6A Summer Stock Risers – Workers

ATLANTA, GA – As the summer travel season comes to a close with OTR having put on a monster spring and summer buffet across the region, attracting teams and players from as far as the West Coast, the Dakotas, Texas and the Midwest to name just a few, and along the way performing our core task of helping to set the table for hundreds of prospects to perhaps see their college basketball dreams come true.

Back to life on the local Georgia hardwoods with Fall Leagues soon to heat up, we take some time to look at Stock-Risers from the new Region alignments in a multitude of categories, and how they might impact those state tournament races (travel team in parentheses).

“Workers” encompasses a broad spectrum of talent and contributions, glue guys, high effort guys, and who may not get the pub they deserve.

by: Keith Agran

Devon Rainey | 6-3 | SG | Jonesboro | 2023 (AE5)

May be headed to Miami (OH) for football but makes a big impact on the hardwoods as well using that A+ defensive back athleticism as a slashing high-flying force, impressed in June at LakePoint with his Cardinal mates as this JHS team has a chance to be a real problem in 6A and it wouldn’t be at all shocking to see Rainey leading the way with his workmanlike production.

Garrett Ledford | 6-4 | SF | Marist | 2023 (Team Harpring)

The entirety of Team Harpring made waves this spring and summer as under the leadership of former Georgia Tech and NBA star Matt Harpring they quickly established themselves as an organization to deal with, with nearly the entire Marist starting lineup in there mixing it up was Ledford with an effort level that is go-go-go at 110% and a skillset that can be really effective at the next level with attractive parts of mid-range shooting together with hard-work in closer.

Mason Etter | 6-5 | SF | Etowah | 2023 (Atlanta All-Stars)

The term worker doesn’t suit anyone better in any classification or Region better than it does Etter, for 4 seasons now he’s made an impression in this category to go with a skillset that was evident in 2020 as a freshman starter and has grown to where now he’s as indispensable a force for his Eagles team as you can find anywhere in the 2023 class, will be a dynamite college player as his multi-level and old-school efficient offensive abilities often get overlooked for how he stuffs the stat sheet in so many other categories.

Markel Freeman | 6-4 | CG | Grovetown | 2023 (Team Dickerson)

Even before the Warriors’ incredible run to the 6A title last winter Freeman seemingly was always present in multiple ways on the stat sheet but emerged from team victories perhaps not as ballyhooed as some of his teammates, this has been puzzling to me as even with fellow 2023 Malik Ferguson recently committed to Georgia State it’s a mystery why more attention hasn’t been paid to Freeman and his physical brand of versatility, sets up as an absolute steal with D1 ability of sure for the program that is smart enough to get in while there’s still time.

Jayce Nathaniel | 6-8 | PF | Lanier | 2024 (Game Elite)

I grappled with where I wanted to place the obviously gifted Nathaniel in my category list but settled with Workers because of how hard he goes at both ends, the talent is high level as evidenced by Georgia State and Appalachian State joining Kennesaw St with offers back in June, the improvement of his face-up jump shooting has been massive to go with a great body for the next level, poised with his Longhorn mates for a big season.

 

Keith Agran has lived in Georgia since 2011 and joined OTR as a National Evaluator in 2021. He previously scouted for Prep Hoops dating back to 2019 and has both a championship-coaching background on the HS-level and daily newspaper writing experience, both from New Jersey. You can reach him at keithagran1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @BracketSage.