The week of Thanksgiving (aka “Feast Week”) had a host of quality basketball events throughout the state.  Each of these events had several notable performances.  These are just a few of the many we saw.

Wilmer Delarosa, Deltona Pine Ridge: The 6’5 senior was one of the great finds this past week as he played very well at both the Sun Bash-Orlando and National Hoopfeast events.  Delarosa has a great combination of strength and skill.  He overpowers opponents off the dribble to score through contact at the basket, has good court vision, finds teammates for good shot attempts, and has a respectable perimeter shot.  Delarosa rebounds well at both ends, can start the break on his own, has the strength to defend taller players inside and the lateral quickness to guard smaller players on the perimeter.

Vernon Lee, Seffner Christian: The 6’3 senior has long been one of our favorite guys to watch.  A high-level athlete, he knows how to use his physical gifts at both ends of the floor.  Lee is quick to the hoop with the ball, makes good shot vs. pass decisions, and is solid from the charity stripe.  If there was any doubt about his perimeter shooting ability, it was more than put to rest when he dropped in four threes in the fourth quarter, two of them with “and one” opportunities (one he made, the other waived off on a teammate’s lane violation) to almost bring a victory to his team.  Defensively he hounds opposing ball-handlers into mistakes and does a solid job of helping and quickly recovering to his assignment.

Johnny Lackaff, Sarasota HS: If jump shots were beauty contests, the 6’3 junior’s would easily be a finalist.  Great form, mechanics, and accuracy make the shot always appear to be on target.  But that isn’t all Lackaff is.  He moves well without the ball, scores off that movement, is a solid passer and is a frequent visitor to the free throw line.  Lackaff puts in a solid effort on defense, rebounds well for his size, and is solid with the ball vs. pressure, making good shot vs. pass decisions in the process.  We look forward to the day when Lackaff throws down a break-away dunk so people will get an idea of just how athletic he really is.

Omari Meda, Miami Norland: The 6’6 junior was active and energetic in the lane and around the basket in the game we caught at the Central Florida vs. South Florida event in Orlando.  Meda crashed the glass at both ends, kept possessions alive by pursuing offensive rebounds out of his area, came up with block shots and finished tough shots in traffic around the basket.  Playing hard may be his best skill at this stage, but it makes Meda very productive.

Jordan Smith, Orlando Oak Ridge: The 6’7 freshman proved the old axiom “it isn’t how you start but how you finish” to be very true.  Smith makes an immediate impact off the bench in multiple areas.  He is an effective finisher in transition, active offensive rebounder, can score off the catch from the perimeter and score off one and two-dribble drives in the half-court.  His long reach and quick feet allow him to defend a variety of positions over the course of a contest.  It won’t surprise if Smith becomes a national level recruit sooner rather than later.

Bryce Hoffert, Windermere: The 6’5 junior is a sneaky athlete and cerebral player who subtly but substantially impacts a game.  He shoots the ball from the perimeter well enough to be respected out to the arc.  This sets up drives to the basket that Hoffert will punctuate with a poster on an unsuspecting defender.  He is very good as an offensive rebounder that keeps possessions alive, often by tipping the ball out to a teammate.  Hoffert is also a good passer from both the high and low post areas to cutters and open perimeter shooters.  He is quick down the floor in transition and is an active defender in both the post and on the perimeter.

Johnas Maurice, Winter Park Lake Howell: The 6’0 sophomore is tough with the ball and difficult to keep out of the lane.  He breaks down defenses, scores and distributes with equal proclivity, and will make defenders pay for laying off him with an accurate perimeter shot.  He does a good job of orchestrating the offense, communicates well, and looks to exploit mismatches.  Fast hands and feet make him a pesky on-ball defender.

Mason Fuentes, Miami Riviera Prep: The bottom line is the 6’0 senior hasn’t been given enough credit for his abilities. Fuentes dribbles, passes, and shoots at a high-level, creates scoring opportunities for teammates, plays extremely hard at both ends, and doesn’t shy away from a challenge at either end of the floor.  He is alert to get the ball quickly to open cutters and shooters, has a reliable perimeter shot, and doesn’t hesitate to challenge bigger defenders at the basket.  Defensively, he is annoying with his constant swiping at the ball, surprise double-teams, and ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere to disrupt the passing lanes.

David Nealy, Weston Sagemont: The 6’3 senior proved to be deadly from deep at the National Hoopfeast.  He was 5-10 from behind the arc in the game we took in.  Nealy also used his strong frame to get to and score at the basket in a crowd and he was locked in from the free throw line as well.  He is solid as a secondary ball-handler, a willing distributor, and physical defender.