Aaron Seybert
SWFLHoops.com Scouting
June 26, 2009
NORTH PORT, FL- Not many guys can go around saying they
hit a total of 20 three pointers in a season. Well, Thursday
afternoon Port Charlotte HS senior-to-be guard Brian Lockhart
(5'10, 2010, PG) did just that but in a three game span, as he led
the Pirates to the North Port Shootout title. The Pirates defeated
Sarasota and Community School of Naples before facing off
against cross town rival in the final, defeating the Tarpons
57-46 with both teams having their full rosters available.
Lockhart hit 6 treys against Sarasota, 9 against Community
School, and then 5 more in the final game in rout to us giving him
the Shootout MVP tag.
Port Charlotte went 6-1 overall on the week, following up a 6-1
showing at University of Florida team camp this past weekend to
cap off their summer action in positive form and letting SWFL
know, they may be small but you better come to play if you
want a W versus the Pirates. Along with Lockhart, we have to
(6'5, 2012, F), and Dylan Baerman (5'11, 2010, PG) for thei
r solid play throughout the week and on the final day. Lawrence
and Gilchrist give the Pirates some rare size inside and their
athleticism and strength gave opposing teams fits all week. Baerman ran the show very well, especially in the final game against Charlotte. He played solid defense, minimized mistakes, knocked down open shots, and did a great job of putting pressure on the defense in the full court. He isnt big, super quick, or very athletic, but he plays hard and makes the right decision almost all the time with the ball.
Most of the teams though were still banged up from University of Florida Team Camp over the weekend or missing guys due to football workouts. Charlotte had all their guys for only the last two games on Thursday and the rust of getting familiar with new faces showed a bit in a close win against a hot shooting but undermanned Barron Collier group that came from more than 15 down in the second half. Charlotte prevailed in that Quarterfinal matchup by 3 thanks to a putback and free throw from senior-to-be Adam Moore (6'6, 2010, F) with 6.7 seconds left. However, Charlotte followed that up with a hard fought win against a young and very talented North Port bunch, winning 58-57, thanks to some late free throws by junior-to-be DJ Scott(5'9, 2011, PG) and hot shooting all game by Joey Degaeta (6'1, 2010, G), Darion Shine (5'10, 2010, G), and Kyle Midget (6'2, 2010, G) who all knocked down a couple or more from deep. If Shine and Scott both get going and keep learning how to play off each other effectively, this could be one of the best backcourts next season. Possibly the Tarpons most impressive win of the week was against Fort Myers on the first day of action, with the Green Wave having their full group minus James Whitfield and Charlotte missing all 4 of their key football guys. The Wave was up 24-21 at the half on Charlotte, but when the second half started, Tarpons' senior-to-be Nick Goshay (6'4, 2010, F) got going in a hurry and scored 12 of the first 20 points for his team as they went on a 20-0 run spanning the first 10 minutes out of the break. Goshay was a man amongst boys in the second half run, hitting 2 treys, attacking the basket from the wing, and rebounding everything on both ends of the floor, all while leading the charge emotionally, constantly pumping up his teammates and the fans in attendance. Fort Myers eventually chipped away at the lead getting it back to 7 but Charlotte was in complete control of the outcome and won 53-46 going away.
North Port looks ultra talented but with the Bobcats one must keep in mind that they are young and with youth comes inconsistency. 2011 wing guard Dauntae Johnson (6'3, 2011, G/F) looked like their best player all week whether he was attacking the basket affectively, knocking down jumpers from three or mid-range, or rebounding at a high level on the offensive end. Kasey Wilson (6'6, 2011, F) struggled at times after having a big time weekend at UF camp, however, he showed the ability to knock down some shots from behind the arc which if continued will make him and the Bobcats that much more dangerous. Larry Taylor (5'10, 2012, PG) also had some nice moments on the week as well. He definitely did not shoot the ball at the level the Bobcats will need him to, but he is such a high IQ guy that he finds other ways to be affective whether it be getting out and scoring on the break or getting inside the paint for his floater. Max Wilbur (6'2, 2010, F/G) was another one who looked solid. The senior wing will be a nice guy to have in the rotation with his athleticism, hustle, and he even showed he has occasional range to the arc even though he is best when slashing to the hoops.
