Top Performers: Bartow Preseason Classic
On Tuesday night, I made the short drive to Bartow High School to take in some preseason action.
Final scores from preseason action at Bartow:
Game 1: Lake Highland Prep 56, Dr. Phillips 53
Game 2: Bartow 57, Windermere 53@lhpsbasketball @DP_PantherHoops @BartowBasketbal @WHS_Hoopz— ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) November 21, 2018
Here are the top performers by team.
Dr. Phillips
—2020 guard Abdoulaye Thiam is a superb athlete. I saw him earlier in the summer at the Oviedo Fall League and this time around, he continued to be a weaver and show off his constant burst. A raw but talented guard, Thiam impressed as a rebounder and attacker often.
—2020 guard/forward Juneau Anicette does a lot of the dirty and gritty work for Dr. Phillips. He grinds down low for key boards, blocks and pure energy. Anicette is a fine driver to the hoop as well and someone the Panthers can lean on plenty this fall.
—2019 guard Rakeem Perry is a lead point guard with the IQ and presence varsity coaches love. He is a blazer in transition and someone who calms the offense down. At the end of the game, the offense was running through Perry.
Lake Highland Prep
—2022 guard Jared Berry is the younger brother of current NBA G League guard Joel Berry and former UNC star. Jared showed off his shooting touch and his impressive passing skills in this game. The arrow is pointing up fast for the undersized guard. He hit a game-winning 3-pointer with just over 39 seconds left to give Lake Highland Prep the win (video below).
2022 Lake Highland Prep G Jared Berry drains the game winning 3 to give his team a 56-53 win over Dr Phillips in the preseason classic. @lhpsbasketball @JoelBerryII pic.twitter.com/UprsIFZzNI
— ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) November 20, 2018
—2020 guard/forward Victor Brown is a talented shooter and mover. A dynamic and versatile tweener, Brown loves shooting from the corners and has the length and strength to handle bodies inside.
—2019 forward Zachary Grodzki is a sound and reliable presence on both ends of the floor. His shots were streaky, but he made important ones in the fourth quarter and provided his team with plenty of reliable play.
—2021 forward Gabriel Ferguson still has work to do as a ballhandler and his overall assertiveness, but I really liked what I saw from the sophomore. He’s listening to his coaches well and adapting to his new school coming from Edgewater. Ferguson has a good feel inside and draws contact often.
Windermere
—2019 guard Joshua Colon really shined for Windermere. He was popping 3’s from the corners often which included three in the opening quarter alone. He was tricking defenders with his stop and go moves. He had solid lay-ins all night and proved to be the best scorer for his side
—2019 forward Dakota Rivers signed with FGCU last week. He was double teamed for much of this game and pressured plenty by Bartow. However, Rivers shot the ball well, used his size and was fighting for every loose ball he could find. He made key baskets in the final quarter after a lull in the second and third quarters.
—2021 guard Trey Moss didn’t have the best showing as a shooter, but his tenacity and overall feel for the floor makes him a tough cover. Moss has a quiet confidence in his game and he is going to only improve from this point out.
Bartow
—2020 forward Joshua Simons did all he could against Rivers and the speed that Windermere brought him. Simons is a hard nosed undersized forward who mixes it up inside with his brute strength. He’s a solid finisher, high energy player and someone who loves to crash the boards.
—2019 guard JD Daughtry is a scrappy point guard who doesn’t shy away from anyone. He got better as the game went on, creating space for his teammates and firing from the mid-range and driving inside.
—2021 guard Alex Vigo continues to make plays. Last year, he stepped up for the varsity squad and now he’s got that same swagger on his side. He made a pair of big 3’s that really got his side going midway through the fourth quarter.
Pictures from Tuesday night’s preseason classic at Bartow.
???? by @JakePerper pic.twitter.com/w6YkLRQhWi
— Prep Hoops Florida (@prephoopsfl) November 21, 2018