Daniel McGregor, Clearwater Calvary Christian: We’ll make it simple: the 5’11 sophomore absolutely controls the game. Offensively, he goes anywhere he wants with the ball, makes a variety of shots from all three levels, almost hands teammates easy baskets, and quickly earns the respect of teammates he has never played with. Defensively, he is strong, plays physical, has quick hands and is alert to jump the passing lanes and head the other way with the ball. McGregor plays with a swagger and chip on his shoulder that makes his coaches and teammates love him and opponents despise him.
Sammie Yeanay, Gainesville The Rock School: The 6’7 sophomore continued a run of dominating play that we’ve seen the past two weekends. Yeanay rebounds well in a crowd, owns the lane on the offensive end and continues to show that he can score off the dribble from the perimeter. His perimeter shot continues to improve. It won’t surprise if Yeanay ends up in the national rankings by the end of the spring.
Karter Knox, Tampa Catholic: The 6’6 sophomore only played one game as he was headed to the UF/Kentucky game that afternoon but he was clearly one of the two or three best players in attendance. Blessed with a near-perfect basketball body, Knox is a high-lever run/jump athlete with a skill package to match. He scored from all three levels, was quick to rebounds at both ends, and created havoc on the defensive end of the floor.
Marcus Allen, Miami Norland: The 6’6 sophomore only enhanced his reputation at the event. He was dynamic with the ball in getting to the basket, proficient on the offensive boards, got easy baskets on the break and proved to be a reliable passer on the move. Allen combines high-level athleticism with a high-revving motor to get a lot accomplished.
Lorenzo Cason, Lakeland Victory Christian: The 6’2 sophomore was easily one of the best players in attendance. Not only is he lethal from deep whether off the catch or dribble, but he also has a quick first step and scores at the basket before the defense can rotate. A good athlete with active hands and feet, Cason can terrorize opponents on the defensive end.
Jaylen Robinson, Jacksonville Providence: The 6’6 sophomore was one of the more violent rim-attackers in attendance. Every drive to the basket resulted in a forceful dunk attempt no matter who was in his path. Robinson is a beast inside the lane, runs the floor swiftly and is an active rebounder at both ends. The road to more perimeter skills will probably speed up this coming travel season.
Keron Jackson, Jacksonville Ed White: The 6’4 freshman played very well on Saturday and looks to have a lot of upside. Showing an ability to play any position on the perimeter, Jackson made good passes on the move, getting his teammates involved. He made the few perimeter shots he attempted but most of his points came on drives and in transition. Jackson is a solid athlete with good body control that he uses to score creatively in a crowd at the basket. Long with active hands and feet, Jackson forced a lot of turnovers and quickly converted them into points.
Tyler Johnson, Orlando Oak Ridge: The 6’5 sophomore is becoming an increasingly tough match-up. He will simply over-power smaller opponents on the interior or blow past bigger defenders out on the perimeter. Johnson makes tough shots in traffic, finishes above the rim and his jump shot continues to improve.
Fredy Sylla, Jacksonville Potter’s House: The 6’7 sophomore didn’t mess around too much with launching three-point shots like so many others did on Saturday. Sylla was tough to stop from getting to the basket and was omnipresent on the offensive glass. A good athlete with length, Sylla defended well against both smaller player on the perimeter and bigger players inside.
Ian Smikle, Riviera Beach Suncoast: The 6’8 sophomore knows what he is and seems to cherish the role of bully on the block. Strong and physical, he takes opponents inside and works them over, usually with a righty jump-hook in the lane. He athleticism continues to improve and with it so does his ability to rebound and protect the basket. Smikle seems to be having fun out there and it is fun to watch him.
Elijah Elliott, Orlando Oak Ridge: The 6’3 sophomore is very difficult to keep from getting to the basket. With crafty ball skills and the ability to slither through tight spaces, Elliott finds creative ways to get the ball in the basket in a crowd. His perimeter jumper was a bit more consistent on Saturday. When the mood strikes, Elliott will find teammates for better shots.
Mike Bell, Plant City: A 6’0 sophomore, Bell was especially effective shooting the ball from the perimeter. He made shots on both sides of the arc, off the catch as well as the dribble. Bell also did a good job of grabbing offensive rebounds.
Julian Clarke, Orlando Lake Highland Prep: The 6’1 sophomore looked much more confident and athletic than he did just a couple of weeks ago with his high school team. His outside shot went down consistently and Clarke was aggressive in attacking the basket off the bounce. He was also an active defender getting his hands on a lot of balls in the passing lane.
Chandler Watts, Montverde Academy: The 6’5 sophomore is a hig- level athlete. He scores very well inside the arc, connecting on shots thru contact in traffic at the rim or pulling up and knocking down mid-range jumpers. Watts is a terror in transition and also a good rebounder, especially at the offensive end.
Chris Arias, Jacksonville Providence: The 6’5 sophomore has the skills to play the point guard but also the scoring tools to play off the ball. On Saturday, Arias proved to be a strong finisher both in transition or when taking his defender off the dribble in the half-court. All the while, he keeps his head up, looking for teammates that might have better scoring opportunities.
Caleb Williams, Riverview Sumner: A 6’2 freshman, Williams was one of the better finds of the day. He scored well going to the basket, made some good passes on the move that resulted in assists and was active defensively. His perimeter shot didn’t fall as consistently as one would like but his form is solid so odds are Williams that will become more of a weapon in the not-to-distant future.
Ibrahima Traore, Orlando West Oaks Academy: The 6’9 sophomore is bouncy and active, getting a lot of rebounds, putbacks, and blocks. While not a polished interior scorer, Traore makes the most of his opportunities via lobs or quick dropoff passes from penetrating teammates. He does a good job of protecting the basket and quickly transitions from defense to offense.
Misael Cruz, Kissimmee Central Pointe Christian: The 6’6 sophomore may be the next great perimeter shooter from Central Pointe. On Saturday, Cruz showed he can do much more than catch-and-shoot. He drove for a couple of scores, competed well in traffic for rebounds, and proved to be a better ball-handler and passer than previously thought.
Chalier Torres, Windermere: The 6’3 sophomore surprised us a bit on Saturday. We saw him quite a bit this season and he didn’t often attack the basket but on this day he had great success scoring that way. His shot is picture perfect and it was no surprise when he connected from the perimeter. He just elevates his recruiting level when he shows variety to his offensive game.
Aaron Clark, Bradenton Christian: We only got to see the 5’11 freshman play in the four-on-four session but we liked what we saw. A solid point guard that takes care of the basketball, he gets his teammates involved but will score when the opportunity presents itself. He plays hard every possession and is an alert defender.
Tre’Von Torchon, Jacksonville Ed White: The 6’2 freshman shot the ball well from behind the arc, especially off the catch. We thought he rebounded well on both ends of the floor and proved to be a willing and capable passer. He was one of several young players from the Duval school that stood out.
Patton Pinkins, Gainesville P.K. Yonge: The 6’4 freshman proved to be more than just a shooter Saturday morning. He handled the ball well vs pressure, got by defenders going to the basket and scored over the defense with an array of floaters and jump shots.
Alex Jasquith, Pensacola Booker T. Washington: The 6’5 sophomore looks like he could be one of the better young talents in the Panhandle. Jasquith started off the game driving to and scoring at the basket. As the defense adjusted, he did so as well, connecting on a couple of threes. A good run/jump athlete, Jasquith is quick to the ball coming off the rim.