This past weekend was the inaugural Battle On The Hill Grand Finale Tournament at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. There were 20 competitive varsity basketball teams there and got to see 42 games in two days Friday and Sunday. A special thanks to coach Ty Baumgardener and the Collins Hill High School staff for their hospitality in hosting the event. There were 2 brackets at this year’s event as the winner of Pool A/B was Midtown who held on to win by 3 in an instant classic that was back and forth over East Coweta. The winners of Pool C/D bracket was Griffin who held off a late comeback over Douglas County to win 52-54.

There is no secret anymore, the Midtown Knights are going to be very, very good this year. The Knights went 9-1 this summer at Swoosh Hoops events and went two for two winning the championships. They are athletic, talented, and deep. There is no let down in talent coming off of the bench and they don’t beat themselves. Behind 2026 Darrion Hadley, 2027 Galen Roberts, and a full handful 0f 2025 stars such as Mesquitte, who holds a D2 offer already, Evans, Finley, and Lewis, the Knights are poised to make a serious run this year. As we transition from summer to the fall/start of the season, the basketball world now turns it’s attention to what seems like a heavyweight match ahead this fall when the Knights will be in the same region as Pace Academy. Mark your calendars for that one as there will be no shortage of star power in what may be one of the most anticipated matchups of the 4A region schedule this year.

East Coweta has tremendous size and a pair of very good guards. With four players listed at 6’5 or taller who can all play and athleticism from the top down the team displays, they are going to be a hard guard this year in 6A. 2025 big men Qwes Williams and Johnathan Washington were very good throughout the weekend as well as 2027 big man David Askew. Marcus Towns was good in every single game he played for East Coweta and is definitely a 2025 that needs to be on people’s radar. Look for East Coweta to make a good run this year in 6A Region 2 behind their size and guard play for Coach Royal Maxwell.

Southwest Dekalb had another 3-1 showing this weekend with their only blemish being a close defeat to eventual champion Midtown. Coach Eugene Brown’s Panther squad is oozing with young talent as there are only two seniors on the squad in 2025 Kelvin Peek and Messiah Mergen who both start and both showed a lot of good things this summer. Jackson Ushery 2027 SG is going to be a name remember this year and the coming years to come. The 6’1 guard can shoot it just as good as anyone I saw this weekend. Not only can he shoot it, but he has a floater that is very hard to guard and he can defend with the best. As he gets better, and the team gets better, Southwest Dekalb is going to be a competitor in 4A this year in a region with some good talent from the likes of Pius, Marist, and Tucker. Look for Southwest Dekalb to win a lot of games late in 2025.

You can’t talk Clarke Central without talking about Marcus Gillespie. The 2025 pg who recently picked up an offer to Georgia Tech oo’d and ahh’d the crowd all weekend with his ability to hit some remarkable shots and a noticeably high percentage. Clarke Central led much of the first half vs. East Coweta due to his ability to hit shots and the addition of star football player Hezekiah Millender. With 6’6 Nicholas Smith underneath to help clean up, the Gladiators are poised for a good year for Coach Stefan Smith as they return the reigning region player of the year in Gillespie.

Collins Hill went 2-2 on the weekend. 6’5 2025 CG Ruben Borg played very well to open the weekend for Collins Hill scoring 18 in the win over Clarke Central. 6’4 2025 Noah Osuji looked really good as well throughout the weekend and showed his ability to stretch the floor also and hit some outside shots. As far as team shooting goes, Collins Hill may be the best 3 point shooting team I saw this weekend. Their roster is littered with three point shooters that make them a hard guard. With a pesky defensive scheme, look for Ty Baumgardener’s squad to compete in 6A Region 8 with the likes of Dacula, Buford, and Mountain View.

Windsor Forest showed up for one day and went 2-0. For a 2A school, Windsor Forest was impressive to watch. They don’t beat themselves. It felt like whatever anybody threw at them they had a counter for and shot the ball extremely well. They are very senior heavy but you have to love 6’6 CG Ryheim Manning. He can handle the ball, shoot the three, and gets to the lane effortlessly. I was also impressed with 6’2 Ahkee Mack who made a lot of shots and big plays distributing the ball. 6’1 Landon Page shot the 3 at a very high clip on Friday hitting 8 threes in two games. Windsor Forest should be very competitive in 2A this year.

