Tai Bell, Hialeah Mater Lakes: The 6’3 freshman sure doesn’t play like one.  He has the ball in his hands a lot and values possessions.  Bell is difficult to keep from the basket and if given too much room will knock down perimeter shots.  He is one of the few young players that don’t rely on physical abilities to make an impact on the game.  His seven rebounds and five assists are just more evidence of his all-around skills.

Khanye Moss, Hialeah Mater Lakes: The 6’0 sophomore has a great deal of speed and quickness with the ball.  The lefty can generally get to wherever he wants to go whenever he decides to go.  Struggled a bit from the perimeter in this contest but we’ve seen him enough to know he can be streaky but effective.  Moss rebounds well for his size, pushes the tempo whenever the ball is in his hands, and moves quickly on defense.

Torrey Brooks, NJ Camden: The 6’1 junior lit up the scoreboard with amazing ease.  Whether it was dropping threes (6-8) or getting to and either scoring at the rim or drawing a foul, the lefty was close to unstoppable.  He has excellent ball-control and passing skills, a quick change of pace/direction dribble, and a calm demeanor regardless of the situation.  Brooks anticipates the passing lanes well and works hard when guarding he basketball.

David Munro, NJ Camden: The 6’8 senior wasn’t far from a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.  He is effective inside the arc with his court vision and passing, is active on the offensive glass, and has a soft touch around the rim with either hand.  Though maybe not as athletic as some, Munro is cerebral and knows how to maximize his ability.

Decarion Debose, Hawthorne: The 6’1 senior does a good job of directing the offense.  He takes care of the basketball and gets it to where it needs to go.  Debose got into the lane for scores, either hitting floaters or taking the hit and going to the line.  He made his greatest contribution on defense with his ability to make Bell Creek’s leading scorer have a tough night, both in scoring the basketball as well as running the offense.

Chasion Wilson, Hawthorne: The 6’6 senior is probably over his culture shock by now.  Last year he was at Lake Worth in Class 7A; now he is in the Rural division.  Wilson’s solid frame and ample athleticism make him a tough cover at the Rural level.  He doesn’t replace C.J. Ingram completely, but Wilson’s presence makes it much easier for Hawthorne to absorb that loss and make another run to Lakeland.

Tony Guerrero, City of Hialeah Educational Academy: The 6’1 junior guard plays with great confidence and composure.  We take stats during games but even we were surprised that he finished as the team’s leading scorer with 18 points.  Guerrero was quite efficient as well, going 6-9 overall from the field and 2-5 from behind the arc.  He also dished out five assists and gathered three steals in the game.  He doesn’t play like the quickest or fastest guy on the court but he has enough of both to make it hard for the defense to guard him.

Alex Lloyd, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy: The 6’4 senior and UF signee dropped in 39 points in the team’s overtime victory over Academy of Central Florida.  While the shooting percentages weren’t pretty, his 13-14 from the line suggests his clutch gene kicked in at the right time.  While we only caught the overtime portion of the game, Lloyd’s ability to not settle for outside shots and challenge the defense with the drive proved to be the right idea.

Dwight Gaines, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy: The 5’10 sophomore guard is the embodiment of what some of us old scouts call “Curry Kids”; players that have been raised on Steph Curry games and highlights that have developed shooting range most didn’t think possible or responsible.  Gaines has cross-half-court range, a quick release, and the quickness and ball-handling skills to blow by defenders to the rim or step back and fire.  Gaines is a tough cover.

Martay Barnes, Orlando Academy of Central Florida: The 6’2 sophomore pretty much carried his team in the overtime period.  He scored 11 of the team’s 15 points including a trio of three point shots and assisted on another basket.  He finished with 36 points overall while going a solid 13-24 from the field.  Throw in four assists and three steals and you have a more-than-solid performance against one of the premier programs in the state.