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Noriega and Wilson Showcase Talent in District Opener
November 25, 2008
Aaron Seybert
SWFLHoops.com
Bradenton Lakewood Ranch @ #2 North Port
In a game that got lopsided quickly, two of the areas most notable names made use of their time on the court to showcase multiple facets of their games in a 74-59 North Port win over the visiting Lakewood Ranch Mustangs. University of South Florida bound senior guard Shaun Noriega and highly regarded sophomore forward Kasey Wilson have been putting in work in the gym all summer, but now it was time for the games that count.
For Noriega, going into his senior season he knew his weakness was still his lateral quickness. Now we won't compare him to Chris Paul, but it was evident he has done some work, as he look to have a bit more bounce to his step on the offensive and more importantly, the defensive end of the floor. We would also not go as far as calling him a defensive stopper, but he does not and will not need to be, but he showed more effort and success in cutting ballhandlers off on their attempts to get into the lane. His offense was steady as always as he finished with a game high 26 points including four straight 3 point baskets in the third quarter when Lakewood Ranch was attempting to get a run going for themselves.
Kasey Wilson on the other hand, was looking to perhaps validate all of the hype surrounding himself coming off a couple strong showing at individual events in late summer period that haver boosted his stock tremendously with mid to high major Division 1 programs around the country. He did not disappoint. The SWFL Hoops #2 rated sophomore finished with 22 point, 10 rebounds, and two impressive dunks including one where he coralled a rebound and went straight up over two Mustang defenders after a free throw miss. Wilson moves extremely well for a guy his size and will more than likely be recruited as a wing or a skilled big forward if he continues to grow. He is an explosive athlete that combines his athleticism with hustle, skill, and a soft touch from inside the arc.
The Bobcats as a whole looked very solid and looked like they will be able to get away from the "Noriega Offense" in which the senior guard runs off screens until he gets a good look. With multiple weapons to go to including Wilson, freshman Larry Taylor, senior Dominique Glinton, and senior clean up man Tony Irons, the Bobcats will give opponents match-up problems throughout the season. Taylor looked solid in his first high school game with 7 points and a few nifty passes on penetration, with one being a sick no look pass to Wilson at moving full speed down the lane for a thunderous finish, however Kasey took one too many steps so it will not show up in the stat books. Irons was a man inside with multiple big rebounds and putbacks amongst two and three defenders at times. He is deceptively athletic for such a wide body and only 6'2" tall, and his ability to rebound in and outside of his area is very impressive. Glinton did not fill up the stat sheet on this night, but his quickness at the point will cause fits for opposing defenders and he has made huge strides with his ability to knock down the outside shot.
On the other side, Lakewood Ranch is going to sneak up on some people this season. They have good size with 4 of 5 starters checking in at 6'3" and over and nearly every guy who gets on the court is built like a football stud. A key match-up going in looked to be Kasey Wilson versus another top class of 2011 wing in 6'5" Dauntae Johnson, but Johnson looked to still be finding his fit with his new team. Outside of two crowd pleasing alley-oop dunks, Johnson looked pedestrian at best finishing with only those two baskets for the game for 4 points. Dauntae is a big wing with the ability to put the ball on the floor and proved his has the athleticism to finish at the rim, but there were times when he looked out of place or confused offensively. We'll cut him a break for now though, as he just joined the team last week coming from football and is still learning where he will fit in with his second school in as many years.
Stepping up though for the Mustangs in the losing effort was 6'3" guard Jake Carlton and 6'5" forward Nick Diaz with 12 points. Diaz made his own personal attempt at a run in the third quarter with 9 straight points, as Wilson was not able to lock him down once he caught the ball in the post. Carlton handles the ball well from the point or wing, and is at his best when slashing to the basket with the ability to finish in traffic or knock down the mid range jumper. Cole Zigich, a 6'3" wing chipped in with 7 points including one trey, one night after putting up 20 in a loss to Bradenton Christian.
When it's all said and done, don't be surprised to see Lakewood Ranch as maybe the third or fourth best team in the district, setting themselves up to potentially upset someone in the district tourney and sneak into a playoff spot. It won't be easy with North Port, Venice and Charlotte to answer to, but we'll be the first to tell you....don't sleep on the Mustangs come season's end.
