12 Feb 2019

Notables from the final regular-season weekend

We took in portions of Friday’s Sunshine Independent Athletic Association Krossover event at West Oaks Academy in Orlando to go along with our Saturday stint at the Vince Murray Memorial in Ocala.  Over the course of four games, there was definitely some intriguing talent.

Konstantine Dotcenko, Jacksonville Potter’s House Christian Academy: In the team’s win over Downy Christian, Dotcenko came off the bench to contribute in a lot of different ways.  The 6’7 senior did the physical dirty work inside, coming up with charges in the paint and deflections on balls being passed into the lane.  Dotcenko rebounded well at both ends and showed some perimeter shooting skills.  Might not be the most athletic guy in a game, but he certainly won’t be outworked at either end of the court.

Emmanuel Maldonado, Orlando Downey Christian: While he didn’t score a bunch (seven points), the 6’2 sophomore continues to display a high level of basketball IQ and an understanding of what it takes to play the point guard position.  Maldonado reads the defense well coming off ball-screens and generally makes the right shot vs. pass decision in those situations.  He does a solid job of using change of pace/change of speed dribble moves to create space to get to the basket or shoot perimeter jump shots.  He’ll become a better defender as his body strengthens with maturity but he’s active off the ball and gets a lot of deflections.

Prince Monsengo, Bradenton Victory Rock Prep: The 6’8 freshman had a solid performance on Friday, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a three point loss to Central Pointe.  He’s got a sturdy frame and above-average athleticism but he made everyone sit up and take notice when he dropped in a pair of long jumpers during the contest.  Mosengo gets up and down the floor well in transition, battles for rebounds on both ends, and doesn’t mind playing physically on the defensive end.

Ramses Melendez, Kissimmee Central Pointe: The 6’5 sophomore tallied 17 points in the win over Victory Rock Prep. He has an excellent feel for and understanding of the game, seemingly never in a hurry.  He shot the ball well from distance but also got some easy buckets moving without the ball and getting into open spaces past lazy defenders.  Though a bit on the thin side, Melendez isn’t shy about mixing it up inside to chase down rebounds. 

Jaden Campbell, Gainesville The Rock School: The 6’5 senior did a good job of picking up the scoring slack for the Lions with teammates B.J. Greenlee and Lynn Kidd out with injuries.  He went 4-8 from beyond the arc on his way to 22 points against The Villages.  Campbell used his broad shoulders and upper-body strength to carve his way to the goal on drives.  He’s a solid rebounder and looks capable of playing either the “2” or the “3” at the next level. 

Brandon Farmer, The Villages: We’ve seen a lot of The Villages over the past couple of weeks and during that time we have come to appreciate Farmer’s game more and more.  We’ve seen him play the role of deluxe rebounder as well as the role of versatile defender.  On Saturday, he turned into quite the perimeter threat, dropping four threes on his way to sixteen points.  A solid athlete that runs the floor well, Farmer gets a lot of easy buckets just by beating his man down the court. 

Eric Dailey, Jr., IMG Academy: The 6’6 freshman was easily the best player on the court in the contest against Vanguard at the Vince Murray Memorial.  The lefty has an extra dose of athleticism and is built quite well for a youngster.  We were not surprised by his ability to run the floor and finish in transition.  We were surprised when he knocked down a few mid-range jumpers off the dribble while being contested.  Dailey, Jr. was solid defensively and on the glass as well.  He uses his length and foot speed to get into the passing lanes and disrupt the offense.