Fort Myers only brought their full group on Tuesday and played them a lot less than usual even then, and went 1-1 with a win over Sarasota and a loss to Charlotte. The rest of the shootout they brought some younger guys and left their top 6 at home to rest.
Mariner looked good at times but then had their struggles just as everyone else did. If they shoot the ball well collectively, then they can play with any team in the area. However, if they don't shoot it well then they have a tough time hanging with the top teams. In their defense, they were missing senior center Clinton Johnson (6'6, 2010, F) due to a knee injury which would of made a huge difference on the glass and defensively. They did go 3-1 in pool play, with a solid win over Port Charlotte by 1 and handed the Pirates their only loss of the week. However, when they played Community School they just could not get enough stops and Mitch Woods and company took them down in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Kameron Beach (6'1, 2010, G) and Ricardo Barsesa (5'10, 2010, G) both played well. Beach and Barsesa are known for their shooting but Barsesa did a good job of attacking the hoop and finishing when his shot was covered, while Beach showed he is a solid defender.
But Beach or no Beach, it is tough to stop Mitch Woods (6'4, 2010, PG) when he is shooting the ball the way he has been lately. Woods was the best player in the gym all week, albeit Goshay was right there behind him with his continued steady high level play. He continued to shoot the ball lights out in all but one game. He also looks in the best shape we've seen him in and does a good job of always putting pressure on the defense, even if it does look effortless at times with his smooth style of play. He is all of 6'4 and 195 pounds or so and he keeps showing how athletic he really is, blocking one shot off the glass on the run that was up near the middle to top of the square with his left hand! He plays so smooth you tend to think he isnt super athletic but then he'll do something that clears that doubt right up. Kent Coyne (6'4, 2011, G/F), the Seahawks other go to guy, was battling a back injury all week and then missed Thursday due to an academic camp for engineering at the University of Maryland. Coyne gives Community School a second guy that can make plays for himself or teammates and knock down shots. Liam Bressler (6'5, 2011, F), stepped up big in the absense of Coyne, knocking down numerous shots from beyond the arc off the catch, rebounding inside, and showing a couple nice post moves on the interior as well. Bressler is often overlooked because he is one that may not pass the "eye test", but do not leave him open outside of the arc because he WILL make you pay.
Barron Collier will be very young next year, and without sophomore Deion Clark (6'3, 2012, G) in the lineup this week they stuggled in most games. They also didn't shoot the ball very well, except in their quarterfinal game with Charlotte. However, even without Clark, they showed if they get hot shooting the ball, they can give a top team like Charlotte a run for their money. David Phillips (6'1, 2011, G) and Hunter Hayes (6'2, 2011, G) both stood out for the Cougars. Phillips is a bouncy lefty that scores well on the move and can knock down open or contested jumpers off the catch or dribble. A good leaper, he also finishes well around the basket. Reminds me a lot of Jernell Hughes from Immokalee, however Hughes may be one of the top couple athletes in SWFL regardless of class, so not quite as athletic. Hayes is a lights out shooter when given space but he also showed he can put it on the floor and create occasionally for himself. He won't blow you away athletically or wow you very much but he is a solid guy who does not make very many mistakes throughout the course of a game. One thing to note though with Clark, he has grown considerably since we last seen him and is a legit 6'3, and will only be a sophomore so expect him to grow even more over the next few years. If he gets to 6'5 or bigger with his skill and athleticism, it is scary just how good he can be and even at 6'3 he will give tons of teams fits this coming season.
Sarasota struggled this week without a couple of guys due to football from our understanding. Elias Gutierrez (6'0, 2010, G) will be the force behind anything the Sailors can get done next season though. He will need to find a way to be affective offensively as well as keep his teammates involved when defenses start keying on him. He was able to do so last year with the young squad so he should be able to improve on that going into 2009-10. Gutierrez is a fundamental player that can slash, knock down shots with range, and has good length to help on the defensive end.
2009 North Port Shootout Recap
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