Khalil Sylla – Smyrna Stars – Hillgrove - 2026
Khalil was shot out of a cannon in the Stars’ 54-46 win over the Southern Stars on Saturday morning. The spindly playmaker recorded 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. Khalil’s energy was infectious at the 8 AM hour, making things happen with his speed and attacking nature. Sylla slithered his way to the rim with a swift first step. His speed was so effective that straight-line drives were enough to turn defenders’ hips. Aside from his penetrating probes, Sylla found his points with pull-up jumpers and three-pointers. Khalil’s court vision shined in transition, dropping dimes to streaking teammates.  

AJ Cox – Smyrna Stars – Clarke Central - 2027
AJ passes the eye-test with his lean length and strength. He posted 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks in a win. Cox’s production came primarily on garbage points and hustle plays. He converted on three putbacks and ran the floor for another hoop. Cox showed some ball skills with an And-1 drive from the wing. At the line, AJ shot 4-5. His activity level on the offensive glass helped earn multiple chances. He still has room to grow with a go-to post move, but Cox is steadily improving with his best ball ahead of him in college. A strong senior season should firmly pin him on recruiting boards. 

Kip Redo – Southern Stars – Chamblee - 2026
The All-Region selection exploded for 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in an eight-point loss. Redo thrived as an off-ball scoring threat, making things happen on the catch. He buried three corner threes, netted a pair of mid-range jumpers and had success getting to the rim in transition. Kip has quality size and athleticism on the perimeter. He’s a sneaky good guard that could catch some eyes as an unsigned senior. 

Akiryon Watkins – Hoop Dreams Athletics – Bulloch Academy - 2027
I absolutely loved the motor of AK Watkins. The GIAA product was unstoppable in the paint in a 50-44 win over the Georgia Vipers. Standing around 6-foot-4 on a good day, Watkins is a ball magnet that relentlessly pursues rebounds. Akiryon is bouncy with soft hands, vacuuming up caroms around his area. On offense, if he isn’t getting the ball off the backboard, he’s posting up where he likes to drop-step and elevate into and over defenders to finish. Watkins poured in 22 points, 20 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, continuing his interior dominance after averaging 20.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3 steals and 1.8 blocks at Bulloch Academy. 

Brayden Lee – Georgia Vipers – Flowery Branch - 2027
Smooth operator along the perimeter went for 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks in a loss to Hoop Dreams Athletics. Lee cashed in on three mid-range jumpers, one coming off the bounce on a pull-up. Brayden has tight handles, able to go behind the back with ease against pressure. Once he got past defenders, he managed to drop off behind the back assists for layups. While his offense was noteworthy, I appreciated his effort on defense. He competed well as an on-ball defender and brought physicality to the backcourt. 

King Araujo – Game Elite – Holy Innocents’ - 2029
The wiry playmaker drilled a pull-up bank three with 20 seconds left to lift Game Elite past Redline 45-42. King finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal as he cashed in on three long balls. Araujo was elusive with the ball throughout, shaking defenders to get to his spots along the mid-range. His two-way upside has him already on D-I radars as his lengthy wingspan is disruptive. As he adds muscle, expect King to become even more impactful as downhill finisher through contact. 

Page Getter – Redline UA Rise – St. Andrew’s - 2028
Getter continues to make a name for himself outside of the 912. The polished off-guard is a knockdown shooter with more than just one dimension to his game. Page shows toughness on both ends. He is a competitive on-ball defender, using his physicality to help force turnovers. He uses that same strength to power through defenders on drives to the rim. Page posted 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists against Game Elite, hitting a pair of threes.

Armond Smith – Sewer South OTR – Salem - 2027
A jitterbug quick point guard that enjoyed a breakout season, Smith was a catalyst for Sewer South, penetrating by turning corners. The playmaker gets to his floater in traffic and is able to squeeze in assists whether finding rollers out of high ball screens or dumping off to bigs sitting in the dunker spot. Smith drew special attention in a one-point loss to Game Elite as they were forced to try and corral him with traps and extended pressure. Armond has serious momentum heading into the summer and is quickly emerging as one of the better guards in the state that is on the verge of becoming a household name.