St. Thomas Aquinas player preview

<p>10 state championships.</p> <p>That is how many football titles powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas has won in program history.</p> <p>One state championship. That is how many basketball titles the Raiders currently hold.</p> <p>That basketball title came all the way back in 2001 with a marquee player by the name of Ed Nelson. Nelson that year's player of the year and was named one of the top 25 senior players in the nation. If the name rings a bell, Nelson played at Georgia Tech where he was the ACC rookie of the year in 2002 before transferring to the University of Connecticut.</p> <p>Now in 2019, Nelson is in his first year as head coach of his alma mater after taking over for Steve Strand who coached the Raiders for 23 years. St. Thomas Aquinas went 10-12 last year but has a core group of promising players heading into this season.</p> <p>I sat in on a pick-up game at the school and here is what I witnessed...</p> <p><strong>Tristan Goldstein</strong> 6'5,210 Jr.- A versatile player at the three position, capable of knocking down outside shots while posting up defenders around the rim. Physical player inside with a high motor and relentless intensity. Transferred from Cypress Bay in Weston. </p> <p>Nelson on Goldstein: "Tristan could be one of the best players in the county and I think people should be on the lookout for him. He is a really tough player who can cause mismatches at his position with his size and quickness."</p> <p><strong>Logan Lord</strong> 6'11, 225 Jr. - One thing that is hard to teach is size and Lord has it. Lord looked good running the floor with the ability to block/alter his shots with his long wingspan. If he adds a little more size in the weight room and develops a consistent post game...he could be a handful to deal with.</p> <p>Nelson on Lord: "Logan has a ton of potential. Once we get in conditioning and the weight room with these guys, someone like Logan can really turn heads this season."</p> <p><strong>Zach Zibelli</strong> 6'0,180 Jr. -  Zibelli is the floor general for STAQ. He consistently always had his head up on fast breaks looking to make a play for his team. A crafty player able to get to the rim with relative ease when not dishing it out to one of his Raider teammates. Quite frankly, a player that came to mind was Steve Nash. High praise...</p> <p>Nelson on Zibelli: "Zach has a tremendous ability with the ball in his hands. While he is on the floor he can really change and offense with his passing skills."</p> <p><strong>Jamal Norris</strong> 6'4, 160 - Norris has a lights out shooting stroke. When I thought he was in "Jimmer Fredette" range, Norris would rise up to knock down a deep shot. Guy is a lethal shooter.</p> <p>Nelson on Norris: "Jamal is lights out scorer and a incredible athlete. He is going to put up points this season for our team."</p> <p><strong>Andrew Akuchie</strong> 6'8, 185 So. - Akuchie might be one of the younger guys in this group, but the talent is evident. The more minutes he plays, the more his game will take shape. </p> <p>Nelson on Akuchie: "Akuchie has the background with a couple brothers playing sports (Michael, Matthew) at the next level."</p> <p><strong>Julian Fletcher</strong> 6'1, Sr. - An upperclassmen with strong leadership skills. Fletcher is a key to this group and has strong ability to get to the rim. </p> <p>Nelson on Fletcher: "Julian is another good player for us and will be a key to our team with his leadership as a upperclassmen."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>