Fast Risers: Pinellas Park J.V.
Last week, I had an opportunity to take a trip to Pinellas Park to visit the hometown Patriots vs. St. Pete-Gibbs. Got their pretty early, so figured, “why not check out the future?” Here’s a look at five P-Park JV players who could make a splash on the varsity scene, when their time comes.
J. Cecil: Cecil was all over the floor, especially during transition defense, making it hard for the offense to convert, at times. Even when being taken to the cup, Cecil’s able to defend without fouling and get the block at the rim. He’s a solid passer, gets steals in the open-court, and eats contact to get the finish.
B. Cappola: He’s going to be one of those players who could get you a good look at three if you need it. Cappola went two-of-two from beyond-the-arc. Just a guy who can really stretch the floor, made the most of his minutes. Want to see him work on form, a bit more. But he has a great future ahead.
D. Bryant: What really caught my attention about him is his ability to speed away from defenders during the fast-break. Soon as he touched it, he was off to the races for the finish. Great handle off the dribble. Can definitely see him being a person that could break defenders as the game wains.
D. Mahony: Another guy that can defend well in-transition, Mahony did his thing out on the floor. As he grows, he’ll establish himself as a rim protector for the Patriots. He had a nice stuff right at the cup on a fast-break. Had the most height out on the floor.
C. Polk: He’s a marksman from outside, no question about it. Polk notched three triples from three different areas on the floor. His hustle was definitely seen from the moment he entered the game. If the ball is floating in the air, Polk’s making an attempt to go get it. He nabbed two steals, as a result. His on-ball defending is notable, too. Exciting young talent, here.