KSU Team Camp – Observations
KENNESAW, GA – The new staff at Kennesaw State headed by Antoine Pettway hosted their first team camp after many years of successful and interesting turnouts under previous coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.
Spent portions of Saturday and Sunday looking in on a variety of teams, here are some TEAM observations looking ahead to next October and beyond.
By: Keith Agran
NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN (21-7 overall, 13-3 last season in 2A-Region 6)
The Eagles said goodbye to a 2023 class that had a lot of success in blue, but the cupboard is far from bare. 2024 guard Gabe Bolden (pictured) looked sharp early in the day Saturday at KSU and will play bits of the PG spot as well as off the ball. He can go on some scoring tears particularly from 3-land as he’s put in a ton of work in on his overall game. Look for 2024 forward Holden Cardon, who’s waited his turn for 3 years and posted a solid 17-pt outing Saturday morning vs Gainseville, to play a much bigger role in the scoring and rebounding columns. 2026 sharpshooting guard Wyatt Thomason and a deep freshman class that is headlined by rising G/F Brock Bonner will be keys to making a run in a Region that still features formidable versions of both Washington and Drew Charter.
PACE ACADEMY (25-7 overall, 13-1 last season in 4A-Region 5)
Chalk up another ring for Coach Sharman White and the Knights as their remarkable run continued this past winter and doesn’t appear to have any stoppages ahead with a ton of production back from that 25-win team. The backcourt of 2024 KJ Greene Jr and rapid 2025 riser Eric Chatfield Jr (pictured) is as good as there is in the state of Georgia and is now laced with all kinds of playoff experience. Chatfield in particular Saturday at KSU was tremendous, and all Greene did was play his typical solid game all-around and knock down the game-winning jumper in OT vs a spunky Pope squad. 2024 LJ Moore is one of the hardest workers you’ll find in that upcoming senior class and has really come along offensively, while another 2025 riser Chandler Bing has the look of yet another future Pace frontcourt star. All this and nationally ranked 2026 MJ Madison makes for one heckuva talented starting 5 the Knights put forth at KSU.
MCEACHERN (23-7 overall, 8-0 last season in 7A-Region 3)
2024 stud and Rutgers-commit Ace Bailey was not in town during the KSU camp, but this still has the look of a team that can go the distance in 7A. Subtracting Bailey’s obvious brilliance for the weekend, the backcourt looks strong as they say goodbye to Jamichael Davis but add 2024 Jeremiah Wilkinson from TSF Prep. Wilkinson had committed to Mississippi St but recently re-opened his recruitment. He and 2025 Christian Curl shared the PG duties Sunday making for a smart and skilled pair, and they’ll have long-range bomber 2024 Moses Hipps back on the wing to seriously stretch defenses. Up front you’ll see a combination of Bailey, 2024 Langston Hughes transfer John McQueen, 2025 hybrids Jayden Bynes and Isaiah Dulaney and 2024 glass workers Dozie Onyirimba (pictured) and Devin Moises (unsure of the status of 2025 center JD Palm at press time).
RIVER RIDGE (21-8 overall, 10-2 last season in 6A-Region 6)
You’d think losing four key guys from the 2023 class would be noticeably debilitating, but up steps a 2024 class containing a bunch of dudes who’ve waited their turn and many of whom have been playing together and building chemistry for years. Guards Brett Senay and Rylan Stallard and forwards Ian Helms, Garrett Fettinger (pictured) and Wes Harrison comprised Sunday at KSU what could become this fall a rare all-senior lineup and looked the part of a team that will be a tough out every night. Senay and Stallard are steely and mature with the ball, while any combination of the three above forwards plus 2024 bruiser Dylan James will present inside-out problems for opponents. The Knights were supposed to be set for a deep run 2 years ago with the likes of bigs Braden Pierce and Jared Russo headlining, but this may actually be Coach Aaron Darling’s best team.
CHAPEL HILL (23-9 overall, 12-4 last season in 5A-Region 5)
The Panthers are another team on this list that lost significant production from their 2023 class but still looks incredibly like they may actually be better this fall. Much of that enthusiasm that showed in their play Sunday at KSU surrounds fast-rising 2024 guard Ky’Den Mays (pictured, right) and the rapid development of 6-10 2024 center Ramon Soyoye. Mays has been part of a Georgia Stunners team this spring which turned heads as a group and the 6-4 wing has embraced a step-forward starring role. Soyoye is mobile and rangy and is just tapping the keg on what he can become. The backcourt losses of Oray Towns and Khirus Doucet are not to be underscored, but 2024’s shifty Jordan Jones and versatile Jaiden Glenn have varsity experience, while athletic 2024 wing CJ Winters and talented newly-arrived 2025 Douglas County transfer CJ Geathers will be critical contributors across the floor.
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 also spent 3 years as a sports writer at two newspapers in New Jersey. After a championship-coaching background on the HS-level also in NJ, he accepted the Girl’s Basketball Head Coaching position in May 2022 at Mt Bethel Christian Academy and now balances scouting and coaching still with a keen eye on talent around the region. You can reach him at keithagran1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @BracketSage.
