his organization flew all over the floor. Tommy Calicut flexed his size inside for 16 points. Shawn Foster had 11 points and played under control. 

City Rocks

This is a squad that is playing extremely hard on both ends of the floor. They bring physicality and skill to their games. The roster is loaded with length and shooters. One of those guys was Elijah Taylor who shot the ball well in critical moments for the Albany, New York squad. 

E1T1

Harper Baker-Lands had an impressive outing. The wing has a knack for scoring the basketball in chunks. He has a soft touch near the rim and on the perimeter. He can shoot the ball with comfort. Baker-Lands has a great feel for the game. Adam Coates was impressive in the teams second game. He had 10 points in a lopsided win, which included him throwing it down off vertical in the paint.

DNA Elite

Matthew Mena is a rebounding machine. His effort on the glass allowed the NOVA team to maintain its lead. DNA Elite had to work in holding its lead. Mena has a soft touch around the rim and great hands. He finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Recording double-doubles like this will certainly make him an attractive prospect in the future. Another spark for them was Ashton Graves. He made plays going downhill and getting to the rim. His ability to create mismatches against other guards helped him finish with 21 points. 

WeR1 

Will Foulk is a heady player who plays as the extension of the coach on the floor. He never looked to rush and make plays. His poise is impressive. Never once did Foulk looked rattled despite the intensity of the game. This allowed the team to always believe they were always in the game. He ended the game with 15 points. The St. Louis-based team had some depth on its roster. Another major contributor was David Barnes. He dominated the inside with great hands and positioning to finish with a team-high 21 points.  The third member of the trio was Jamel Hawkins. He chipped in with 15 points in a variety of ways.  

Texas Dynasty

The heat in Texas is different. This is not just an environmental thing because the heat is brought onto the hardwood with Texas Dynasty’s defense. These Lone Star state youngster apply pressure every chance the other team has the ball. It does not matter the opponent, teams will be double teamed or their shot will be contested. Tyrone Jamison Jr. was the teams leading scorer in the afternoon session. He was able to catch fire before finishing with 19 points. 

Team Teague

This team had some rough patches through its first two games. However, the final scores of their games does not reflect the heart those players had on the floor. They competed in every possession regardless of the outcome. One of those players was Isaiah Hill. He is long and wiry. Once his length catches up with the skills, Hill will be tough to defend. Lincoln Cosby is another name to watch on this roster. When the two of them are on the floor it is tough to score on them. They have a good inside-outside connection with both players being able to switch.

Shine Hoop Grinders 

Derrick Shine was easily the second best shooter in this age group. The left guard shot the skin off the basketball. He knocked down shots from all over the floor. Every shot looked like it had a chance to go in despite falling short. Shine finished the night with 21 points, including four three-pointers in the second