Jacob Alley
SWFLHoops.com Scouting

June 30, 2008

The Fort Myers Shootout came down to the last second to decide a champion. Lehigh outlasted the host team in a thrilling instant classic. Luis Sanchez scored the winning bucket in sudden death in order to put his team up 48-46 to conclude a great tournament. The final was Lehigh’s third consecutive win in as many hours and was the second of back to back sudden death victories, winning just an hour earlier against a very talented Desoto team. Sanchez played lights out all weekend, especially the last day, as Lehigh definitely proved that they are a team not to be overlooked. Fort Myer’s went 8-2 on the weekend and got to the finals again after making it just two weeks before at FGCU. It was interesting to note that the team went 1-1 against Countryside, avenging a 20 point loss with a win in the Semi Finals. Countryside starts Matt Yance’s first cousin Joe Vince and the two even guarded each other at points during the contest. The family rivalry was alive and well as a huge number of relatives gathered to watch the two square off.  After a poor Northport showing, Ida Baker had a great first two days of the tournament. They were an overtime loss to Desoto away from going 6-0 in pool play, however they got upset in the first round of the knockout bracket against Golden Gate. Desoto also played lights out, their only pool loss coming by 3 to Fort Myers, and they beat Ida Baker in OT. Their only other loss was the previously mentioned sudden death loss to Lehigh in the Semi Finals.

There were a number of players who made an impression over the weekend as well (listed by class):

Luis Sanchez - 6’3’’, 2009, WG, Lehigh - This kid had as great a tournament as anyone. He shot a lot better from around the perimeter this weekend than at the FGCU team camp, and he was still able to get a number of his points attacking the basket. On the final day of the tournament (the knockout stage) he averaged between 15-20 ppg. He showed that he was as clutch as anybody, picking up a loose ball and firing the game winning shot that crowned Lehigh the Champions against Fort Myers in the finals.

John Skinner - 6’4’’, 2009, WF, Ida Baker - He had a great tournament also. He had big games against big teams: Countryside, Desoto, and Verot. He had good range from behind the arc, showed and ability to create havoc with his mid range game, and is an animal on the boards and finishing around the rim with his footwork down low. When his team was struggling to overcome poor free throw shooting and playing on what his coach (Greg Coleman) referred to as “an Ice Rink,” Fort Myers B Squad was able to tie the game with two minutes to play. Skinner then scored 10 of his teams next 12 points in order to bury the hatchet and come away with a victory. However that was the only glimpse of him taking over a game when it was close at the end. Most of his great performances were anchored in the first halves, but he still faded away in games far too often. He was electrifying in traffic, elevating over a crowd of people for a dunk against both Verot and Desoto.

Cameron Hall - 5’10’’, 2009, PG, Cape Coral HS - This kid is a speed demon, flat out. He tore apart teams with his quickness and looked like a genius in the transition game. He may have been the fastest player in the building, and he doesn’t have any gear other than overdrive. He is not just fast in the open court but he is extremely quick laterally and can start, stop, and change directions all on a dime. He is an excellent shot contester for someone of his size and is an extremely hard worker. He is also a smart player that shows poise passing out of the trap. I would like to see him drive to the basket more rather than settle for three’s. He also needs to work on his shooting consistency in order to make his game a more complete package.

Josh Nicholas - 6’11’’, 2009, C, Fort Myers HS - Josh had an up and down weekend. At times he looked assertive down low, others he looked aloof. His shooting touch that was there at FGCU had disappeared as he struggled to sink many baskets outside 6-8 feet of the rim. However inside he did a much better job of using the backboard and he looked a lot hungrier for rebounds. He had a number of big blocks, none of them more memorable than the game winning block against Desoto. He banged well down low against a more physical Sean Smikle, and looked a little more coordinated catching passes in traffic. He still needs to take over games and lets smaller guys out position him too often. He needs to go up and dunk the ball a lot more and once he gets comfortable enough and strong enough to do that then he will be nearly unstoppable on a local level.

Greg “Bubba” Summers - 6’3’’, 2009, BF/WF, Desoto HS - This kid is a natural winner and is a bruiser down low. He is a line backer on the football team, and shows good body control when drawing contact around the basket. He hit one or two three pointers but is not usually known for his shooting prowess.  Bubba is great at what he does which is primarily rebound, play great defense, and find a way to score against predominantly taller players inside.

Jumaane Robinson - 6’3’’, WG, 2009, Desoto - Tenacious kid defensively that is capable of pushing the ball and finishing in transition. He is a solid ball handler and has a quick shot. He is a nightmare on D, his lateral quickness makes him impossible to get by. He was also very good off the dribble, using his spin move to create a number of easy jump shots. He can also jump out of the gym and uses that to be a consistent factor on the glass at both ends.

