Holiday Hoopsgiving always gives off a nice bang to start the season. They do a great job of bringing in the local talent that Georgia has to offer combined with some of the elite talent the nation has to offer.
Cameron Boozer 6’9 235 PF – Columbus 2024
Boozer (pictured) was great in his 40 point and 10 rebound game against McEachern. He was efficient as well, going 13-18 from the floor. Day two wasn’t much different with 26 points (8-14 FG). He sees the floor very well and knows how to beam a bullet pass to a cutter (4 APG), however some of those were off target, contributing to his 6 turnovers per game. He handled the ball well and he doesn’t over-dribble or try to do too much. His sturdy frame and physical play earned him 19 free throw attempts over both games, and he made them all. Not just his free throws but his 3PT shot also has perfect arc and drops right in, going 3-6 and 2-4 from 3PT range. He has a high release on his shot and shoots off the dribble as well.
Jamari Phillips 6’5 190 SG – Dream City Christian 2024 (Arizona)
Phillips contributed 18 points in the 65-56 win against Wasatch Academy but didn’t shoot it well, going 5-17 from the floor and 1-9 behind the arc. He’s not real explosive but finished an and-one dunk on a defender on one play. At his size, he can improve as a slasher and playmaker in the half-court as well as finishing at the rim. He did do a good job of getting to the line and taking advantage of those opportunities, making all 7 free throw attempts. He followed up with a much better shooting performance with 18 points (6-12 FG, 4-8 3PT, 2-2 FT) in the 54-51 win over Southern California Academy.
Emmanuel Stephen 7’0 215 C – Dream City Christian 2024 (Arizona)
Stephen has his offensive limitations, lacking technique and scoring range, but was efficient making 5 of his 7 shot attempts in the games combined. He provides a lot of upper body strength and is explosive off the ground. He’s a very good rebounder, pulling down 12 against Wasatch and 8 against SoCal Academy. He does struggle moving laterally and the ball-handler looked to take advantage of iso opportunities. He can also work on limiting his fouls with 5 and 4 in his games respectively.
Ikenna Alozie 6’4 185 SG – Dream City Christian 2026
Alozie had a strong performance with 18 (8-15 FG) and 13 points (5-11 FG) in each game. He doesn’t shoot it well, missing all 7 3PT attempts and going 5-9 from the free throw line, but has a lot of success taking it to the rim. His penetration also opened up passing opportunities and he’s a high-level athlete with good body control to throw down dunks or hit a difficult layup at the rim. Alozie also posted 8 rebounds (5 offensive) and 5 assists against Wasatch and 5 rebounds against SoCal.
John Mobley 6’2 180 PG/SG – Wasatch Academy 2024 (Ohio State)
Mobley initiates the offense for Wasatch. He’s a good ball-handler, changing speed and direction but also handles contact well. He makes good reads as a passer and is a very dangerous shooter from anywhere on the floor. He finished with 17 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3PT, 7-10 FT), 4 rebounds, and 4 assists against Dream City Christian. He scored 17 points but wasn’t quite as efficient in the 75-73 win over Columbus, going 7-13 from the floor and 1-6 from 3PT. He was best in that game, taking it to the rim with crafty finishes with either hand. He also recorded 5 assists to 1 turnover.
Isiah Harwell 6’5 200 SG – Wasatch Academy 2025
Harwell had some strong finishes at the basket but struggled shooting in his first game, going 5-14 from the floor and 1-5 from 3PT, ultimately scoring 11 points. He’s more smooth than explosive but can finish above the rim when given the opportunity. He also pulled down 5 boards in the loss. Harwell bounced back well against Columbus, with 15 points (4-10 FG) including the game winning free throws and he shot much better from 3, going 3-7.
Naasir Cunningham 6’8 160 SF – Southern California Academy 2024 (Alabama)
Cunningham finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds to beat Huntington Prep 70-60, but it wasn’t an efficient game for him, 6-15 FG and 2-8 3PT. His second game consisted of 15 points on 5-14 FG and 4-8 from 3PT to go with 8 boards. His game heavily consists of catching and shooting or one-dribble then shot. He doesn’t create with his dribble and a few of his passes got deflected. He showed a floater on a few plays and didn’t score much at the rim but had an impressive tip-slam to show his natural springs. Cunningham also noticeably has gotten stronger since seeing him over the summer.
