Standouts: 2020 ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest

The 2020 ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest wrapped up on Saturday with a five-game slate on the campus of Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Here are the results: <h6>Tampa Catholic 79, West Virginia Huntington Prep 76</h6> <h6>Berkeley Prep 61, Texas Cornerstone Christian 59</h6> <h6>Orlando Christian Prep 68, East Lake 56</h6> <h6>Oak Ridge 55, Tampa Prep 43</h6> <h6>West Oaks 84, St. Pete 44</h6> Now the standouts list. <h2>Surefire Studs</h2> <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-james/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-james/">Michael James</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-james/"> (Oak Ridge)</a> Catching fire in the third quarter, 2021 6'5" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-james/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-james/">Michael James</a></a> put together a very strong 23-point outing in a victory over Tampa Prep. The physical junior was knocking down tough jumpers with defenders all over him and driving to the rack for mid-range shots. James is a high caliber athlete who has offers from Wake Forest, USF, Texas A&M, FAU, FGCU and Hofstra. Once AAU season rolls around with Nightrydas Elite, he will have plenty more offers as he is athletic, bursty and a dangerous shooter and scorer. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ven-allen-lubin/">Ven Allen-Lubin (Orlando Christian Prep)</a> Scoring the first 12 points for his side, 2022 6'7" forward Ven Allen-Lubin played like a seasoned veteran for Orlando Christian Prep in a win over East Lake. His length was hard to stop as he was crashing the boards for rebounds, tip-ins and slams. Focused on the task ahead, Allen-Lubin finished with 24 points and there is no wonder why offers sit on his plate from the likes of Alabama, St. John's, Iowa State, UF and USF. Playing with Team Parsons CP25, he'll add another slew of offers here shortly. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dionte-blanch/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dionte-blanch/">Dionte Blanch</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dionte-blanch/"> (East Lake)</a> Orlando Christian Prep made life awfully tough on 2020 6'2" Murray State commit <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dionte-blanch/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dionte-blanch/">Dionte Blanch</a></a> in the first half, holding him to just seven points. However, he kept fighting, per usual and dropped 28 of his game-high 35 points in the second half alone as he shot 5-of-7 from deep. Blanch is a highly talented ballhandler who simply controls the tempo and keeps everything in check. He hit big jumpers down the stretch, but it wasn't enough against a fast, athletic and lengthy Orlando Christian Prep squad. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/selton-miguel/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/selton-miguel/">Selton Miguel</a></a> & <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadrian-tracey/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadrian-tracey/">Jadrian Tracey</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadrian-tracey/"> (West Oaks)</a> Combining for 54 points in a 40-point win for West Oaks, 2020 guard duo <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/selton-miguel/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/selton-miguel/">Selton Miguel</a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadrian-tracey/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadrian-tracey/">Jadrian Tracey</a></a> were both super impressive. The Flame used just six players with players healing up and Miguel and Tracey both docked around 30 minutes on the floor. Miguel finished with 32 points and made it look awfully easy, shooting 12-of-20 from the field, 6-of-10 from deep exclusively. The Kansas State commit is a hard nosed guard who is strong and an all-around scorer. Tracey is hitting his groove and clearly comfortable with a team he joined back in November as he added 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. Saint Joseph's and Canisius represent his most recent offers. He'll be a steal for a team that wants a floor general, attacker/playmaker and smooth ballhandler. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kobe-knox/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kobe-knox/">Kobe Knox</a></a> & <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alijah-harrison/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alijah-harrison/">Alijah Harrison</a></a> The final game of the night proved to be the finest as it was Tampa Catholic who came out on top behind two 2020 guards who have seen the floor a ton over the last few seasons. 6'5" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alijah-harrison/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alijah-harrison/">Alijah Harrison</a></a> has been a starter since his freshman season when now New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox was a senior. Harrison had 24 points in this game, shooting 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from long range. He hit back to back 3-pointers in the waning moments as Tampa Catholic took back the lead. As for 6'5" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kobe-knox/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kobe-knox/">Kobe Knox</a></a>, he was fun to watch with his 25-point game, shooting 7-of-10 from the field. Big 3's and jumpers came from him as well as a high flying dunk in the closing minutes. Both players will be steals for any Division I/Division II program who is looking for speedy and long guards. <h2>Steady Standouts</h2> <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/isaiah-cottrell/">Isaiah Cottrell (Huntington Prep)</a> The best performer for Huntington Prep on Saturday was 2020 6'10" West Virginia commit was Isaiah Cottrell. Endlessly long, he is a unique talent who can stroke it from the mid-range and get inside relentlessly as a dunker and finisher. Cottrell had 26 points, shooting 12-of-18 from the field. Active from the jump, he made life hard for Tampa Catholic. