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Ram Jam Classic Day 3 Rundown: Rams take 3rd Thanks to Wilson's FT's
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December 30, 2009
By: Aaron Seybert
SWFLHoops@gmail.com
SARASOTA, FL-- Although there were no local teams in the Championship game on Wednesday at Riverview High School, it was a good final day showing overall, as three area squads finished 2009 with wins. The championship pitted two out-of-area teams, Hialeah Senior and Miami Carol City, against one another. Carol City controlled the first half, but Hialeah came storming back in the third behind 6'7 senior forward Shawn Jones, whois signed to Middle Tennessee State. Carol City regained control though in the fourth and pulled out the 54-49 win in the end to take the title behind 18 big points from Cedrick Johnson. Jones, who is averaging a triple double through 10 games this season in points, rebounds, and blocks, finished with 22 points and was chosen as the tourney MVP.
Sarasota Riverview 63, Lake Howell 59 - Third Place Final
Riverview was bounced from appearing in their tournament championship thanks to Hialeah and Shawn Jones on Tuesday night. However, they were able to bounce back well and knocked off a solid Lake Howell team 63-59 to take third place in the tournament.
It was the underclassmen who came through on this night for the Rams, and seeing as they only have one key senior in Kyle Kragel, who was the lone local player chosen for the All-Tourney team, that will probably be the case a lot this year. 6'5 junior forward Nemo Rmus came up big in the second quarter, netting 10 of his team-high 18 points in the period and helping give the Rams the lead headed into the break. However, there may have been no player more important in the win than 6'5 freshman sensation Nate Wilson. In only his second game with the varsity squad, Wilson played a ton of minutes, scored 13 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and knocked down 3 of 4 free throws in the last minute to help seal the win. Riverview sophomore guard Eric Traver (13 points) had his struggles with turnovers on the night, but his 8 points in the third quarter were key in increasing his team's advantage heading into the final quarter. Lake Howell junior guard Isaac Torres was undoubtebly the best shooter in the field, and arguably one of the best in the state in the class of 2011, and he continued to show that in the first half. Torres, who poured in a 2009 tourney high of 37 points in his team's first round win, knocked down four treys in the first half and headed into halftime with 14 points already. However, he looked a bit more timid in the last 16 minutes and Riverview did a much better job of closing out when he caught the ball on the wing, and held him to just 5 points in the second half. Kragel added 9 points for the winners.
Venice 56, Sarasota Christian 43- Fifth Place Final
The Indians improved to 5-4 on the season with a commanding win over the Sarasota Christian Blazers in the 5th place final. Venice got up by as 20 points in the first half, and although the Blazers were able to decrease the lead heading into halftime and keep it reasonable in the second half, the Indians controlled the game throughout. Venice was led by Zach Christian, who had a team-high 13 points, while Michael Smithers and Clay Burton added 11 and 10 respectively. Sarasota Christian's Justin Dillingham led all scorers with 14 points, including 8 of 11 from the foul line. Senior guard Chase Miller added 12 for the Blazers in the loss.
On a side note, the Indians may have lost one of the area's best seniors in Justin Grant, who left the team a couple weeks ago after committing to Eastern Illinois to play football, but they got a solid guard in return. Junior guard Josh Boyle, who transferred in just a couple weeks ago from Fairfax, Virginia, is a hardnosed lefty who can handle it and stroke it from beyond the arc, but also seems to understand the game well and looks to be a good competitor on both ends of the floor.
Sarasota Booker 56, Tampa Middleton 18 - Seventh Place Final
Apparently only one team got the memo that the Ram Jam Classic is a three day event and not just two, as Booker came out in the first half and made this one a laugher quickly. With the score reaching the 35 point running clock margin by the time the fourth quarter started, the best part about the game was watching Booker junior guard Stone Hollaway personally outscore Middleton 25 to 18 for the game. Hollaway is a quick little guard that can put the ball in the basket, and did so throughout the tournament, averaging nearly 21 points per contest in the three games. Another standout for Booker was senior guard Brandon Fox, as Fox canned 4 treys on the afternoon, finishing with 12 points for the game.
SWFL Hoops Scouting Notes - "Hello, my name is..."
Nate Wilson, 6'5, F, 2013, Riverview - Adding to the theme of last nights scouting notes, another very talented freshman makes the list. Wilson is a long, athletic, and very well-rounded basketball player already. We wouldn't say he does any one thing extremely well but he does a lot of things very good. On this night he had 13 points and 5 rebounds in just his second chance at varsity game experience and that alone is notable. He has a great feel for the game at an early age, which allows him to be a good passer from in or out of the post. He is also a solid free throw shooter, as he knocked down 5 of 6 in the fourth quarter, including 3 of 4 in the last minute to seal the win for his team. Although he will primarily be a post guy this season most likely, he possesses wing skills and can move pretty well on the court. There is a reason why we boosted him all the way to #2 in our class of 2013 rankings after seeing him the first time, and tonight he helped solidify that spot with a very solid performance. Wilson has a chance to be very special if he continues to improve, keeps a humble mindset, and shows he can have the work ethic that top state and national level players all possess.
Eric Traver, 6'1, G, 2012 - Although he struggled tonight with turnovers, Traver is a talent to be recognized. He has a pure shooting stroke from midrange or beyond the arc, seldomly tries to force things, and is deceptively quick. Not a guy who will blow you away with the "eye test," Traver just does things that win teams games. Whether that be setting up teammates in scoring positions, knocking down open shots, or getting into the lane and finishing using his craftiness, he just knows how to play the game the right way. With the help of his sidekick, fellow sophomore guard Jeremy Jones, the Riverview backcourt looks to be a talented one for the next 2 1/2 years.
Eric Mays, 6'6, F, 2013, Booker - Add Mays to the list of 6'5 and over players we have seen in the class of 2013 so far in Southwest Florida. Although he may be a bit behind some of the others in terms of skill, Mays is a kid who has a bright future ahead of him if he keeps the right mindset and motivation. A bit raw still, but he has big body and moves pretty well for a young guy of his size. As his skills catch up to his size, we will continue to see just how much and how quickly he can improve. One thing to note in regards to the Booker class of 2013, they have four guards, including Khalil Greene, that head coach Derrick Kirce is very high on and although we did not get a chance to see a ton of what they can do today, we will be keeping an eye out for them in the future.
Michael Smithers, 6'4, F, 2012, Venice - Smithers is not very flashy but he is affective whether around the basket or on the break. He can step out and knock down the deep ball, but also mix it up inside with the big boys. Graced with solid athleticism thus far, he also has a good understanding of the game. If he can keep developing his ball skills in the future, he could be a very solid performer that is one to keep an eye on moving forward.