Miller Grove has a very young team. Coach Chester has three seniors on the roster and 3 underclassmen, but you have to like 5’10 PG Amore Randolph. His shiftiness and craftiness with the ball in his hand make him a very hard and unpredictable guard for the Wolverines. Look for him to have a breakout season this year as the Wolverines will be in 2A this year. Randolph can get a floater off the dribble quicker than just about anyone I saw this weekend and can consistently hit them. His passing skills were impressive as well.

Thomas County Central came up from down south and the play of Charlie Dunbar the IV is a spectacle. I had a number of college coaches who were in attendance this weekend who pointed out Dunbar’s play and his ability to be an extremely versatile player going inside and outside. Thomas County Central was the only team to beat eventual champion Midtown this weekend and they did so behind Dunbar’s ability to hit shots, draw attention to himself, and distribute the ball to the array of three point shooters they have. 2026 Colby Mullinax as also big for them this weekend as well. In a region loaded with talent this year featuring Lee County and Houston County, look for Thomas County Central to hold their own in 5A Region 2.

New Manchester is one of the more exciting teams to watch. They essentially turn the game into a ping pong match of back and forth action and field a roster that is littered with good guard play and makes them a hard guard. They went 2-2 this weekend, but both losses were by a combined 11 points and easily could have lifted them to 4-0. There were four players who all stuck out to me for the Jaguars notably 6’2 CG Micah Hines 2025, Joshua Gadsden, Jah’Siah Payne, and Adrian Guilford. They’re all interchangeable, they all defend, and they’re all stronger players who can muscle their way on both ends of the floor.

Heritage from Conyers went 1-3 on the weekend and was competitive despite their record. You have to like the play of 6’3 2026 Jared White. His skills, energy, and scoring ability will lead the Patriots this year as they will compete in the gauntlet of a region in 6A featuring the likes of Grayson, Archer, and Newton. White showed his ability to create his own shot in traffic very well, showed his range from the outside, and also showed off his ability to get a rebound on defense and get out in transition with the ball quickly and make a play.

Please See My All-Tournament Team Below:

Weekend MVP: Darrion Hadley - 2026 Midtown HS - 6’3 CG - Hadley has been good all summer. Notably one of the top 2026 players in Georgia, there’s a lot to like about the 6’3 lefty for the Knights who looked unstoppable at times on Sunday enroute to the championship. His feel for the game, his ability to know where each and every single one of his teammate are, and obviously his remarkable ability to score the ball at all three levels consistently well. Hadley is already hearing from a few small division 1 schools, and if he continues to grow his game and polish his skills, I don’t see why he won’t be at that coveted division 1 level by the end of his high school career.

FIRST TEAM:
Qwes Williams - 2025 East Coweta 6’7 PF
Jackson Ushery - 2027 Southwest Dekalb 6’1 SG
Marcus Gillespie - 2025 Clarke Central 6’4 PG
Zuri Mesquitte - 2025 Midtown 6’5 PF
Marcus Towns - 2025 East Coweta 6’2 PG

Marcus Gillespie - 2025 Clarke Central 6’4 PG

SECOND TEAM:
Ruben Borg - 2025 Collins Hill 6’5 CG
Charlie Dunbar IV - 2025 Thomas County Central 6’5 PF
Micah Hines - 2025 New Manchester 6’2 CG
David Askew - 2027 East Coweta 6’7 PF
Ryheim Manning - 2025 Windsor Forest 6’5 WF

Micah Hines - 2025 New Manchester 6’2 CG

Ryheim Manning - 2025 Windsor Forest 6’5 WF

HONORABLE MENTION:
Hezekiah Millender - 2025 Clarke Central 6’3 CG
Nicholas Smith - 2025 Clarke Central 6’5 PF
Noah Osuji - 2025 Collins Hill 6’4 WF
Landon Johnson - 2025 Collins Hill 6’4 WF
Austin Richards - 2025 Collins Hill 6’0 CG
Johnathan Washington - 2025 East Coweta 6’8 PF
Eric Coleman - 2027 East Coweta 6’1 CG
Jared White - 2026 Heritage 6’3 CG
Haiden Evans - 2025 Midtown 6’6 WF
Galen Roberts - 2027 Midtown 6’7 PF
Luke Finley - 2025 Midtown 6’1 PG
Dhati Lewis - 2025 Midtown 6’2 SG
Amore Randolph - 2025 Miller Grove 5’10 CG
Joshua Gadsden - 2025 New Manchester 6’2 CG
Jah’Siah Payne - 2026 New Manchester 6’1 PG
Adrian Guilford - 2027 New Manchester 6’2 SG
Thomas Glanton - 2026 Southwest Dekalb 5’9 PG
Messiah Mergen - 2025 Southwest Dekalb 6’3 CG
Kelvin Peek - 2025 Southwest Dekalb 6’4 PF
Colby Mullinax - 2026 Thomas County Central 6’4 WF
Ahkee Mack - 2025 Windsor Forest 6’2 CG
Landon Page - 2025 Windsor Forest 6’1 SG

