Practice Breakdown: Miami Norland

<p>I made my way over to <strong>Miami Gardens</strong> to watch the practice of Miami Norland. The Vikings are coming of an 18-10 overall record led by coach <strong>Lawton Williams</strong>. Norland will be looking to replacing scoring production from <strong>Jahvon</strong> <strong>Smith</strong> (12.6 Ppg) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="717154" first="Ricky" last="Bush"]</strong> (8.7 Ppg). Smith, who is now at <strong>Florida A&amp;M, </strong>also led the Vikings in assists (4.1) and steals (2.0) per game. Miami Norland has a rich basketball tradition and have won six state championships.</p> <p>The Vikings kickoff the 2020-2021 season with a matchup against <strong>Coral Gables</strong> on Friday.</p> <p>Let’s jump into the breakdown...</p> <p>2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1069620" first="Marcus" last="Allen"] </strong>has all the physical tools to be one of the top freshman in the region. Allen is a versatile guard/forward with impressive 6-foot-6 size. The young Viking looked strong around the rim and was disruptive in passing lanes. Allen will undoubtedly get stronger and mold out some of his interior moves. Coach Williams’ rigorous practices should toughen him up as well.</p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955802" first="Cameron" last="Johnson"]</strong> is probably the Vikings go-to option and best player. The 6-foot-4 wing averaged a team-best 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds last season as a sophomore. Moreover, Johnson reached double-figures in 21 of 27 recorded games. One of those contests was a season-high 30 points on 12-of-19 from the field against state champion <strong>Miramar</strong>. His athletic length also accounted for 14 games with seven or more rebounds. Johnson looked smooth running the floor in transition while elevating at the basket. He will be counted on as a team leader behind a young Vikings squad. </p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1065494" first="Lionel" last="Swaby"]</strong> impressed me with his interior play throughout the night. The 6-foot-7 forward was strong on the glass and effective as a rim protector. Therefore, Swaby has the length to alter/block shots that come his way. On the offensive end, his physical capabilities make him a nice option to finish around the rim. I really liked what I saw from him throughout the night.</p> <p>2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818880" first="Malik" last="Siggers"]</strong> appears to be the floor general for the Vikings. The 5-foot-8 point guard has a strong handle and looked poised running the offense in drills. Siggers brings an element of toughness to the backcourt that should rub off on the rest of the team. The Vikings have a lot of young players in the backcourt (see below) that Siggers can help develop. However, Siggers is much more than a senior leader as he is capable scorer at the rim. <strong>Albany</strong> <strong>State (GA)</strong> offered him over the summer.</p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1065457" first="Christian" last="Campbell"]</strong> looked as physically defined as any player on the practice floor. The 6-foot-4 Campbell has that "big guard" look and showed his toughness on loose ball drills. Campbell has athletic versatility and is capable knocking down shots from the wing. </p> <p>I thought 2024’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962393" first="Triston" last="Wilson"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709224" first="Clarence" last="Burt"]s </strong>were two of the Vikings most consistent shot makers during practice. The 6-foot-3 pair looked confident with their stroke as they knocked down shots from the outside. They give the Vikings nice depth at both the two and the three. Wilson also tossed some nice passes to Swaby on the interior and played strong defense. He is the grandson of local rep Frederica Wilson. </p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1065416" first="Adefemi" last="Akinwole"]</strong> brings added depth to the Vikings backcourt. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game last season for Norland. In addition, Akinwole played well last season against some big time competition. Against <strong>South Miami</strong>, Akinwole scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. 2022 <strong>Isiah Joseph</strong> is another player to watch that received burn as a freshman. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard scored a season-high 14 points against <strong>Hialeah-Miami Lakes</strong>. 2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709246" first="Carl" last="Parrish"]</strong> is a 6-foot-1 guard capable of knocking down outside shots. The roundup of this paragraph really emphasizes the quality of backcourt options the Vikings have. </p> <p><strong>Overall Breakdown</strong>: Miami Norland ran one of the more physical and well-conditioned practices I have seen thus far this season. Players were constantly running and fighting for loose balls throughout practice. The coaching staff was working players during drills and even running the floor themselves. Coach Williams presides over a young roster that will toughen up under his tutelage. He is a championship level coach that knows how to get things done. Look for Allen to really blossom over the course of the year.</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>