OTR Sweet 16 Session II – More Standouts – May 5, 2023
MARIETTA, Georgia, – Session II of the OTR Sweet 16 kicked off with a bang on Friday night and did not let up until early Sunday evening. Teams from across the Southeast made their home in Northwest Metro Atlanta for the weekend hoping to earn some time in front of college coaches during the NCAA viewing period. Here are more players that made the most of their weekend below.
By: Jonathan Hemingway
Class of 2023 Xavier Bell knows only how to play hard. He showed that firsthand last weekend with Game Elite. The athletic wing showed his desire to win every possession. He is electric in transition where he can zip past defenders and finish at the rim. Bell is one of the better unsigned seniors that we have evaluated this spring.
We got a new look at point guard O’Brien Watkins at the Sweet 16. The 2024 prospect proved that he could take the ball and make plays as the guy. He shouldered a high volume of play making for this Wood Elite squad. He took the ball into the lane and scored buckets in traffic while also earning shots at the charity stripe. Watkins is far from having a score first, score only mentality. He makes the right play dishing to open players in scoring position. We are bullish on Watkins’ play going into his senior year at Carrollton High School.
One of the better 2025 prospects we evaluated last weekend was Jeremiah Wilson with Alabama Fusion. Wilson is Lanky and Lengthy, Lefty. The only L that we did not see from Wilson was a loss. His 2025 team, playing up in the 17U division, went 4-0 over the weekend. Wilson was a major reason for this fact. He exhibits great body control as a ball handler, and he uses that to finish consistently in the lane. Wilson is called upon by his coaches to steady his team and lead them to victory.
We always take note of the top shooters at our events. Today’s game is centered upon playmakers surrounded by consistent shooters. Class of 2024 guard Parker Robison is readymade for the role of a shot maker. The 6-foot guard moves quickly around screens and finds space to fire off shots from range for his Tennessee Tigers squad. We like his quick release and like his accuracy even more. Expect to hear more from Robison this summer.
It is hard to ignore the contributions of Gabe Bolden to his Wood Elite squad. The class of 2024 guard does what needs to be done for his squad. He defends, handles, makes hustle plays each time out. Bolden is the consummate glue player on a high-profile travel team in the Atlanta Metro area. There are players that play with more flair, but there are few players that fill as many roles for their team as Bolden does for Wood Elite.
Jonathan Hemingway has been a National Evaluator for On the Radar Hoops since 2013. He has been involved in the basketball community since 1995 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him at JLHemingway@gmail.com and follow him on twitter @JL_Hemingway.
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