We’ve had some time to reflect on the Tampa Sun Bash and who impressed in our day down there. Here are the more notable players that stood out.
Jacob Daniels, St. Petersburg Gibbs: The 6’1 junior was stellar in his play. Offensively he has all the tools: ability to finish in traffic through contact at the basket, connect on floaters in the lane, mid-range jump shots and knock down shots behind the arc off the catch or dribble. Daniels has excellent speed, quickness, and court vision. He draws fouls and converts at a high rate from the free throw line. Defensively he is quick, active, and disruptive.
Oneal Delancy, St. Petersburg Gibbs: The 6’3 freshman has a high ceiling. He is very athletic and plays with great confidence. Delancy shot the ball well from the perimeter and had an attack mentality at both ends of the floor. He has all the physical tools to be an effective defender. He took care of the basketball, made good pass vs. shot decisions on the move, and was alert to get teammates the ball when they had better scoring opportunities.
Bobby Crawford, St. Petersburg Gibbs: A 6’7 junior, Crawford is a long leaper. He scores inside on lobs, putbacks, and drop-offs from penetrating teammates. Crawford runs the floor well in transition, routinely beating his opponent down the floor. He rises quickly off the court to grab rebounds at both ends and protect the rim on defense. Crawford has a knack for coming up with the ball in a crowd, fighting off more physical players for the rock.
Jeremiah Jackson, Louisville (KY) St. Pius X: A 6’4 sophomore, he is built more like a college sophomore than one in high school. Jackson is a very good athlete with a strong body. He has the ability to knock down perimeter jump shots as well as get buckets inside, whether by posting up or scoring through contact in traffic after driving the ball into the lane. He played little in second half due to foul trouble but his eighteen first-half points were very impressive.
Hedrens Bartelus, Lake Worth: The 6’6 senior finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds against North Tampa Christian. He is a super athletic floor runner and rebounder that plays with maximum effort every second he is on the court. Bartelus showed an improved perimeter shot in the contest but still generates most of his offense around the rim. He is a solid perimeter defender and a good shot blocker coming over from the weak side.
Brody Cuffle, North Tampa Christian: The 6’6 junior is a calming presence for this young club. He is a good perimeter shooter that also scores well around the basket after quick drives or cuts into the lane. A good but not great athlete, he rebounds his area and understands how to use angles and positioning on defense. Cuffle takes care of the basketball on offense and doesn’t attempt to make plays he isn’t yet capable of making.
Toni Bryant, North Tampa Christian: The 6’9 sophomore pretty much shut down the paint in the game against Lake Worth. It certainly seemed like he had more than six blocks. Long and quick off the floor, his presence in the middle of the NTC zone relegates opponents to shots from the perimeter. Offensively, Bryant can make the perimeter shot and is a decent straight-line driver and finisher when attacking off the dribble from either the high post or short corner areas. It will be interesting to see what level of national notoriety he will draw this spring and summer on the travel circuit.
Patrick Johnson, Fort Myers Gateway Charter: The 6’8 junior is strong, athletic, and quick off the floor for rebounds, blocking shots, and finishing lobs at the basket. Johnson runs the floor well, finishes putbacks in traffic and has a nice touch around the basket. Defensively he has the physical tools to switch out and defend smaller ball-handlers on the perimeter. Johnson is very much a D-I prospect and continues to draw interest from a variety of collegiate programs.
Tahir Bond, Fort Lauderdale Coral Glades: The 6’3 senior is a good athlete and physically imposing backcourt performer. He proved quite successful in overpowering opponents with the dribble when attacking the basket. Bond is a tough cover if he can get downhill on defenders. He is a frequent visitor to the free throw line and has a high success rate. He shoots the ball well from the perimeter with his feet set and he is also an active offensive rebounder. His physical tools make him a very capable defender.
Chris Henderson, Landover (MD) Shabach Christian: The 6’3 senior is a very strong guard that plays bigger than his size. He proved to be an effective scorer from mid-range and in. Henderson rebounded very well against bigger players. Defensively he was active in harassing ball-handlers, clogging passing lanes, and physically bumping cutters.
Nathan Earl, Windermere: The 6’2 sophomore played a very strong, all-around game under our watch. He shot the ball well on both sides of the three-point line, got to the rim and either scored, drew fouls, or both. Earl took good care of the ball when not scoring, making good decisions against extended defensive pressure and finding open shooters when collapsing the defense after getting into the lane. This may have been his breakout game.
Chalier Torres, Windermere: The 6’4 senior has become as much of a scorer as he is a shooter. Torres showed he could attack the defense off the dribble and score from mid-range and in. He is also a willing post-passer and understands where to move to get open after getting the ball into the post for a possible return pass and three-point shot opportunity. Torres works hard on defense, gets a lot of tips and deflections, and anticipates the passing lanes well.
Terrance “T.J.” Drain, Windermere: A 6’8 junior, the lefty is very effective when he sticks to business down in the paint. Drain is very effective when posting up, has some basic but reliable post moves, and a good touch around the basket. He gets high for lobs and putbacks. Drain will make the occasional mid-range shot but isn’t yet consistent outside of fifteen feet. He does a good job of protecting the basket at the defensive end of the floor.
Chris Arias, Jacksonville Providence: A 6’6 senior and Jacksonville signee, Arias was solid in the game against Tampa Blake but even he would admit he has played better. Still, it is good to see that he can adjust his game when the perimeter shot isn’t falling. He scored well in the paint with floaters and made some tough finishes to complete drives. Arias rebounds and passes the ball well. He moves his feet quickly on defense and plays the passing lanes well.
Josh Lewis, Tampa Blake: The 6’7 junior made his presence felt with a 15 point/13 rebound double-double. He shot the ball well from the perimeter, was very active on the offensive glass, and made good pass vs. shot decisions when he did attack the basket. Long and athletic, Lewis’ production is starting to match his potential. No doubt he will get even better as he physically matures. Lewis has a good skill set, plays with confidence, and makes an impact at both ends of the court.
Emir Gainer, St. Petersburg: A 6’0 sophomore, Gainer was one of the bigger revelations of the event. He is a quick point guard that gets into the paint and makes tough finishes in traffic. Gainer sees the floor well and delivers passes on time and on target. He shot the ball well from the perimeter and if defenders were too far off he would drop in jumpers; if they got too close, Gainer was by them in the blink of an eye. He showed active hands and feet on defense and as he physically matures his production will go up exponentially.
Keyon Clarkson, St. Petersburg: A 6’3 senior, this athletic slasher shot the ball well inside the arc. He played with a great deal energy at both ends. He routinely won 50/50 ball battles, disrupted passing lanes, and attacked defenses from all angles. Clarkson got some easy scores by beating the defense in transition. His length and athleticism make him a promising perimeter defender.
Ethan Sabec, Clearwater Calvary Christian: The 6’6 sophomore shoots the ball well from the perimeter and makes plays without being a high-level run/jump athlete. Sabec handles and passes the ball well on the perimeter. He is an active rebounder at both ends and anticipates well on defense. He doesn’t yet challenge the defense often by attacking the basket with the dribble, but that should come sooner rather than later.
Ace Taylor, Clearwater Calvary Christian: The 6’6 senior simply finds ways to score. He battles inside for points and rebounds, is active on the offensive glass, and is a good perimeter shooter with his feet set. Taylor handles the ball okay, makes good reads off the bounce, and can finish through contact. He plays with a high motor and high basketball IQ.