The Game Point Events Center in Orlando hosted the Florida Memorial Day Classic over the holiday weekend. We got to check out the action on Saturday and came away impressed with the overall quality of talent.
Matt Able, SE Elite 3SSB: A 6’6 rising senior at Tampa Berkeley Prep, Able consistently made winning plays in a variety of ways. He proved to be a reliable perimeter shooter on both sides of the arc, a tough driver able to score through contact, and a dynamic transition finisher. We also came away impressed with Able’s passing ability and court vision.
D.J. Wimbley, SE Elite 3SSB: A 6’7 rising senior at Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, Wimbley finds ways to make his imprint on the game in a variety of areas. He can play and defend all but point and post, brings a great deal of energy at both ends of the floor, and is developing into a hard-to-guard offensive player. Wimbley is a relentless driver and finisher at the rim and is a grab-and-go rebounder on defense, pushing the ball up the court in transition until forced to make a shot vs pass decision. This weekend he made open perimeter shots out to the arc and had some nifty passes for assists.
Antonio Pollard, Powerhouse Bulls: A 6’0 rising senior at Orlando Evans, Pollard is a tough guard that understands the game and knows how to play the right way to produce maximum results. He is solid with the basketball, makes good shot vs pass decisions and does a good job of controlling the pace of the game. Pollard is quick to the basket and makes enough perimeter shots to force the defense to play him honestly. He has quick hands and feet on defense and plays the passing lanes well.
Jett Carter, SE Elite Gold: A 6’5 rising senior at Titusville Astronaut, Carter got going a bit late in the game we watched but once he finally did, he was tough to contain. He found success in getting into the paint and either scoring through contact in a crowd or pulling up quickly to knock down mid-range shots over defenders. Carter uses his length and quickness well on defense. He covers a lot of ground quickly, disrupts passing angles, and moves his feet well to stay in front of the dribble.
J.P. Hamilton, Game Speed Elite: A 6’5 rising senior at Southeaster Prep in Orlando, Hamilton was one of the more intriguing prospects from this past weekend. With broad shoulders and long arms, he plays bigger than his size. We came away impressed with his ability to drive the ball, stop quickly, and then use pivots, ball fakes, and/or body fakes to get defenders out of position (sometimes out of the way completely) and make shots. Hamilton plays with a high motor at both ends of the floor. He is a guy we want to take a closer look at sooner rather than later.
Collin Paul, Harris Athletics: A 6’7 rising junior from Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian, Paul is a very tough cover inside the arc. He has good ball skills, is not afraid to use multiple change of direction moves on his way to the basket and has developed a reliable step-back jumper to score over taller defenders. Paul may be at his best as a grab-and-go rebounder, pushing the rock up the floor and daring the defense to cut him off and/or make him give up the ball. Long, strong, and quick off the floor, he rebounds well against bigger opponents. Once his three-point shot becomes a more reliable weapon, his game will jump to a high level.
Moses Nyango, FOTL 17U: A 6’11 rising junior a Bradenton Victory Rock Prep, we highlighted Nyango in our coverage of our Spring Tip-Off. He has shown improvement since that time, but it is his upside that will have coaches flocking to view him in July. Long, strong, and bouncy, Nyango plays hard, is swift up and down the floor, and pursues rebounds and blocked shot opportunities out of his area. His defense is way ahead of his offense but that isn’t surprising. We saw an “internet stat” the other day that if you are seven feet tall, you have a 1 in 6 chance of playing in the NBA. It would not surprise if Nyango is the one of his group of six.
Jaden Staten, Powerhouse Bulls 16U: A 5’11 sophomore from Tallahassee Godby, Staten was a pleasant surprise on Saturday. He is an excellent shooter with flawless form on his shot. Staten drained five shots from behind the three-point line in the game we took in. He also took advantage of defenders playing too close to blow by them and score closer in. Staten is solid with the ball in his hands, plays with a great deal of confidence and shows no fear in playing against top-level competition.