In a loaded field like the Wally Keller Classic, there are many players worth spotlighting.  Here are just a few.

Nijaun Harris, St. Petersburg HS: The 6’5 sophomore is a physical specimen for a college sophomore, let alone a high school one.  His wide, strong frame allows him to overpower most defenders and score through contact at the rim.  Harris is also light on his feet, using good footwork to create scoring windows in a crowd.  He has some creative ball-handling skills which allow him to get defenders on his hip and when Harris does that, there is little a defender can do.  His perimeter shot can be streaky at times, but Harris still must be respected on either side of the arc.  His strength and overall athleticism allow him to play bigger than his size.

Evan Roberts, Parrish Community: The 6’2 senior totaled just seven points in the game we took in, but that was secondary to his ability to run the team at both ends of the court.  Offensively, he focused on getting the ball to teammates with good shot opportunities, whether that be close to the basket or from behind the arc.  Roberts made good shot vs pass decisions in transition and didn’t let the ball stick when in half-court sets.  An adequate shooter from the perimeter and finisher at the basket, Roberts is a pass-first but not pass-only guard.  Defensively he is solid, whether guarding the dribble or being active in the passing lanes.

Chris Roberts, Parrish Community: The 6’3 sophomore got into an excellent scoring rhythm on Saturday.  He made the most of his open looks courtesy of “big brother Evan”.  His stroke from the perimeter on either side of the arc is smooth and even missed shots look as though they are on target.  Should that part of his arsenal be taken away, Roberts has the quickness and ball-skills to attack the basket and put up points.  He made some tough finishes in transition and was a frequent visitor to the free throw line.  While he doesn’t play the point now, he showed some good passing instincts to indicate Roberts could move there in the future.  A good athlete with plenty of speed and quickness, he uses his physical attribute well on the defensive end.

Judah Lopez, Naples Palmetto Ridge: A 6’6 junior, our hope is that he can grow another inch or two and solidify his potential as an interior scorer.  Lopez showed great touch and footwork around the basket.  He scored well with either hand, was patient in using pivots and various fakes to create space for shots and was active on the offensive glass.  While not an explosive athlete currently, there is definite potential there.  As Lopez becomes stronger, he’ll gain more verticality and explosiveness.  He owns his rebounding area at both ends of the floor, is a physical interior defender, and challenges shots around the basket.

E.J. McCray, Naples Palmetto Ridge: Just a sophomore, the 6’3 McCray flashes solid potential for the next level.  With good positional size and ball-skills, he is effective at either guard position.  While he finished 1-2 from behind the arc, McCray was highly effective from mid-range, getting into the lane often and then rising quickly to score over the defense.  He does a good job of keeping his head up and surveying the floor whenever he has possession of the ball.  McCray is adept at feeding the post as well as quickly moving the basketball to open shooters.  We hope to see him a couple of more times to get a better gauge of his run/jump athleticism.  It looks like it is okay at this stage of development.

Marvin Christie, Jacksonville Providence: The 6’3 senior is an explosive athlete and highlight reel waiting to happen.  He had no less than three dunks in the contest that had the potential for going viral in the webosphere.  That isn’t all that Christie can do.  He is a slasher that defenders find difficult to keep out of the lane, draws a lot of fouls, and makes a living at the charity stripe.  Christie will make the occasional perimeter shot but understands what works best for him and his team right now.  He is a good rebounder at the offensive end and can grab misses on defense and push the ball up the floor on his own.  Christie doesn’t shy away from a challenge at the defensive end, usually drawing the opposing team’s best perimeter player as his assignment.

Zacuras Dawson, Pembroke Pines Charter: Hard to believe it was nineteen years ago that his dad put up 43 points at the Wally Keller Classic, the highest single game total by an individual in the history of the event.  While the 5’11 junior didn’t approach that record (he had “only” 25 points), it’s clear the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  Dawson appears to have improved a great deal since we saw him in the pre-season.  He is more mature in his shot selection which has resulted in him becoming a three-level scoring problem for the defense.  Dawson excelled Saturday at getting into the lane and either pulling up before the defense could collapse on him or scoring at the basket.  He has also improved as a decision-maker, distributor and on-ball defender.

Robert Guishard, Pembroke Pines Charter: In short, we absolutely love to watch the 6’8 senior play.  Guishard always gives great effort at both ends, makes a ton of plays that impact the game but don’t show up in the box score, and is only concerned about the final result on the scoreboard.  A potent lob threat in the half-court and on the break, Guishard explodes off the court and has long arms to get to passes that would be out of reach for most.  He has basic but solid scoring tools on either block and will score from the high post and short corner areas with a dribble or two.  Guishard has good timing to block shots and is rarely fooled by pump fakes.

James Nowells, Orlando Olympia: The 6’2 junior is rapidly becoming a go-to scorer and is coming through in the clutch with a high rate of success.  Nowells has deep range on his perimeter shot, hits with consistency off the bounce or catch, and is strong enough to score through contact when attacking the basket.  He is more than decent as a passer and ball-handler and it won’t surprise if he gets increasing opportunities to run the offense sooner rather than later.  Nowells moves well without the ball, is a good rebounder for his size, especially at the offensive end, has the physical tools as well as desire to be a strong defender on and off the ball.

Clarence Westbrook, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas: The 6’1 junior is a creative scorer, able to get to his spots for quality shots in several ways.  Westbrook excels at getting into the lane, then spinning away as the defender’s momentum takes him out of the play and dropping in soft jumpers.  He will knock down the occasional three to keep defenders honest, but his efficiency in the mid-range is simply a much higher percentage shot right now.  Westbrook is quick with active hands and feet on defense.  He reacts quickly to the flight of the ball, gets numerous tips, deflections, and steals during the course of a contest, and ends up with easy points.

Lawrence Brown, Coatesville, PA: The 6’7 senior was sensational against Sarasota in the event’s penultimate contest.  Long, lithe, and active, Brown finished with 29 points, simply dominating on the interior.  Whether on putbacks, lobs, transition baskets, or simply getting the ball in the lane and going up quickly for a shot, Brown was not to be denied.  While a bit on the thin side, it doesn’t keep him from playing physically at either end of the floor.  A quick leaper with a long reach, Brown erased several shots over the course of the contest.  He has potential as a “three-and-D” player on the collegiate level.

Jianny Reyes-Sanchez, Punta Gorda Charlotte: The 6’3 senior had a great two-game stretch on his homecourt at the Wally Keller Classic.  We weren’t there to see it, but he was named the team’s Player of the Game on Friday night.  Saturday night he had an impressive performance against rival Port Charlotte, dropping in a game-high 23 points.  A high-level athlete, Reyes-Sanchez had a few finishes above the rim that surpassed expectations.  He was on target on both sides of the arc, created and finished transition opportunities, and found success attacking the basket off the bounce.  Defensively his was active in the passing lanes, was able to keep various ball-handlers in front of him and had a couple of steal and scores that generated easy baskets for him and momentum for his team.