Danilo Rupena - 5’10’’, 2009, PG, Palmetto Ridge - Danilo showed flashes of brilliance at times but has moments where he looked flustered at times. He is a streaky shooter, who when hot, is capable of lighting it up from beyond the arc. He drained 4 threes within ten minutes in what was a close first half against Fort Myers. He showed good vision when dribbling in the lane, and consistently found the open man. He does a good job of setting up shots for his teammates. He struggles to finish at times and needs to use his strength to control his body better around the rim. He needs to find other ways to get his rhythm back when he is not feeling it.

Joel Hill - 6’3’’, WF/Post, 2010, Cape Coral HS - This long tough frame is a tough match up for any team defensively. He is a great spot up shooter from down town and he is tough enough to handle anyone down low. He was a huge reason for his teams 3-0 start on day one, and he played well throughout the rest of the weekend as well. He got beaten defensively by a few faster players, but he made up for his lack of speed with some blocks and a lot of altered shots.

Nick Goshay - 6’3’’, WF/Post, 2010, Charlotte - Similar to Hill in a lot of ways. Goshay hit 5 3’s against Cape, and looked good in a match up against his AAU teammate. Two of his five bombs were from around NBA range. He shows good balance when catching and shooting, it is when he creates that he sometimes struggles to slow down the momentum of his big frame. He was not afraid to rumble with big Josh Nicholas, and he proved a little more adept at creating off of the dribble. He was a force defensively, showing a great sense of help defense in order to compile a myriad of blocks. He looked tough on the glass. One thing he needs to fix, and it is a small thing, he throws too many baseball passes from the inbounds. Sure, he hits a few streaking guys for open lay ups, but I have seen it lead to just as many, if not more, turnovers.

Terran “Buddy” McLendon - 6’0’’, PG/WG, 2010, Fort Myers HS - This kid is a scorer. Buddy is a sparkplug that will give you energy whether it is starting or coming off the bench. Because Evin Graham and Colin Henry were absent for Day 1, McLendon got the nod to start, and by the time of their return Buddy had done enough to keep his starting job for the rest of the weekend. While he has looked inconsistent throughout the summer, he was definitely on this weekend.  He dropped 23 in the first round of the tournament against Heartland Christian. He lit it up from behind the arc against several teams and created a nightmare in other team’s back courts grabbing steals. He is definitely a shoot first guy that will need to do a better job of getting his teammates involved if he is going to keep his starting role. He also needs to keep down his turnovers, he is far too sloppy at times and gets out of control when driving towards the hoop. He gets a lot of steals but some of them come from ill advised reaching in. His tenancy to reach often catches him out of position on defense.

Reuben Riffin - 6’4’’, Post/WF, 2010, Golden Gate - I knocked Riffin a few weeks ago for fading back and failing to give 100 percent effort when out on the floor. I was part wrong. Riffin runs the floor extremely well and prides himself at being one of the first players to reach the other end of the court on every change of possession. This weekend he proved that he is a capable shot blocker, and he does a great job of adjusting his shot when there is a hand in his face. He did not display much of a mid range game and I would like to see him shoot more in order to project better as a wing on the next level.

Jacquard Hagan - 5’11’’, PG/WG, 2010, Bishop Verot- He was inactive for parts of the weekend but when he was in he looked pretty sharp. He proves he has that never say die attitude and nailed back-to-back NBA range trifecta’s in order to revive his teams hopes against Lehigh. I am not sure if it was because of his injury, but he still looked at little timid finishing around the rim, often favoring to kick the ball out rather than go for an easy two when penetrating the lane.

Darion Shine - 5’9’’, PG, 2010, Desoto - He is the youngest of the Shine brothers and he did not fall too far from the tree. He is a great scorer that has a knack for putting the ball in the hoop. He was potent from beyond the arc, showed an ability to create and knock down the open mid range shot, and was unstoppable slashing through the lane. Though he lacks a lot of size, he is the complete package. He is quick and has good hands, allowing him to nab a plethora of steals. The fact he is such a threat at attacking the basket, and his great court vision allows him to rack up masses of easy assists created by collapsing defenses.

Bert Boilea - 6’1’’, WG, 2010, Golden Gate - Bert is a long an athletic player that makes plays when his team needs him. He is a decent shooter who can knock down a couple of threes each game, and he can make plays around the basket. He has good defensive speed but needs to work on making himself bigger when playing on that end of the court. He also needs to work on his ball handling if he is going to get any attention as a ball player. He had a good game against Charlotte and in the upset win over Baker, but he failed to make is impact felt far too often.

Abner Sandoval - 6’2’’, WG, 2010, Bishop Verot - Abner is very adept at finishing around the basket, and has great strength for his size. His big frame and elevation make him impossible to shoot over. He showed he had range to the arc, making a couple of tough trey’s against Ida Baker. He was also active on the offensive glass, turning a few rebounds into points down low. He has only average speed and gets a little sloppy handling the ball, however he has a great future ahead of him. He hurt his hand during the Cape game and did not return in a Verot jersey for the opening round of the knockout tournament against eventual champs Lehigh.

