SWFL HOOPS
Gulf Coast Elite 16-under Travel Team Spotlight
May 23, 2008
SWFLHoops.com
After posting the results of the local Gulf Coast Elite 16-under travel team's success at the state tournament a couple of weeks ago, we decided it would be good to take a closer look at this group of talented young SWFL players. SWFLHoops.com's Jacob Alley got a chance to sit in on their practice this past weekend at Riverdale High School and came away impressed with what he saw.
The Gulf Coast Elite 16-under travel team is a great group of young guys who share the team chemistry that is necessary in order to succeed as a team on any stage. This team of local freshman and sophomores are already showing signs of maturity that you may see from a group of upperclassmen. The team has already been together for almost two years.
The frontcourt with no true "post presence" is led by 2010 6'3" BF/WF Nick Goshay of Charlotte HS, 2010 6'4" BF/WF Joel Hill of Cape Coral HS, 2010 6'5" BF Bensly Melindor of North Port HS, and 2010 6'3" WF Collin Henry of Fort Myers HS. Goshay makes his presence felt in every facet of the game. He shoots well and has the size and strength to maneuver down low. Probably his best quality is that he has the work ethic of a horse and will never quit on his team. Hill is a player that loves taking it to the rack. He can finish from anywhere and has the strength to do so with another player hanging on his back. His size has him playing the post for GC Elite, but he has the ball handling skills and shooting touch to play on the wing as well. Henry has the basketball IQ to be very good at any level. His tank is always on full as he puts his heart into every game he plays. He has a good shot and just needs a little work on finishing around the rim and he will be that much more effective. "Bensly is our energy guy that gives us a change of tempo. He runs the floor extremely well, and jumps out of the gym," says GC Elite coach Will Hagan.
The backcourt is potentially one the strongest in the state. No team dare press this team if they are smart. All of the guards are excellent ball handlers, and have the ability to get to the rack against anyone. They are led by 2011 6'1" WG Evin Graham of Fort Myers HS, 2010 5'9" PG Denzel Hagan of Riverdale HS, 2010 6'0" PG Troy Simmons of Riverdale HS, and 2010 6'3" WG/WF Tyler Manning of Fort Myers HS. Graham, the lone freshman on the team, was the leading scorer during the state tournament in Clearwater on May 2-4. He possesses deep range, has a lot of length for his age, and will be a bright spot for this area for years to come. Simmons uses his superior court vision to take advantage of defenses. He is a great ball handler and is patient enough to let things develop without forcing them. Hagan has an uncanny ability to create shots off the dribble and has great range to go along with it. His fierce defense combined with his offensive tools makes him a very dangerous player. He has proven to be the spark plug when the team needs to turn things around in a hurry. Manning is another versatile player that can play anything from the WG to the Post when asked. He can take the ball to the rim with ease and has great size and length for his age. With a little work on his jump shot, he could prove to be one of the better players in the 2010 class. Other backcourt players are 2010 6'0" WG Terran McClendon of Fort Myers HS and 2010 5'11" WG Mike Johnston. Mike is a great shooter, and Terran is a good defender who likes to slash offensively.
Each individual on this squad possesses talents and qualities unique to themselves, and they all use their individual talents in an effort to better the team in a way that is quite remarkable. GC Elite travels to Ft. Lauderdale for the Gold Coast Super Regional this weekend in an attempt to qualify for Division 1 Nationals in Orlando in July. They have already qualified for the division 2 nationals with their D2 bracket title at states earlier this month.
Great job so far guys, and good luck this weekend. Below is a complete list of their schedule for the spring/summer.
2008 Schedule
3/07/2008 Clash in Clearwater (Clearwater)
3/20/2008 AAU Easter Classic (Orlando)
4/11/2008 Tournament of Champions (Tampa)
5/02/2008 AAU Gold Coast State/District Tournament (Clearwater)
5/23/2008 AAU Gold Coast (Super Regional) (Fort Lauderdale)
7/12/2008 Best of the South (Tampa)
7/27/2008 AAU Nationals (If Qualify) (Orlando)
