CUMMING, Ga. — The On The Radar Hoops season is officially underway. While we’re still a few weeks away from the high school events beginning in ernest, we had a great opportunity to see the rookies of the future over the weekend at the first Battleground session of the year. 

From 10U to 14U, a group of talented youth gathered in the Dobb’s Creek Recreation Center. Some of the biggest brands across the southeast competed at a high level and several players established themselves as potential prospects to keep an eye on. 

Throughout the week, our staff is unveiling some of the players that captivated them the most. 

Here are some of the guys who caught my attention: 

Dyami Hardy - CP3 - 2032

Hardy immediately stood out as a defensive prospect. He has good timing as a rim protector and is never out of a play. Even if someone got by him, Hardy had a feel for where they were and recovered to thwart an easy look at the rim. On the other end of the floor, he was a consistent rim scorer for a CP3 team that went undefeated and earned some lopsided victories. 

Gabe Gates - Florida Rebels South - 2030

Gates’ presence on the floor cannot be overstated. He is a big-time boon for a talented Florida Rebels South squad. At this level, few can match Gates’ size. Not only is he tall, he’s also got a stronger frame than pretty much anyone his age and size. When he’s anchoring the paint on defense, opponents have a hard time getting clean looks at the rim. Gates runs the floor well and serves as a reliable lob threat for his guards.  

Gibbs Phillips - Am3n - 2030

Phillips’ name kept popping up throughout the weekend. It’s not difficult to see why he piqued peoples’ interest. He brought a combination of legit size and skill that was unrivaled. Between his ability to hit shots and make impressive passes, Phillips looked like a prospect who we’ll be writing plenty more about on this site for years to come. 

King Abrams - Atlanta Celtics - 2030

On an Atlanta Celtics team with plenty of talent on it, Abrams stood out as one of the most intriguing long-term guys. He’s a versatile piece for this team who can make plays both inside and out. He has a nice blend of size, physicality and skill. He was especially impressive as a slasher. Abrams has a lot of tools that could keep him in the conversation throughout high school.

RJ Jones - Atlanta Cavs - 2034

The youngest player on this list, Jones shined both in 10U and 11U divisions. Quite frankly, players at those levels aren’t typically very coordinated nor savvy. I mean, they’re so young that none of this should even be a conversation, that’s all good. That wasn’t the case for Jones however. He showed a clear understanding of the game, and he showed that he can run a team and score on all levels. 

Sebastian Moreno - Florida Rebels South - 2030

Elsewhere on the Florida Rebels South squad, guard Sebastian Moreno was outstanding. There are players who just move differently. They just have that hoopers’ flow to their game. Moreno is that kind of guy. He plays with pace and poise and uses a good burst of speed to get into the paint to score or make a pass. Moreno also proved to be a reliable outside threat with a clean-looking shot. His game feels more advanced than most middle schoolers’. 

Josh Tec has been covering prep basketball in Georgia and nationally since 2020. He has served myriad roles as a writer and evaluator, including editor-in-chief. Tec has a degree in journalism from Georgia State. Follow his work on X (Twitter) @_joshtec.