Marreese Speights Summer League: Day 1 Notebook

<p>The 2nd annual Marreese Speights Summer League tipped off on Monday night at Gibbs High.</p> <p>Five games took place with the host Gibbs beating Largo to start things off.</p> <p>Here is a look at the top performances I saw on the night.</p> <p><strong>Bryce Brown (Gibbs)</strong></p> <p>The 2020 guard is a strong young man and he sure looked poised with fellow 2020 guard Tre Gilliam out due to injury. Brown showed off his long-range jumper and his improved attacking ability. He made it look easy against Largo with 26 points.</p> <p><strong>Josh Berenbaum (Calvary Christian)</strong></p> <p>A true stretch/wing player, Berenbaum picked up the slack for Calvary Christian in a second half surge against Palm Harbor. The 2020 leader added a game-best 25 points in the win which included a pair of 3's to open the second half and 17 points in total in the half. Berenbaum is lean and strong and plays a very unselfish style of basketball.</p> <p><strong>Anthony Bittar &amp; Mikey Shane (Countryside)</strong></p> <p>Countryside as a team played more freely in the second half in a comeback win over Northeast. 2021 pair Mikey Shane and Anthony Bittar (transfer from Oldsmar Christian) were draining triples at a high clip when it mattered most down the stretch. The Cougars have some nice young talent and should be an improved squad this season.</p> <p><strong>Jakob Hester &amp; Jalen Cooper (Anclote)</strong></p> <p>A senior heavy team, Anclote features 2020 duo Jakob Hester and Jalen Cooper. Hester was active in the post, his usual spot grabbing boards and tipping back misses against Bayshore. Cooper had some big dunks and a nice array of jumpers. Anclote is one of those teams that will only get better with more time together.</p> <p><strong>Max Jones (Clearwater)</strong></p> <p>It was a superb first half for 2020 Clearwater guard Max Jones as he was weaving by defenders and drawing contact. The second half wasn't as kind to Jones as St. Pete keyed on him defensively. However, his energy, attacking ability and vision as a passer proved to be too much in the win over the Green Devils.</p> <p><strong>Santana Bolton (Northeast)</strong></p> <p>An undersized big at 6'4", this was the first time I had seen 2020 Northeast forward Santana Bolton. He took advantage of his matchups in the paint, especially with his long frame. Slowing the game down will go a long way for Bolton, but his athleticism is something that could get him noticed here in due time. </p>