Hypesouth Media — We’re back with our annual Middle Georgia preseason rankings and this year we’ll continue to focus on the top 25 players from the area. Several prospects have separated themselves while others are ready to burst onto the scene. This offseason, we put in heavy mileage evaluating and below we unveil our 2019-2020 list.
Top Five
1) Kowacie Reeves, Jr. | 6’5 | W | Westside, 2021
Offers: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Stanford +more
Summer Highlights
Every summer we see a Middle Georgia player blowup on the travel circuit and this time it was Reeves, Jr. He climbs to the top in large part due to an offseason ascension from local standout to nationally recognized prospect. The 6-foot-5 junior took his game to another level and collected over 10 division-I offers from schools like Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Seton Hall, Stanford, and VCU to name a few. His continual progression on and off the court has surprised many and solidifies him as the No.1 rated mid-state prospect heading into the season.
2) Quay Primas | 6’6 | F | Central, 2021
Offers: Charleston Southern, Mercer, NC A&T, Presbyterian +more
Summer Highlights
Primas ended last school ball season with no offers, but quickly piqued the interest of several low to mid level programs during the April & July evaluation periods and eventually squeezed an offer from Presbyterian. The 6-foot-6 lefty big-man is easily the area’s best post player, however, he has expanded his game free-throw line extended and continues to leap forward in his all-around development. Given his stellar play in 2018-19 followed by an impressive summer campaign, Primas comes in at No.2 in our 2019-20 preseason rankings.
3) Javian Mosley | 6’4 | W | Westside, 2021
Offers: Mercer, NC A&T
Summer Highlights
Mosley makes the leap from No.22 in last season’s rankings to No.3 this year. The 6-foot-4 south-paw wing is slowly but surely gaining steam in coaching circles and we expect more schools to start getting in moving forward. Mercer threw its name into the hat early with an offer, so don’t be surprised to see this recruitment take off soon. All considered, Mosley returns as the Seminoles leading scorer and did enough on the travel circuit to round out our top 3.
4) Anthony Grant, Jr. | 6’6 | W | Veterans, 2022
Grant is an intriguing player with a ton of upside and potential to become one of the best players in the entire state. At 6-foot-6, his versatility on both ends will prompt coaches to check in early and often. We watched the sophomore wing a couple times this offseason and came away impressed with his offensive strides and elite size, but we’d like to see a little more competitive edge moving forward. Once Grant reaches full capacity, he could jump from No.4 to No.1 in the blink of an eye.
5) Brinton Wright | 6’7 | F | Perry, 2021
Wright is the wildcard of the bunch. If he can put it all together the 6-foot-7 combo forward is a sure-fire high major prospect. He flourishes at the school ball level, but has been inconsistent during travel play. Many believe his shortcomings on the circuit could be a result of team bouncing which sometimes causes players to struggle finding a role. Consistency, stability, and discipline will be key components in Wright’s movement up or down going forward.
The Next Tier
6) Jarden Maze | 6’2 | PG | Washington Co, 2020
Maze skyrockets to No.6 after a monster offseason. The 6-foot-2 energizer made a name for himself running with the Middle Georgia Bucks on the independent circuit. Consistent stat stuffing performances made evaluators and college coaches take notice and if Maze continues trending up he’ll be one of the biggest sleepers in the peach state.
7) Christian Lamar | 6’3 | G | Wilkinson Co, 2020
A strong school ball career justifies this ranking. The 6-foot-3 senior has been a key contributor on two state title squads and is looking to make it 3-in-4 years heading out the door. Lamar’s high school résumé helps ease the pain for his hit and miss presence on the travel circuit.
8) Keshun Houser | 6’0 | PG | Warner Robins, 2020
Athletic and tough describe Houser. The 6-foot high-riser has made a career of posterizing defenders, but in order to reach peak level he must continue adding to his offensive repertoire. Houser was sidelined with injury for most of last season and is on a mission to get back into the mix in 2019-20.
9) Bryson Wooten | 6’3 | G | Jones Co, 2020
Summer Highlights
Wooten produces at a steady rate and is primed for a big senior year under new head coach Buck Harris. The 6-foot-3 guard recently picked up interest from Edward Waters College and Spring Hill College, but we could see interest turn into offers soon given his trajectory. Wooten has a strong basketball pedigree and is teetering on breaking out.
10) Collin Tarver | 6’0 | G | Howard, 2020
Tarver is an offensive minded guard that can score in bunches once he gets going. He is relatively under the radar statewide right now, but could have a coming out party in 2019-20. Last season, the 6-foot sparkplug helped lead his Howard Huskies to a GHSA Sweet 16 appearance and is in good position to make another deep run this year. Don’t be surprised to start hearing Tarver’s name mentioned more moving forward.