OTR Freshman Academy – Standouts – October 23, 2023

The Freshman Academy was home to over 80 prospects from Georgia and various states across the Southeast. It served as a platform for 2027 players to compete and see where they match up against players in their own class. Here is a list of notable players from the Academy.

By: Willie Evans

CJ Jordan – Already standing 6’5, Jordan is a prospect filled with potential as a hybrid wing. He’s got the length and the jumper that will have coaches curious about the projection of the 2027 wing/forward. Offensively he plays the game within himself looking for threes and slashes in transition or half court.

K’Majay Jenkins – One of my favorite long-term prospects in the class is K’Majay Jenkins. He’s another wing prospect with length at 6’4 and above average athleticism for his age. He threw down some nice dunks on the way to winning the dunk contest. During games he was a shot blocking menace at the rim or getting buckets for himself. He’s a consistent outside shooter and continues to improve his slashing ability through defenders.

Quadir Truesdale – Truesdale was a new name and face for me at the Freshman Academy. He’s not the biggest guard but you feel his presence on the court at both ends of the floor. He’s got blazing end to end speed and a crisp handle in the open floor. He had no problem guarding 94 feet and making opposing guards uncomfortable. Truesdale reminds me of former Therrell point guard Roman Son with his motor and willingness to attack the lane to make teammates better.

Lukas Romine – There will always be a need for guys on the floor who can be a mismatch for opposing defenses, and that is Romine. He can play the wing comfortably and make his living in transition. Romine is every bit of 6’4 and plays like it. He didn’t let smaller defenders get under him and was comfortable creating his offense off the dribble against physicality. If he adds consistency on the outside jumper he could be a prospect similar to Will Moore in Georgia’s 2024 class.

Austin Jones – Some players you can watch and instantly see their love for the game. This was the case with Tennessee product Austin Jones. He’s a crafty combo guard with elite vision and passing. His feel for the game allows him to see plays develop and find cutting teammates that left everyone impressed. Jones plays with infectious energy on both sides of the ball & was tabbed as a standout.

MJ Curry – The Freshman Academy was another opportunity for MJ Curry, the Grovetown freshman, to put the metro area on notice. Curry has a natural scoring feel to his game that is impressive for a player his age. Curry stands 6’2 but plays much bigger. During games he was aggressive, constantly finding his way to the rim or midrange jumper. If he continues to develop the off hand handle and jumper he’ll be another hot name from that area we see making waves.

Max Etienne – St. Pius is known for their fundamentally sound style of play and high IQ players, Max Etienne is next up on the list. Etienne was one of the better guards in attendance with his playmaking and timely shot making ability. He made plays for teammates off penetration and was comfortable getting to his sweet spots and connecting on jumpers. A vocal PG, Etienne was a leader even in the camp setting.

Anthony Wood – We could look up in a year or two and see Anthony Wood as a national talent coveted by schools across the country. The 6’6 swing forward showed he could do everything on the floor for his team. He found ways to score off the dribble, rebound, create for others, and play above the rim. His ability to impact the game in several ways with his size leads us to believe he could be a high-level prospect comparable to Pebblebrook alum Jaiun Simon, currently at Dayton.

Kaden Mooring – Every outing Mooring seems to be a player that adds to his game. It’s clear he hits the gym hard during off periods. Mooring had his pace on display yesterday. Defenders couldn’t seem to keep up with him in the halfcourt or transition at camp. His change of speed kept defenders guessing and he was comfortable getting to the rim or finding his pullup jumper at the elbow or free throw line area.

William Gause – Gause is known for his scoring ability as a younger guard and it’s easy to see how as he game looks refined. He took the challenge on both sides putting pressure on the rim and opposing ball handlers. Gause plays a physical brand of basketball that will keep him at the FT line or racking up steals. Another good guard in the long line of Grayson’s recent history.

Abram Gaddis – When you find guards who can create several looks for themselves from different levels of the floor, it’s intriguing. Gaddis wasted no time introducing himself during the drill portions of camp. He has a quick trigger with deep range from the three and displayed his ability to create off the dribble as well. He’s a guy that can see go on scoring runs if left open from the perimeter.

Khalid Jones – The Tri-Cities 2027 PG was hard to ignore at the Freshman Academy. The way he seemingly floats down the floor with hesitation and misdirection dribbles keeps defenses chasing him. In transition he was too quick and had several finishes at the rim that left the crowd in awe. He’s flashy but there’s substance to his game. He gives you the ooh’s and ahh’s but he makes simple plays as well finding teammates or quick reversals to shooters. Paired with Tre Keith, Tri-Cities has a young backcourt capable of leading them for the next few years.

Ethan Allen – Ethan Allen might have had the best day of anybody in camp other than Nasir Robinson. The PG was electric at the Freshman Academy. No one was better in the open floor end to end than him. He showed flashes of above the rim athleticism but knew how to play the glass from different angles to find success at the rim. He made the defense stop him and made timely passes to shooter or cutting teammates. You couldn’t go around the gym and not hear rumblings of “who is that kid” or “that kid is getting to it today”. The PG put himself in conversations with any guard considered to be elite in GA’s 2027 class.

Trumane Watkins Jr. – You see Watkins and see his long arms and slender frame, he has the ideal frame of a basketball player. He’s got the game to match as well. Watkins was hard to stop in transition weaving through defenders as he attacked the rim. The handle was clean when he wanted to get by defenders in the half court. The only thing I didn’t see was the outside jumper.

Ramello Williams – Buford looks like they have a young stud in the making with Ramello Williams. Even in drills you could see the energy and bounce he played with. He consistently stayed in the lane where he showed dunks off two feet or reverse finishes in traffic. If he keeps adding to his game and growing, the sky is the limit.

DJ Postell – It seems like Grovetown area has a stable of talented players coming out year after year recently. Next up this time is point guard DJ Postell. He’s a speedy PG that makes opposing guards uncomfortable with his physical defense and his speed. Offensively he was a handful for defenders. He’s got counters and hesitations to match his speed and was never out of control attacking the rim.

Kohl Ward – AOT has a direct connection to high level talent from the Chattanooga area, and Ward is just the next in line. First saw him at the breakout camp against some older kids and he was productive, yesterday he tried to dominate. He was aggressive searching for offense but didn’t look selfish. He made the right plays with the ball in the lane, but just watching his feel and natural movements with the ball you can tell his overall game and maturity are years beyond his age.

Frashad Tisby – Tisby made the trip down from South Carolina and represented his home state well. Against some quality kids, Tisby looked like he belonged in the mix and at times was the best player on the floor. He’s a hybrid forward who can guard almost anywhere on the floor and push the break off the rebound. He made nice spin move finishes, pull-up jumpers over smaller defenders, and battled on the glass. Tisby was a very productive player at the Freshman Academy.

Isaiah Chandler – The North Cobb Christian freshman looks like he’s ready to play and contribute at the varsity level immediately. Chandler is one of the more versatile players in the class. At 6’2 he’s comfortable guarding anybody and super comfortable attacking them offensively. The jumper is steadily improving, and the handle looks comfortable from anywhere on the floor setting up teammates or slashing to score.