NEWTON COUNTY – For the second time this offseason, the Newton Rams boys basketball team have lost a key piece to Overtime Elite (OTE).
On Monday, senior Matt Allen announced he would be departing the Newton Rams to join Moravian Prep and the YNG Dreamerz of OTE, a top amateur league for athletes ages 16-20. The Dreamerz are coming off of a sensational season, going 17-3 and claiming the OTE Championship.
Allen becomes the second Newton player to join OTE, after presumptive All-Cov News MVP frontrunner Jordan Green announced his intention to join PHH Prep and the Diamond Doves in July.
But while Green was a seasoned player for the Rams, Allen departs the team without ever playing a regular season game.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard joined the Rams after two successful seasons with Gatewood Academy in Eatonton, where he averaged over 35 PPG. Allen’s stock continued to rise with good showings in Newton summer contests as well as with the travel ball team “Game Elite,” claiming a national championship with the team.
Now as a member of the Dreamerz, Allen figures to play a key role as a knockdown shooter and solidifies his status as a player to watch on the national stage.
Other transfer news
Allen was not the only Newton player to depart the team this week.
On Friday, The Covington News learned that senior Bryce Jackson was departing the Rams to join the Gainesville Red Elephants for the 2025-26 season. With the move, Jackson reunites with former Newton Head Coach Charlemagne Gibbons, who coached a number of top Newton teams.
The 6-foot-4 guard had been in the Newton program for three years, showing flashes as a starter in the 2024-25 season. Jackson finished with a career-high 31 points against Grovetown in January, with what was considered a “flu-game” for him.
After Green’s departure in July, Jackson was the last remaining starter of the state runner-up team this past season. Now, with all five starters gone, the Rams will have to rely on transfers Jayden Scott and Jared White as well as young pieces like Emanuel Wilder and incoming freshman Kingston Clahar to play larger roles.
Over on Highway 36, the Alcovy Tigers saw two departures in twin brothers Adarian and Adrian Johnson. The Johnson twins will be transferring from Alcovy to Tucker High School.
Adarian was the Tigers’ starting power forward during the 2024-25 season and was a solid piece on the Tigers’ best regular season in a decade. Alongside Jakori Pinelle, Adarian was expected to be one the premier players for the team.
Adrian had yet to log substantial minutes for the varsity team, but was also expected to see a big role in new Head Coach Darrell Johnson’s squad.
With the twins’ departure, Johnson will presumably look to Kellin Hendrix as the team’s primary big. The Tigers will also return Pinelle, Kortize Foust and Mekhi Hamlin as key players for the 2025-26 season.
