Speights Summer League: Championship Tuesday Notebook

<p>The summer league action is now officially over and now the attention turns to AAU and travel ball here in the month of July.</p> <p>Things wrapped up on Tuesday night at Gibbs High with two semifinal matchups and a championship right after.</p> <p>Here is a look at some notes from the final games of Summer League.</p> <h3><strong>East Lake wins the title</strong></h3> <p>2020 6'3" guard <strong>Dionte Blanch</strong> had a cool 34 points as East Lake took home the Speights Summer League title with a 69-50 victory over Anclote. Blanch controlled everything for his offense, leading the break, creating for others, attacking relentlessly and serving as a calming point guard presence. 2020 5'10" guard <strong>Jordan Hillmon </strong>posted 18 points which included six 3's. Hillmon can get red hot in a hurry and was loving shooting from the corners all game long. East Lake finished 21-1 for the entire team camp month, taking home trophies at both the Eckerd Camp on Sunday and now the Speights Summer League tonight.</p> <h3><strong>Anclote has a leader in Hester</strong></h3> <p>A powerhouse in Pasco County, Anclote has a true talent in 2020 6'6" forward <strong>Jakob Hester. </strong>He had 22 points to lead his side in the finals loss to East Lake and was very strong in the semifinal victory over Calvary Christian to open the night. Hester translates as an undersized big at the next level (low Division I/Division II prospect) and is one that is fundamental and a gifted shooter and driver. Ave Maria extended an offer to him on Tuesday. Two other scoring threats for Anclote were 2020 pair, 5'11" guard <strong>Jacobie Forrest</strong> (14 points) and 6'6" guard<strong> Jalen Cooper</strong>.</p> <h3><strong>Seminole is tough</strong></h3> <p>A team-oriented squad, Seminole runs very sound plays that make life hard on opposing defenses. Despite having a cast of mainly guards, the Warhawks are a seasoned group that seems to always be in sync offensively. They pressure offenses and for the most part, did as much as they could to try to slow down Blanch in the semifinal loss to East Lake. 2020 6'4" guard <strong>Parker Conitz</strong> is an underrated player who is the perfect Division III/NAIA prospect with his high academics, shooting touch and willingness to attack and fight on the boards. 2020 6'0" guard <strong>Sam Denor</strong> missed both Monday and Tuesday's playoff outings and projects as a true deep threat for Seminole this fall.</p> <h3><strong>Berenbaum has all the tools</strong></h3> <p>2020 6'7"  guard/forward<strong> Josh Berenbaum</strong> was tasked to do more than usual with 2023 6'0" guard <strong>Tristan Gross</strong> not suited up. Gross does a lot to take the pressure off Berenbaum and let the rising senior get in the post and use his size to his advantage. However, with Gross inactive, Berenbaum had to be the main ballhandler and worker on both ends in a semifinal loss to Anclote. This will be a banner year for him as he is stronger, leaner and focused on every possession. A polished mid-range shooter, Berenbaum has range and is a clear low Division I/Division II player.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">2020 East Lake guard Dionte Blanch (<a href="https://twitter.com/iBlanchDionte?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iBlanchDionte</a>) controls it all on his own and finishes strong. <a href="https://twitter.com/ELHS_Basketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ELHS_Basketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Mospeights16?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mospeights16</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UNCBT44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNCBT44</a> <a href="https://t.co/S7gsoJl1Vm">pic.twitter.com/S7gsoJl1Vm</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1146218103434616833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>