We spent time Saturday at the Best of the Best Middle School Showcase, held at The Big House in Tavares. Marcus Magee and his staff brought in young players from across the state for two days of games and skills improvement. Here are some players, all eighth graders, that caught our attention.
Ronald Vann, Osceola: The 6’2 Vann may have been the most talented player in attendance on Saturday. Long and very athletic, Vann is a smooth driver that gets to the rim with relative ease and finished well with either hand around the rim. The perimeter shot is ok now but will get better in the future with work.
Cameron Thornton, Minneola: The 5’9 Thornton was super-productive with his ability to score, rebound, and defend. He doesn’t give up or concede on any possession. Thornton rebounds the ball well at both ends, finishes around the basket with either hand, and showed some perimeter shooting and ball-handling skills as well.
Zavier Whidden, Delray Beach: The 6’5 lefty has good size and skill level. He is effective putting the ball in the basket both from the post and stepping out on the perimeter. Whidden play physical, rebounds well in traffic, and is quick to outlet the basketball once the defensive rebound is secured.
Keyston Campbell, The Villages: The 5’11Campbell has a great feel for the game and simply knows how to play. He found multiple ways to score, hitting shots with three point range as well completing drives through contact at the basket. Campbell proved to be a good passer and solid rebounder at this stage of his development.
Tyler Mills, Somerset: The 6’7 Mills was the biggest player by far but he is not gawky or stiff. He has a big frame but moves well, plays hard, and runs the floor. Mills is quick to outlet rebounds and has a decent touch inside. He did a good job of using his size to his advantage without fouling both as a defender and post player.
Santana Vasquez, Homestead: The 5’10 Vasquez simply out-toughed guys as he got tough rebounds in traffic and beat others to loose balls. He makes plays that are conducive to winning, only takes shots he is comfortable with and plays hard at both ends.
Jamaal Jakes, Minneola: The 5’7 Jakes excelled at slashing to the basket, scoring well with either hand both in transition and the half-court. He is quite athletic, a decent passer at this stage, and an alert and active defender.
Mason Dupont, Bradenton: The 5’9 Dupont opened up the first game with a three-ball that had good form and fundamentals and continued to play well. He pushes the pace, is a solid ball-handler and perimeter shooter and was always alert to move the ball quickly to teammates.
Kelvin Akins, Groveland: The 6’2 Akins is an energizer that puts in work on defense and rebounding. This fuels his offensive output. He has a nose for the ball coming off the offensive glass and isn’t shy about backing down guys to score in the lane.
Jeremiah Figueroa, Canoe Creek: The 6’2 Figueroa showed good skill for a player his size and age. He was active at both ends, using his length to get into passing lanes and grab rebounds. He is an active offensive rebounder and opportunistic scorer, converting quickly from defense to offense.
Amari Francois, East Ridge: Listed at 4’8 but seems taller, Francois is very quick with the ball and plays at his best when he can put push the pace. He is seemingly always in attack mode on either end of the court. Francois can make perimeter shots out to the arc but right now his drive game is his strength.
Donovan Homes, North Marion: The 5’10 Holmes is an excellent slasher and finisher, both as a driver and in transition. An active defender with fast hands and quick feet, he came up with a lot of steals and scores on the day. He rebounds well and plays with great effort.
Marc Hart, Orlando: The 5’8 Hart shot the ball well on either-side of the arc. He made plays off the bounce as both a scorer and distributor. Hart was also physical when rebounding the ball and playing defense.
Ray Borrego, Rockway: The 6’0 Borrego hit his first three ball of the game, then focused on driving and scoring inside. He is a strong, straight-line driver that doesn’t shy away from contact. That plays out on the defensive end as well. He came away several rebounds in traffic due to his greater desire than other teammates or opponents.
Justin Bush, Seminole: The 5’10 Bush has a solid frame and knows how to use it to score inside and create space to grab rebounds. His physicality at both ends helped him be productive in a lot of different area.
Mirko Skupelka, Hollywood: The 6’1 Skupelka was effective in using his strong frame and some crafty ball-handling to get to and score at the basket. He also dished out a couple of nice passes to teammates for easy scores.