Hoops are back! After a few weeks of quiet, we ramped back up the RYZE Fall League on Thursday for high school teams to get ready for their seasons. What did we learn from the first night back from the layoff? Here are three things:
Kell Will Be Just Fine
Programs are lucky to come across a talent like Scoot Henderson at any point in time. Replacing him is a heavy task, as he was consistently a 30+ point night waiting to happen. However, after Kell got their footing and knocked off the rust, the Longhorns looked more than capable of being a threat to win 20+ games again. With guys like Dylan Cambridge, Parrish Johnson Jr., and Aaron Smith on the perimeter and the size of Sahmir King and Peyton Marshall on the interior, they check a lot of boxes. They excelled playing a fast, pressuring, and scrappy style, and we look forward to watching them as the league progresses.
Cayden Charles Continues His Rise
Allatoona senior guard Cayden Charles really started his rise up recruiting boards with our Travel Series events in May, and his stock continues to go up. He looked great scoring 32 points, but it's all of the other things that he brings to the table that make his game special. He rebounds the ball very well from the backcourt, he uses his length to be a disrupter on defense, and he always seems to be around the ball making plays. He currently has an offer from Citadel in hand and recently took a visit to North Georgia as well. He has also recently heard from a few mid major and low major programs including Austin Peay and Longwood.
Wolfpack Trends Upward
North Paulding had a very impressive showing to open their Fall League, and they could be a sneaky good team come November and throughout the season. 6-foot-4 senior guard/wing Trey Harris was a big standout on opening night, knocking down 9 threes and going for 31 points. Junior forward Nathan Rodriguez always brings grit, toughness, and production on the interior, and 6-foot-8 forward Gavin McLain looked good providing size and rim protection. Don't underestimate this group.