Sweet Sixteen Session 2 – Saturday Impression-Makers Pt 1

MARIETTA, GA – Moved to Kell HS for Day 2 of OTR’s Sweet Sixteen Session 2, as three courts of 17U action went all day.

Some guys who made Impressions, part 1:

By:  Keith Agran

Fred Tripp | F | 2024 | Hawks Elite Gold

@HawksEliteAAU brings multiple teams usually and their Gold 17U team just had another good one vs @hoopatlanta_AAU, Tripp was so active up and down the floor and around the basket, goes about 6-6 and can really reject, but it was the movement which was eye-opening pic.twitter.com/o5dvFi5FAL

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

Every time I turned toward their fun game vs HoopATL Tripp was making something happen, the effort-level and movement were sleek and effective as both a rebounder and shot-blocker, so springy he was a bucket in close off the catch even for a guy who’s not necessarily built like a power forward, none of that matters with an athlete like this.

Carter Watkins | G | 2024 | HoopAtlanta 

Watkins was worthy of mention at Sweet Sixteen Session 1 as well, has matured so much as a scorer and he was already a good one, added bulk, and the @SKG_JagsBB guard looks more and more like a multi-level filler and total steal for a school that gets in early as we move along pic.twitter.com/i9ewUc4eYz

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

The tweet above following his Saturday performance pretty much sums up what I saw and have seen of late from the 6-3 Watkins, with some added size and surely more push on the frame he’s rapidly emerging as a must-see guy heading into Seckinger’s second year as a program, part of backcourt over on the eastern edge of Buford with I.V. Williams, Braxton Miller and others that plays an entertaining brand and worth the trip.

Brandon Peters | G | 2024 | HYPE Hawks 

Pure beast mode from Peters as @HypeHawks 17U got a quality win over Swift Sports from FL, he's so physical at the point of attack he can use that to back you down or plow through, but the impressive @WoodwardBBall guard gets off the deck like a missile too for a guy around 6-2 pic.twitter.com/GkwJnVGHNB

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

Had heard quite a bit more about Peters after only seeing him once in the early portion of this past regular season with Woodward Academy, among the more impressive guys I saw all day and as we said about his WA teammate DJ White in my “Workers” piece from Session 1 he will be part of a really good War Eagles team next season with 2025 stud risers Deke Cooper and Zachary Foster a year older.

Christian Bacon | G | 2023 | Smyrna Stars

Coming off averaging 21 and 8 and hoisting another GAPPS state title with Cumberland Christian, Bacon is drawing significant interest and is one of the more talented under 6 foot PGs in the ATL-Metro, a coach's son and it shows in how he navigates running a club pic.twitter.com/CFKO2CcpRt

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

Has spent his HS career defying size expectations and crafted a great senior year leading CCA to that GAPPS title, continuing without missing a beat as a top floor leader and scorer for Smyrna Stars on what is a good team filled with sleeper guys who are still available.

Myles Hosten | F | 2024 | Swift Sports Only

Second straight weekend where Hosten has impressed with @SwiftSportsOnly, just a big bull in there who will move you off your spot or go through bodies toward the tin, goes 6-7 or so and screams all kinds of frontcourt potential at the next level pic.twitter.com/jE0NgjcTjH

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

Quickly became a big fan of this team after Session 1 showed us Hosten, Earl Murray IV and company doing real damage, Murray is a stud backcourt prospect we talked about after Session 1 and Hosten showed out in Session 2 once again with a level of bullish frontcourt power you just love on your roster.

Treylin Davis | G | 2024 | Wood Elite North

@WoodEliteSkillz Sewer North has known names like D'Marion Floyd, Jayden Foster and O'Brien Watkins, but the more I see Davis' game the more I'm drawn to what he can offer, catch his textbook stroke and keen instincts this summer, as Rockmart is a trek outside the Metro pic.twitter.com/VHVz0zfcrN

— Keith Agran (@BracketSage) April 29, 2023

As said above he’s part of a deep backcourt rotation for Wood’s second of two outstanding 17U teams, the catch-and-shoot is immediately noticeable but he’s got the kind of defensive edge and attitude that fits with Wood’s program M.O., one of those gems from far enough outside the Metro at Rockmart HS that can use the spring and summer as a critical springboard.

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.