Levy County Shootout Standouts: (Pt. 2 of 4)
The first annual Levy County Shootout, hosted by coach Larry Walker’s Williston High School boys hoops program, featured eight local area squads looking to claim their place as top dog in the city—at least until November. There were great performances, all around. Here’s part two of four of the top standouts from the weekend.
Tyler Trantham – Bell High School
This rising junior showed great leadership and a high I.Q. all tournament. Though he’s a point guard, Trantham made the defense widen with his ability to shoot the deep trey—going five of seven in the first game I saw of him. They won in overtime. On D, he dives for loose balls and forces turnovers. Trantham’s a guy who wont stop playing until the whistle blows.
Reese Rankin – Bell High School
Rankin’s a post-player who can bang low, but also stretches the D because of his long-range shooting. He was quickly noticed because of his fight and determination on the rebounding glass. Has great feet and sense of positioning, on-court. You can tell he thinks deeply about the game, while also letting it flow his direction.
Marquez Reaves – North Marion High School
This guy was, by far, the shortest player in the field. But, he definitely had the biggest heart. Reeves left the tournament as one of the best three-point shooters of the weekend. His 5’4” stature allowed this point guard to weave in-between defenses, at will. To this day, I don’t think I’ve seen a high schooler move that fast up-and-down the floor with the basketball. On defense, he earned his fair share of steals.
Torey Buie – North Marion High School
Buie’s a rising sophomore who has a bit of the clutch gene. On two different days, Buie scored a bucket which gave his team a tie or a lead in the last 20 seconds of the game. He’s a guy who likes to get inside defenders heads. His presence on defense forced a lot of steals and empty possessions, as well.
Deandre Parker – Crystal River High School
This is a rising junior who was one of the best to watch when it came to jumpshots off-the-dribble. There was a great sense of pace within his game, definitely a guy who could also push the fast break and make the right decision with the pass. Parker showed the greatest amount of poise out of his teammates.