Miles Goodman 6’11 205 C – Southern California Academy 2024 (Penn State)
Goodman is long and athletic. He has a way to go adding strength to his upper and lower body, struggling with contact at times. He had some impressive dunks in the half-court on his way to score 11 (5-8 FG) and 13 points (6-8 FG) in his games respectively. He showed a midrange jumper on one occasion but didn’t do too much outside the paint.
Rakease Passmore 6’5 180 SG – Combine Academy 2024 (Kansas)
Passmore spent time playing on and off the ball. With ability to initiate the offense, he keeps his dribble alive well and solid quickness to get to the rim. He has long arms, a frame that will continue to fill out, and he handles contact well. He didn’t have any luck from distance, missing both 3PT attempts against DNA but went 2-4 3PT against Huntington. He was more consistent scoring at the rim and got to the free throw line at a good rate to convert 5 of his 6 attempts. He finished with 13 points (4-8 FG) and 6 rebounds in the 62-51 win over DNA Prep, and 10 points and 4 rebounds while defeating Huntington Prep 78-60. Defensively he uses his length and quicks well to constantly put pressure on the ball, coming away with 3 steals total over his two games.
Jase Richardson 6’3 180 PG/SG – Columbus 2024 (Michigan State)
Richardson contributed 13 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3PT) and 6 rebounds in the 86-59 win against McEachern. He’s good slashing off the dribble and is quick with the ball. He has very long arms and to no surprise is explosive off the ground, as he demonstrated on a few plays. However, it wasn’t his scoring that was his biggest asset, his 9 assists to 2 turnovers, showing good court awareness to hit teammates in stride. With Cayden Boozer playing against Wasatch it moved Richardson off the ball, hence no assists but he put up the points with 17 (7-13 FG, 2-6 3PT) and 7 boards.
Cayden Boozer 6’5 190 PG – Columbus 2024
Boozer sat out against McEachern but suited up for the showdown against Wasatch. He didn’t have success shooting, missing all 4 3PTers, but still pitched in with 10 points. He had some strong takes to the basket, and he uses his strong body well to initiate contact and protect the ball. He penetrated to the middle and hit a tough/clutch floater in crucial final minutes against Wasatch. He’s a good ball-handler and knows his options as a passer, dishing out 9 assists to 2 turnovers in the loss.
Ace Bailey 6’10 195 SF – McEachern 2024 (Rutgers)
Bailey had a big performance in McEachern’s only game. He started the game blistering hot and cooled some in the second half, still finishing with 31 points on 12-27 FG and 4-9 3PT shooting. A lot of forced offense, predetermining step-back 3PTers but it was working for him, hitting difficult shots from start to finish. He worked in the post, showing touch on heavily contested fadeaways. He utilized his big strides and maneuvered through defenders to score in the paint on other occasions. He battled well on the boards securing 6, with 4 on the offensive end. He only had 2 assists but made a lot of impressive cross-court passes. There was one play Boozer drove right past him while Bailey was in a stance and ready, but overall, he was good defensively. His 2 blocks came on closing out on jump shooters quicker than they anticipated.
Caleb Wilson 6’9 205 PF – Holy Innocents Episcopal 2025
Holy Innocents only had one game in the event and Wilson impressed with 25 points (10-18 FG) and 16 rebounds in the 66-54 loss to Wheeler. He only had 3 assists to 6 turnovers, but he sees the floor and passes so well, especially at his size. He can pinpoint bounce passes through traffic and knows every teammate cutting backdoor. He’s a good athlete and scored plenty in the paint but he can be stronger with the ball. Even with his size advantage on almost everyone on the floor, he doesn’t overpower but prefers to finesse around them. Finding easier ways to score will benefit him, as well as improving his shot. Sometimes he pushed the ball, and it comes a bit flat, going 0-3 from 3PT and 5-10 from the foul line.
Gicarri Harris 6’4 180 PG/SG – Grayson 2024 (Purdue)
Harris got to the rim in the half-court and his strong build allows him to initiate contact. He scored 11 points (4-9 FG) in the 70-54 win against Kell. He facilitated well with 7 assists and no turnovers. He also rebounded well with 7 in the game. Harris didn’t show much outside shooting or above the rim scoring but had a solid game.
