One of Florida’ s EYBL programs, the Florida Rebels held their annual Invitational event this past weekend at The Big House in Tavares.  While our time was limited, we felt we got to see several quality players in all age groups.

Willie Piggott, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite 17U: The 6’5 junior out of Tampa Catholic got on a roll in an afternoon game and looked close to unguardable.  With his high-level athletic ability and shot making skills, Piggott is able to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways.  He knocked down perimeter jump shots on both sides of the arc off the dribble, beat defenses down the floor to score, finished lobs above the rim and had some scintillating drives to the basket in half-court sets.  Piggott proved to be a decent passer, finding cutting teammates or dropping off the ball inside for scores.  Defensively he can be a real nuisance in the passing lanes.

Rylan Kelley, 1 Family 17U: A 6’3 junior out of Orlando Southeast Prep, Kelley had a fine day shooting the basketball.  Off the catch or dribble, behind or inside the arc, his shot was consistently on target.  He reads defenders well and is seemingly always shot ready.  Kelley has a solid frame and knows how to use it to get to the basket when overplayed for the shot as he absorbs contact at the rim and either scores or visits the free throw line.  A solid ball-handler and rebounder, he checks a lot of boxes when looking at the stat sheet.  Defensively he plays hard and is alert to help and recover.

Aaron Maghee, Team Breakdown 17U: We had not seen the 6’3 junior out of Viera since his play with Team Breakdown last summer so it was good to finally get another look at him, even though it was for a brief portion of a game.  As expected, he shot the ball well and when overplayed for the jumper was able to dribble-drive to the basket and score.  Maghee took care of the basketball, made good shot vs pass decisions and was solid as an on-ball defender.

Brandon Bass, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite 17U: The 6’4 junior out of Windermere Prep is always a threat to knock down shots from distance.  His range is college-ready, the release is quick, and he gets good elevation on his shot.  Bass is a solid straight-line driver to the basket, especially in the early stages of offensive sets.  He has no problem finishing over the rim and is becoming adept at scoring with floaters and other such shots in the lane.  Bass is a very good run/jump athlete that helps out on the glass, can defend smaller players on the perimeter, and covers a lot of ground quickly on defense.

Sabina Ndiaye, 1 Family 17U: A 6’9 junior at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Ndiaye has shown a lot of progression in his individual skills in a short time since the end of the high school season.  He displayed a nice touch inside near the basket, the ability to put the ball on the floor to score with one or two dribbles and a reliable ability to make foul shots.  Ndiaye runs the floor well, is quick to establish post position on offense, deny it on defense, and he pursues rebounds out of his area at both ends of the floor.  He provides good rim protection on defense.

Marcis Ponder, Team Breakdown 17U: The 6’11 junior from West Oaks Academy in Orlando is arguably the most physically imposing player at this level right now.  So let’s get this out of the way: PLEASE, DON’T BRING THE BALL DOWN IN A CROWD!  Otherwise, he controls the glass, assaults rims on offense, draws a lot of fouls, and moves very well for a guy his size.  His potential is monstrous and all of us need to give him time to reach it and not rush his progression.

D.J. Sandi, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite: A 6’0 junior from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Sandi is a jack of all trades that makes things happen at both ends of the floor.  First and foremost, Sandi is a real threat to force a turnover as a defender with his ability to cause tie ups, double-team unsuspecting opponents, and harass ball-handlers into frustration. He has very active hands and feet on defense and seems to enjoy trying to get the opponent to lose their cool.  Offensively he is not obsessed with scoring points but can certainly do so if called upon, mostly with drives and floaters in the lane or by pushing the pace and scoring in transition.  Sandi is solid in running a team and getting the ball to the right place at the right time.

Deng Deng, 1 Family 17U: A 6’9 junior from Jacksonville Potter’s House, Deng made us say “Dannggg” a couple of times during the contest we took in.  He is a long and lean leaper that is quick off the floor to challenge shots and grab rebounds.  Deng made a couple of perimeter shots that while they didn’t come with the best form and mechanics, still found their mark.  He can step out on ball-screens and stay with smaller ball-handlers and then quickly recover to his assignment.  Deng plays with great effort and enthusiasm, uplifting his teammates.