2010 FGCU Team Camp Recap
June 22, 2010
BY: Aaron Seybert
SWFLHoops.com Scouting
Florida Gulf Coast University's annual Summer Team Camp usually features a bunch of area high school varsity and junior varsity squads looking to get a lot of games in over the weekend, while it also gives us an opportunity to get an early look at what those teams may be like come next season.
This year's crop of local varsity teams included Charlotte, Port Charlotte, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton Christian, Gulf Coast, Tampa Jesuit, Cypress Bay, American Heritage, Chaminade-Madonna, Lely, South Fort Myers, Palmetto Ridge, Hudson, Florida Christian, Mariner, Island Coast and Golden Gate.
The junior varsity teams competing included Charlotte, Port Charlotte, Lely, Gulf Coast, Palmetto Ridge, Cypress Bay, South Fort Myers, Bishop Verot, Island Coast, and Community School.
SWFL Hoops was on hand for all of the action on Saturday and Sunday, and there were a bunch of guys that stood out, as well as some teams that look to be much so improved for the 2010-2011 season.
In the Varsity division tournament, Tampa Jesuit held on late to take down Palmetto Ridge in one semifinal on Sunday thanks to an offensive rebound and two late free throws. In the other semifinal, Charlotte outdid a scrappy Gulf Coast squad in a battle of undefeated teams, winning by 3.
Its notable that Gulf Coast was without their leading scorer from last season and arguably their best player, Michael Feldt, who injured his ankle just last week. However, Gulf Coast was a very nice surprise all weekend long behind the play of senior twins Tom and Jack Eble, sophomore-to-be Davidson Neptune, and senior lefty Bryan Wesson. Gulf Coast looks like they should be one of the most improved teams for next season, and could get in the mix in 5A-10.
In the varsity championship matchup between Tampa Jesuit and Charlotte, Jesuit used a zone defense to completely shut down the Tarpon offense in the second half, in route to a 35-22 win, capturing their first FGCU team camp Eagle Trophy. Jesuit was led by sophomore Travis Johnson. Johnson is a 6'4 forward that looks to have good potential, showcasing his ability to step out and knock down jumpers consistently from 15-17 feet, as well as attack the hoop and finish strong at the rim. Overall though, Jesuit is very well-coached and runs a disciplined offense that forces teams to play disciplined defensively, and takes advantages of the defense when there are breakdowns.
In the junior varsity championship game, Gulf Coast held on to defeat Cypress Bay.
A nice change of pace for the first time at the camp, were the Varsity and JV "situational" mini tournaments mixed in between all the action on Saturday. Each team was put into a bracket chosen at random, and in each game there was a minute put on the clock with one team down by 1 point and with the ball. In the end of the varsity tourney, Port Charlotte two split squads wound up fighting through the brackets to meet in the final, with the "B" team coming away with the win, which will for sure mean bragging rights for months to come in their locker room. Charlotte's junior varsity team won the JV tourney, taking down Cypress Bay, behind the strong play inside of sophomore Matt Onyemaechi.
Overall, the story of the weekend was the play of some very talented underclassmen. We'll touch on some of the those underclassmen who stood out the most, as well as a few of the older guys below.
David Neptune, 6'2, WG, 2013, Gulf Coast - Neptune maybe impressed us more than anyone this weekend, showing off his athleticism as well as a surprising offensive skill set. His potential is what makes him so intriguing. We first noticed Neptune when he threw down a dunk as an 8th grader in a travel ball game, but we had not had the chance to see his full skill set until this past week. He has range out past the college three-point line, albeit with a slow release still. He also showed the ability to take his man on the dribble and finish with both hands, finished well around the basket, rebounded the ball very well from the wing, dished out a few quick passes to open teammates while on the move, threw down a couple impressive dunks and even threw in a nice "pro-step" move to the basket. Neptune went head-to-head with Darius Perkins (Rivals.com Top 150 nationally) and held his own, even getting the nod from some knowledgeable onlookers who said he may have outplayed the elder wing. He still needs to improve his strength with the ball at times, his ability to know when to be more aggressive offensively, speed up the release on his jumper, and keep working on his ballhandling. Overall, Neptune looks to be a Division 1 basketball player in the making for sure.
