Standouts: Broward vs. Dade Challenge (Two Games)

Over the weekend, I took in two games of the Broward vs. Dade Challenge at Chaminade-Madonna High School. In game one, the Fort Lauderdale Flying L’s overcame a 5-point halftime deficit to defeat the Miami High Stingarees 63-60. In game two, host school Chaminade-Madonna Lions held off a rate rally to defeat the Westminster Christian Warriors 73-65. Here are the standouts: <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/justin-neely/">[player_tooltip player_id="818674" first="Justin" last="Neely"]</a> -Miami High: As you might know, 2021 forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/justin-neely/">[player_tooltip player_id="818674" first="Justin" last="Neely"]</a> is a <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-school/article238598768.html">lethal</a> scorer. At the Broward vs. Dade Challenge, things were more of the same for the 6-foot-5 junior as he finished with 37 points and 13 rebounds in a loss against Fort Lauderdale. At one point in the second quarter, Neely had as many points (24) as did the Flying L’s. What impresses me the most about Neely is the way he scores. The junior has an impressive mid-range game that he utilized in great capacity over the course of the game. With a quick release, Neely can shoot over a defender at a drop of a dime. In addition to that release, Neely can pull up on you for a 3-pointer, which he did twice against Fort Lauderdale. I have seen players score, but Neely is one of the best all-around scorers we have in the area. Taderrius Lewis - Miami High: A versatile front-court player, 2021 6-foot-6 Taderrius Lewis finished a strong game for Miami High with ten points and eight rebounds. Lewis is a long player, able to gather offensive rebounds for second chance points. I thought the junior displayed good footwork driving into the paint and is a nice offensive option alongside the high scoring threat of Neely. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-shorter/">[player_tooltip player_id="818647" first="Jordan" last="Shorter"]</a> - Fort Lauderdale: The <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jordan-Shorter-46055569/">2021</a> forward had a big game against Miami High, dropping a team-high 23 points with a pair of 3-pointers. One of Shorters’ trifectas tied the game up for the L’s at 51 in the third quarter. In addition to his clutch shooting from long range, Shorter would ice the game late with four free-throws. The junior had a quiet game when I saw him against Northeast High School but showed up in a big way for the comeback victory against the Stingarees. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alex-vertus/">[player_tooltip player_id="828070" first="Alex" last="Vertus"]</a> - Fort Lauderdale: Right next to Shorter in the L’s rally was the play of Vertus. The 2020 guard poured in 19 points with three 3-pointers. His offensive performance electrified the L’s bench when his baseline layup gave Fort Lauderdale a 55-53 lead in the fourth quarter. Overall, I was impressed with his ability attacking the basket. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andre-weir/">[player_tooltip player_id="827901" first="Andre" last="Weir"]</a> - Chaminade-Madonna: The 6-foot-10 senior is a dominant center in every sense of the word. In the victory over Westminster Christian, Weir picked up a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The 265-pounder is a huge target for Lions guards, squaring out space in the paint to set up a powerful take up to the basket. Westminster Christian simply had nobody that could match-up with Weir. In all fairness, very few teams can... Thaddeus Franklin - Chaminade-Madonna: One of the most highly touted football <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Thad-Franklin-46050423/">prospects</a> in the state, the 2021 guard put together a solid game on the hardwood for the Lions with 12 points. With his powerful lower body, Franklin is a tough stop when he gets his motor going towards the rim. On one take, the 6-foot guard drove into the lane and seemingly pushed the ball up at the basket as he drew contact. After the play, Franklin did a quick flex for the spectators in attendance. With a mix of lightning quick guards, Franklin is arguably the Thunder in the Lions back court. Christian Munilla - Westminster Christian: At times against Chaminade-Madonna, the 2021 6-foot-2 guard had the "luxury" of guarding 6-foot-10 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andre-weir/">[player_tooltip player_id="827901" first="Andre" last="Weir"]</a>. On a few sequences, the 175-pound Munilla denied Weir the ball by fronting him in the paint. Offensively, Munilla hit five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, many of which came from the left corner. Overall, I was very impressed with his play given the match-up he had to undertake at times in the game. Munilla also displayed toughness when he took a charge on Franklin and hit his head on the floor. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/frankie-idlett/">[player_tooltip player_id="818716" first="Frankie" last="Idlett"]</a> - Westminster Christian: The 2021 guard had a monster game from long-range for the Warriors, knocking down four 3-pointers for a team-high 17 points. Along with Munilla, the two combined for nine of Westminster Christian’s twelve deep balls on the night. Led by Idlett, the Warriors heavily utilized the 3-point line to keep them around in the game against the Lions.   For any South Florida hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on instagram or follow him on twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.