The 2029 class is largely a mystery to most who don’t specialize in middle school coverage. Players that young don’t get a ton of run at the high school level, so impressions are limited to camps for underclassmen or viewings across various fall platforms. 

As an exercise to familiarize myself with the class, and shed some light on players who have performed well in live viewings or on film, here are some of the freshmen to know in Georgia: 

Tristan Alusma, North Gwinnett: Alusma is already developing a reputation around the state. Prior to seeing him play, rumblings of his shotmaking had made their way around town. He more than lived up to that. Alusma can absolutely light it up from deep. It’ll be fun to see more depth to his game with more viewings. He made a good first impression though. 

Tristan Edwards, Wilson Academy: Edwards has the look of a national prospect. 6-foot-8 or so with athleticism and natural fluidity, he moves differently than most his age. Edwards’ athleticism is his calling card, but he’s shown touch on his jumper too. His twitter says Huntington Prep, so if he transferred already, my bad. You understand how fluid these things are. 

Caiden Hudson, Mt. Bethel: Hudson is one of the most projectable prospects in Georgia’s 2029 class. He’s 6-foot-6 with heaps of athleticism. That’s been enough to put him on high-major radars. Hudson has a level of skill that is both currently productive while still being developable. He can handle the ball, make passes, and he can hit a shot. All of the aforementioned will get better over time too, but he’s in a good spot as it is. It’ll be exciting to see where he’s at a year from now.

Symeon Watson, Jonesboro: Watson is an interesting prospect. At around 6-foot-7, he’s very lean with plus length. Certainly a frame to grow into. That’s enough to generate intrigue at this stage. But, Watson isn’t just limited to advanced physical traits to develop. He’s got skill in his game too. Watson can do things like put the ball on the floor and pass it, but he can also get it going from 3-point range. As he gets stronger and fills out more, he could develop into a nice prospect. 

Brayden Wise, North Oconee: Along with Austin Leonard, Wise has been the most productive freshman in the state. His game is akin to how his brother Justin’s was at the same stage. The comparison will be worn out soon enough, but it’s an efficient way to paint the picture for now. Wise is already as good of a shooter as there is in the state, and he’s an adept handler who can make plays going toward the basket. Based on what he’s shown so far, a similar trajectory to the elder Wise brother doesn’t seem farfetched. That’s high praise. 

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.