Darius Perkins, 6'1, CG, 2011, Chaminade-Madonna - Perkins returned to his old stomping grounds this weekend with his new high school team, and although his team was not very competitive, Perkins was the best player at the event. The thick and strong combo guard knows how to play the game and showed off his ability to knock down shots throughout the weekend. He is not super quick, but he uses his strength, change of speeds, and good elevation to get his jumper off effortlessly for the most part. His best game of the weekend came against Lely when he single handedly took down the Trojans scoring 38 points with an array of jumpers and crafty moves to the hoop. Perkins told us he is around 205 pounds right now, and although its a solid 205, it seems to be taking away some of his explosiveness when attacking the hoop or trying to go by quicker defenders.
Marcus Hardison, 6'4, PF, 2011, Charlotte - Hardison was strong inside all weekend. The defensive tackle on the football field showed off the footwork and strength around the basket that has a lot of college football coaches drooling over his potential at the next level on the gridiron. At 260 pounds, it was impressive to see him get out in the passing lanes and run the floor as well as he did. He also stepped out and hit a couple shots from behind the arc, and looked comfortable doing so with good form on his shot. If he can keep up his intensity at both ends of the floor through next season, he will be a load to handle for a lot area teams in the paint.
Tyliek Sylver, 5'10, PG, 2013, Charlotte - Sylver has tons of potential, and is currently the best point guard in his class in our area. He handles the ball very well with both hands, is very good at finding the open man, and always seems to have control whether in the half court or leading the break. One of his biggest strengths though is his shooting stroke from deep, however he'll need to speed his release up slightly to be able to get a couple more shots up per game. As he gains more and more confidence, he will understand when and where he can be more aggressive at getting into the lane to score, but as of now he is more comfortable as a distributor. He also continues to improve as a defender on the ball.
Mikon Hewitt, 5'9, PG, 2013, American Heritage - Hewitt is a "quick as a hiccup" point guard who although small plays much bigger. He has a great combination of scoring moves once he gets into the lane, which is pretty much whenever he wants, and can finish with a crafty layup or floater. He also has consistent range out past the arc, making him a tough guard for anyone, as the defender can not really play him for the drive more than the shot, or vice versa. Defensively, he gives opposing guards fits when he pressures the ball full court, usually his superior quickness to cut off angles routinely. If he ever does hit about 6'0 the sky is the limit, but either way, he could just as easily follow in the footsteps of a former American Heritage point guard, Ray Taylor, who is currently the starter for Florida Atlantic University.
Ryan Andino, 6'1, SG, 2013, American Heritage - Andino is a dynamic scoring guard with about as pure a stroke as we've seen in the 2013 class statewide off the catch or dribble. He can handle the ball as well, allowing him to take defenders off the dribble and keep them off balance. He has good athleticism, is a good finisher inside the arc with good touch, and can attack with either hand on the bounce. A key with him will be whether he grows a couple more inches into prototypical scoring guard size, but if not, he has more than capable handles and basketball IQ to run a team as a scoring point.
Austin Walker, 6'2, G, 2014, Bradenton Christian - Walker is going to be special. The long and athletic 6'2 true scoring guard has tools already that a lot of upperclassmen do not possess. A very good shooter with a quick release and deep range, he also can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot or score going towards the hoop. Runs the floor extremely well, and finishes in transition to go along with it. His size and skill set early on are what make him such an intriguing prospect, along with the fact that he just seems to have the "it" factor. With a father that stood about 6'7, if he gets anywhere near that he could have a chance to be one of the better ones to come out of the area.
Travis Johnson, 6'4, F, 2013, Tampa Jesuit - Johnson is a skilled forward with a good frame and good scoring ability already. His best weapon is his ability to pull bigger players away from the hoop thanks to his shooting touch, and then has the ability to take them off the dribble and attack the hoop with adequate quickness. If he continues to grow he'll continue to be a matchup problem, in the post, but as a wing he will need to get quicker and keep improving his ballhandling. He is an solid athlete that will only get stronger as his body matures.
Hunter Clonts, 5'11, PG, 2011, Tampa Jesuit - Solid point guard that handles the ball well, stays under control, and limits his mistakes throughout the game. Good quickness, enough to get into the lane and find the open man, and good change of speed. Adequate shooter, but not a gunner so we did not get to see much of his shooting ability this weekend. Clonts runs the Jesuit system very well, and is a very good leader on the floor, directing teammates to the right spots.
