It was wall-to-wall basketball and college coaches at The Big House in Tavares this past weekend as the Hoop Exchange held its annual All-American Jamboree.  A showcase for Junior Colleges, Post-Grad Programs, and prominent independent high school programs, there was something for everyone this past weekend.  Our focus was primarily on the high school ranks, especially those teams that participate in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA).

Orlando West Oaks Academy

While the phrase “Under New Management” may apply, the culture and high standards of the program haven’t changed.  WOA has dudes, that is for sure.  Ibrahim Basima, a 6’7 senior, is certainly intriguing with his high level of athleticism, energy, and ability to get to and score at the basket.  He has inside/outside capabilities as a defender.  Jayden Williams, a 6’3 senior, is a wily backcourt scorer.  He knocks down shots on either side of the arc off the catch and the bounce, has high-level ball-skills to get past defenders and score at the rim, and is a more than capable passer.  Terrell James, a 6’0 senior, controls the pace, makes good reads in transition, makes the game easier for his teammates with his penetration and passing ability, and is a reliable perimeter shooter.  Isaac Buckley, a 6’7 senior, is a strong athlete that rebounds and defends well against bigger foes, creates and makes his own scoring opportunities, and is alert and quick to give up the rock to teammates with better shots.  Antonio Baymon, a 6’0 junior, has the skills and basketball IQ to play either guard spot.  He gets to and scores at the basket with frequency and is a dangerous perimeter shooter.  Anei Majock, a 6’10, provides a rugged interior presence.  He moves well for player his size, controls his rebounding area, and can step away from the land and make shots from fifteen feet and in.

Southeastern Prep Academy

The Falcons were missing several important pieces this past weekend. The junior trio of 6’2 Beckham Black, 6’9 C.J. Rosser, and 6’7 Griffin Starks, were all at the Team USA Basketball Mini-Camp in Colorado.  By no means does that suggest the team was without talent this past weekend.  Obinna Ekezie, a 7’1 top five junior, made an impact at both ends of the floor.  Outside of knocking down a three-ball(!), Ekezie owned the lane, finishing lobs and offensive rebounds above the rim on offense and denying inside opportunities on defense.  Hazzan Antonio Effard, a 5’10 senior, was an offensive catalyst with his four made threes.  The range is deep and the release quick.  Rylan Kelly, a 6’3 senior, was a frequent visitor to the rim in both transition and half-court sets.  He is a strong and athletic finisher with an improving perimeter shot.  Aiden Groce, a 6’2 junior, had a good day.  He rebounds well for his size, showed potential as a consistent three-level scorer, and was quite active on defense.  Damarrion Wesley, a 6’5 junior, struggled a bit with his perimeter shot but made an impact with his ability to get ahead of the defense and score in transition, rebound, and defend a variety of positions.

The Rock School

Always a consistent contender in the SIAA, The Rock School out of Gainesville will no doubt be a factor once again.  Joseph Hartman, a 6’5 senior and Michigan commit, was very impressive running the team.  On offense, he showed great court vision, decision-making, and shot selection.  He took advantage of size mismatches, got to his spots, and consistently made shots.  Hartman was also stellar on the defensive end, coming up with steals and forcing opponents to rush and make mistakes.  Deandre Harvey, a 6’5 senior, had a solid outing as well.  A strong and explosive athlete, Harvey has worked hard to become a more well-rounded player.  His perimeter shooting has improved, he is looking to make the right play when driving to the rim and not just challenge defenders, and has become a veritable ball-hawk on defense.  Cordalius White, a 6’6 senior, continues to show rapid improvement in his overall game.  In the game we took in, White was successful in putting back offensive rebounds, scoring on drives and finishing above the rim on the break.  Zaire Colbert, a 6’0 freshman, makes an impact with his speed and quickness with the ball, ability to penetrate the defense off the bounce and make good reads, and force mistakes on the defensive end.  Jacob Pleyer, a 6’3 senior, provides both scoring and playmaking ability.  The Rock has a solid three-man rotation on the interior.  Much John Gadet, a 6’11 junior, is the athletic rim protector.  Hendrix Loughridge, a 6’10 senior, is a tough interior scorer.  Trace Westercamp, a 6’9 senior, stretches the defense with his perimeter shooting, pulling opposing bigs away from the basket so his guards have room to operate.

The Academy of Central Florida

This Orlando-based program has a lot of good pieces.  At the top of the list is 6’2 junior Martay Barnes, a national top fifty recruit.  With speed and quickness to spare, he excels in an up-tempo setting, often of his own creation.  Barnes scores well in a crowd, doesn’t shy away from contact, and continues to improve as a shot-maker on both sides of the arc.  He is also an unselfish distributor and active defender.  Inside, 7’3 senior Symon Ghai, protects the rim, swatting shots and/or forcing bad ones.  He scoops up most of those misses.  Ghai is an opportunistic scorer on offense with a penchant for dunking home missed shots by teammates.  With his size, length, and bounce, he is always a lob threat.  Felipe Minzer, a 6’6 senior, impressed with a high-basketball IQ and ability to make the right play at the right time.  A good passer, ball-handler, and rebounder, Minzer offers up a lot of versatility.  He is also active and disruptive in the passing lanes.  Fallilou Mbenge, a 6’10 junior, has inside/outside skills, good athleticism, and the ability to guard multiple positions.

DME Academy National

DME Academy out of Daytona Beach has multiple teams at both the high school and post-grad levels.  Their highest-level team won the SIAA state tournament last season and will no doubt be a formidable challenger again this season.  Nathan Kirk, a 6’0 senior, does an excellent job of running the show, getting and keeping teammates involved, taking care of the ball vs. pressure, and scoring with poise.  He shoots the ball well from the perimeter but is also a good scorer in traffic around the rim.  Ryan Hampton, a 6’7 junior, is a top five player nationally in his class.  He had some uncharacteristic struggles in the game we took in, but it is clear the talent and high-level potential is there in abundance.  Hampton was a big factor in the team’s comeback win with his transition scoring and offensive rebounding.  Yohane Kabongo, a 6’9 junior, is definitely a player to track.  Agile, mobile, and hostile, he is a force around the basket at both ends.  Kabongo actively pursues rebounds in and out of his area, challenges and changes shots, and showed a surprisingly soft touch at the offensive end.  Maddox Harden, a 6’6 junior, helps on the glass, runs the floor, and defends the post as well as the perimeter.  Chris Kitenge, a 6’5 senior, is a tough rebounder, driver, and defender.  Heimir Helgason, a 6’9 senior, has good perimeter skills, is a better-than-expected athlete, and seeks out contact despite a somewhat thin frame.

Jordan Christian Prep

We saw several of JCP’s young bigs at an event earlier this fall and were keen on checking out the Auburndale program to see what they might have in the backcourt.  Graciano Nthonha, a 6’3 junior, has the skills and size to play either guard spot.  We’ve seen him at a couple of individual events and came away more than intrigued.  Ousmane Sanoh, a 6’3 sophomore, was effective from behind the arc as well as getting to and scoring at the basket.  He also had a couple of nice passes for assists and came up with a few steals as well.  Kevin Lams, a 6’4 senior, is another perimeter player that will stretch the defense with his shot as will 6’4 senior Roman Syntiok.  Wekem Herbert, a 6’9 freshman, looks to have the most potential of the bigs on the roster at this point.  He plays with great energy, is seemingly always around the basketball, and makes a great impact as both a rebounder and shot blocker.  MaPuor Madol, a 6’9 freshman, also made an impact with his size on defense and scoring ability around the basket.