Stars Shine at the OTR Fall Showcase – September 13, 2016

Class of 2017 guard Isaiah Miller of Newton County (GA) proved to be the premier uncommitted senior at the OTR Fall Showcase. Photo cred – Ty Freeman

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., – With over 120 prospects from the Metro-Atlanta area packed into the two gym set up at Central Gwinnett High School, the OTR Fall Showcase is firmly established as the premier place for exposure. There are only a few options for players to choose to be seen in the months leading up to the high school season and this September camp is becoming a CAN’T MISS opportunity. The amount of talent, media, evaluators and coaches in the building put prospects under the microscope last weekend. In addition, players were pushed to improve with their skills and game IQ by a team of trainers. Here is a look back at the top performers from the Fall Showcase.

By: @JLHemingwayPSB

Babatunde Akingbola (Powder Springs, Ga.), McEachern HS – 2019

When identifying the prospect with most next level upside, it is hard to argue with the 6-foot-8 power forward from McEachern. Akingbola has a frame that screams college production. He has long arms and bouncy legs, which often leads him to dunking every touch in the paint. Defensively he blocks a lot of shots in the paint while also have the athleticism to defend away from the bucket. Akingbola still has offensive polish to attain. Showing that he can develop a go-to move when he faces equal athleticism will be important for him to be a primary offensive target.

Drue Drinnon (Mableton, Ga.), Pebblebrook HS – 2018

Drinnon is not a stranger to the OTR staff as he has shown his talents numerous times over the past years (Click here for every recap). The 6-1 combo guard once again showed a polished skill set. He was able to bully his way past defenders and score multiple times in traffic. His jumper looks to be as consistent as we have seen at this point. As much as Drinnon could be labeled as a skill player, he still ranked as one of the more athletic guards in the building on Sunday afternoon. These facts translate to Drinnon being a ranked player within the BCSReport Elite 60 in the class of 2018.

Isaiah Kelly (Atlanta, Ga.), Pace Academy – 2018

Kelly’s transition from athletic frontline player to full time wing handler looked to be complete at the Fall Showcase. At 6-7 he spent a good amount of time handling the ball and dishing to teammates in transition. In addition he hit several 3s including a couple in transition. Kelly is a smooth, polished player who can still run down the lane and punch on a defender’s head if the opportunity is given. Kelly’s versatility and athleticism have earned him offers recently from Cincinnati, Harvard, Iowa State, Rutgers, Wisconsin and Xavier.

Isaiah Miller (Covington, Ga.), Newton County HS – 2017

There was a buzz after the event that centered around Miller. The 6-1 point guard recently transferred to Newton County High School and is set to make noise alongside of guards Ashton Hagans (2019) and JD Notae (2017). Miller is an athletic guard and he showed that he could boom a powerful dunk on a baseline drive better than anyone in the camp. Miller is a near force of nature as a ball handler, which makes him very tough to contain in the open court. It is on the defensive end that Miller may have even more upside than most realize. His quickness and strength could make him a lock down defender at the next level.

2017 guard Isaiah Miller @Nike_Beast23 of Newton (GA)

On the Radar Hoops Fall Showcase pic.twitter.com/TbghwSgmmi

— Shun Williams (@OntheRadarHoops) September 12, 2016

Terrance Boykin (Decatur, Ga.), Columbia HS – 2018

The talk heading into last weekend’s camp was all centered around the promise that 6-7 Boykin showed on the circuit with the Southern Stampede. He is skilled wing who can legitimately play positions 1 through 3. He showed exceptional passing ability during the camp. He led teammates to spots for them to finish efficiently. All the while showing the athletic play-making skills off the bounce. He reports Auburn, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgetown, Rhode Island and South Alabama as the schools that are recruiting him currently.

Kyle Sturdivant (Norcross, Ga.), Norcross HS – 2019

Everyone needs to jump on the Kyle Sturivant badwagon while there is still room. The 6-2 combo guard is set to burst upon the Gwinnett County basketball scene as one of the most complete guards in the state. He showed his ability to hit open jumpers while also showing the vision to hit the open player with the pass. We identified Sturdivant as one of the top players in the class of 2019 this summer at the OTR Elite 32 with the ATL Xpress. His mature approach to the game combined with his polished skill set should make him a big performer this year for coach Jesse McMillan in the House of Blue.

Joseph Toppin (Norcross, Ga.), Norcross HS – 2018

Toppin is one of the best new names from the event. The 6-7 wing has ascended onto college coaches radars recently as he picked up an offers from Tennessee and Auburn earlier this year. This year he will join the aforementioned Sturdivant at Norcross making the Blue Devils one of the early favorites to contend for a Class AAAAAA championship. Toppin showed his high flying finishing abilities by finishing a number of alley-oops and dunks in transition. The left-handed wing is especially effective at attacking the lane when he has a bigger defender matched up against him.

Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. Hemingway serves on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com and follow him on  twitter @JLHemingwayPSB