Top 250 Expo: 2021/22 Standouts (Part 1/3)
This year’s Prep Hoops Florida Top 250 Expo saw great talent from all over the state play with intensity, with grit, and with a determination to show who was the best on the court. Check out the underclassmen standouts from the day, part one of three.
Gabriel Ferguson 2021: This 6’6” sophomore looks like the future for Lake Highland Prep. Ferg runs the floor extremely hard, can finish in traffic, and uses a solid power dribble in the paint to gather for high-percentage shots. His awareness is above par, as well. There were a couple of times he threaded the needle on a couple of behind-the-back passes, in-transition at that. On defense, his shot-blocking makes you think twice. Loved his motor.
Joshua Blazquez 2021: The Osceola sophomore lacks height right now at 5’9”, but makes up for it immensely with his quickness and passing ability. He has a great handle on the ball, can zip past you after a quick crossover. Once that happens, lookout for the swift pass to the corner for a three, or to the post for layup. He seemed to have a knack for finding guys in hidden spots. If he’s penetrating the gaps, Blazquez can stop on a dime, change his speed, and get it to the cup, with ease.
Rodney Bryant 2021: Another sophomore who made a splash on the scene, Bryant is a 5’11” guard who was great at weaving himself in and out of the paint, hoisting floaters over larger defenders. Even on the rebounding front, he was able to make some noise & pull them down over players in the six-foot-range. He’s definitely not afraid to take it to the rim and create contact on the way.
Jarred Hall 2021: The Villages can definitely mold this kid into a force for the Buffalo, over time. The 6’10” sophomore has great footwork in the paint, already—shows solid patience in the paint when getting around defenders for the bucket. He’s not a person you’re going to easily move out of the paint, either. Hall quickly proved he was one of the strongest players present out of the freshman/sophomore group.
Javaris Rolle 2021: Rolle has some girth to him at the 3/stretch-4 spot. But if he puts it on the floor, he knows how to break you down off-the-dribble and drive it through the lane for the score. I was really impressed on how well of a ball-handler he proved to be at the top of the key. His eyes stayed peeled, looking-for and rewarding cutters who dashed through the paint.