Standouts: Rising Freshman – Year 1 Prep

<p>The 1st annual Rising Freshman Year 1 Prep (Y1P) took place on Saturday at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa.</p> <p>20 players took place in the freshman only event for the 2023 class. The training was ran throughout the day and it was capped off with some 5-on-5 game action.</p> <p>Here is a look at the list of 2023 prospects that caught my attention.</p> <h3><strong>Henry Hurst (East Lake)</strong></h3> <p>Perhaps the most seasoned attacker on the floor, <strong>Henry Hurst</strong> looked like he was playing years ahead of the rest of the freshmen group. At 5'11", he's a tough kid who has very good vision and plays with endless confidence. He is a load inside and his passing ability was shining bright in 5-on-5 action. Hurst will be a nice addition to East Lake this season in Class 6A action.</p> <h3><strong>Kyle Jefferson (Blake)</strong></h3> <p>I really liked what I saw from Kyle Jefferson. At first, I thought the 5'7" athlete was simply an outside shooter. But he's way more than that. He doesn't back down from anyone, handles the ball with ease, plays with aggression and gets inside with his quick feet. Jefferson is going to be a pacesetter alongside 2022 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/emanuel-sharp/">Emanuel Sharp</a> (<em>No. 11 ranked sophomore in the state by Prep Hoops</em>).</p> <h3><strong>Cristian Rios (Kissimmee Osceola)</strong></h3> <p>It seems like year after year Kissimmee Osceola has an undersized point guard that is both quick and a true grit player. 2019 guard Josh Marte handled the offense for the past years, 2021 guard Joshua Blazquez is next on deck and it seems as if <strong>Cristian Rios</strong> is being groomed for the future Kowboys success. At 5'9", Rios is a superb outside shooter and he runs the floor, always looking to make a play.</p> <h3><strong>Harvey Wilson (Bayshore Christian)</strong></h3> <p>Certainly there is a ton of room to improve, but this a good start for 6'5" forward <strong>Harvey Wilson</strong>. He's a long player who is a good shot blocker, core rebounder and has a good enough of a shot to earn playing time. Adding muscle, more attacks at the rim and overall confidence will be in the works for Wilson this season and beyond. His upside is there.</p> <h3><strong>Sam Duckworth (St. Pete)</strong></h3> <p>Simply willing to fight inside, <strong>Sam Duckworth</strong> kept on pushing through even if he missed shots and lay-ins. He lives to play another day. A very powerful attacker with a lot of upper body strength, Duckworth is part of a deep group of young talent at St. Pete. He plays with tunnel vision sometimes and needs to open up his eyes to get others open, but his scoring ability is already up to par.</p> <p><em>Honorable mentions:</em></p> <p><strong>Samari Anderson (Orlando Christian Prep)</strong> - Anderson, a 5'8" guard for OCP flashed his jumper and quick twitch moves.</p> <p><strong>Preston Berry (Sickles)</strong>  - The defense and finish at the rim from 5'9" Berry was impressive.</p> <p><strong>Ishaan Bhadouria (Hillsborough)</strong> - Bhadouria was a really good attacker and a crafty one at that at his 5'10" frame.</p> <p><strong>Tobias Gunter (Largo)</strong> - At 5'7", Gunter was a keen outside shooter and he should be an instant factor for Largo this fall.</p> <p><strong>Jordan Lanier (American Collegiate)</strong> - One of the best head faking ability came from the 5'7" Lanier, who can hurt you from deep often.</p>