#OTRHoopsReport: OTR Tip-Off Classic Notebook Part I – Nov. 21, 2017

Many of the top teams around the state of Georgia competed in the OTR Tip-Off Classic. Photo Cred – Ty Freeman

Norcross, GA– The On the Radar Hoops Tipoff Classic included five quality games featuring some of the top teams and players in Georgia. Hypesouth Media was in attendance taking in the action and Kowacie Reeves delves deep into his notepad to give you the hot topics from the event.

By: @HypesouthMedia

Available Guards in the Peach State

Life after Collin Sexton began for Pebblebrook on Saturday night and the buzz surrounding this year’s Falcons was nowhere near what it was last season. No worries, senior DJ Murray picked up the load and put everyone on notice. The 6-foot do-it-all point guard scored it a high-clip, finishing with 24 points in the 57-52 victory over Meadowcreek. He also defended well and got teammates involved. After proving himself this offseason on the EYBL shoe circuit and seemingly having the keys to the team turned over to him, low to mid major colleges looking for a solid lead guard might want to make a trip down to Mabelton, Georgia.

Jared Godfrey quietly had one of the best performances of the tournament. He was poised and under control the entire game. The 6-foot-4 senior finished with 21 points, three assists, and three rebounds in Sandy Creek’s 73-68 win over Shiloh. Each time I see Godfrey take the court, the more impressed I am with his smooth game and leadership skills. For whatever reasons, he has flown under the radar up to this point, but look for his stock to rise very quickly moving forward. Colleges looking for a versatile combo guard, I would suggest getting on this kid’s trail now!

Dalvin White is as confident as they come. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound floor general set the tone early going 4-for-4 from the three-point stripe in the first quarter for Norcorss in the headliner game. Offensively, he is a very crafty player that completely understands the game, and on the defensive end he competes at a very high level. Blue Devils Head Coach Jesse McMillan has a history of producing college ready players, so programs looking for a quality guard that has been coached up and has played on the biggest stages, White may be your guy.

Best Player I saw

Look no further than Gainesville’s KJ Buffen!  On Saturday night, the Middle Tennessee signee was by far the best player I saw. In fact, this assessment was a consensus among many evaluators on hand. Buffen displayed an inside-out arsenal that was beautiful to watch. He demonstrated power on the interior and finesse on the perimeter. In a game where he was forced to sit a substantial amount of time because of foul trouble, the 6-foot-7 forward still managed to collect 21 points, eleven rebounds, and four assists.

.@GVille_Hoops fell short, but KJ Buffen battled foul trouble to bring his team back from down 20 against Norcross & finish w/25 points. pic.twitter.com/gu5uiL5W4U

— SUVtv (@SUVtv) November 19, 2017

Best Team I saw

The Sandy Creek Patriots sent a message. After a disappointing 67-65 loss earlier in the week to Fayette County, they were noticeably locked in at On the Radar’s Tipoff Classic. The Patriots were never rattled in a highly competitive contest against Shiloh. The size of Sandy Creek’s “Big 3,” Jared Godfrey, TJ Bickerstaff, and Xavier Brewer presented matchup problems and eventually wore down a game Shiloh squad. All considered, I came away from this game with a feeling that the Patriots are serious title contenders that have all the ingredients to challenge reigning champion Upson-Lee in the GHSA 4A classification this season.

Kowacie Reeves is a contributor to On the Radar Hoops.