Notebook: 14th Annual Wally Keller Classic

<p>The 14th annual Wally Keller Classic wrapped up its two-day event on Saturday on the campus of Charlotte High School.</p> <p>I took in the 12 game slate which saw two games going on at once between the main gym and the auxiliary gym called the "Fish Tank."</p> <p><em><strong>Here are the results:</strong></em></p> <h6><em>Blanche Ely 59, Charlotte 51</em></h6> <h6><em>North Port 75, Evangelical Christian 71</em></h6> <h6><em>Doral 64, East Lake 52</em></h6> <h6><em>Bartow 88, Venice 28</em></h6> <h6><em>Sanford Seminole 63, Lakewood Ranch 56 (1 OT)</em></h6> <h6><em>Windermere Prep 72, Lehigh 62</em></h6> <h6><em>Tampa Catholic 102, Naples 93</em></h6> <h6><em>Sarasota Riverview 75, Fort Myers 73 (1 OT)</em></h6> <h6><em>South Miami 64, Lakewood 45</em></h6> <h6><em>Dunbar 80, Lemon Bay 65</em></h6> <h6><em>West Nassau 67, Riverdale 46</em></h6> <h6><em>Community School 73, Community Christian 60</em></h6> <p>Here is a look at the top storylines from the busy day.</p> <h3><strong>Carter is the real deal</strong></h3> <p>Doral is a super sound group. With 2020 6'4" guard <strong>Devin Carter</strong> doing it all on offense with his jumpers, attacks and high IQ passing, the Firebirds beat undefeated East Lake. Carter had 29 points while brothers 2023 6'7" forward <strong>Justin Johnson</strong> (15 points) and 2021 6'6" forward <strong>Kameron Johnson</strong> (14 points) continue to shine since transferring over from Carol City prior to the season. Doral has a nice mix of size, scoring and overall toughness. Carter makes it look effortless out there and he really knows how to carry a team on his shoulders.</p> <h3><strong>Coleman keeps on getting better</strong></h3> <p>West Nassau has one of the best players in the country in 2021 6'6" guard <strong>Deebo Coleman</strong>. He dropped 33 points in over Riverdale. Coleman did it in a variety of ways, shooting at a high clip and simply getting to the rim and finishing. He has drawn heavy interest from his current mix of offers including Memphis, FSU, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, UF and Georgetown as well as from interested schools Notre Dame and Louisville. Fellow 2021 guard <strong>Justin Hicks</strong> tacked on 18 points of his own while 2021 Riverdale forward <strong>Tyrone Baker </strong>had 21 points.</p> <h3><strong>South Miami has a dangerous guard duo</strong></h3> <p>It is hard not to like the guard combination that South Miami employs with 2020 6'5" guard <strong>Nicolas Louis-Jacques </strong>and 2021 5'10" guard <strong>Arturo Dean</strong>. Dean is blazing fast and did his part with 22 points in the win over Lakewood. He is hard to slow down and he can get into the mid-range spot and beat you with his jumper and lay-ins. As for Louis-Jacques, the Killian transfer is a true combo guard with length and strength who carried the brunt of the load with 20 tough points.</p> <h3>Broome and Knox are too much for Naples</h3> <p>Tampa Catholic put up a whopping Wally Keller Classic record 102 points (originally recorded by Naples on Friday night). The Crusaders could have easily topped that number but brought in their bench with over three minutes left ahead by 20 plus points. 2020 6'9" Morehead State commit<strong> Johni Broome</strong> had an impressive 36 point outing while 2020 6'5" guard <strong>Kobe Knox</strong> finished with 25 points which featured some high flying dunks. Broome was doing his usual bullying down low and using his long arms to score. His footwork is beyond impressive at his size. Knox did his part, shooting well and driving to the hoop. 2021 Naples duo <strong>Byntley Theork </strong>(21 points) and <strong>Tony Green</strong> (18 points) combined for 39 points. </p> <h3><strong>Zeng is just hitting his peak</strong></h3> <p>It was awesome to see the progress that 2022 6'9" forward <strong>Fanbo Zeng </strong>has made over the last few months. Skinny but smart, long and filled with energy, the sophomore had a team-best 20 points in the victory over Lehigh. He fits the bill