Gustavo Gumareas, Miami Riviera Prep: The 7’0 senior is unsigned is his recruitment is taking a drastic uptick. His mobility continues to improve as does his scoring tools around the rim. After he unleashed a euro step-through at the end of a high post drive to avoid a charge and score, all we could do was shake our head and marvel at his development. Gumareas ability to face the basket and connect on perimeter shots is noticeably better than it was this summer. He dominates his rebounding area at both ends of the floor, protects the rim on defense, and has developed into a decent passer when double-teamed in the post.
Arcadian Davis, Tampa Seffner Christian: The 6’6 senior is a prototypical Florida hooper with uber D-I athletic ability but not yet there in terms of skills to play effectively on the wing full time. Davis plays with a high motor, is quick to rebounds, sprints the court in transition, and finishes well above the rim. He will score on short drives from the high post and short corners when the opportunity presents itself. The lefty is also a very good shot-blocker at his size.
Tate Darner, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic: The 6’4 senior and UT-Chattanooga signee had us worried on the first offensive play of the game when he cut to the basket, was fouled, went down hard, and missed two free throws. Darner missing free throws is like me passing up chocolate: a rare occasion. Fortunately he was able to shake it off and soon found his groove. That groove consists of nailing long-range bombs from the perimeter and then attacking and scoring at the basket when overplayed for the shot. Darner has become very adept at focusing on making the shot when he knows his is going to take a hit, earning a lot of frequent free throws to add to the scorebook. He puts in a good effort on defense and helps out on the glass.
Ivan Emeka, Tampa Specially Fit Academy: The 6’7 senior is a rim destroyer. If he gets loose in transition, a lob, a drive to the rim or offensive rebound, the resulting dunk measures on the Richter Scale. Strong and bouncy, Emeka plays with fearless abandon at both ends. Just when you think he is all power, he’ll drop in a three like it is an ordinary thing. Strong and athletic, he rebounds well in a crowd, plays physically without fouling on the defensive end, and never takes a play off.
Landen Colyer, Tampa Specially Fit Academy: The 6’6 junior’s calling card is his perimeter shot which has NBA range. Whether creating the shot off the dribble, pulling up off a ball-screen, or simply catching and shooting, every shot looks like it going it. Colyer can do other things well beside launch the ball from deep. He is long, rebounds well, runs the floor and connects on his foul shots. Colyer completed a couple of tough drives for buckets in the game we took in. He is a good secondary ball-handler vs the press, keeps the ball moving, and has a good feel for the game.
Korie Corbett, Columbia (SC) Ridge View: The 6’4 junior is strongly built and skilled. He proved to be a three-level scorer with a reliable shot from either side of the arc and the ability to overpower opponents off the dribble and score through contact at the basket. Corbett played with good pace, never rushed possessions, and made good shot vs pass decisions. He tossed a couple of nice passes that surprised defenders and got his teammates easy baskets. Corbett has the size, length, and strength to guard multiple positions.
Tony Guerro, City of Hialeah Educational Academy: The 6’0 junior was arguably THE FIND of the day. There pretty much wasn’t anything that can be done below the rim that he didn’t do. Guerro scored from all four areas (distance, mid-range, rim, and free throw line), blew past full court pressure, found open teammates for easy baskets, ripped opposing ball-handlers, and was unguardable for the most part. He has a great point guard mentality but is confidant in his ability to get his own when a bucket is needed.
Vernon Lee, Tampa Seffner Christian: The 6’2 junior has a great deal of natural athleticism and talent, it’s just a matter of harnessing it and putting it all together in a consistent package. Lee excels as a transition scorer, lob threat and offensive rebounder. He will explode to the basket with one or two dribbles from the perimeter and score over defenders. Every now and then Lee will pull up mid-drive to drop in 12-15 foot jumpers. Defensively he covers a lot of ground quickly and can be disruptive in the passing lanes. It isn’t that he takes plays off (far from it) but it seems that Lee goes through some quiet stretches in games.
Toby Lane, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic: The 5’10 junior is a pest and we mean that as a sincere complement. Offensively he protects the ball, gets teammates into the right sets, understands pacing, and knows when to take advantage of defenders with his perimeter shot or ability to drive and score, draw fouls, or assist on a teammate’s basket. He doesn’t’ shy away from contact at either end of the floor. Defensively he is a rugged defender on the basketball, does a good job of cutting off driving lanes, is quick to help and draw charges, and force his opponent into mistakes. In short: coaches love him; opponents hate him.
