We continue our coverage of the All-American Jamboree held this past weekend at The Big House in Tavares by Hoop Exchange.  We will conclude our look at teams in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) and then highlight some national level independent programs.

Jacksonville Potter’s House Christian

This isn’t a squad with a lot of size, but athleticism and toughness should carry this group quite far.  Cordele Nelson, a 6’8 junior, is the only player on the roster over 6’5.  He held his own pretty well.  He rebounded, ran the floor, and proved to be a scoring option near the basket.  Gabe Williams, a 6’2 sophomore, is a threat to go off from deep at any time.  He makes good shot vs pass decisions when attacking the basket.  Shalan Beckford, a 5’11 sophomore, used his speed and quickness with the ball to push the tempo, get paint touches then deliver the ball to open shooters, and was solid as an on-ball defender.  Jerry Torchon, a 6’3 junior, struggled with his perimeter shot this outing but we’ve seen him make several from distance other times.  He compensated by being extra-active on defense (four steals by our count) and playing bigger than his size on the glass.

Bradenton Victory Rock Prep

Almost the opposite of Potter’s House with six guys 6’6 or taller, VRP will go as its guards go.  Deryl Williams, a 6’7 senior, was dynamic in his ability to score from all three levels.  He was also a presence on the offensive glass, a willing passer, and a versatile defender.  Noah Mister, a 6’2 senior, struggled from behind the arc but then moved his game into the mid-range and found a great deal of success.  He is a strong guard that rebounds well.  Abibou Gaye, a 6’7 senior, made quite the impact in the rebounding department.  He was quick to rebounds in and out of his area, showed good touch around the rim, and was swift down the floor in transition.  Moses Dau, a 7’0 senior, is slight of frame but runs and leaps well, has significant length, and is a deterrent to opponents attempting to score near the basket.

Virginia Gillion Academy

The “First Family of Florida Basketball” has taken up residence just outside of the nation’s capital and many high-major hoopers went with them.  It was good to see the founders of Team Breakdown back home.  Marcis Ponder, a 7’0 senior, continues to show growth as an interior scorer.  He is a force on the glass at both ends and pretty much shuts off the opponent’s ability to score inside on defense.  Willie Burnett, a 6’6 senior, is a crafty and creative scorer on both sides of the arc.  He will play and defend multiple positions over the course of a game.  Travis Triplett, a 6’9 senior, provides an inside/outside match-up problem for opponents.  He can post up and score inside over smaller players and pull bigger players away from the basket with his ability to handle and shoot the basketball with range.  Aaron Bryant, a 6’2 junior, makes an impact with his ability to consistently knock down shots from deep.  He is also an active and alert passer and defender.  Jayden Joseph, a 6’2 senior, is tasked with the majority of the ball-handling duties.  He has a good feel for when to push and when to pull back the pace, looks to get the ball to shooters or cutters, and score on his own when necessary.  Aaron McGee, a 6’4 senior, is an athletic finisher in transition or drives to the basket, a consistent perimeter shooter, and a ball-hawk on the defensive end.

Zephyrhills Christian

“ZC” has left the FHSAA and will be part of the Grind Session this coming season.  The school has loaded up on talent to take on a national schedule.  Toni Bryant, a 6’10 sophomore and McDonald’s All American Game candidate, is an elite athlete at his height, has a good skill level, and continues to evolve as an inside/outside force.  He can grab a rebound a go coast-to-coast for the score, shoot over smaller foes from the perimeter or go by bigger ones with the bounce, and is a high-level rim protector on defense.  Alex Davis, a 6’9 senior, has a strong frame, rebounds his area, and is a physical enforcer on the defensive end.  Traymaine Belanger, a 6’7 senior, looks to be the perimeter playmaker of the group.  He has good positional size, sees the court and passes well, has a respectable outside shot and plenty of versatility on the defensive end.  Ethan Knox, a 6’5 sophomore, is a recent arrival to the program.  Long and athletic, he is a highlight waiting to happen in transition, strong rebounder, improving perimeter shooter and a guy that makes the most of his opportunities.  Yale Davis, a 6’1 senior, has great speed and handles, is extremely difficult for defenders to stay in front of, and is a disruptive defender both on and off the ball.

Fort Lauderdale Prolific Prep

We’ve yet to see the “full” Prolific Prep squad.  Two weeks ago at the Fall Festival, PP brought its younger, more developmental team.  This time around, it was a mixture of its “main” and “developmental” teams.  Projected impact players such as 6’8 senior Davion Adkins, 6’3 junior Nasir Anderson, 6’5 sophomore Bruce Branch, and 6’7 freshman Draydne McDaniel were at the USA Basketball mini-camp in Colorado while top ten rated Caleb Holt was on a visit to Kentucky.  That is a lot of talent, but there was still quite a bit remaining.  M.J. Madison, a 6’8 senior, is a solid offensive talent from fifteen feet and in, a physical rebounder, and active defender.  He continues to make great strides in developing his perimeter skills.  Alex Smith, a 6’9 senior and Ohio State commit, struggled shooting the ball in his first game but that completely turned around later in the day.  Smith was making shots off the catch and the bounce, getting up the floor quickly to score ahead of the defense in transition, and battling for rebounds against stronger opponents.  Joel Mokweza, a 6’10 senior, doesn’t get many (if any) plays run his way but contributes by playing hard, setting screens, pursuing rebounds at both ends and physically defending the paint.  Much the same can be said about 6’8 senior Emmanuel Jamgbadi. A 6’1 junior Aaron Ona Embo provided much in the way of perimeter scoring.  He knocked down shots from behind the arc, proved to be a good driver, distributor and scorer at the basket, and rebounded well for his size.