Names to know in Georgia’s 2021 class – May 27, 2020

Cameron McDowell made waves during his junior season at McEachern High School. Photo – Ty Freeman

Atlanta, Ga – While the travel season is yet to start, our staff is in anticipation of the season kicking off this summer. We highlight several rising seniors that college coaches should keep tabs on this summer and fall.

RJ Noord – The Heritage-Conyers – (Conyers, Ga) 2021

Noord has a smooth stroke and easily knocks down mid-range jumpers off the catch or dribble. He also is a good three-point shooter when his feet are set. He has a nice floater and can get to the rim where he can draw the foul or finish with touch and body control.Noord has a good basketball IQ and can deliver the ball to an open teammate when he draws a second defender. He is a good straight-line ball handler

JoJo Peterson – Mount Pisgah – (Johns Creek, Ga) 2021

Peterson is a player who will see his stock rise during the evaluation period this summer or fall. At 6-foot-4, He is a big pass first guard that pushes the ball on the break where he is a good open court and lob passer. He has an excellent handle that he uses to get teammates the ball in mostly drive, draw and kick situations. Peterson has the ability to score if needed, connecting on mid-range jumpers or finishing at the rim.

Taihland Owens – Cherokee – (Cherokee, Ga) 2021

During the winter, Owens attracted a lot of attention from many college programs around the country. One of the elite shooters in the country. His shot is crisp with a high release and he gets it off quick. He has a solid frame with deceptive amount of bounce and overall athleticism. He has a high basketball IQ and knows how to move without the ball to get open.

Taihland Owens is a big time shooter who makes shots in bunches and can never be left unchecked anywhere around the perimeter.

Clemson was in last night to see Owens.

?:@Taihland @Trey_Hightower @AtlantaCeltics pic.twitter.com/7ba7lhSBYJ

— Shun Williams (@OntheRadarHoops) December 14, 2019

Andrew McConnell- Lanier – (Suwanee, Ga) 2021

McConnell is near the top of an excellent group of scoring guards coming out of the South. He has steadily improved each and every season and should have an outstanding senior for the Longhorns. McConnell has a strong frame with nice length that can take contact while driving in the paint area and he’s a good athlete. The strength of his game is shooting. He has a very smooth release and his shot is especially deadly in a catch and shoot situation. In addition to his shooting prowess he has improved as a passer and rebounder.

Cameron McDowell – McEachern – (Powder Springs, Ga) 2021

This past season McDowell made waves scoring 30+ points multiple times this season for the Indians. This shooting guard is a deceptive athlete that gets into the paint at will. He has a very solid mid-range game; he understands when to drive to the rim and when to pull up before the bigs can contest his shot. He is a consistent threat from behind the 3-point arc, he showed good shot selection in not forcing many contested shots resulting in a good field goal percentage.

Madison Durr – Pace Academy – (Atlanta, Ga) 2021

This spring Durr picked up offers from Florida Gulf Coast and Siena, Durr is lead guard with terrific size, strength, and length for his position. He sees the court and puts immediate pressuring on the defense by advancing the ball with the pass or the dribble. He can make plays in the quarter court by shaking his man to either side and utilizes his size and athleticism to finish at wide angles away from his body.

Will Richard – Woodward Academy – (Atlanta, Ga) 2021

Richard’s size is a great asset for him because he is often guarded by larger post players that he can take out to the perimeter and go around or shoot open jumpers as they are not used to guarding on the outside. Richard is a solid athlete with a nice long basketball body. He is a very good shooter with range out beyond the three-point stripe. He gets good elevation on his shots and has a nice rotation on the ball and good touch.

Jaylen Jackson – Greenforest – (Decatur, Ga) 2021

In the past two weeks Jackson has picked up offers from North Carolina A&T and Old Dominion. Jacksonexcels in transition by running the floor and finishing ahead of the pack. He is a very good athlete that scores on slashes to the rim and offensive rebound put backs. He plays with high energy and is aggressive to make scoring plays. He is a good passer and has good defensive anticipation in the passing lanes that aids him in getting steals where he is a threat to go coast to coast.

Miles Kelly – Parkview – (Lilburn, Ga) 2021

Kelly is a shooting guard that can knock down open threes off the catch or dribble and also has a very dangerous mid-range pull up. He has a nice-looking stroke and is very confident in his ability to make open shots and pull ups over defenders. Kelly does a good job of running the wing on the break, coming off screen and spacing to the open area on dribble penetration where he is shot ready on the catch.