Backcourts Shine
The ultimate theme of day one was the backcourts. They were a big reason behind much of the day and had a big impact on the results.
Mountain View has gotten off to a great start to the year behind their backcourt. They play hard, they play fast, and the complement each other very well. Bronson Blair is their main playmaker and creates very well off the bounce for himself and for teammates, consistently making great reads. Quintus Jones is a sniper on the perimeter and has been great scoring the ball and knocking down shots. Jah Bruce brings a ton of energy and his ability to get to the rim and finish has shined, including some big time dunks in traffic.
Archer's senior backcourt duo of Wofford commit Kahmare Holmes and Darrian Joseph were fantastic in a win over Milton. They have size, they have athleticism, and they provide a ton of scoring and playmaking for an Archer team that looks like they will have a huge year.
Don't sleep on North Gwinnett's backcourt. Senior PG Charlie Gallagher does a great job of running the show for the Bulldogs and is a dog on the defensive side of the ball as well. Arkansas Pine-Bluff commit Caleb Jones also does a great job of playmaking and scoring, shoots the ball well from three, and can make reads off the bounce. They should be a solid backcourt that makes North Gwinnett a tough team to beat this season.
Other Top Performers
Will Dopfer, Lambert
Dopfer was a force in the paint in a Lambert win over Lovett. Whether it was creating off the dribble from the mid-post, hitting the offensive glass, or catching and finishing, he was consistently finding himself in situations to be productive and responded, finishing with 29 points. He is definitely a notable name to keep track of in the Peach in 2026.
Cameron Cannon, Lovett
Lovett has a great young backcourt, and the freshman Cannon is a big part of that. He's wired to score and proved that he can do it from every level of the floor and be incredibly productive scoring the ball. He's very quick and can be effective both on and off the ball as well as off the catch and off the dribble. Don;t be surprised if you see him posting some good scoring totals this season.
Samuel Thacker, Providence Christian
You won't find a lot of guards with the IQ, savvy, and skillset that Thacker has. He played well both on and off the ball, but his ability to move without the ball and find his spots was what shined brightly on day one of the JCC. He was able to be efficient in finding good looks, always in the flow of the offense and consistently knocked down shots from three. He also looked good making plays off the dribble, consistently making the right reads. He's also a sneaky defender that can create deflections and turnovers to get opportunities in the open floor.
Miles Clanton, North Gwinnett
You won't find too many guys with the kind of motor that Clanton has, and that led him to a huge stat line of 28 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Mill Creek. He's always around the ball making plays, whether its on the glass or around the rim finishing off plays. While he's slightly undersized for his position, he more than makes up with it with his relentlessness and energy. He was an alpha in the paint on day one of JCC.
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