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-nunez/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-nunez/">Austin Nunez</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-nunez/"> (Cornerstone Christian)</a> It was quite a game for 2022 6'1" Cornerstone Christian guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-nunez/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-nunez/">Austin Nunez</a></a>. He had 24 points for a group playing with just six players during both days of the event. With offers from Georgetown, Baylor, Texas, Wake Forest, LSU, Memphis, TCU, Texas El-Paso and Texas A&M, it was quite evident from the jump as what those colleges see in him. Nunez isn't big or bulky, but he is a gifted shooter and dribbler who can get to the hoop in a variety of ways. If he continues to grow in height and strength, his upside is through the roof. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/varun-ajjarapu/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/varun-ajjarapu/">Varun Ajjarapu</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/varun-ajjarapu/"> (Berkeley Prep)</a> A Division III Coast Guard commit, 2020 6'3" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/varun-ajjarapu/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/varun-ajjarapu/">Varun Ajjarapu</a></a> always seems to impress. He had 20 points for Berkeley Prep including a game-winning 3-pointer from the top of the left circle with around 30 seconds left in the game. A natural shooter, Ajjarapu plays quick and with a high IQ. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-brown/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-brown/">AJ Brown</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-brown/"> (Orlando Christian Prep)</a> Right alongside, Allen-Lubin, 2022 6'3" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-brown/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-brown/">AJ Brown</a></a> set the tone early and played with maturity and focus as a scorer and slasher. He had 14 points. USF, Hofstra and Alabama have all offered the sophomore guard. A summer with E1T1 ahead, Brown will draw more looks and impress a whole new crop of college coaches with his hardworking game. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-smith/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-smith/">Jalen Smith</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-smith/"> (Oak Ridge)</a> The shorthanded Pioneers had a nice push from 2021 6'3" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-smith/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-smith/">Jalen Smith</a></a> who helped the cause alongside James with 16 points of his own. Liberty, FAU, SMU, Texas State, FGCU, Stetson, USF and Hofstra have all offered already. A lengthy guard who can get up in transition and shoot with the best of them, Smith plays with endless confidence and should fare well in front of college coaches with E1T1 this spring and summer. <h2>Solid Showings</h2> <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dean-gabrelcik/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dean-gabrelcik/">Dean Gabrelcik</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dean-gabrelcik/"> (East Lake)</a> 12 of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dean-gabrelcik/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dean-gabrelcik/">Dean Gabrelcik</a></a>'s 17 points were in the first half when East Lake needed a lift. The 2021 6'4" guard is a reliable jump shooter who is a true team player and ball mover. He will have to improve his cuts to the hoop and upper body strength a bit more as he heads into the spring and summer. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-hoggard/">AJ Hoggard (Huntington Prep)</a> A Michigan State commit, 2020 6'4" Huntington Prep guard AJ Hoggard is a true vision point guard. He wasn't super efficient as a shooter in this fast paced game against Tampa Catholic, but he ended the outing with 13 points and seven assists. Hoggard makes the game simpler for everyone around him and creates a ton of free space on the court. Valentino Hart & <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gabriel-sharp/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gabriel-sharp/">Gabriel Sharp</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gabriel-sharp/"> (Tampa Prep)</a> Two guards were everything and more for Tampa Prep in the loss to Oak Ridge. Trailing by six at the break, the biggest reason why it was close was because of 2020 6'4" guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gabriel-sharp/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gabriel-sharp/">Gabriel Sharp</a></a> (19 points) and 2021 6'4" forward Valentino Hart (12 points). Sharp is more than a 3-point shooter as of late as he was able to mix it up on drives with both hands more often than not. As for Hart, he is a scrappy and tough minded guard who grabbed seven rebounds along with an efficient 4-of-6 shooting from the field. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eric-butler/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eric-butler/">Eric Butler</a></a> & Terrance Reese (Orlando Christian Prep) Alongside sophomores Allen-Lubin and Brown, 2020 guard duo <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eric-butler/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eric-butler/">Eric Butler</a></a> and Terrance Reese did a ton of dirty work for Orlando Christian Prep, combining for 21 points in the second half. Butler, a 6'3" Southern Illinois commit had 11 points and seven boards which included a tough finish at the glass in the last few minutes. Reese, a 6' guard was equally as impressive when it mattered most, scoring 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting. He connected on some essential 3's and drives inside. Both players are important factors to Orlando Christian Prep's success and overall ball movement.