Brian Cobb, 6'5, F, 2012, Lakewood Ranch - Cobb is a skilled post prospect with a good shooting touch and good length. He is a very good rebounder in and out of his area, and seems to have a nose for the ball. This weekend he displayed more of his ability to really run the floor well and knock down shots from deep either as the trail post or from the wing. He is still working on his ability to combine that with attacking the hoop from the wing, but right now he is best described as a high post or trail post in terms of where he might fit at the next level. With still a couple of years to grow and improve though, he has a lot of upside.
Marcus Gilchrist, 6'5, F, 2012, Port Charlotte - The first thing you notice about Gilchrist is his size and frame. Weighing in at around 230 pounds, every bit of that is muscle and is balanced throughout his upper and lower body. The Port Charlotte coaches do not expect Gilchrist to be a big time scoring threat usually, they mainly rely on his rebounding and defense, where he has started to master the ability to take a charge and sell it even if a 150 pound guy knocks him over. However, this weekend he did some nice things on the offensive end. He showed range out to about 15 feet, scored the ball down low, hit his foul shots, and did not turn the ball over much. If he continues to improve, although his future is most likely on the gridiron at the next level as a defensive end or outside linebacker as he holds a couple Division 1 offers already, he could spell trouble on the hardwood for teams for a couple more seasons.
Dwight Reynolds, 6'1, W, 2014, Charlotte - Reynolds has a bright future in front of him. The incoming freshman is bouncy, long, and did some good things against players 3-4 years older than him all weekend. His play looks to have him starting next year as a freshman for the Tarpons, and with good reason. He finished well on the break, rebounded in traffic, and just the fact that he did not stand out at such a young age with the big boys says something about his upside. Reynolds will eventually make the move out to the wing permanently, and showed glimpses hitting a three in transition, but held his own in the paint this weekend as well. His older brother, D.R.Reynolds, stands about 6'3 so there is a very good chance Dwight reaches that height or bigger. He also has a twin brother currently on junior varsity, Dwayne, who should be very good as well. Dwayne is about an inch shorter right now, and not as skilled, but still has the bounciness and length.
Sam Guerrier, 6'2, G, 2011, Mariner - Guerrier is a very strong guard who uses his strength to get into the lane pretty much any time he wants and seems to will the ball into the basket at times. The scoring guard can either hurt defenses by attacking the basket or spotting up from outside. He is a very good athlete, and rebounds the ball very well from the wing, and defensively he is tough to get by due to his strength. If he can shoot the ball consistently from outside, and keep improving his ballhandling he is an intriguing prospect. Either way, he will be tough to stop on the local high school level from getting where he wants to go.
DJ Scott, 5'10, PG, 2011, Charlotte - Whether Scott can go right or not, at some point needs to be thrown out of the window. Maybe he can, and just does not feel the need to so because it seems he can score going to his left or spinning by his man pretty much at will. The key will be whether he can go to his right when there is someone who proves they can stop him. He still does not make shots from the outside enough though, which is more of the issue, however he hit a couple from three-point range on the weekend when we were looking on. With Scott, the easiest way to describe him in a nutshell is, well, a player. He makes his team better when he is on the court, and with Charlotte, he is the engine that makes them go.
Tom Eble, 6'4, WF, 2011, Gulf Coast - Tom and his twin brother, Jack, can both really shoot the ball. However, Tom is currently the better of the two as he can do more things on the floor offensively and is more of a wing, whereas Jack is predominantly a post, both standing around 6'4. Tom has very good range out past the arc, can create his own shot at times, moves well without the basketball to get into scoring positions, and understands spacing on the floor. Defensively he is ok, but struggles a little guarding quicker or more athletic wings, but can step inside and bang with some bigger guys.
Brandon Lentz, 6'6, WF, 2011, South Fort Myers - The wing prospect is long and agile, and can really shoot it from deep when given a little bit of space. Better shooter off the catch than the dribble still, but he can put it on the floor and create for himself and teammates some as well. At times he loses his aggressiveness and slightly disappears on the court, and he will need to learn how to really use his size and length in all aspects of his game including rebounding. He is slight of frame, and will need to add some weight and strength, but he is a year younger than most rising seniors so he could possibly still be growing height wise.
