Grayson’s New Year Classic notebook

Grayson’s New Year Classic notebook

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

Loganville, GA – Happy New Year!

Grayson High hosted its annual New Year Classic showcase. This is an event some of the best teams in the state want to participate in because of the atmosphere and to competition on the floor. There were 18 teams, nine games, who leave this event gearing up for region play that starts this week.

Here are some players who made the New Year Classic their personal launching pad for exposure.

Mansur McClain made Grayson’s home court his own shooting gallery. The 6-foot-6 wing joined the Wheeler High basketball program in September. While he has played in a number of games for the Wildcats, Saturday was when everyone really learned the young mans name. He got into scoring rhythm and never stopped. His shots were coming from all over the floor finishing the night with 31 points on 7-for-9 shooting from 3-point range in a win over Greenforest. He even threw it down sending everyone into a frenzy. The unsigned senior’s performance is nothing new. This California native helped lead to a 20-8 overall record, which included undefeated in conference. He does not have any college programs who have expressed much interest in him. This should change after this performance.

Eric Chatfield Jr had a stellar performance. The Georgia Tech signee finished with 26 points, hitting six three-pointers, putting pressure on the South Gwinnett High defense. Chatfield ran the offense and put passes on the dime to a number of teammates. His game will carry the Knights a long way throughout region play. Chandler Bing, who finished with 18 points, was the recipient of many of those passes. The 6-foot-7 unsigned senior was out on the break for a few dunks. His game is still developing and will attract college programs after de-committing from Texas State.

Kiwanne Garris Jr stepped in being for the host school Grayson. The Cal State Fullerton signee was the only Rams player in double figures, 14 points. He helped fill in the scoring shoes of Caleb Holt, who was out with the flu. Garris used his size and strength to lean into McEachern’s stifling defense. He navigated through their pressure for some buckets. Amir Taylor was steady on both ends of the floor for Grayson. The Kennesaw State signee manned the middle and delivered some timely and kept the Indians off balance whenever possible. Grayson, who survived a 60-59 region win over Archer the night before, is still the best team in the state regardless of class. The Rams have not lost to a team from Georgia since March 3, 2023.

Jayden Bynes was one of the shining lights for McEachern. The unsigned senior forward finished with six points. He was dealing with plenty of attention against an active Grayson squad. Christian Curl had a team-high eight points. This 6-foot senior nailed some tough shots in traffic and from the perimeter. These two guys are the glue that keeps the Indians offense going. McEachern just got back the services of JD Palm, who has not played for a long time due to health issues. The 6-foot-10 power forward has been cleared to play by doctors. He made his presence felt on the defensive end manning the interior and rebounding. Statistical numbers don’t matter because he has his health trending in the right direction.

Kam Sanders had a strong showing for Lee County. The Air Force signee had 16 points in defeat to Peachtree Ridge. His game was fluid to watch hitting contested jumpers. He is a big guard who will continue to cause problems to opponents in region play. Braden Moore will help give the Trojans the boost its needs down the stretch. Matthew Hardwick is a 6-foot-5 post player who carves out space and has had a solid season for the Trojans. This senior trio is setting up a solid example to sophomore Josiah Franklin, who will be the next prospect out of the Albany area.

Malik Rideout is having a productive first-year at Peachtree Ridge. The junior point guard has a good knack for scoring the ball. He finished with 15 points. He is shifty and is good at finding others. One of his favorite targets was Gideon Kamuelyu. The 6-foot-5 junior forward was a monster inside on the offensive end. He was efficient on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds. His performance was dominating and will help move his stock rise going into the spring. Jacob Pittman came off the bench for 12 points. The junior guard was electric shooting the ball and elevating above the rim. He is a small guard with some bounce and plenty of quickness. Peachtree Ridge is putting it together in order to make a run in the postseason.

Jason Wellborn is an exceptional competitor for Decatur. He is a guard with a good motor who knows how to score. The junior guard was productive going downhill and scoring at a high clip. He went to the free throw line regularly because of his aggression finishing with 18 points. However, the names many need to know are Isaiah Wright and Isaiah Gordon. Wright is a 6-foot-7 sophomore with good hands growing into the position. His offensive game around the rim is coming along. Gordon, a freshman, comes off the bench with his 6-foot-7 frame to provide rim protection. Look for these two to grow under the coaching and tutelage of Bulldogs coach Rory Welsh.

Christian Braxton showed the ability to make shots when needed the most. The senior guard knocked down shots with efficiency from the middle third of the floor. His shooting helped Berkmar push ahead in the second-half to reach the .500 mark for the Patriots. Braxton, who finished with 22 points – 20 of which were in the second-half, has a strong chance to help his stock rise in the spring when more programs are looking for a tough guard who hits shots. Yousef Othman is a New York native still making his way in the Peach State. The 6-foot-3 guard is a defensive menace as an excellent on ball defender. He is a strong finisher in attacking the basket finishing with 18 points. A major contributor for the Patriots was 6-foot-6 forward Zae’quan Jackson. The junior battled inside and showed he is technical around the basket for nine points. His time on the floor will increase through region play based on the performance seen on Saturday.

Micah Goodlow showed plenty of promise with Alexander. The 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard handled the ball and pressure against Pebblebrook. He played with poise while running the Cougars offense finishing with 15 points. Senior Chris Hutchinson and Marquise Leslie, a sophomore, chipped in with 12 points apiece in the win. Hutchinson battled inside and helped ground the Falcons interior. Leslie showed the ability to play in the mid-level of the floor.

Jaylen Humphrey is a 6-foot-3 junior guard had a solid offensive performance. He led the Falcons with 19 points. The lefty scored most of his points within in the mid-range or getting to the basket. He did nail a few jumpers from deep. His production is going to be valuable to the Falcons success.

Dream Rashad is impressive with his 6-foot-6 frame. This two-sport junior shoots the ball well from the three point line. He battles inside and remains poised, which is essential for a young man who is the quarterback of Mountain View’s football program. He finished with 11 points. It was timely and effective. Bennett Dooley has played hard all year for the Bears. Dooley nailed three 3-pointers on the road to a 16 points performance. Another impressive outing was from Micah McMorris. The 6-foot-3 junior showed off the ability to see the floor while dropping off a number of nifty passes. He is a good defender and disrupted so many passes.

O’Davion Thompson was productive around the rim. At 6-foot-8, the junior forward has a nice touch. He moves like a gazelle in the open floor for Central Gwinnett. His presence in the paint is essential as the Black Knights begin carving out space in region play. Unsigned senior Izaiah Keever-Smith came off the bench shooting 4-for-8 from he field. His spark off was needed to help keep the Black Knights in the game.