OTR The Final Run – Sunday Impression-Makers

GAINESVILLE, FL – After a wide-ranging and varied OTR schedule took the crew from Atlanta to Birmingham to Northern Kentucky then down the coast to Spartanburg SC and as always further south into the Sunshine State, back we were to north central Florida for the last tournament of the season, The Final Run.

From the new and expansive Alachua County Sports & Event Center, Jon Hemingway and I had the courts covered deep, his recaps can be found on our News page, and I’m going to delve deeper here into some guys who really made an impression.

And lastly from Sunday:

By: Keith Agran

Malachi Miller | CG | 2024 | Largo Seminoles (pictured at top)

Had games of 26 and 31 points on an explosive Sunday where he established himself as one of the top 2 or 3 pure scorers of the weekend, there just wasn’t anyone on the Seminoles’ schedule that could stay in front of him as he was a blur with a real-deal first step and then was really creative around the basket, obviously did damage from the perimeter as well both as a scoring PG option with the jumper and spotting up off the wing.

Jackson Roberts | C | 2024 | Team Gritty

Was joined on a solid Gritty team by wing Caleb Gate who was super athletic and worthy of mention as well, told me late on Sunday he had been sick all weekend and that explained some of the movement issues I noticed but beneath all that I couldn’t help but Tweet about Roberts’ intriguing potential, certainly the size at or near 7-feet immediately grabs attention, sickness aside he moves pretty well but that can get a bump with training and once he gets coached up at the next level there’s a lot to like about what he can morph into.

Darius Young | SG/SF | 2024 | Team Young

The Tri-Cities (GA) hybrid G/F is a tremendous athlete who can do a lot for a lineup with his high-flying ability, right around 6-5 or so that good size for the 2 makes him a matchup problem off the ball with good dribble drive swiftness and a jumper you have to mark carefully, springy off the deck around the basket means for both TCHS and a potential future at the next level he can take his act closer to the basket and defend small forwards as well.

Emmanuel Augustin & Max Gonzalez | Guards | 2024 | Team Trilogy

Trilogy got better and better each time out over the weekend as both Jon Hemingway and myself found ourselves gravitating over to their courts, for the 17s the backcourt of Augustin (super speedy with the ball, terrific hands on defense, a crafty scorer) and Gonzalez (good size and toughness, offensive and defensive versatility apparent, nice jump shot) stood out within a balanced and deep Trilogy organization.

Nate Adolphe | PF | 2025 | Powerhouse Bulls Grey

May have only measured around 6-4 or so but with a stout lower half and a classic low post approach he played and looked a lot bigger, so strong he was a beast on the catch and finish, you love a guy willing to get in there and do the dirty work even though he might be better-sized for the perimeter, but his athletic ability teams with the strength for a Barkley-esque type undersized yet effective interior game.

Tyler Baldwin-Hughes (GA Stunners) vs Earl Murray IV (Swift Sports Only)

A pair of 2024s with college-ready games was a highlight I had circled before the drive down to Gainesville, uber floor general and sneaky good scorer Hughes arrives at South Paulding this year as perhaps just what the doctor ordered for an already talented returning Spartan crew that more than once I’ve said has a chance to do playoff damage in Georgia’s 6A division, Murray with Swifty Sports Only first caught my eye in Atlanta this spring and is simply my kind of lead guard with an obvious superior IQ approach merged with a ton of enticing ability to pass, score and defend.

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. Doubling as Mt Bethel Christian Academy Girls Head Coach as well as Recruiting Coordinator for Redline Basketball’s Post Grad program in Cumming (GA), he balances scouting, coaching and recruitment with a keen eye on talent around the region. You can reach him at keithagran1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @BracketSage.