Rumble in Hialeah notebook: Gabe Taylor fits right in at Palmetto

<p>Miami Palmetto lost a key guard to transfer when <strong>Martin Mercedes</strong> left for Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson.</p> <p>Palmetto, however, looks like it has picked up a replacement in <strong>Gabe Taylor</strong>. The 2020 guard, who joins the Panthers from Miami Gulliver Prep, fit right in <strong>Marcos Molina</strong>'s offense Wednesday night at the Rumble in Hialeah Team Camp at Bucky Dent in Hialeah.</p> <p>Taylor connected on eight field goals -- including two 3-pointers -- en route to a 23-point performance in a 57-55 loss to Miami Riviera Prep.</p> <p>Besides scoring, Taylor hustles and provides energy at both ends. He teams with back-court mate <strong>Marcus Molina</strong> (2021). Molina has recently picked up an offer from Florida National University.</p> <p>"Right now we're learning each other," coach Molina said. "We've got a whole new group -- a lot of young guys, a lot of new guys. We haven't had our team the entire summer. Our football guys have been away. They've been at their football camps all summer. This is the first game we've played with everybody."</p> <p>Taylor averaged 16 points and 4.2 assists as a junior at Gulliver Prep. Palmetto's other three starters Wednesday were <strong>Jordan Lopez</strong> (2020), <strong>Sean Zabari</strong> (2021) and <strong>Jacoby Brown</strong> (2021), while football players <strong>Kentron Poitier</strong> (2020) and <strong>Leonard Taylor </strong>(2021), and <strong>Nick Pineyro</strong> (2022) came off the bench. </p> <p>Poitier is a high-riser who played well as a junior, Pineyro provides instant offense and Brown had an excellent University of South Florida Team Camp.</p> <p>Palmetto had to play a back-to-back Wednesday night and lost its finale to Mater Academy, 63-50.</p> <h4>Young group at Mater Lakes</h4> <p>Mater Lakes Academy has a talented group of rising freshmen coming in in <strong>Andruw Rondon</strong>, <strong>Jamai Tejada</strong>, <strong>Anthony Floyd</strong>, <strong>Tyheim Williams</strong> for first-year coach <strong>Lance Tejada</strong>. </p> <p>"I'm really young," said Tejada, who takes over for <strong>Juan Urbina</strong>. "I have four ninth-graders that probably are going to play a lot. So they are going to be tough as time goes on.</p> <p>"So that's why we will be up and down. But this is great for them because you're talking about them playing against 17-, 18-, 19-year-old kids and they are 14, 15. So it's going to help them." </p> <p>Mater Lakes took Miami Tropics to overtime before falling, 62-61.</p> <h4>Rams drawing attention</h4> <p>Coral Park took down Miami Columbus, 59-45. Standout guard <strong>Ga'khari Lacount</strong> (2020) picked up a recent offer from Florida Southern (pending an SAT score). </p> <p>6-5 2020 <strong>Jason Don</strong> has interest from Catholic University and Marietta College. Both Lacount and Don will be playing with Triple Threat during the live July period at Hoop Group.</p> <h4>McArthur new additions</h4> <p>Hollywood McArthur returns three starters -- all seniors -- in <strong>Dominic Shaw</strong>, <strong>Trevor Ward</strong> and <strong>Jordan Howard</strong>.</p> <p>Head coach Warren Gale said he has three newcomers: 6-7 2021 <strong>Tyshaun Daniels</strong>, who comes over from Everglades; 6-5 2021<strong> James Jackson</strong>, from Hallandale High; and 6-3 2020 <strong>Malachi Greenwich</strong>, out of West Park Prep. ... </p> <p>The Junior Ballers Spartans made the trip from the Bahamas to participate in the Rumble In Hialeah. <strong>Keithwood Stubbs</strong> (2020), out of Queen's College High School, is a nice prospect.</p> <p><em>If you have high school or travel basketball news, you can reach Pat Lammer via Twitter at @PLamRecruiting or through e-mail at PatALammer@Gmail.com</em></p>