Ransom Soles, West Palm Beach The King’s Academy: Once again, the 6’5 rising senior put on a torrid shooting display from deep this past weekend. If Soles is allowed to get his feet set, the shot is likely going in. In the couple of games we took in, he had multiple runs of three or more shots made from behind the arc in succession. Soles also earns praise for his passing skills and soft touch on tip-ins.
Brooklyn Vick. Boca Raton St. Andrew’s: The 6’1 rising senior is slick and quick with the basketball. He has good court vision and distributes the ball well as he feeds the post, gets the ball to cutters quickly for open shots in the lane, and is quick to fire the ball downcourt in transition. While his perimeter shot wasn’t falling in the game we watched, its form and fundamentals seem sound. Vick did a good job of slicing through the defense and scoring at the basket when taking the opportunity.
Braylen Moore, Lecanto: A 6’1 rising sophomore, Moore is an athletic scorer. He shoots well off the catch from three and is also quick off the dribble to the basket. Moore does a good job of mixing his perimeter shots and drives, keeping the defense off balance. He was effective playing both guard spots this past weekend. Moore is seemingly more comfortable in the role of scorer rather than distributor but he takes care of the ball and doesn’t make easy plays complicated. His athleticism enables him to be a sound defender both on and off the basketball.
Nate Boakye, Tampa Jesuit: A 6’2 rising senior, Boakye is a super-athletic wing with a unique set of skills. He plays with great energy, has very active hands and feet, and is very disruptive on the defensive end. Boakye gets a lot of tips and deflections, some of those becoming turnovers should he or a teammate come up with the loose ball. He is very quick to turn opponents’ mistakes into points. Boakye didn’t take a perimeter shot in the game we watched but he was effective in slashing to the basket and scoring in close. There is no denying his impact on the defensive end and that appears to compensate for any offensive issues he may have.
Trace Westercamp, Ponte Vedra: A 6’7 rising sophomore, Westercamp has the ability to step away from the lane and make shots to the arc but can also make shots inside. As he gains physical strength and maturity, the rough play down low won’t affect him as it sometimes does now. Westercamp runs the floor well, is a good ball-handler and passer on the perimeter, and doesn’t force the issue on offense. Defensively he controls his rebounding area and challenges shots inside.
Jaylen Robinson, Jacksonville Providence: A 6’6 rising senior, Robinson is a high level athlete that gets a lot done on the inside. This weekend, he unveiled a new wrinkle to his game with a much more reliable perimeter shot. Robinson plays bigger than his size as he is quick off the floor to finish above the rim on cuts to the basket, put back teammates’ misses, and flush lobs in half-court sets or on the break. He has the length and footspeed to defend smaller players on the perimeter and the strength and athleticism to tangle with bigger players inside. There is a lot to his game to like and also a lot of room for growth.
Bobby Crawford, St. Petersburg Gibbs: A 6’7 rising junior, Crawford is a long, active, and athletic inside presence. He is a bit on the thin side now but his length and quick leap allow him to overcome any physicality the opponent might throw his way. Crawford runs the floor, ardently pursues offensive rebounds, has a soft touch for tip-ins and is always ready to receive passes on the block from penetrating teammates. He is a shot blocking presence and has the lateral quickness to switch on ball-screens and defend on the perimeter. Should Crawford develop a little more skill facing the basket, his recruitment will certainly go up a level.
Dakota Izard, Wellington: A 6’2 rising junior, Izard comes across as a natural athlete that could probably excel at any sport he took up. A very good run/jump athlete, Izard surprised a few onlookers when he threw down a couple of lobs over the course of the weekend. He also has some skills as he shoots the ball well from distance, is a strong driver and finisher at the basket and makes good decisions with the ball in his possession. An alert defender, Izard anticipates the passing lanes well and is quick to convert steals into scores at the other end of the floor.
Isaiah Campbell-Finch, Tampa Catholic: The 6’1 rising junior guard had a lot more responsibility this past weekend as his buddy Karter Knox made only a token appearance on Saturday. Finch stepped up the scoring aspect of his game when we watched on Sunday. He made shots from all three levels but also kept the offense flowing, getting the ball to teammates for good shots and running the offense. He made some tough pull-up jumpers that were highly contested. Finch is physically tough at both ends of the court.
Ameer Ramadan, Orlando Christian Prep: The 6’0 rising senior is a vastly underrated point guard. He shoots the ball well past the arc, sets up teammates, is a staunch defender both on and off the ball, plays hard and is simply a winner. Ramadan plays with a highly competitive streak, makes good shot vs pass decisions on the break and coming off ball-screens and is alert to disrupt the passing lanes.