OTR #Power24 – Saturday Impression-Makers
MARIETTA, GA – Two more action-packed days made of OTR’s Power 24 as the last of four live periods once again rolled through the Atlanta-area.
After Recruit Look brought in a bevy of teams from the Midwest and further for Elite 32, another big turnout this past weekend featured a large amount of the Southeast’s top organizations.
From Saturday some Impression-Makers from my day at Hillgrove HS:
By: Keith Agran
Christian McAllister | 2025 | Team Huncho
Another loaded Huncho team features star power across the roster but it was McAllister who stood out, does a lot of different things for you with a really powerful lower half on a 6-5 frame that can move and jump, the next step will be fine-tuning the jump shot particularly from ranges past 15 feet because the work around the basket as a rebounder and finisher is superb for the Fayette County product.
Jordan Watford | 2025 | Upward Stars (pictured at top)
Upward Stars were among the 2 or 3 best teams I saw all weekend as they put it on a good Garner Road team at Hillgrove, size and depth at guard were readily available as wing Tristan Thompson also shined, but Watford’s combo guard profile stood out for sure as he was adept at the power drive but also controlled the ball and was a solid distributor, took over the game in spots with his assertiveness, expect to be hearing this name consistently out of Lancaster, SC.
Preston Wade | 2025 | Team Mookie
Such length and movement he’s hard to miss from the layup line to the final buzzer, the excitement above the rim was expected and the shot-blocking with the wingspan also fit the mold, but when he started stepping out to 18 feet and further and knocking em down that really became an eye-opener for what will surely be one of the most highly recruited players out of the Nashville-area over the next 2 years.
Preston Copeland | 2025 | Garner Road
Built solidly and unafraid of the bang around the basket whether he’s fighting for position in a traditional post mold or getting after it on the offensive glass, showed off the baby hooks and soft touch in the painted area and some explosive movement getting to the rim off a baseline drive or catch, still just a junior to be and at 6-8 it’ll be fascinating to see where his low-post game goes with more seasoning from the Raleigh Christian Academy product.
Grady Schwartz | 2024 | Atlanta Timberwolves
Wasn’t the most athletic guy that passed through the Hillgrove doors but still managed to make a strong impression when he had the ball in his hands, kind of a unique mover in the way he gets from point A to point B but it works, much better lift than that unorthodox movement might suggest as he caught and finished with authority, good shooter out to the arc and at 6-7 has the look of a college player for sure.
Antonio Williams | 2024 | Kentucky Hoop Dreams
Great body and possessing noticeably different natural athletic ability, that at 6-5 allows him to play and look bigger because he gets off the deck in a hurry and runs the floor like a guard, as a rim runner and power finisher he was among the best on hand Saturday at Hillgrove and you grab a guy like this eagerly at the next level because he has good skills you can continue to hone but you can’t teach his level of athleticism.
Brock Rose | 2024 | Team Synergy
Second straight year Rose has come to Atlanta from the Charlotte NC-area and stood out, such a varied scoring game where he can take you to multiple ranges and play facing up or with his back to the basket, it’s just so natural and at ease the way he sees the game and finds good spots to be effective, a year bigger and stronger added to an already busy rebounding game as his activity level is at 100% all game long, one of my favorites from outside Georgia who’ve come through OTR’s doors.
Brewer Carruth | 2024 | Hawks Elite
It was 1 and 1A between Carruth and backcourt mate Justin McCall who has been steady as a rock for the Hawks since mid-March, taking nothing away from McCall’s certain future as college point guard Carruth gets the nod in part because of the size at 6-5 which simply opens more doors, as I’ve followed him and the Hawks through our circuit he’s just gotten better and better and went from an intriguing guy to a must-see consistent stat sheet stuffer, much better athlete through multiple viewings than my early impressions and can flat out simply play this game of basketball, will be a dynamite college player and would be a shoo-in for my OTR full season best overall prospects list.
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.
