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Georgia Tech Basketball: Top Performers From Battle In The Peach This Weekend

Several players had standout performances in one of the top events in Metro Atlanta

Najeh Wilkins

Chapel Hill G CJ Geathers
Chapel Hill G CJ Geathers / Photo By Najeh Wilkins (SI)

It was a jam-packed weekend across Metro Atlanta with high-end basketball events including Hawks-Naismith at Norcross High School, Battle in the Peach at Duluth High School, and the North Georgia Showcase. I was in attendance at the Battle in the Peach where several notable prospects were in attendance for one of the best events of the weekend. These players caught my eye after dominant performances on the hardwood. 

Chapel Hill G CJ Geathers- Geathers is a very underrated prospect for the Panthers and has continued to put together impressive performances this season. Saturday was no different against Lakeside-Dekalb. He hit double figures in a 63-49 win. Geathers had a number of highlight-reel dunks in the win and also was defending at a high level. On the defensive side of the ball, he can defend multiple positions with his 6’4 frame. The senior guard switched to guards, and forwards, and even guarded some big man in the front court. It didn’t matter who he was guarding, the result was the same. Geathers had several blocks on the defensive side of the ball that led to easy buckets in transition. 

Holy Innocents G Kingston Whitty- Whitty was impressive throughout the win against Tri-Cities. Whether he was diving for loose balls, or being a pest on defense Whitty made his presence felt. He was also running the offense and making plays for the team. He finished with a game-high 23 points. He scored on all three levels of the floor, got out in transition, converted layups, and spotted up from three-point range. Defensively, he finished with a game-high four steals. The junior guard will be a prospect to continue to watch this season for Holy Innocents and could be an X factor in helping the Bears win a state title in Class 3A-A private. 

Holy Innocents F Caleb Wilson- I think what is most impressive about Wilson is his ability to affect the game without scoring. Yes, he finished with a double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds, but he let the game come to him. Early on he was consistently looking for his teammates and getting them involved early. That effort led to three of his teammates notching double-figures in the win. Defensively, he was constant on the glass and continued to send shots back into the rafters. He has a team-high six blocks. Whenever he got rebounds, he looked to push it in transition whenever he had the chance. Wilson finished with eight assists and flirted with a triple-double. Wilson is an impressive prospect not because of his scoring but because of everything else he can do on the floor. He is one of the best scorers out there but he affects the game in all phases. Expect Wilson to have a Cooper Flagg effect next year in college basketball. Being put into the starting lineup from Day 1 and having an instant impact in college. 

Riverwood G JR Leonard- In a win over Westside-Macon, Leonard dropped 39 points and led all scorers. Leonard is a player that can score in bunches and once he gets going he is difficult to slow down. He was on a heater against Westside-Macon and took over leaving the defense with little answers to defend. A thing that stands out about his game is that he is a tough shot-maker. The Stetson signee makes tough shots look routine and can score from any angle on the court. He is averaging 24.3 PPG and 6.3 RPG this season for the Raiders. He is one of the best players in the country. 

Riverwood F Clinton McCants- In a 64-56 win over Westside-Macon, McCants finished with eight points, six rebounds, a steal, and a block. The sophomore guard made a lot of plays keeping the ball alive on offense with his offensive rebounding skills. When the opportunities presented themselves, he was aggressive in attacking the rim and creating chances for himself which led to his eight points. As teams continue to gear up to slow down Leonard, McCants and others will be vital in helping create space and opportunities especially if they are knocking down shots. It makes a defense be honest when defending the Raiders. Although he is young, McCants' development this year will be something to continue to watch going forward. 

Kell G Connor Staphylaris- Staphylaris is flourishing in an increased role for the Kell Longhorns this season. In a win over Westlake at the Battle in the Peach, he dropped 24 points and knocked down six three-pointers. He went 6-10 from three-point range. Staphylaris is one of the best shooters in the state that nobody is talking about. He can stretch the floor with his elite shooting and also put the ball on the floor and get to the rim if the defense over pursues. He is one of the reasons why Kell is 9-1 this season despite losing a lot of their talent from last year’s state championship team. 

Tri-Cities G Tre Keith- Keith was one of the bright spots on Saturday night for the Bulldogs in a tough outing. Tri-Cities finished with a season-low 43 points. Despite that, Keith remained aggressive, constantly looking for his shot. He was one of the few players who had success against the Holy Innocents defense. Keith finished in double figures and was a go-to scoring option for the Bulldogs. He leads the team in scoring averaging 17.9 points per game and four assists. He has scored in double-figures in every game this season and has surpassed 20 points three times in 10 games played. 

Villages Charter (FL) Aaron Britt Jr- Britt Jr is only a sophomore but already plays the game as a veteran. He is another one who lets the game come to him and can knock down big shots when his team needs it. He dropped a team-high 23 points in the nightcap. Britt Jr was knocking down threes, slashing to the rim, and making plays for his teammates. Defensively, he was a pest causing turnovers that led to easy transition buckets that helped Villages Charter put the game away in overtime. The sophomore guard got better as the game wore on and was a tough cover for the defense as he scored 10 of his 23 points in the 4th/OT period. He is currently the leading scorer this year for Villages Charter averaging 18 points per game coming into the matchup against Cedar Grove. The young guard has helped lead the Buffalo to an 8-1 record this year. 

Villages Charter (FL) Advyn Corbin- Corbin is another big shot maker for Villages Charter and hit clutch shots down the stretch for Buffalo in the fourth quarter and overtime. Corbin finished with 18 points in the win over Cedar Grove and showed his ability to create off the dribble for himself and his teammates. The backcourt of Corbin and Britt Jr combined for 41 of the 68 points the Buffalo scored in the win. They both complement each other well and have a knack for finding creases in the defense and taking advantage of their opportunities. Corbin is a great three-level scorer who dribbles the ball on a string that allows him to get anywhere he wants to on the court. He is the second-leading scorer on the team this year averaging 15 points per game. 

Cedar Grove G Yusef Bowyer- Bowyer finished with a team-high 24 points and seven assists. He also had two steals on defense in the 68-58 loss to Villages Charter (FL). He got it going in the fourth quarter for the Saints and was a reliable scoring threat. He also hit a buzzer-beater at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Bowyer was putting constant pressure on the defense when a lot of the attention was focused on slowing down fellow star guard Manny Green. Bowyer made the defense pay. It was an impressive night for the senior guard who was a go-to option on a talented roster. 

Cedar Grove F Javonte Floyd- The junior big man finished with a double-double in the 68-68 loss to Villages Charter. Floyd had 14 points and 12 rebounds. He also made his presence felt on defense, finishing with a game-high four blocks. When you evaluate his game, he is one of the best big men in the state. He has an impressive face-up/low post game. It is kind of a lost art today in basketball to have a big man be able to work different post moves and dominate on the interior, which is what Floyd did on Saturday. Defensively, he rebounds at a high level and is one of the few big men that can guard on the perimeter. Floyd currently holds offers from Penn State, Purdue, UAB, Marist, Rice, and Xavier. Expect the buzz for the junior to continue to grow in recruiting especially if Cedar Grove is in a position to contend for a state championship.

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Najeh Wilkins
NAJEH WILKINS

Najeh Wilkins covers football and basketball for Georgia Tech Athletics at FanNation. He has experience in recruiting, hosting, play-by-play, and color commentary.

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