4A Summer Stock Risers – Do-It-Alls

ATLANTA, GA – With the travel season behind us 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).

“Do-It-Alls” covers guys who play multiple spots and seem all over the floor impacting the game, equally impactful and dangerous, and who may not get the pub they deserve.

By: Keith Agran

Bryce Bracco | 6-0 | CG | East Forsyth | 2023 (BCB)

East is still a new program getting its footing in 4A but at the core from its inception has been Bracco, son of Coach Scott Bracco Bryce has steadily turned himself into a true combo guard by always being ready to assume the role needed and putting in the work at both spots, has a plenty tight enough handle to be your point man as he has done with both the Broncos and BCB where he gets top-notch work in both organizations, where he really has made his rep is as a knockdown shooter from range and that high efficiency production from the perimeter is what can separate him over the long haul, increasing in confidence each year and now poised for a big senior season.

Ernesto Almonte | 6-5 | CG | Trinity Christian | 2024 (Atlanta All-Stars)

The term do-it-all suits Almonte as well as anyone who will fit into this category in any classification, seriously intrigued during TCS’s season last winter and then went out and had a big spring and summer with the All-Stars, as a big PG he presents all kinds of matchup problems both with size, length and variety off the bounce, playing on the wing he can play above the rim or use that same variety to attack gaps to the basket or find the mid-range pull-up, with all that length and good speed he possesses defensive versatility out the door and is a name on the rise from the south side for sure.

Will Hopkins | 6-5 | CG | Holy Innocents’ | 2024 (Team Dickerson)

A lot like Almonte in the do-it-all aspects of his game as he can play both guard spots with equal aplomb and at 6-5 get inside and mix it up on the interior when needed, has a D1 package of skills that is attracting serious attention from that level, love the floor general style he has with the ball where he commands the action either as a scoring point or a willing pass-first guy, versatile defender again like Almonte with length and plenty of wheels to cover smaller PG’s, you look and you see he just gets it as basketball player and that is not something you can teach.

Mason Lewis | 6-4 | CG/SF | Woodland-Stockbridge | 2024 (AE5)

Serious under the radar guy in the 2024 class playing on the south side of ATL, this is a kid were he hypothetically at a high-profile program like McEachern or Grayson would with his skillset be seeing a lot more love from evaluators that so many worthy south side kids miss out on, I was fortunate to see him last MLK Day and he hasn’t disappointed since, plays with the look and feel of a forward but with guard skills that he uses in the quickness department against bigger players, great looking jump shot and he can take lockdown smaller guards off the bounce with a handle that can sub for your PG as well if he’s in foul trouble, stick him anywhere and he will produce.

Amon McDowell | 6-3 | CG | McDonough | 2024 (EYA Sports)

So easy to find things to like about so many guys off the WarHawks roster it’s time to give McDowell his due in this category, another combo guard who can help you at the next level in multiple categories as his on-ball defense is top shelf, he can get searing hot from 3-land, he’s got a frame built for contact near the basket, and he can take over the ballhandling and be a top distributor, for a stacked EYA bunch that included many of his McD teammates he regularly stood out to our crew as a stat sheet stuffer, great intensity and energy on the floor always.

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.