BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — On The Radar’s tour to announce the travel ball season opening took the team to Alabama for the Birmingham Classic. The weekend provided a first impression for what teams and players could emerge as trending topics this spring. Several lead guards used Saturday and Sunday to announce themselves as such:

CJ Crumpler - Promise Elite - 2028 

In the past, Crumpler has shined as a scoring guard who can put points on the board in a hurry. He can still do that, but on Sunday, it was his passing that shined for Promise Elite. On multiple occasions, Crumpler threaded the ball through tight spaces to get teammates open, and he kept the ball moving and found opportunities for his team to score. Yeah, he did some scoring himself, but his game looks to be adding depth to it if he can keep dishing out passes like he did in that viewing. 

Kam Thomas - Warner Robins Allstars - 2028

WR Allstars always seem to have good guards come through the program, and they have another one in Kam Thomas for the next two seasons. Playing up in 17U, Thomas fit in well. He’s a quick guard with the ability to score from multiple levels. Thomas doesn’t shy away from clutch moments either. In a down-to-the-wire game, Thomas stepped up and hit a game-deciding 3-pointer with less than a minute left on the clock. 

Kingston Allen - Everything Earned Elite - 2029 

A bigger guard, Allen has the ball in his hands often for Everything Earned Elite. When he was at his best, he was drilling shots from deep. Allen is a serious threat from three with the size to shoot over people at this level as well as a smooth-looking shot. Allen also flexed good feel as a passer with nice finds. He’s a young prospect from outside the Atlanta metro to keep an eye on for the next couple of years. 

Liam McTeer - Atlanta Standard - 2029

McTeer had a breakout day on Saturday leading Atlanta Standard’s 15U squad to an undefeated day and weekend. Averaging around 20-points per game on Saturday—give or take a bucket or two—McTeer was one of the most productive players of the day. A strong driver at the lead guard spot, McTeer did most of his damage at the rim. He has a good burst of speed to get him going downhill. He showed his ability to step out and hit from beyond the arc consistently. McTeer controlled Atlanta Standard’s offense well, handling pressure, asserting himself as a scorer, and using his gravity to open things up for guys around him. 

Nigel Broome - Georgia Canes - 2027

Broome looks like he’s poised to have the kind of season that’ll see him in plenty of articles like this throughout the spring and summer. Leading the Canes in the backcourt, Broome is a scorer who can get to the rim and play through contact, or he can pull from deep and knock down shots. While Broome can fill it up, he also showed that he can get the ball to his teammates and set them up with good looks whether in transition or in the half court. 

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.