Marquis Jones, 6'6, PF, 2012, South Fort Myers - Jones catches your eye right away with his chiseled physique and length. He has only been playing ball for a couple years though, so he is still a bit raw, however he does some good things at this stage. He runs the floor extremely well, and changes a lot of shots defensively. His hands and footwork are two areas needing the most work, but once the ball is in his hands he showed a good ability to get the ball in the hoop. He is very solid on the boards already, but as would be expected for a guy still learning the game, his timing could use some improvement. Overall, his is an intriguing post prospect because of his raw athleticism and attitude on the court. He seems to enjoy being out there and when you combine good enthusiasm with raw ability it usually means his chances to keep improving are high.
Patrick Lane, 6'1, G, 2011, Lely - Lane is a blue-collar guy who can do some nice things out on the floor. A good shooter when given some space, he can also bring the ball up from the lead guard spot and get the team into the sets. Good frame and strength for a guard, and uses that to get into the mix on the boards. Works hard defensively, usually coming up with some loose balls and steals as a result. In probably him and his teams best performance of the weekend when they gave Charlotte all they could handle and lost by just 5, Lane made shots, defended very well, and took care of the ball while also getting some teammates good open looks.
Kaden Williams, 5'11, G, 2012, Port Charlotte - This athletic guard scored the ball well this weekend by getting some steals and breakaway layups, attacking the basket, and knocking down some shots from outside. He gets great lift on his jump shot and so he's able to get it off over bigger defenders but is still finding his touch, which will make him a more consistent shooter once he does so.
Leroy "LJ" Greenidge, 6'4, F, 2013, Lely - Greenidge and Hardison look like they were separated at birth in terms of their build and size. Greenidge is a 260 pound, strong as an ox, forward that is still pretty new to the game skill wise. However, in his matchup with Hardison he did more than hold his own. He does some very nice things for a big guy at this stage such as knocking down an open jumper from about 15 feet, made a big time spin move inside for a layup showcasing his tremendous footwork and athleticism for such a young big fella, and finished well inside all weekend when we saw him. He has a chance to be a really good prospect with his raw athleticism and size, but it will take some refining and hopefully 2-3 more inches before declaring him "Big Baby".
Bryan Wesson, 6'1, SG, 2011, Gulf Coast - This smooth lefty has impressed us for the past week. Between some Lee County Summer League games last week and this weekend, he continued to show off a very smooth stroke from all over the floor on the catch or bounce. His slight frame doesn't seem to hamper him much as he finds ways to create space for his shot with good handles and craftiness. He showed off a nice floater, got to the hoop at times, and showed he is capable of bringing the ball up the floor as a lead guard as well. Not sure how much he can score going right, as he did not show off that part of his game when we saw him.
Jack Fleming, 6'5, WF, 2013, Tampa Jesuit - Fleming is a big wing who can really shoot the ball at a high level. Moves well without the ball to find open spots outside the arc, but we did not really get a chance to see him create his own shot. Looks to be a decent athlete as well, who isn't afraid to mix it up inside on the boards or guard bigger players. Intriguing shooting prospect with college size already, will be one to watch over the next 3 years.
On a side note, since we are covering the FGCU camp, its worth noting that they have an great recruiting class coming in for the fall. Included in that recruiting class are three local guys. 6'7 F Tim Snyder (Charlotte HS '07), transfers in from Hillsborough CC; Charlotte's 6'4 F Nick Goshay (#2 in 2010); and Bradenton Christian's 5'8 PG Jordan Negrin are all going to be preferred walk-on's and will be joined by a fourth walk-on, American Heritage 2010 graduate Marcus Blake, to make up a group of walk-on's that make up what would be a very solid Division 2 scholarship recruiting class. Along with those, the Eagles are bringing in 6'2 PG Marlon Rivera (Santa Fe CC), freshman 6'8 wing Chase Fieler (Parkersburg, WV), freshman 6'2 SG Christophe Varidel (Worcester, MA), and the biggest addition figuratively and literally will come available in the spring, which is 6'10 F/C Kevin Cantinol, who transferred in midway through the school year from the University of Mississippi.
Special thanks to FGCU Head Coach Dave Balza, as well as assistant coaches Nick Bennett, Tae Norwood and Jamie Bartholomew for their hospitality all weekend.
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