XBL Fall League: Saturday Notebook

<p>I stopped over to the XPL Fall League at Faith Outreach Academy to take in seven games between high school teams on Saturday.</p> <p>The league had plenty of talent in place and should become a staple in the Tampa Bay area.</p> <p>Here is a look at the top performers.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055791" first="Karter" last="Knox"] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="962571" first="Eddrin" last="Bronson"]</strong><strong>│Tampa Catholic</strong></p> <p>It was quite a nightcap as Tampa Catholic held off Bayshore Christian. A young Crusaders group who graduated its entire starting five now features 2023 6-2 guard [player_tooltip player_id="962571" first="Eddrin" last="Bronson"] and 2024 6-4 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1055791" first="Karter" last="Knox"]. Bronson was in full command leading the charge and he was attacking at will. He led the team with 21 points. As for Knox, the youngest brother to Kevin and Kobe, he proved he is ready to grow up fast. He had 17 points and time and time again handled the rock and finished at the rim. Knox should mature quickly this season for a speedy Tampa Catholic team. Both players are packed with potential.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814919" first="Tony" last="Livingston"]</strong><strong>│6-6│Carrollwood Day</strong></p> <p>Playing for a ‘Team Blessed Productions’ consisting of local athletes, Livingston came off the gridiron Friday night and made it look easy on his way to 20 points in a win. He had one take where he took the ball in transition and spun past a defender to finish. Livingston is a big body with a smooth game when he drives. His teammate, 2021 5-10 Surge Christian guard <strong>CJ Devine</strong> was blazing fast and a problem with his craftiness as a shooter and driver.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818654" first="Oteman" last="Delancy"] &amp; Elijah Stephens│Lakewood</strong></p> <p>Lakewood still has athletes in place and 2021 pair, 6-3 guard <strong>Elijah Stephens</strong> had a team-best 22 points and 6-5 guard/forward [player_tooltip player_id="818654" first="Oteman" last="Delancy"] had 19 points. Jackson was consistent all game long and made big buckets inside and out. Delancy is a long body who really turned it on in the second half and went to the rack where he thrives the most in my opinion. Also, 2023 5-10 guard <strong>Montravious Lloyd</strong> flashed his toughness and is someone who should be rock solid this season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818779" first="Deon" last="Brown"] </strong><strong>&amp; [player_tooltip player_id="953494" first="Christian" last="Rolack"]│Bayshore Christian</strong></p> <p>Shooting has always been the top strength for 2021 6-1 Bayshore Christian guard [player_tooltip player_id="818779" first="Deon" last="Brown"]. It was no different on Saturday night against Tampa Catholic as he finished with a team-high 21 points. He tacked on five 3’s including a trio of them as his side kept it close late. Another key piece for Bayshore Christian in this one was [player_tooltip player_id="953494" first="Christian" last="Rolack"]. The 2021 6-2 guard (transfer from Robinson) had 17 points and was aggressive and tough inside.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956808" first="Jasiah" last="Taylor"] </strong><strong>│5-10 │ Strawberry Crest</strong></p> <p>Transferring over from Jesuit, 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="956808" first="Jasiah" last="Taylor"] did nearly everything for Strawberry Crest in a win over Ruskin Christian in the opening game. He was rebounding, attacking, shooting at a high clip and simply pushing the cause. Taylor finished with 18 points and simply plays bigger than his frame.</p> <p><strong>Brandon Swann &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="829474" first="Karmani" last="Gregory"] </strong><strong>│Braden River</strong></p> <p>2022 6-0 Braden River pair <strong>Brandon Swann</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="829474" first="Karmani" last="Gregory"] combined for 25 points in a close win over St. Pete. Swann impressed me with his burst, court awareness and overall savviness on the offensive end. Gregory finessed his way inside, finished with ease and simply controlled the pace for Braden River. He is a calming presence for his group.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818697" first="Ray" last="Perry"] </strong><strong>│5-11│ St. Pete</strong></p> <p>In full control of the St. Pete offense, Perry was determined as ever in the close loss to Braden River. He is a strong and confident point guard who gets everyone involved. He makes crafty passes and simply makes plays.</p> <p><strong>Mark Mulfinger &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="709234" first="Joel" last="Harrison"] </strong><strong>│XPL 1</strong></p> <p>XPL 1 consisted of local area players as 2021 6-3 Berkeley Prep guard/forward <strong>Mark Mulfinger</strong> (14 points) and 2023 6-0 Carrollwood Day guard [player_tooltip player_id="709234" first="Joel" last="Harrison"] (10 points) were the top scorers in the game against Team Blessed Productions. Mulfinger was cleaning up misses and hitting the mid-range. Harrison is a lightning bolt in transition and once he adds strength, he will be well on his way. Two other names from this outing both scored nine points: 2022 6-4 Newsome guard Josiah Flowers is a steady shooter and 2023 5-10 Sickles guard [player_tooltip player_id="962458" first="Chris" last="Foreman"] is a smart and savvy lead point man.</p> <p><em>Other names to know:</em></p> <p><strong>Austin Gay &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="956771" first="Kamrin" last="Oriol"] </strong><strong>│Admiral Farragut</strong></p> <p>2022 duo, 5-11 guard<strong> Austin Gay</strong> and 6-2 guard [player_tooltip player_id="956771" first="Kamrin" last="Oriol"] were the top pieces for Admiral Farragut. It was Gay who hit the big shots when his side needed life. He led his team with 11 points. Oriol was crafty per usual as a ballhandler and creator.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818965" first="Jalen" last="Gallman"] &amp; Jaelyn Thurman</strong><strong>│Bloomingdale</strong></p> <p>Bloomingdale has a lot of energy and with 2021 5-11 guard [player_tooltip player_id="818965" first="Jalen" last="Gallman"] creating, this offense has some upside. He is a flashy ballhandler who shoots confidently and pushes the cause. 2024 6-4 forward Jaelyn Thurman is a young player to keep an eye on with his combination of size and strength.</p> <p><strong>Caleb Gatewood </strong><strong>│6-3│Home School</strong></p> <p>For the LAB,<strong> Caleb Gatewood</strong> is a name to remember. The 2024 forward is a long body that can really mix it up on both ends. He is still figuring out where he is going to play hoops this fall as he is currently homeschooled.</p> <p><strong>Malik Banks </strong><strong>│</strong><strong>5-11│Southeast</strong></p> <p>An intriguing shooter I saw from the day was <strong>Malik Banks</strong>. The 5-11 Southeast guard shot it a high clip and used his quick release to hit from outside often.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">2023 Tampa Catholic guard [player_tooltip player_id="962571" first="Eddrin" last="Bronson"] (<a href="https://twitter.com/Eddr1nBronson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eddr1nBronson</a>) with the two-handed slam. <a href="https://twitter.com/tampacathhoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tampacathhoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaHoopsfl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BayAreaHoopsfl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IssaBucketPro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IssaBucketPro</a> <a href="https://t.co/CSOeLMqEEj">pic.twitter.com/CSOeLMqEEj</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1312558967751684098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>