MARIETTA, Ga. -- The SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival had its share of potential sleepers for the 2011 class, but was dominated by underclassmen that will have an impact on Georgia's future basketball landscape. The last game of the night, which went into overtime, featured a marquee matchup between South Gwinnett and Marietta. Trailing by seven points with under a minute to play in regulation Marietta's Rob Greer hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Tournament director Bill LoPresti did a nice job organizing the event.
Standout players
Garrett Brown (Marietta, Ga./Pope)
2011, PG, 5-foot-9, 150 pounds
For those low-mid level programs looking for a point guard in the late signing period and don't mind small guards, Brown may be worth taking a good look at. The diminutive leader is fearless with a scorer's mentality that intelligently probes the defense finding seams. He showed the ability to stick the 3-point shot and finish in the paint through contact. Word is he has solid football options, but he is averaging 26 points per game on the season thus far.
Surprise player
Logan Adams (Snellvile, Ga./South Gwinnett)
2013, SF/PF, 6-6, 190 pounds
Adams is a tough competitor who knows how to play. He is skilled enough to play on the perimeter, but gets most of his work done around the paint. He is a good rebounder with good hands that is not afraid to mix it up down low. He showed solid skills off the dribble and made plays for his teammates. He has a nice stroke from the free-throw line. He is still a tweener that is tough to project, but if he grows a couple inches he will be on a lot of high-major's radar.
Players to watch
Tim Rowe (Lawrenceville, Ga./Berkmar)
2014, C, 6-8, 205 pounds
The young center disappeared at times throughout the game, but came up big in crunch time when rebounding and free throws became vital. He looks like he could easily end up being at least 6-10 and he is surprisingly skilled. He needs to be more assertive and intense to become a dominant player, but has a chance to develop into a high-major player.
Elijah Staley (Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison)
2014, PF, 6-6, 180 pounds
Only a freshman, Staley is a talented future combo-forward who is still adjusting to playing against the older players at the high school level. The left-hander is a long, bouncy athlete that is active around the rim and should develop into one of Georgia's best in the 2014 class. He has the ability to knock down the 15-foot jumper and is a good rebounder on both ends.
Notes
• Harrison's 6-9 center Marshall Guilmette is a skilled post who should be a solid mid-level prospect in Georgia's 2012 class. He is an average athlete that labors in an up-tempo game, but has a nice touch around the rim and can play facing the basket. Teammate Ryan Blumenthal is a dynamic scoring guard that is also in the 2012 class.
• Berkmar's backcourt of 2012 prospects, point guard Yonel Brown and Brandon Thompson, form a solid combo of scoring and ballhandling that give the Patriots a chance every night. Brown runs the team, while Thompson handles the scoring load.
• At 6-2, 2012 combo-guard Matt Polyne Pope's (GA) should see his recruitment pick up. He is a scorer with upside that has a smooth stroke and excels in transition.
• Furman-bound small forward Dominic Early must have been in coach Ed Morris' doghouse. After sitting the entire first half of his team's loss to Pope he got a technical in the third quarter and sat the majority of the game's remainder.
• South Gwinnett, who came into the game ranked fourth in the state of Georgia, has a nice nucleus of young players that are all Division I prospects and should be very competitive for the next few years. Besides Adams, the Comets have 5-10 point guard Kyle Wright in the 2013 class and also have bookend forwards in Qiydar Davis and Ashanti Downey-Day representing the 2012 class. Also look out for 2014 guard Cam Moye to figure into the rotation as he develops.
Mike LaPlante, a recruiting coordinator for ESPN Recruiting, has over 20 years of coaching and recruiting experience.