Matt Yance - 6’4’’, WG, 2011, Fort Myers HS - Matt had a great tournament. He shot lights out from down town, including a number of threes that were a few steps behind the line. He showed good control when he put the ball on the floor and attacked the rim. For such a skilled player with his length and build, he should cause a lot more problems in the lane and on the boards than he sometimes does. It is something that will come with time; as he grows more comfortable with the team and with himself in the next few years then his confidence will undoubtedly prosper as well. Defensively he plays at 110 percent, he is not very quick laterally, but he contests a lot of shots and is good at anticipating passes and picking them off for easy steals.

Jernell Hughes - 5’11’’, PG, 2011, Immokalee - This youngster is an absolute stud. He is a lefty who brings the complete package. He can light it up from anywhere on the court, whether catching and shooting three’s off screens, creating shots off the dribble, or slashing to the basket and using his natural talent to finish around the rim. He and Evin Graham have similar games, I feel as though Evin has more of an upside because of his length and the fact that he is an absolute team player, but this kid is a lot more polished now. His highlight of the tournament came when his squad faced off against Fort Myers HS, he scored 12 of his teams 18 first half points in a game in which his team got routed. Being on such an awful team has already started to affect him. He does not even look for his teammates and gets very disinterested very quickly if things are not going his way. He is going to have to mature a lot more emotionally if he is going to live up to his potential.

D’Monte “D.J.” Scott - 5’10’’, WG/WF, 2011, Charlotte - This kid fears nothing. His winning attitude and his determination are what make him a great asset to this team. When his team needs a basket he goes and gets one. He played well in wins against Golden Gate and Palmetto Ridge. Going against another 2011 stud, Evin Graham, in the quarter finals of the bracket, Scott struggled to get to the hoop. He is a lefty that has trouble going to the right; he is going to have to change that in a hurry if he is going to develop into one of the area’s premier players. He knocked down an open shot or two but largely the question about his jump shot still remains unanswered, and he will have to work on that as well.

Nathan Howard - 6’4’’, WG, 2011, Bishop Verot - With ET and Melvin not present, and Abner and Jaquard both missing games over the weekend, Howard got a lot of playing time with the team and he thrived. He was a fairly consistent jump shooter with good form. He has good strength and uses it to get inside. He has great speed for his size and also handles the ball well in traffic. He showed a good sense of selflessness and court vision a few times over the weekend, memorably hitting Abner with a beautiful lob pass against Countryside.

Evin Graham - 6’1’’, PG/WG, 2011, Fort Myers HS - Evin missed the first day of the shootout because he was attending the Stetson Elite Camp at Stetson University. He looked a little out of place in the team’s first two games back, a win against Golden Gate and a big loss to Countryside. However once he got into his zone, he played like the animal everyone knows he is capable of being. He knocked down a few kick-outs for three, rebounded well, and had a few memorable assists. He possesses one quality that you cannot teach and that is the impact he has on the rest of his team. With a good number of his roster also playing on his AAU team he has developed quit a connection with these players and both teams play notably better when he is on the floor. People play harder and get up the court much quicker when they know that Evin is going to bring it up and be looking for them. If anything he is almost unselfish to a fault, he makes the extra pass too often and needs to shoot when he is open.

Alex Mut - 6’4’’, WG/WF, 2011, Charlotte - This kid is a great ball player who has recently recovered from an injury that kept him out of action for a great deal of time.  He looks great and healthy as ever. He runs the floor well, has a great shot, and is a tough rebounder. He has very deep range with his shot and he showed that numerous times over the weekend. When he brings the ball up the floor he needs to keep his head up and his eyes in front of him, and he is a little sloppy when he puts the ball on the hardwood in general. If he could improve his ball handling then he will be a very dangerous weapon on a young Tarpon team.

Mike Thorpe - 5’10’’, WG/PG, 2012, Fort Myers HS - He played with the second team, and did not have the best weekend statistically; however he definitely showed glimpses of brilliance that showed why he is hailed as one of the area’s best incoming freshman. He is extremely quick and can change directions like no other. He is tough on defense, and does not take plays off. He can attack the hoop; he just has trouble finishing around the rim. His shot was a little off all weekend, despite his decent form. He will need to keep down the turnovers as he grows into a Green Wave star (he had 1 pt, 0/3 fg, 1 asst, 4 turnovers against Citrus, but still looked promising)

SWFLHoops.com All-Fort Myers Shootout Team

  • G) Darion Shine- Desoto
  • G) Luis Sanchez- Lehigh
  • F) Nick Goshay- Charlotte
  • F) John Skinner- Ida Baker
  • C) Josh Nicholas- Fort Myers


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