Over the past few years, the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta has become one of the notable holiday events in the country. This year is no different, with a loaded field and two days packed with great matchups at Shiloh High School. Here are some notes from Day One:
Carmel Christian (NC) wing & Belmont commit Cade Tyson had the best performance of the day for me in a win over Bishop Snyder (FL). He was very efficient, scoring the ball from all over the floor, knocking down shots from three and showing athleticism finishing around the rim, finishing with 29 points. Belmont has gotten some very good wings in the last couple of classes, including Ben Sheppard & Will Richard. It looks like Tyson could be the next in that good line.
Huntington Prep (WV) 2024 wing Trentyn Flowers was very good in a win over Donda Academy. In a highly physical game, Flowers was able to find his offense, scoring 21 points to lead his team to a win. At 6-foot-7, he's extremely versatile and shoots the ball well from the perimeter. Seeing a young player excel in that type of game and environment is a big positive sign to the direction of his future.
Shiloh senior guard Trevon Payton has had a very good start to the year and really does not get the attention he deserves. At 6-foot-5, he has great size and versatility and has a skill set that makes him a great fit for modern basketball. He shoots the ball well from three, but he also really excels putting the ball on the floor and creating offense for teammates. He is one of the better passers in Georgia's 2022 class. Low major schools will want to give him a look.
Remember the name of WD Mohammed 2025 guard Ibrahim Hassan. He came up huge in a win over Huntsville (AL) and showed some big time flashes of his potential. He's got great size and length and attacked the basket well. He also was not phased by the moment and made some huge plays down the stretch, including free throws to seal the win.
The future is bright for Huntsville (AL). The Panthers have a great group of underclassmen that should make them a threat in the coming years in Alabama. Sophomore forward Caleb Harrison has a great skill set at 6-foot-8. Freshman wing Brayden Rivers has great size at 6-foot-6 and a blossoming game and fellow freshman JD Gossett also has the look of a player with high promise.
Pebblebrook junior forward Jaiun Simon has been one of the more impressive players that I have seen this year. He's been consistent in every showing so far, showing a great motor and high activity level combined with his toughness and skill set has resulted in him being tremendously productive for the Falcons. I'd imagine his recruitment will pick up among Division I programs very quickly.
Grayson forward & Clemson signee Chauncey Wiggins had two moments down the stretch in a win over Greenforest that truly show how his mentality is shifting. His skill set has always been elite level, but these two plays were incredibly encouraging. He started by getting the ball in the lane, taking a power dribble, moving a defender out of the way and finishing at the rim. He followed that with catching a pass coming down the lane and searching out contact and finishing through it with a foul.