BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — On The Radar is kicking off the travel season across the south. This weekend’s stop on the OTR tour has the gang in Alabama for the annual Birmingham Classic. 

The marathon that is an AAU Saturday saw impressive performances from morning to evening. 

While splitting time between courts two and three, here are some of the day’s storylines:

Canes look like contenders

To the surprise of…no one, the Georgia Canes look like contenders to win the OTR Circuit. A win on Saturday showed that they have all of the pieces to continue the high level of success that their brand is associated with. 

Starting with their backcourt, Nigel Broome, Stone Richards, Aidan Lugo-Cannon and Kannon Hawes combined for 10-made 3-pointers. They have multiple guys who can hit shots and get points on the board. 

On the wing, Peyton Moore has a 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 frame with long arms. He’s got all of the makings of the kind of multi-positional defender that the Canes always seem to have. 

Down low, they have size with 6-foot-9 Zech Preston who rebounded everything in his area, and 6-foot-8 Tremayne Johnson who played bully ball around the basket. 

The pieces are all there to compete with the best on the OTR Circuit. 

Liam McTeer’s breakout day

2029 guard Liam McTeer had a pair of high-scoring outputs in two wins with Atlanta Standard. 

McTeer is a lead guard with a good burst of speed to get downhill and finish, but he also showed that he can step out and hit the three with consistency. 

Aside from averaging 20-plus points for the day, McTeer handled pressure well, and used his gravity as a scorer to create and distribute for open teammates. 

TGE 17U opens with a bang

There was no morning malaise within the TGE 17U squad when they kicked off their day with a 34-point win. 

The trio of Jake Cloud, Grant Smith and Kaden Cantrell combined for over 40 points. 

Cloud gave TGE early separation with his early scoring flurry. He’s got a smooth shot and can do plenty of damage from beyond the arc. 

Smith anchored paint at times while showing his versatility and stepping out to do his part on the perimeter. 

Cantrell showed a similar scoring punch as Cloud. He also flexed tremendous feel as a passer. He knew where his guys were and found them. 

Jarvis Watts does a little bit of everything

2028 wing Jarvis Watts put together a complete game for Fusion Academy early in the day. 

His production started when he used his slashing ability to get to the basket and power through contact. That turned into him driving and kicking to teammates as well. 

He used his 6-foot-6 size and plus length to his team’s advantage on the glass and as a defender. Watts blocked several shots and stifled guards on the perimeter. 

He looks like a player who’ll have plenty of college suitors vying for his services in the future. 

More quick hitters

2029 guard Kingston Allen announced himself as a name to know for Everything Earned Elite. The 6-foot-4 guard has good size on the perimeter and shoots it well with range. Keep an eye on him in the 15U division of the OTR Circuit. 

2029 wing Ayden Henderson shined in two games with SMB. A big, strong, athletic wing, Henderson pressured defenses with his pursuit of the rim and drew his fair share of fouls. He rose up for a highlight dunk in their second game, and in both, he showed that he can hit a shot from deep.

2029 guard Lathan Lucas was a controlled blur for Elite Backcourt. He got down the court fast with the ball but showed good body control to get shots at the rim to drop. 

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.