Despite being one of the youngest teams at the event with only one lone senior on the roster, Griffin was clearly one of the most talented teams there. Griffin went unscathed this weekend enroute to winning the championship for Pool C/D. Coach Oscar Moore has a lot to look forward to this season with the tremendous young talent the Bears will field. 2026 Demari Bailey runs the point efficiently well, scoring when he sees his opportunities, distributing to the teammates around him, and locking down on defense at crucial times when called upon. He should be noted as a player to watch for sure in the 2026 class. Along side 2027 Bubba Sullivan, 2026 Jordan Mays, and a whole roster full of support cast, Griffin has to be considered a serious contender in 4A Region 3 alongside Jonesboro and Carroll Central.

Douglas County came in with a lot of question marks. A brand new coach and a roster that almost entirely flipped graduating ten seniors. Coach Ken Austin had his Tigers ready this weekend guiding them to the championship game where they made a late push and kept Griffin on their heels. The extremely well coached Tigers don’t beat themselves often and seem to do a fantastic job working to get the best shot they can get out of the possession. You have to like 2025 PG Kaleb Gilmore who orchestrated the offense all weekend scoring and setting guys up. 6’6 2025 bg man Gavin Hall also was intriguing defending the paint well all weekend and making it difficult for teams to get inside easily.

Salem had a notable amount of productivity from their 2028 incoming freshmen, which leaves them as a legit threat in 2A for the years to come. They will be lead though by 2025 sharp shooter Eli Gaines who was good all weekend and had a game high 20 points in the Pool D showdown with Griffin. He was the only player to score 20 or more vs. the Bears all weekend. I was also impressed with Yohance Nero and Jaeden Thornton for the Seminoles who went 3-1 on the weekend in a Pool that had some very talented individuals in it. Salem has the talent to be a contender in 2A Region 6 this year and challenge Columbia.

GAC went 3-1 on the weekend with their lone loss coming in a narrow last second two point loss to Notre Dame Academy. They are a very fundamentally sound team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and are extremely well coached by David Eaton and his staff. Behind the PG play of 2025 Mike Carpenter, the shooting of 2025 Vinh Nguyen and 2026 Ledger Kincaid, and 6’7 2028 big man Baer Bailey, there is no doubt that the Spartans will be challengers for the 3A Region 6 championship this year. There is a lot to like about 6’4 Vinh Nguyen in the 2025 class. A big strong scorer who was one of the most fundamentally sound players I saw. Clearly a guy who spends a lot of time perfecting his game and is very polishe

Notre Dame Academy was intriguing to watch. They have a lot of different types of players who all seem to mesh together really well. Most notably, 6’7 WF 2025 Messiah Graham who is garnishing D1 interest from several programs from across the country brings a unique set of skills for a guy who is 6’7 and was able to get to the rim at will all weekend. He uses his length incredibly well getting past his defenders with a great first step and stretches out at the rim quite nicely. Had the game winning dunk in the closing seconds to hold off MLK. They are also led by 2026 PG Geronimo Holmes and 6’0 PG Kiandrey Thomas also in 2026.

Lithia Springs went 2-2 this weekend and Ziair Finch is a name you need to remember in 2025. The 6’1 lefty guard gained a lot of attention after his two performances on Friday night that had people buzzing about the scoring guard who made it look easy on Friday night. Finch averaged nearly 20 points per game as a junior but is as unselfish as they come. Definitely a college level guy that coaches should be taking a look at in need of guards for 2025. Complimented by 6’0 CG Peter Takim who was one of the best on ball defenders I saw this weekend, Lithia Springs is a pesky team that if Finch is on, will be a challenger in Region 5A-5 this year.

Druid Hills was probably the youngest team in the event with seven incoming freshmen on the varsity roster and started two of them. But you have start off when you talk Druid Hills by talking about 6’6 big man Elonzo Milla of the 2025 class. Milla showed out this weekend scoring 16 points per game over the weekend to lead ALL scorers in Pool C/D. He shot the three, got to the line, finished at the rim, did it all. A number of colleges came through the gym this weekend to check out Milla, and it’s no wonder why.

