OTR Hoops Report – GBCA Live Period “Fresh Faces” – June 27, 2023

The June live periods have come to a close, two great weekends at LakePoint full of the region’s top talent and coaches from across the country. Session 2 narrowed the field to strictly Georgia teams and provided for some competitive bracket play across the board. These are a couple of fresh new faces that jumped onto my radar this weekend.

By: Cam Rickers 

2026 PG Bryce Howson – Decatur

Decatur was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend, tallying several impressive wins and winning the yellow bracket trophy. A couple of under-the-radar guys emerged on this Decatur squad but Bryce Howson proved he’s a name to keep tabs on for years to come. Howson controlled the floor with poise, handling defensive pressure like a vet and making smart reads. The mid-range jumper was falling consistently and Howson got to his spots efficiently. With Bryce Howson at the helm, I have rather high expectations for Decatur this year.

2024 6’6 F Jaden Baskin – Winder-Barrow (pictured above)

Winder-Barrow caught a lot of eyes this weekend, largely because of 2026 phenom Jerrin Samuel, but Jaden Baskin proved that there’s a place for him at the next level too. On Sunday morning, Baskin had the game-winning lay with 7 seconds to beat Denmark and led Winder-Barrow in scoring with 14 points. Baskin is 6’6, long, and extremely versatile. He’s active on the defensive end, altering a ton of shots this weekend and crashing the boards hard. Jaden Baskin is definitely one for small schools to track through his senior year.

2026 G Torre Costin – Buford

We saw Torre Costin come off the bench a bit last year at Buford but his role looks to have expanded tremendously heading into his sophomore year and he embraced that this weekend. Costin ended the weekend with his best game, a game-high 18 points in a win over Walnut Grove. Costin is undersized at 5’9 but finds ways to score beyond his shooting ability. Still, the three-ball is his biggest strong suit and it was working for him all weekend. This new look Buford squad has shown they like to shoot the three and when you’ve got a guy like Costin running the point, why not?

2024 F Casey Williams – Norcross

This weekend provided my first good look at Casey Williams, the new Norcross transfer by way of Tennessee. Williams fills a need at Norcross and that’s a difference-maker inside. He’s super active around the rim, 6’7 and extremely bouncy. Williams skied for one lob that had eyebrows raised up and down the coaches section. He’s also got a knack for blocking shots and turned away a countless number of them this weekend. Since arriving at Norcross a few weeks ago, Williams has already picked up offers from Voorhees and Gordon State.

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