OTR Hoops: Atlanta Classic Sunday Top Performers – March 31, 2025

Standouts from Sunday of the Atlanta Classic.

By: Kyle Sandy

2026 5-11 PG Thomas Glanton III – Atlanta Panthers OTR – Southwest DeKalb (Pictured)

Thomas had fans in the stands shaking their heads and defenders shrugging as he couldn’t miss in the first half against AOT. Glanton scored 21 of his team’s 23 points in the first half and finished with 33 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals with six made threes. Thomas was unconscious with his jump shot. He used subtle head fakes to get defenders off balance before pulling up from the mid-range and beyond the arc. His speed and ability to control the ball was impressive, slicing through the defense the length of the floor with a low dribble. He hit tough shots in traffic, elevating to get good looks at the hoop. Glanton’s performance was one of the very best all weekend long. He’s got major momentum heading into the summer.

2026 6-4 F Aaron Burks – Atlanta Panthers OTR – Southwest DeKalb

I loved the hard hat, lunch pail approach Aaron Burks brought on Sunday. He’s a strong and long interior presence. He’s a great two-foot leaper that explodes off the ground for rebounds and hangs in the air for powerful dunks. His rim protection stood out against AOT, swatting shots straight up or from behind when rotating over. Burks does the dirty work extremely well. He put up 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks.

2026 6-7 F Emmanuel Alofe – AOT 2027 EYBL – McEachern

Emmanuel’s length and smooth touch helped AOT survive the Atlanta Panthers 59-58. Alofe tallied 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Although he is thin, Emmanuel had no issues playing in the paint. He ducked in for high-low feeds, drove baseline, scored with a push floater and had two big dunks late in the game. When fouled, Emmauel capitalized shooting 7-9 from the free throw line. His combo-forward versatility along with his ability to guard on the perimeter makes him an intriguing long-term prospect.

2026 6-6 F Jaylin Sweat – Gold Elite OTR – Bradwell Institute

I appreciated how hard Jaylin played this week, standing out as a stalwart for Gold Elite inside. The stretchy forward can attack on the perimeter and hit jumpers with his left-handed release, but his top moments came when he showcased his explosiveness at the rim with monster slams. Jaylin had three momentum building dunks in a 59-51 loss to Atlanta Xpress 2027. He ran the floor hard and was a threat to catch alley oops, his biggest highlight an oop out of a baseline out of bounds set. Jaylin scored 13 points in the defeat.

2027 6-6 W Gavin Fountain – Atlanta Xpress UAA – Pace Academy

Atlanta Xpress leaned on Gavin Fountain to energize a comeback after a sluggish start. Fountain proved to be a mismatch with his strength and diverse skillset. He hit a three, two mid-range jumpers, scored on a drive, found a hoop out of a pick-and-roll and cut for a left-handed layup. Gavin converted a physical And-1 post drop step late in the second half to cap his scoring at 17 points. OG started to pound away more at the interior after halftime and did a nice job finding cutters with his post passing.

2025 6-4 G Maki Joyner – Atlanta Celtics 3SSB – Savannah

The unsigned senior scored from all levels in a narrow loss to the GA Canes. Joyner drilled a pair of corner threes, hit a mid-range pull-up and was slick getting to the rim, slicing through the lane for tough finishes. Maki totaled 19 points and 7 rebounds. The wiry guard has been in contact with D-I programs over the course of his career. Continuing to attack left and hit perimeter jumpers like his did this weekend should draw the attention of college coaches.

2026 6-0 PG Jayden Crawford – GA Canes – Cristo Rey

Jayden wanted the ball in his hands during crunch time in the Canes’ 66-58 win over the Atlanta Celtics. Crawford was the closer for the Canes, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the second half to couple with his 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Jayden is wired-to-score. He hunts his offense consistently, dangerous with his pull-up jumper which is his favorite weapon. Crawford sank two threes and hit two mid-range pull-ups. Jayden used his quickness to wriggle his way to the hoop to draw fouls, leading to 7-7 shooting from the line. The Canes polished off an undefeated weekend with Crawford being one of their main catalysts.

Follow Kyle Sandy on X/Twitter at @KyleSandy355