AAU Super Showcase Notebook (Part I)

<p>This past weekend I attended the AAU Super Showcase at the Game Point Event Center in Orlando. It was another four long days of basketball and I tried to catch as many games as possible focusing primarily on the class of 2021 because those are the guys who need it the most. In the Finals of the boys oldest division, the Showtime Ballers avenged their first day loss to the Q6 All Stars with a 76-66 win.</p> <p>These are a few of the standouts from the Showtime Ballers and Q6 All Stars:</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Showtime Ballers</p> <p>SG/SF [player_tooltip player_id="814900" first="Jaylen" last="Martin"] 6-6 (2022) Florida State University High School</p> <p>In the two games I watched the Showtime Ballers versus the Q6 All Stars, Martin proved to be the X-Factor. Each game Martin scored at will, making several 3-pointers, hitting runners, and scoring in close with strong drives to the basket. In the final game, Martin rarely missed a shot on his way to 38 points. Don’t be surprised to see several high-major coaches make their way down to the pan-handle to recruit this big time wing.</p> <p>F [player_tooltip player_id="712110" first="Fray" last="Nguimbi"] 6-8 (2022) West Oaks Academy</p> <p>With a tremendous wingspan, and a motor that never stops, you can really see why Nguimbi’s recruiting has taken a huge upswing in the past few months. With long limbs, he has packed on a lot of muscle to his frame, which speaks volumes to his work ethic. Nguimbi lives around the basket, as a great area rebounder who cleans up several of his teammates misses, often with put back dunks. He always talks on defense, and is a vocal leader on the floor. Expect to see the forward catching lobs and blocking shots all year long as a junior at West Oaks.</p> <p>PG A’Drelin Robinson 5-11 (2021) West Oaks Academy</p> <p>Fresh off of a state championship with Rickards High, Robinson decided to take his talents to West Oaks Academy, and his strong play has continued. This weekend for the Showtime Ballers, the ball hawking defender really bothered opposing teams point guards. On offense, he got out in transition, and finished on strong drives to the basket. In the finals he did a great job of getting his teammates involved, driving and dishing to teammates for big dunks.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Q6 All Stars -Perry</p> <p>PG [player_tooltip player_id="714918" first="John" last="Latimer III"] 6-1 (2021) Apopka</p> <p>Latimer continued to bring terror to opposing teams defenses this past weekend. An alpha male on the court, he got to the basket, shot the mid-range pull up, and hit the deep ball, both off the dribble and catch. The point guard did an excellent job of determining when he needed to score, and when to get his teammates involved for a second weekend in a row. On defense, Latimer had active hands getting steals, in addition to beating his man to the spot, and taking several charges. On the weekend, he likely averaged two or three charges per game. Expect to see a huge upswing in his recruitment, as he continues to prove himself against Division I bound competition.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="953090" first="Will" last="Searl"] 6-3 (2021) Boone High School (Orlando)</p> <p>Searl found his groove this weekend, saving his best performance for the championship game where he scored 26 points. Scoring in double figures several times throughout the weekend, he really impressed with his ability to get to the basket, and creating his own shot off the dribble. Known as an excellent catch and shoot guy who is great coming off of screens in high school, he has shown a very diverse skill set on offense. On defense, Searl is extremely underrated, as he dropped low into a stance and was up to every assignment that came his way. This is a player college coaches especially in the Peach Belt, and Sunshine State Conference should keep an eye on.</p> <p>F Michael McCalister 6-5 (2021) West Orange</p> <p>McCalister started the weekend off on fire scoring 25 points against the Showtime Ballers in the first meeting on Thursday. The first two days of the tournament the versatile forward dominated shooting the ball from the mid-range, and scoring in close to the basket often curling off of down screens. A refreshing variable to McCalister’s game is when his shots are not falling, he still finds other ways to leave his mark on the game. Flagler College just offered and don’t be surprised if many local schools follow suit.</p> <p>PG Jacari White 6-2 (2021) Olympia</p> <p>Bouncing back from injuries that have limited his varsity basketball career to eight games the past two seasons, White may be Orlando’s biggest sleeper. Shaking off some rust, the shifty guard showed moments of promise this past weekend. On offense, he did a great job of seeing the floor getting by defenders with quick handles, then kicking it out to open shooters. He also got out in transition after getting steals, finishing with big two handed dunks. On defense, White has active hands and is quick enough to beat opponents to the spot, and he always seems to be in the right place to grab rebounds. As he continues to add strength, and get more repetitions White is a player worth keeping an eye on in the 2020-2021 season.</p>