Practice Breakdown: Mater Lakes Academy

<p>This will be my first installment of my school tour as we get underway with high school basketball practices.</p> <p>My first stop was <strong>Mater Lakes Academy</strong> over in Hialeah. I will say that the Bears have a state of the art basketball gymnasium and weight room. Moreover, virtually all of the facilities are brand new. </p> <p>The school can be a nice destination for basketball events in the future.</p> <p>Let’s get right into the player breakdown...</p> <p>2022 combo guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="829495" first="Kareem" last="Barnett"]</strong> is the real deal. The 6-foot-4 transfer from <strong>North Miami Beach</strong> jumped off the page during layup drills with his athleticism. Barnett was throwing down dunks and has an extra step on his ladder you cannot teach. While being an athletic specimen, Barnett showed adequate ball skills and a steady consistency to hit from outside. As Barnett is coached into the program, his dual-threat capability will be a nightmare to defend. On defense, Barnett showed he has quick hands as he took steals back the other way for layups. My advice for him would be to stay aggressive and realize very few opponents can match his natural gifts. Barnett could be the most dynamic player in the area that people are not aware of.</p> <p>2023 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709231" first="Anthony" last="Floyd"]</strong> is a player that has been on my radar ever since scoring 17 points last season against <strong>Stranahan</strong>. Floyd demonstrates the qualities you look for in a floor general. During the live scrimmage, Floyd showcased his ability to penetrate a defense with his athleticism and kept his defender guessing. Therefore, Floyd can dish a pass in the paint or drive up for a layup. Combining that altogether is his handle. Floyd can dictate the tempo and leave his defender with happy feat.</p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955584" first="Andruw" last="Rondon-Delacruz"]</strong> appears to be a player much improved. The 6-foot-7 power forward was consistently scoring around the rim and hit a few shots in the mid-range. In addition, Rondon-Delacruz displayed good footwork and lateral movement defending in the paint. I did not see him oversell or give way on his defensive position. I also love his ability to create turnovers and defections due to his wingspan. </p> <p>2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1060168" first="Tomas" last="Koski"]</strong> will have the green light this season for the Bears. The 6-foot-5 Finnish native can stretch the floor and hit from outside. While he was not on yesterday, you can tell he has the shooting motion to bury multiple 3-pointers. Koski could hit some important perimeter shots for Mater Lakes this season.</p> <p>2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068706" first="Maximo" last="Moratinos"]</strong> is a versatile piece in the Bears arsenal. The 6-foot-6 forward can score with his back to the basket and finish with either hand. Moreover, Moratinos has the quickness to fly by his defender on the perimeter and hit you with a dunk at the rim. On the defensive end, he is a strong rim protector and likely candidate to block a ton of shots. I thought this was most apparent when he was a trail defender and off weak-side help. Moratinos has the feeling of a Ferrari in the garage ready to pull out onto the road.</p> <p>2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818830" first="Julian" last="Garcia"]</strong> looked like one of the best scorers for a good part of the scrimmage. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard was knocking down shots, specifically in the corners. I thought Hernandez displayed great vision as he looked to make a play down court. Hernandez kept his head up and was throwing dimes to his teammates in transition. In addition, the Bears named him a captain at the end of practice. Hernandez appears to be an excellent communicator and will hold his teammates accountable.</p> <p>2021 <strong>David Hernandez</strong> is someone that initially surprised me. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard was getting to the rim with strong finesse on a consistent basis. This was especially apparent when he drove from the baseline and wing areas of the floor. In addition, Hernandez also showed off his scoring ability out on the perimeter. Simply put, he was just making plays all night. Hernandez is going to provide some key buckets for the Bears this season.</p> <p>2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709256" first="Jamai" last="Hager-Tejada"]</strong> is another weapon that encompasses the young nucleus of the Bears. The 5-foot-10 point guard has pretty good size and was getting into the lane consistently for layups. Hager-Tejada can also deliver from outside when he is left open. </p> <p>2021 <strong>Andrew Gomez</strong> was getting called <strong>Draymond Green</strong> by the staff. The 6-foot-2 small forward was coming up with timely rebounds, specifically on the offensive end. Gomez can be a huge X-factor in allowing the Bears extra offensive possessions with his intellect around the glass. I was impressed with his ability to maneuver himself into good position.  </p> <p>2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709262" first="Tyheim" last="Williams"] </strong>is a big body with pretty good footwork. The 6-foot-4 power forward should be a difficult match-up to defend with because of his muscle. Therefore, I like Williams to make his biggest difference around the paint with his frame. He is a nice change-up with some of the longer players the Bears have.</p> <p>2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="714808" first="Craig" last="Starks"]</strong> was mostly doing solo drills for most of the evening. However, the 6-foot-7 power forward is built like a football player at upwards of 225 pounds. Starks moves over to the Bears after playing for <strong>Miami Beach</strong> last season. This kid has double-double potential with his frame and athleticism.</p> <p><strong>Recap:</strong> The Bears have quick guards and a ton of length across the board to give opponents fits. Barnett has the potential to be the best player on the team and the Bears season changer. Mater Lakes Academy is playing a very tough schedule, including a date with <strong>Westminster Academy</strong> in the <strong>Prep Hoops Sun Bash</strong> tournament down in <strong>Miami</strong> on <strong>December 12th</strong>.</p> <p><em><strong>For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information....please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or Follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>