on an exuberant Windermere Prep squad. Zeng had some finesse dunks on the break and hit some deep balls as well. He has an all-around game and once he gets better as a ballhandler watch out. His upside is endless. </p> <h3><strong>Clayton and Smith help Bartow cruise</strong></h3> <p>Don't look at the Bartow-Venice score above, you might think it is a typo. Bartow simply outplayed its opponent all game long and you can credit 2021 guard pair <strong>Tyrone Smith</strong> and <strong>Walter Clayton</strong> for helping the Yellow Jackets to improve to 18-1. Smith, a 5'8" guard had a team-high 19 points and did whatever he wanted with the ball in his hands as a shooter, passer and tempo controller. As for Clayton (15 points), the 6'3" guard has taken a huge step forward playing for a fundamentally sound Bartow group after transferring over from Lake Wales. Clayton is a high level athlete.</p> <h3><strong>Vance and Xavier do it all for Community School</strong></h3> <p>Each scoring 24 points, 2021 6'6" forward <strong>Ryker Vance</strong> and 2021 6' guard <strong>Lovenson Xavier </strong>continue to shine for Community School. It was no different in the game's opening day win over Community Christian. Vance displayed his baby hook working inside and is gaining more confidence in his aggressive abilities and finishes. Xavier likes to mix it up as a shooter and attacker and his combination of speed and strength work for him often.</p> <h3><strong>East Lake battle</strong></h3> <p>You have to credit East Lake for sticking with its gameplan until the very end. 2020 6'3" Murray State commit <strong>Dionte Blanch</strong> (18 points) had three fouls at the half and picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. The Eagles brought him back into the game in the fourth quarter and he never fouled out. The game was down to just seven points late, but East Lake ran out of time and Doral made its free throws. The effort from East Lake was fun to watch as Blanch battled until the final whistle alongside 2020 5'11" guard <strong>Jordan Hillmon</strong> (15 points) and 2021 6'4" guard <strong>Dean Gabrelcik </strong>(11 points). Despite the loss, this is still one of the top teams in the state.</p> <h3><strong>McCollum and Mazon shine in Riverview-Fort Myers tilt</strong></h3> <p>In back and forth one overtime affair, 2021 opponents <strong>Javian McCollum </strong>(Fort Myers) and <strong>David Mazon</strong> (Sarasota Riverview) made big shots for their teams. Mazon's group outlasted Fort Myers in overtime, making one more play. The 6'5" junior found fire in the third quarter and ended the game with 22 points. He was shooting well and getting inside frequently. As for McCollum, the 6'1" guard returned last week after battling a thumb injury. He had 24 points in this game and connected on some very hard 3's with defenders all over him. The sky is the limit for McCollum as he continues to get stronger.</p> <h3><strong>Jones is aggressive for Evangelical Christian</strong></h3> <p>I have really enjoyed watching <strong>Aaron Jones</strong> play basketball as of late. Maturing into an aggressor on offense, the 2021 6'6" Evangelical Christian forward commands the ball from his teammates, wants to go to work down low and outmuscles defenders. More players his size around the state should take note of what Jones has been able to do and try to replicate it. He finished with 26 points and routinely won 1-on-1 battles around the cup.</p> <h3><strong>North Port plays sound ball</strong></h3> <p>Starting the season 0-5, North Port had just five wins to its name heading into this weekend's meeting with Evangelical Christian. However, the Bobcats earned a hard fought victory over the Sentinels. 2020 6' guard <strong>Nick Passamonte</strong> had 25 points and made some very important shots that kept his team ahead in the fourth quarter. He shot the ball with confidence. As for 2021 5'10" guard <strong>Devin Riley</strong> (19 points), he impressed me by knocking down a pair of free throws that iced the game with under a minute left.</p>