MLK went 1-3 on the weekend but was extremely competitive and nearly pulled off the victory in the closing seconds missing a putback at the buzzer vs. Notre Dame Academy. Coach Harris will have a very young team this year after graduating a large number of seniors, but the Lions get after it are not afraid to challenge anyone. 2025 6’3 Shavion Jackson looked good at times this weekend getting to the rim and finishing including the game winner vs. Villa Rica. 2026 guard Emontae Gourdine also showed off his ability to shoot the three at a consistent rate.

Berrien was the smallest school to attend the event and was the lone 1A school there. There is a lot to like about 2027 WF 6’2 Daniel Bentier. He was one of the better rebounders I saw this weekend to be honest and at 6’2 had a double double in both games I watched Berrien play on Sunday. If he continues to polish his skills and develop his game, he could be a very good player in the 2027 class. 2026 Michael Eason also showed some good things throughout the weekend for Berrien as they will compete in 1A Region 1 this upcoming season.

Villa Rica is led by Gavin Cooley who in two weekends now of watching him, is one of the better scorers I’ve seen this June for 2025 kids. His ability to hit shots off the catch and off the dribble consistently, mixed with his ability to crash the offensive boards routinely for putback dunks, instantly make Cooley an attractive 6’3 guard in the 2025 class that coaches should be checking out as they look for good young talent from the high school ranks. Coach James Bailey has to be excited about what Cooley brings back to the Wildcats for the upcoming season as they will be in 5A Region 5 this coming season.

Please See My All-Tournament Team Below:

WEEKEND MVP: Bubba Sullivan - 2027 Griffin HS - 6’4 SG - It may seem unorthodox to choose an incoming sophomore as the weekend MVP, but Sullivan is an exception to the rule. There is a TON to like about this youngster as his length was problematic for teams all weekend whether it be on defense where he is a true swiss army knife that can guard all five positions or on offense. Offensively his game is really good, and then when you find out he really just started playing basketball, you realize how good this guy could be with three years left under Coach Moore’s guidance. He can get to the rim, finish over and around defenders, and can shoot it from the parking lot. Sullivan scored double figures in all four games this weekend he played.

FIRST TEAM:
Elonzo Milla - 2025 Druid Hills 6’6 PF
Ziair Finch - 2025 Lithia Springs 6’1 CG
Messiah Graham - 2025 Notre Dame Academy 6’7 WF
Demari Bailey - 2026 Griffin 6’2 PG
Eli Gaines - 2025 Salem 6’2 SG

Messiah Graham - 2025 Notre Dame Academy 6’7 WF

SECOND TEAM:
Gavin Cooley - 2025 Villa Rica 6’3 CG
Jordan Mays - 2026 Griffin 6’1 CG
Vinh Nguyen - 2025 GAC 6’3 CG
Geranimo Holmes - 2026 Notre Dame Academy 6’3 PG
Kaleb Gilmore - 2025 Douglas County 6’0 PG

Geranimo Holmes - 2026 Notre Dame Academy 6’3 PG

Kaleb Gilmore - 2025 Douglas County 6’0 PG

HONORABLE MENTION:

Michael Eason - Berrien 2026 6’2 CG

Daniel Bentier - Berrien 2027 6’2 WF

Gavin Hall - Douglas County 2025 6’6 C

Kaden Burley - Douglas County 2025 5’11 SG

Dakota Freeman - Druid Hills 2028 6’2 CG

Malachi Kinchen - Druid Hills 2028 6’2 CG

Amadi Echebelu - Druid Hills 2028 6’3 WF

Baer Bailey - GAC - 2028 6’7 PF

Ledger Kincaid - GAC - 2026 6’5 SG

Mike Carpenter - GAC - 2025 6’ PG

Jayce Touchstone - Griffin 2027 6’4 PF

Kelvin Johnson - Griffin 2028 6’5 PF

King Fuller - Griffin - 2028 6’4 PF

Peter Takim - Lithia Springs 2025 6’0 CG

Tayshaun Bufurd - Lithia Springs 2025 5’10 PG

Shavion Jackson - MLK 2025 6’3 WF

Emontae Gourdine - MLK 2026 5’9 SG

Kiandrey Thomas - Notre Dame Academy 2026 6’0 PG

Yohance Nero - Salem 2025 6’1 CG

Jayden Thornton - Salem 2026 5’11 CG

Joseph Griffin - Salem 2028 6’3 PF

College coaches - please reach out for any player or coach contact info.

Thoughts & Observations From The 2024 Battle On The Hill

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