We headed back to The Big House in Tavares this past weekend for another session of Fire & Ice. A lot of talent from various classes was on display.
Kaii Levy, Skills Center Elite 2027 UA Rise: A 6’6 senior out of Tampa Prep, Levy is hoping to pick up some more offers after the May Live Period and then decide about his future. What we like most about Levy is his relentlessness on the glass at both ends of the floor and zero fear of physicality in the paint on offense and defense. Most of his scoring opportunities come on putbacks, lobs, and in transition. Levy was a decent free throw shooter (6-7) in the game we watched but hasn’t really made the perimeter jump shot a factor in his offensive arsenal. Defensively he does a good job of denying post position, bumping cutters off their route in the lane, and walling up when the opponent gets the ball inside.
Lillian Tchabo, Tre Mann Elite 2027 MHC: A 6’6 junior at Impact Christian in Jacksonville, his activity and athleticism is a notch above most. Tchabo was very active in the passing lanes, coming up with multiple steals and scores. He was also very good at getting to offensive rebounds and scoring before defenders could react. Tchabo made a couple of perimeter jump shots inside the arc to keep defenders honest. He is still gaining comfort playing on the perimeter, but it is encouraging to see him play under control and not do things he isn’t yet capable of doing. Tchabo’s motor runs high the entire game and his physical traits allow him to be a versatile defender.
Akol Nyok, Tre Mann Elite 2027: A 7’0 junior out Miami Columbus, Nyok intrigues for more than just his size alone. Not only does he block shots at a high rate, Nyok also has a knack for keeping the ball in play and retrieving it. We don’t recall a time over two games where he just swatted the ball out of bounds, giving the opponents another position. Nyok runs the floor well, gets to his spot in front of the rim, and connects with a soft jump hook. He is a lob threat both in transition and in the half-court and showed a good set of hands to catch tough passes in the air. Nyok has a lot of upside, but his current floor isn’t bad at all.
Sharmah Petigny, FL Pro 2028: A 6’2 sophomore out of Somerset Academy in Broward County, we’ve seen Petigny a couple of times in individual camp settings, but this was our first time seeing him in an organized environment. He got off to a slow start but eventually began to play to expectations. Petigny is the team’s primary ball-handler and offensive initiator. Where he stands out is his ability to get past defenders using either hand and score at the basket. Petigny has a quick burst coming off changes in direction and/or pace and is strong enough to absorb any contact and still make shots. Though he took few perimeter shots in the two contests we saw this weekend, he made enough to be respected. Petigny is quick to move the ball to open perimeter shooters as well as get it ahead to teammates in transition.
Kwasi Appiah, Florida Rebels 16U: A 6’4 sophomore at Orlando Olympia, Appiah doesn’t seem to fit any one position; just put him out there to play and he finds ways to produce. He has a solid frame, plenty of bounce, and plays with abandon each possession. Appiah impressed by grabbing rebounds against bigger foes at both ends of the floor. He had plenty of putback points in Saturday’s game. Appiah was quick to change from defense to offense, getting ahead of the pack in transition. He showcased some impressive body control around the rim, at one point scoring with his left hand while falling to his right but away from the hoop. Appiah was quite active in the passing lanes and kept opponents out of the lane off the dribble.
A.J. Jenkins, Showtime Ballers 16U: A 6’0 junior out of Wiregrass Ranch, Jenkins is young for his class and qualifies to play at this level. He has a scorer’s mentality and a variety of tools to get the ball into the basket. Jenkins likes to attack defenders off the dribble, daring them to keep him from the basket. He has a quick first step, reliable change of speed and/or direction moves, and finds creative ways to score through contact in traffic at the basket. Jenkins is a good free throw shooter and doesn’t mind going to the foul line. He will knock down floaters in the lane and pull-ups from the foul line. Jenkins is reliable from behind the arc with his feet set.
Theo Sylney, 904 Elite 2028: A 6’6 sophomore at Andrew Jackson in Jacksonville, Sylney’s potential is intriguing. He has a generous wingspan and uses it well for putbacks on offense and to challenge shots on defense. Sylney runs the floor, pursues rebounds out of his area and covers a lot of ground quickly on defense. There is plenty of room for skill work in all phases, but Jackson has proven to be a program that does a good job of developing players. Sylney’s best basketball is ahead of him and if he has the desire to put in the work, he is one to monitor.
Jaydon Shannon, Skills Center Elite 2028 UA Rise: A 6’3 sophomore from Seffner Armwood, Shannon ticked off a lot of boxes in the game we took in on Saturday. He scored on putbacks. He scored on drives. He scored in transition. He completed “and ones”. He knocked down shots on both sides of the arc. In short, Shannon was tough to stop. A good athlete with a solid frame, he is certainly one to track in the greater Tampa/St. Pete area.
Delan Montgomery, SOH Elite 2029: A 6’4 freshman at Miami Country Day, Montgomery caught our attention early by draining a trio of three-point shots. From that point on, his natural ability and instincts took over as he made a variety of plays at both ends of the floor. Montgomery was active in disrupting the passing lanes and harassing ball-handlers on defense, coming up with more than a few steals that he turned into scores. He rebounded well, pushed the pace, and was quick to move the ball on the perimeter to keep the offense flowing. When the opportunity arose, Montgomery was quick to attack the basket with the dribble, either scoring or earning trips to the foul line.