Jacob Wilkins 6’9 165 SF – Grayson 2025 (Georgia)
Wilkins had a few plays showing his effortless athleticism, popping off the ground and getting his head at the rim a few times. He’s very lean and all quick twitch. He has a lot of room to expand his half-court game, as he doesn’t score for himself, he’s more reliant as a cutter or catching lobs, transition, or put backs. He scored 14 points on 5-10 shooting. He didn’t have any luck from distance, missing all 3 3PT attempts and he can clean up his release a bit, but he’s got the tools to work with.
Moustapha Diop 6’10 215 PF – The Walker School 2026
Diop was head and shoulders taller than everyone else on the floor, but he was constantly tracked by the defense, and they did their best effort to make him catch the ball as far away from the basket as possible. He ended up with 23 points to beat The Lovett School 75-61. Where he did a heavy amount of scoring was converting offensive rebounds, where he grabbed 10 of his total 21. As expected, he has room to grow in the low post and his shot doesn’t look bad with proper ball rotation, but he lacks muscle memory from midrange and on his fadeaway. Touch around the rim also has room to grow. He showed solid foundation of putting the ball on the ground and driving to the rim. Athletically he finished a few above the rim and blocked 3 shots. He also had 5 turnovers in the game.
Bryson Tucker 6’6 180 SG – Bishop O’Connell 2024
Tucker led the way with 20 points to defeat Oak Ridge 82-61. He’s a natural athlete showing effortless elevation on a few dunks. Where he did the majority of his work is in the midrange, with advanced footwork, pivots, and contested fadeaways, he filled it up on 9-16 shooting. His shot flattens out a bit when shooting from 3, going 1-4 from deep. He didn’t grab many rebounds (4) and Oak Ridge loved to run and push the ball, with Tucker not always back in the defensive action.
Quincy Wadley 6’4 175 SG – Bishop O’Connell 2026
Wadley showed his deadly 3PT shooting, going 4-8 from distance with a quick release. He was best off the ball, he had a few turnovers on inaccurate passes, recording 5 in the game. He was a big piece in their win with 16 points. In addition to his shooting, his other field goal came on a big tip-dunk. The sophomore guard played with confidence and set the tone early with his shooting and scoring.
Jamier Jones 6’6 210 SF – Oak Ridge 2025
Jones contributed with 20 points on 9-12 shooting. He’s not much of a threat from the perimeter, missing both 3PT attempts, but he’s reliable within close, only missing one 2PT FG. He didn’t do a lot of slashing and his time with the ball was minimal, but he was very effective as an off-ball cutter. With his strong body and high-level athleticism, it was too late for the defense to stop him after catching the ball off a sprint while in stride, capping off a few big jams. Jones only grabbed 2 rebounds and recorded 1 assist to 5 turnovers against Bishop O’Connell.
Kyle Greene 6’4 170 PG/SG – Pace Academy 2024 (Central Florida)
Greene scored 16 points in Pace’s 71-67 win against Osborne. He shot 4-10 from the floor and was solid from distance going 2-4 3PT. He changes pace well to get into the lane with the ball. He drew fouls at a good rate and made all 6 of his free throw attempts. He’s a vocal leader and had his moments on the defensive end. He fouled out midway through the fourth quarter as Osborne was closing in on what was once a double-digit lead, but they still pulled away.
Akai Fleming 6’5 180 SG – Osborne 2025
Fleming scored 21 points, forcing a lot of offense along the way. He has a high release on his shot and got off a lot of contested shots, shooting 8-20 from the floor and 1-8 from 3PT. He handles contact well and even initiates it with the ball to create space going into his shot. He drew 7 fouls in the game and had a few tough finishes at the rim. Scoring within the flow would have been ideal but he scored on a string of plays to ignite a comeback in the second half. Fleming also finished with 4 assists to 3 turnovers.
Josh Hill 6’10 180 C – Wheeler 2024 (Arkansas State)
Hill was solid in both games. He lacks strength in both his base and upper body. He doesn’t make much of a move in the post but just tries to move defenders with his body, but he gets bumped out of position fairly easily causing his posture to break form and not getting closer to the basket. He’s fluid, agile, and had a few jams. While his jump shooting didn’t yield the results, missing all 5 3PTers over both games, the form isn’t bad. Hill finished against Holy Innocents Episcopal with 10 points (5-13 FG) and 5 rebounds and 21 points (8-13 FG) and 11 (offensive) rebounds to defeat Chapel Hill 63-52.
…
