OTR Freshman Academy – Standouts Forwards – October 11, 2023

As the high school season approaches, we continue to learn more and more about this 2027 class and OTR’s Freshman Academy provided a great look at the top freshman across the southeast. We saw some new guys jump onto the radar as well as several top players cementing their spot at the top of the class. Here are a few of the best forwards/bigs we saw on Sunday.

By: Cam Rickers

6’9 F Peter Julius – Solid Rock (Pictured Above)

Peter Julius caught eyes as soon as he walked through the doors on Sunday, a physical package rarely found in high school freshmen. Julius is 6’9 with a strong frame and a huge wingspan. While the skillset is still fairly raw, Julius dominated the interior with his shot blocking ability and presence on the glass. The jump shot also has potential from what we saw in station work. Julius will certainly be one to track over the next few years.

6’7 F John Morris – Tri-Cities 

John Morris had one of the more intriguing bodies that we saw on Sunday, 6’7 with a sturdy frame. He was a force on the interior, carving out space and finishing around contact. Morris isn’t afraid to throw his weight around inside and that led to a ton of rebounds on the afternoon. Tri-Cities has quite an intriguing young core with John Morris, Tre Keith, Jayden London, and now Jalan Wingfield in the mix.

6’7 F Jaquavion Gilmore – Bible Baptist Christian Academy

Jaquavion Gilmore’s combination of size and length proved to be a handful for most on Sunday. Gilmore does a great job of positioning himself on the block and he was constantly working to make himself available. In today’s game, it’s nice to see a big man embrace their role and command the paint. He was a force on the boards as well, utilizing his wingspan to grab or tip out loose rebounds. Gilmore will play his freshman year at Bible Baptist Christian Academy and will likely have plenty of suitors come springtime.

6’6 F Anthony Moon – Pebblebrook

Anthony Moon was a hard one to miss on Sunday. The 6’6 forward out of Pebblebrook was flying around the court and impacting nearly every facet of the game. Moon is extremely active and versatile on the defensive end, several blocks and steals leading to fastbreak points. The recent departure of Cameron Smith further opens the door for Moon and it’s only a matter of time before he’s making an impact at the varsity level.

Cam Rickers has lived in Georgia his whole life and joined OTR as scout/evaluator this spring. He spent the year prior scouting for PrepHoops, working hard to make a name for himself within the grassroots scene. In addition to his work for OTR and PrepHoops, he is also the Recruiting & Scouting Director for Wood Elite. You can reach him at camrickers12@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @CamRickersHoops