Shaquan’s Prime Performers (ATL HOOPFEST – 2028)

Tayson Blunt | Georgia Stars | 5’7″

Blunt was a quiet assassin for the Georgia Stars. Quietly dropping buckets in a variety of ways. Blunt knocked down both spot up and off the dribble jump shots, put the ball on the floor to get all the way to the basket for easy finishes and he showed off his floater game from a few different areas. His feel for the game seems to come naturally and you could really tell he spends a ton of time on his craft. He didn’t force any jump shots and took all high quality attempts. Defensively, Blunt was a great complimentary piece to his backcourt teammate Briggs. Their pressure was relentless and caused a ton of problems for their opponents. 

Keshawn Briggs| Georgia Stars | 5’5″

Briggs is a good guard to have for the Georgia Stars with his high IQ that he possess at the point guard position. He gets the ball ahead to his teammates running the floor and knows how to run an offense. Briggs has a very shifty handle that he used to attack defenders and keep them on their heels all game long. He got to the cup whenever he wanted to and knocked down shots well off the bounce. Defensively, Briggs racked up on steals left and right just by being in the right spots or staying in front of the ball. His awareness made him tough to get by. 

Trace Armstrong | Georgia Stars | 5’8″

Armstrong was the beginning success to his team’s early victory on Saturday morning at the ATL HoopFest. He made some strong drives to the basket against GA Apex giving them all they could handle. Armstrong has a nonstop motor that’s kind of like an extra gear for him as he keeps on attacking defenders. Armstrong also showed off his outside shooting touch when he was on the wings receiving passes from his teammates. His strong driving attacks also opened up the floor for his guards to knock down open shots and his bigs to finish around the basket. Armstrong has the potential to be really special. 

Landon Buffin | Game Elite | 5’9″

Buffin has some really good defensive instincts that he displayed against Promise Elite early on. The guard picked off 5 totals steals in the first quarter alone just by being the spy guy in his team’s full court press. A press that helped his team get a 27-12 lead early on. Buffin had 10 of those 27 first quarter points. It’s not easy getting 5 steals but Buffin managed to reach the double digit category for the game totaling 11. Initially, I thought Buffin was dealing with foul trouble but it was cramps that had him out of a game that was missing his presence as Promise Elite started a run of their own. A run that couldn’t be stopped after awhile. Buffin ended the game with a team high 22pts despite cramping. His ability to get to the cup and finish in traffic was missing during the run Promise Elite was on. He was a true game changer. 

King Fuller | Game Elite | 6’2″

Fuller is a strong forward that imposed his will against smaller or thinner defenders inside. The lefty attacked the basket strong every time and finished well in traffic or through contact. Having the size advantage made it tough at time when driving lanes closed up on him but he didn’t rely on scoring off the bounce or being fed by his guards so he dominated the boards. He provided second chance opportunities for his team and knew when and when not to go back up for finishes inside. Defensively, Fuller did an outstanding job as his team’s main rim protector. Not really blocking shots but making things tough inside is what he did just by contesting. He made sure to leave it all on the court despite falling short. 

Kamari Trotter | Promise Elite | 5’10″

Trotter was a start to why the ATL Hoop Fest was the place to be. Being down by as many as 20pts in the game didn’t slow Trotter down as he believed the entire time his team could come back and win. Trotter went off for 12pts in the 2nd quarter alone to get his team within 8pts at halftime. He did a good job of getting to the basket in a half court setting, being strong with the ball to get to the foul line, and he was proficient from three. Trotter was also the primary factor in his team’s press that caused problems for Game Elite. He ended up finishing the game with 31pts and 5+ rebounds to help his team complete a comeback victory and he was recognized as the most outstanding player of the game. 

Cameron Hurst | Promise Elite | 6’0″

Hurst is a lanky forward that was able to sneak in his meaningful rebounds and buckets whenever his team needed him to. He rebounded the ball at a really high level making sure no one could stop him from getting to the ball first. He finished well at the rim and made it tough for guys to block his shot. Hurst’s ball handling skills isn’t his best skill but he showed his ability to put the ball on the floor to create for himself and others at times. Defensively, Hurst did a good job of being a paint presence making everything tough for Game Elite inside during the second which is where Promise Elite was in full control. Hurst finished the game with 16pts and a number of rebounds to back up Trotter and Ogbara. 

Kayden Ogbara | Promise Elite | 5’10″

Ogbara is the type of player that can be put on any team and he’ll make a difference with his outstanding leaping ability to snatch down both offensive and defensive rebounds. Without exaggeration, Ogbara easily had 20 or more rebounds in the game to go along with a strong 14pts that was all needed while making a comeback. He’s very quick when getting off of his feet and he has a quick second hop as well just in case he miss his initial shot he’s able to get another chance. His overall offensive game wasn’t on display but his hustle and nonstop motor to win the rebounding battles were and that resulted in his Promise Elite squad taking home the championship honors.