Peach State Explosion Middle School Standouts
Buford, GA – Peach State Explosion at Seckinger High School (GA) had quite a few young hoopers to leave their mark.
Christian Van Dorn – Game Elite 2030 (GA) 6’3” SG – Van Dorn was the best pure scorer in the 8th grade division. There wasn’t a defender that could contain him in man to man defenses. He can shoot the ball from deep, has excellent footwork from the mid-post and has a good handle on the ball. Didn’t appear to be bothered by pressure defense and longer defenders also didn’t have much impact. He’s just wired to score. Remember the name.
Jace Woodall – B3 Academy 2030 (GA) – 5’6” PG – crafty floor general that can get to the basket. Really good slasher and a solid finisher around the rim. Can make shots from the perimeter and has good feel as a pick and roll imitator. Looks primed for a growth spurt. As his body matures in time, don’t be surprised to see him producing at a high level in high school. Thoroughly enjoyed watching him play.
Peyton Yates – Tre Mann Elite 850 2030 (FL) 6’6” PF – Excellent athlete that has great size for an 8th grader. Controlled the glass in each matchup and gets out quickly in transition. Made his mark as a creator from the mid-post with quick sweep and go attacks. Could envision his name gaining some traction as he improves across the board.
Aiden Harris – Tre Mann Elite 850 (FL) 2031 – 6’2” SF – Aiden is quite a prospect. Has excellent length, athleticism and intangibles as young player. Moves well on the court and makes plays that not many his age can make athletically. Has an excellent motor. Offensively, he’s at his best as a faceup player that is really good at attacking the basket. Was impressed with his ability to play through contact and his willingness to get physical.
Drayke Sharp – AAG 2032 (TN) 5’0” PG – Sharp proved to be arguably the best defender in attendance at the middle school level. He was able to shut down his entire side of the floor with his grit, determination and exceptionally quick feet. Didn’t commit many fouls, but made life miserable for his opponents. Offensively, despite his size, he was able to create comfortably for himself and for his teammates. Tremendous court vision. True point guard prospect that will produce at a high level for years to come as long as he keeps adding to his game.
Lando Dukes – Tre Mann Elite 850 (GL) 2031 6’4” SF – Dukes is another prospect from the Tre Mann Elite program that made his mark with his athleticism, size and skill. Imposed his will around the basket with quick counter moves and second chance opportunites. Don’t remember a sequence where he gave up on a play. Can be a great long term prospect if he continues to sharpen his wing skills and shooting touch.
Cayden Jones – Lesson Learned Elite (GA) 2030 5’6” PG – Jones was quietly one of the best floor generals in the 8th grade division. He racked up an impressive amount of assists simply from breaking defenses down and finding open players once he got into the paint. He also kept defenses honest with his shot and with his shot creation.
Domonic Dees – NGF Supreme 2031 (GA) 5’11” PG – Dees had a breakout weekend for his NGF Supreme team. Lightning fast! Has great speed in the open court and has the rare ability to switch up his speed while changing directions. Will be extremely tough to guard as he gets older, stronger and faster. Good shooting touch and court vision as well.
Justin Graham – USBC 2032 5’6” PG
– 6th grader Justin Graham was probably the most confident player I was able to scout over the weekend. There isn’t a shot from any spot on the court that he can’t make. He’s consistently in attack mode, finishes well around the basket and is absolutely deadly from long range. It was easy to forget that he was a 6th grader playing up.
Griffin Georges – FEA 2030 (GA) 6’2” SG – Georges made an impact with his constant movement, shot making and finishing around the basket. He played on the wing when needed and also showed the strength and toughness to play at times in the post. Has long arms and is a solid defender while guarding multiple positions.
Kade Morris – Young Buckets 2033 (GA) 5’8” SF – Morris has a ton of potential long term. Comes from a basketball family. Has excellent basketball IQ for a player his age. He created for himself off the dribble with a huge variety of moves. Hard to contain with one defender. Shoots the ball over the top of smaller players and can dominate in the post. If his height and athleticism catch up with his feel and skill for the game in the coming years, he could be an incredible inside-outside perimeter threat.
Asher Thomas – USBC 2031 (GA) 5’6” PG – Thomas has great court vision and good end to end speed at the lead guard position. In addition to his vision, he doesn’t dwell long on sequences. Moves on from play to play and gets better with every match. Scores it well in a high paced game and can create fro himself in half-court settings.
Christopher Lowe II – Tre Mann Elite 2033 (GA) – 5’4” PG – Lowe quickly established himself as arguable the top young player and prospect in this division. Despite being so young, he’s already an impressive athlete that has a natural feel for the game at the point guard position. He saw what the defenses were bringing to him before the plays developed. Broke several traps by himself and made shots from multiple spots on the floor while keeping his teammates involved with the offense. Has the potential long term to be a high level player on both ends of the floor.
Kenyon Holmes – AAG 2033 (TN) 4’10” PG – Holmes may be small, but he was the best pure point guard on the floor in the majority of his matchups. It’s obvious he’s been around basketball probably since birth. He has an incredible IQ and a next level skill level with the ball. You can’t leave him open, as he’ll bury teams with his outside shooting. You also can’t let him be comfortable with the ball, because he’ll pick a defense apart with his passing.