Myles Fuentes, Miami Riviera Prep: The 6’0 sophomore plays well beyond his years. Fuentes is cool under pressure and doesn’t shy away from big moments. With his team up one with a minute to play, he calmly drove the lane and connected on a floater that gave Riviera Prep some breathing room and the momentum to close out a tough game. Fuentes may not take many perimeter shots but makes the majority of the ones he does take. A crafty ball-handler, distributor, and finisher, Fuentes is an extension of the coach on the floor.
Khanye Moss, Hialeah Mater Lakes: The 5’11 sophomore guard is a blur with the basketball in his hands. Moss is quick to push the pace, gets deep into the lane, and collapses defenses with frequency. He has a variety of dribble moves that he throws at defenders to create space for his jump shot or lanes to attack the rim. The lefty has a reliable shot to the arc and is solid from the free throw line. When enters the lane, he is looking to score or draw contact, but is alert for open teammates with a better shot opportunity. Moss is quick to turn steals into scores when on defense.
Camden Cooper, St. John’s Country Day School: The 6’5 freshman already has two years of varsity experience under his belt and is considered one of the top two or three freshmen in the state. He showed why on Saturday, dropping in 19 points on an array of offensive moves. The lefty is very adept at the step-back jumper and has great range on it. Whether in the mid-range or above the arc, he uses the move to create space for his shot and it usually finds it target. Cooper has good ball-handling skills, can get to the rim and convert or hit his free throws. Though a bit on the thin side, he battled for rebounds at both ends of the floor. While the team played a zone defense for the game, Cooper clearly has the physical tools and attitude to be an impact defender in a man-to-man scheme.
Quinton Wilson, Lakeland Victory Christian: The 6’4 freshman got a lot of playing time as an eighth grader on last year’s regional finalist and is now “the guy” at Victory. He has a high-level of run/jump athleticism and knows how to best use it. With a quick first step to the basket, Wilson is past defenders and ready to score at the basket often before the defense can adjust. He has a reliable jumper with his feet set off the catch. Dynamic in transition, Wilson is a highlight reel waiting to happen. No doubt he will develop a mid-range scoring package to complement what he already has to make him even more difficult to defend. At the defensive end, Wilson does a good job of staying in front of ball-handlers, plays the passing lanes well, and is a grab-and-go rebounder that can quickly push the pace once he secures the missed shot.
Tai Bell, Hialeah Mater Lakes: The 6’2 freshman is another player that got a lot of varsity run as a middle-schooler. Bell has a mature and cerebral game and you wouldn’t know he was a freshman by his play alone. He understands how to get to his spots, create for himself and others, and make good shot vs pass decisions. Bell shoots the ball well from deep, gets to the basket and scores through contact and is alert to get the ball out to open shooters when his driving lane is cut off. By our count, he converted at least three “and one” plays in Saturday’s game. A very good rebounder for his size, Bell is also solid on the defensive end with active hands and feet, ability to anticipate, and the right mindset to harass opposing ball-handlers.
Ethan Knox, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic: The 6’5 freshman is a high-end athlete that plays with ferocious energy. So while he may not be super-skilled at this stage, his ability to make the most of opportunities when driving the ball, pursuing offensive rebounds, and running the floor in transition allows him to put points on the board. It won’t surprise if in short order his perimeter skills take a giant leap forward and allow him to be an offensive creator. Knox has quick first, second, and third leaps when pursuing rebounds at both ends of the court. Defensively he can play anywhere and make good things happen for his team.
Josiah Brooks, City of Hialeah Educational Academy: The 6’2 eighth grader is not doubt one to watch in the national 2029 Class. The lefty plays with a savvy above his age group, handles and scores the ball well, and leads without overshadowing older teammates. He has a good frame and strength, shoots the ball well from behind the arc, and is able to absorb contact and make the shot when attacking the defense at the rim. While a solid ball-handler and passer now, we think his point guard skills and decision making will greatly improve with each season. Despite his youth, he doesn’t shy away from a challenge on the defensive end.