What We Learned: The Villages at Zephyrhills

<p>Leading 42-33 at the break, The Villages broke away on the road in a tough Zephyrhills gym to win 89-55 on Tuesday night.</p> <p>The Buffalo had 12 of its 13 players score points in this game.</p> <p>Here is a look at some things we learned from the tilt.</p> <h3><strong>Mann 2.0</strong></h3> <p>With his older brother Tre Mann in the stands, a freshman at Florida and a former star at The Villages, 2021 6'2" guard <strong>Nasir Mann</strong> played admirably in front of him. He had 21 points including 17 in the first half as it seemed he couldn't miss from deep. In fact, Mann hit three treys and converted a foul on a 3-pointer into three free throws in the first quarter. He got the team going when it was close in the first half and his offensive energy was contagious. Mann is growing as a defender and will get better and stronger, but I'm sure his older brother was pleased with what he saw. The past and the present in the same gym was cool to see.</p> <h3><strong>Wright is more seasoned</strong></h3> <p>Leaner and stronger than a season ago, 2020 6'4" guard <strong>Ricardo Wright </strong>had an impressive outing with 20 points. Featuring 14 points in the second half alone, he had the ball on a string and simply was able to get inside when he wanted or hit jumpers when he wanted with his mix of strength and burst. Wright had a ridiculous one-hand dunk when he blew past two defenders in the fourth quarter to put the game out (see video at the bottom of the story). He is a major player in his senior season and Division I programs need to get on him before it is too late.</p> <h3><strong>Marchman gets it going for Zephyrhills</strong></h3> <p>Finishing with nine points for Zephyrhills, 2020 5'8" guard <strong>Dontae Marchman</strong> is too fast for his own good. His shot wasn't falling in this one, but he created so much unevenness for the defense, got his teammates open and went to the rack on impressive cuts. Marchman earned help from 2020 guard <strong>Harrison Barker </strong>(10 points) and 2022 forward <strong>Jimmy McCauley</strong> (7 points).</p> <h3><strong>Rizzo and Walters performed well</strong></h3> <p>2021 6'5" guard <strong>Antonio Rizzo</strong> (St. Francis Catholic transfer) and 2023 6'9" forward <strong>Sam Walters</strong> (West Oaks transfer) combined for 18 points for The Villages. I loved how Rizzo crashed the boards and stayed aggressive on the offensive end alongside Mann and Wright. He picked up 11 points for his side. Walters did all his damage in the first half with seven points which included a 3, a lay-in and a high flying dunk. The sky is the limit for Walters, who has a high IQ and is a solid ballhandler and passer.</p> <h3><strong>Romero and Goldwire contribute</strong></h3> <p>2020 6'9" forward <strong>Diego Romero</strong> and 2021 5'10" guard <strong>Corey Goldwire </strong>each pitched in with six points for the Buffalo. Romero got inside and added some key buckets on the break. His length is an issue for defenses. Goldwire is a lightning bolt and someone who can feast in transition as a ballhandler and pusher.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">2020 Villages G Ricardo Wright (<a href="https://twitter.com/iamricowright?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamricowright</a>) turned on the jets in the second half to finish with 20 points in a win over Zephyrhills. <a href="https://twitter.com/VHS_Hoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VHS_Hoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CFL_RisingStars?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CFL_RisingStars</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/reale1t1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reale1t1</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gt6EVtF8NJ">pic.twitter.com/Gt6EVtF8NJ</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1204586190047006725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>