SWFL HOOPS
Naples Finest 17-under at the AAU District/State Tournament in Clearwater
Jacob Alley
SWFLhoops.com
May 10, 2008
Game 1 (Pool Play) - Saturday 8 am
Orange Park Raiders: 67
Naples Finest: 80
The First game resulted in a victory for Naples Finest despite the absence of two of their best players. Their presence was hardly missed as each member of the team stepped up to shoulder the extra load. Mitch Woods stepped up at the point and showed flashes of immense potential as he carried the ball up court. Brunes Charles was an animal running up and down the floor, snatching rebounds from players much taller than him. He also had the play of the game as he caught the ball on a fast break in the fourth quarter while the game was still close, powered the ball down the court and rose above the rim, stuffing home the rock and carrying a Raider defender on his back…And 1. Naples Finest was without their big man, Joel Vander Pol, who was late because of car troubles, but Jason Humphrey manned up on the blocks and was an animal on the glass. He struggled offensively at the beginning but once he developed his rhythm he became a huge part of hammering the final nails into the Orange Park’s coffin. Brian Landers showed his understanding of the game, putting in work on the boards, and showing his vision to find the open man. He also was often the first down court on fast breaks, which lead to two key buckets early in the second half. Geric Leath made sure that the other team was aware of his ability to take it to the hole. He showed a knack to finish around the rim despite contact. John Michael Hodge was hampered for the most part; however he was still able to contribute on the boards and in the passing game. All things considered, game one was a huge victory for the team, giving them the momentum they need at the start of a tournament in order to make a deep run.
Game 2 (Pool Play) - Saturday 11 am
North Florida Achievers: 73
Naples Finest: 78
Even with starting big man Joel Vander Pol back in the line up, this game would prove to be much tougher than the last. In Naples Finest second contest, the team showed the poise and composure to hold on in a game that went down to the wire. Finest took control of the game in the second quarter and by halftime it appeared that the Finest were en route to another romp. However the Achievers and their star player were able to sneak back into striking range by the closing minutes of the game. With a little under five minutes left in the fourth quarter Vander Pol fouled out, and by the final minute the Achievers had managed to erase a seven point deficit and tie the game at 73 a piece. However, Mitch Woods clutch free throw shooting and Brian Lander’s key block of a late three point attempt ensured that the Naples Finest would move on to face Shaun Noriega and Florida Elite in the first round of tournament play.
The entire team came up huge offensively with five of seven players scoring in double digits. Mitch Woods proved to be a mismatch in throughout the game, as he sliced apart every press and double team that they threw his way. He was also the defender assigned to cover the Achiever’s only viable threat and was able to shut him out completely in the last minute. He dropped four dimes, which would have been six if not for a couple botched lay ups. Probably the player of the game was Brian Landers. He showcased his shooter’s touch from the perimeter and was able to create jump shots off of the dribble. He proved he was not afraid to rumble with the big boys making a few tough buckets down low. He led the team in scoring, almost netting twenty points for the game. Brunes Charles proved he is not afraid to get dirty, making a living on hustle plays. He ripped down five boards and added ten points using his limitless energy to be most effective. Vander Pol, who had missed the previous game, came out of the gates with a bang. He scored nine points and had three rebounds in only the first quarter. After his hot start he got into foul trouble and his contributions were limited the rest of the game. However while he was not filling the stat sheet, his presence and size were noticeably missed when he was not on the court, especially in the critical fourth period. He displayed an arsenal of low post moves and his footwork down low was spectacular. He has great hands for a big man, catching a few tough passes in traffic. Geric Leath played similar to a younger but rawer Tayshawn Prince that hasn’t yet realized his potential. He is an animal on the boards and just gets the job done down low despite defenders hanging all over him. He just needs to get more confidence in his shot and the sky is the limit for him. Humphrey played a solid blue collar role, showing skill on the boards and holding the middle together once the big man went out in the final stretch of the game. Again John Michael Hodge was battling injuries for the game but he chipped in with a three points, three boards and an assist despite a nagging injury.
Game 3 (1st Round of Tournament Play) - Saturday 6:30 pm
Florida’s Elite: 77
Naples’ Finest: 49
From the tip off this one did not look promising for the local boys. They started three players who were taller than or as tall as the 6’9” Vander Pol and the entire team came out hot. The return of Mike Liabo of Naples Gulf Coast should have gave Finest a boost but instead, the lack of playing together during the day may have had something to do with the dismal effort in the first quarter, down 34-5 going into the 2nd clip without any made field goals to this point. Brunes Charles was one of the few bright spots in the first, although he struggled like everyone offensively, he was still very active running up and down on the court and giving players almost a foot taller than him a struggle for every rebound. While this was certainly not true for the rest of the game, Naples players all had the look of defeat on their face for the last four minutes of the first quarter. However a new team came out during the second quarter and they finally got a little bit of rhythm going offensively. They outscored the Elite 9-4 on the quarter. Vander Pol finally managed to get going down low and had a monstrous slam dunk off of a put-back, elevating over Gabe Rutledge of Florida Elite. In the third quarter the team was able to cut the lead to twelve, at 32-44, however Florida Elite ended the quarter on a five point run to make it 32-49 at the half. Mitch Woods did not think he was going to play because of migraines, but he toughed it out and left his heart on the floor. That is the most remarkable thing about every member of this team up until the final ticks of the clock each player was out of breath and still pushing their bodies to play more (mind you they had only 6 players for the first game, 7 for the second game and they had to be in Clearwater at 8 am). For an AAU/travel team, whatever Head Coach Bryan Crislip has been able to do to successfully motivate them to play so hard and together, has definitely worked. The return of Mike Liabo to the line-up did not end up making much of a difference. Unlike previous tournaments, Liabo struggled to find his game against a superior team. However he did manage to make one tough three with Shaun Noriega’s hand in his face. Speaking of Noriega, the newly signed recruit of the South Florida Bulls, he did not come into the game until late in the first quarter when the game was already getting ugly. However he showed why he is the top junior in the area, draining multiple three’s , showing a mid-range jumper game with the ability to kiss it off the glass, and the ability to create shots for other players. Despite the result, the tournament was fantastic for the team and they all played great at one time or another. Congratulations to the entire squad and Coach Crislip and his assistants for a job well done.
