DT Academy – Weekend Can’t Miss Guys

NORCROSS, GA – The Pack Brothers and their Double Trouble organization held their three-day DT Academy for HS-ages this past weekend at Norcross HS, and there was a ton of big-name talent in the building.

The big names performed well, I tried as I often do to dig a little deeper and pull some names out who you might not know or who are set to make big jumps in their recruitment. I was able to take in Friday’s drill session and portions of Sunday’s mixed drill and live-play action. I tweeted about still more guys, but here are 8 can’t-miss players from a truly stacked grouping:

By: Keith Agran

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, 6-2, CG, Real Salt Lake Academy (UT), 2023

The Indiana-native is prepping in Utah and immediately popped out during drills, he’s got a great-looking jump shot that soars and cuts the net, in 3 on 3 drill work he was unstoppable and took much of that into gameplay Sunday where he was able to take anyone there off the bounce (and there were some serious defenders in the gym) and was tremendous out in the open floor, can play it smooth or get off the deck in a hurry around the basket, holds Indiana and Purdue offers from his home state and that list is going to expand rapidly.

Samarion Bond, 6-5, SG/SF, Norcross, 2023 (pictured above)

Gibbs -Lawhorn may have taken home the All-Star Game MVP but in my time in the gym no one impressed me more overall than Bond, he’s flanked on all sides at Norcross by high-major recruits with the likes of London Johnson, Jahki Howard, Jerry Deng and more sharing the hallways, Howard was as expected terrific this weekend (as was 2023 Norcross guard Mier Panoam) but Bond with a body like his, with a motor like his, with the enthusiasm he plays with and the burgeoning all-court game he has been developing he is a must-see package for coaches traveling Gwinnett, he’s added significant range on his jump shot (confirmed by several players I spoke with trying to guard him), can guard the entire floor which isn’t hyperbole, and the work around the rim with both hands and a linebacker’s build is downright unfair, set to explode.

Arrinten Page, 6-8, PF/SF, Wheeler, 2023

The Wildcats frontline options are frightening and my first extended look at Page makes things look even scarier for visitors to Holt Rd, there was plenty to like around the basket with his college-ready frame tossing folks aside, but out in the open floor he showed a polished and comfortable handle in space running the break or utilizing openings for himself, sees the game well and is a superb passer in both a forward and big guard role, a fascinating looking athlete with all kinds of possibilities for his future.

Austin Montgomery, 6-5, SG, Hoover (AL), 2022

Long and sleek he combined that extra advantage with a jumper that found bottom an awful lot in both drills and live play, one of those big wing types who is a beast on the break, can cut through traffic with his long strides and can finish with authority with a frame built for the next level, that length gives him excellent defensive versatility as well, I saw a ton of good Alabama players this spring and summer so it was no surprise to have another one in a field this good.

Trevon Coleman, 6-0, SG, Ridge Community (FL), 2022

Looks a lot younger but his game was plenty mature, couldn’t take my eyes off him in drills Sunday morning, he was blowing by folks with such frequency it seemed he was playing at a different speed than everyone else, powerful getting up to the rim despite being around that 6-foot mark and there wasn’t a perimeter shot he didn’t have in his repertoire, foot speed on defense was elite, just too good a player to not take a look at.

Jamil Aleem Jr, 6-4, CG, Heritage-Conyers, 2023

The 2023 class around the ATL-Metro is ridiculous in its depth proof positive in a player like Aleem who could have easily challenged for best player I saw all weekend and yet it was my first time seeing him, steps into the void with James White and RJ Noord moving on and has all the tools to follow them to the D1 level, can play either guard spot with equal aplomb, has that shooter’s stroke that can get hot and light you for 25 or he can be a high IQ and deft-distributor and get you 12 pts and 10 assists, full of confidence and polish he makes for a fun 1-2 Patriot punch with forward Jalen Boston and will draw in more eyeballs for sure.

Keyshawn Hall, 6-7, SG, TSF Prep, 2022

Another player who was hard to miss not just because of his size and body but the multi-faceted skills he showed off, the Cleveland OH native joins several in-town studs over at TSF and could end up being the best of the bunch, his stout lower half gives him such power both up the floor and off the deck, for a big guy with plenty of bulk he was a deceptive mover getting by folks, he had an array of moves around the basket and a sweet touch from out past the arc and in, add yet another intriguing prospect to the deep pool of talent we’re graced with here in GA.

Kevin Hicks, 6-2, SG, Osborne, 2023

The recent transfer from Grace Christian was noticeable when I saw him with GA Canes and continued that this past weekend, he’s so long and he covers so much ground when he goes on the attack, he combines that with incredible lift that despite a lanky frame is explosive enough to power through bodies (reminds of a slightly smaller version of Midtown’s Autrey Barnes), the mid-range game has a natural feel to it making him an ideal slasher type, another intriguing piece on an Osborne team stock full of young parts to watch.

Keith Agran has lived in Georgia since 2011 and joined OTR as a National Evaluator in 2021. He previously scouted for Prep Hoops dating back to 2019 and has both a championship-coaching background on the HS-level and daily newspaper writing experience, both from New Jersey. You can reach him at keithagran1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @BracketSage.