Gainesville Summer League: Wed, June 19: Top Performers Pt. 1

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">On Wednesday night, the city filed into the local Martin Luther King Center to see five good teams, in-action. Ocala-Forest, Hawthorne, Bronson, Gainesville-P.K. Yonge, and Gainesville-Eastside all have some talent worth looking at over the next couple years. </span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Donovan Wright - Hawthorne 2020:</strong> Loved his attitude on the floor, really never took a possession off on either side of the court. Wright will chase down loose balls, give you a nice hook shot right below the elbow, and uses a nice shoulder-shake while posting-up to create a chance for a short fadeaway J. On defense, he rebounds with the best of them, and challenges every shot at the rim. He arguably the best Hornet on the team.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Korin Bradley - Eastside 2020:</strong> Can’t speak enough about the growth of this guy. The 2018-19 Gainesville Sun Player of the Year put on a show for the crowd, skating through defenses for tough finishes at the rim—even jammed it home, twice. But what gets me is that he looks a half-step quicker with the ball vs. when the season ended in February. One could tell that he’s been working on his outside shooting, as well. Bradley can hit the three, with ease.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Joel McNish - P.K. Yonge 2020:</strong> His game really stood out in the second half of a matchup vs. Hawthorne. The energy was raised on both sides of the ball. His length is an issue for people driving to cup, he notched three blocks in the second half. He rebounded well, was aggressive without fouling while trapping ball-handlers around mid-court, and stayed persistent in getting to the rim and drawing fouls. If McNish can play like that consistently, he can become one of the top big men in the area.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Elijah Russell - Forest 2022:</strong> Just a rising sophomore, Russell is quickly cementing himself as one of the best young big men in Marion County. He’s still growing into his game, but I love the way he establishes his presence on the low block. It’s a challenge for defenders to knock Russell off-place. Defensively, he’s proven that he can become one of the better shot-blockers in the area, notching three swats on the night. Looking forward to seeing Eli develop.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Xavier Guyton - Bronson 2021:</strong> This guy(ton) plays with a chip on his shoulder, and I love it. He’s probably one of the most intense hoopers on the team, and shows it when driving through the lane. He welcomes contact, and can finish strong. If the lane closes up during the drive, he’s able to find the open man &amp; make the right assist. On defense, he’s able to pressure ball-handlers and force turnovers. Should be a key man for the Eagles, this season.</span></p>