January Area Scouting: South Florida (Wk 1/Part 2)

<p>First things first, I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year. The beginning of January brings another batch of exciting games and scouting here in South Florida. <em>Please</em> feel free to reach out to me on my socials for any information regarding players across the area. In addition, updating stats is a helpful tool on team pages.</p> <p>Let’s jump into my observations…part two.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814984" first="Rickey" last="Ballard"]</strong> - <em>Sagemont</em></p> <p>The Sagemont Lions have a versatile weapon in 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="814984" first="Rickey" last="Ballard"]. The 6-foot-6 wing can explode from the perimeter and finish above the rim with regularity. Moreover, Ballard moves well without the ball in his hands and has strong instincts. For example, he can use his athleticism and intuitiveness for a back door rack attack. On defense, Ballard has length to be disruptive in passing lanes and block shots in the paint. His recent offensive performances include 23 points against <strong>McArthur</strong> and 17 against <strong>Miami Norland</strong>. Ballard has received interest from a number of programs, including <strong>Appalachian State, FAU, Howard</strong> and <strong>Virginia Tech</strong>. You can view his mid-season highlights by clicking <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8772364/5ff22063ff02381028dccfad">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955802" first="Cameron" last="Johnson"]</strong> - <em>Miami Norland</em></p> <p>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="955802" first="Cameron" last="Johnson"] played well Wednesday against Sagemont. The 6-foot-4 wing scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. Moreover, Johnson knocked down 14-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Viking junior is another player with unique size and speed. Johnson leads Norland with 16.6 points and 4.9 rebounds on 55 percent shooting from the field through ten contests.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068709" first="Danny" last="Del Riesgo"]</strong> - <em>Belen Jesuit</em></p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068709" first="Danny" last="Del Riesgo"] has been playing well for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-5 small forward scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a win over <strong>Miami Northwestern </strong>Thursday. Previously against <strong>Miami Palmetto</strong>, Del Riesgo finished with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds. His play is a big reason the Wolverines stand at 12-1 overall this season. Look for Del Riesgo to continue to be a powerful force around the interior for Belen Jesuit.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="829398" first="Ryan" last="Davis"]</strong> - <em>Martin County</em></p> <p>It was another dominating performance for 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="829398" first="Ryan" last="Davis"] against <strong>Centennial</strong>. The 6-foot-4 forward scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the 80-45 victory. Davis is a multi-level scorer with disruptive size on both ends of the floor. The Tigers sit undefeated at 14-0 behind his play. On the season, Davis is averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game on 49 percent shooting from the field. Moreover, Davis has reached double-figures in 13 of 14 contests. 2021 <strong>Nathan Mikkelson</strong> is another player to watch for Martin County. The 6-foot-7 wing is averaging 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds on 57 percent shooting from the field. In addition to his play, Mikkelson holds a strong 3.6 GPA.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818698" first="Donovan" last="Draper"]</strong> - <em>Forest Hill</em></p> <p>The Falcons beat <strong>Lake Worth</strong> Wednesday behind 22 points from [player_tooltip player_id="818698" first="Donovan" last="Draper"]. The win pushes Forest Hill to 5-0 as Draper continues to show why he is one of the best players in the area. The 6-foot-6 wing can do anything on the floor and it shows on the stat sheet. Draper is a shifty lane resident with a strong handle. Moreover, his athleticism always him to play above the rim while taking on contact thanks to his size. Draper is averaging 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.8 steals per the latest available numbers. The standout athlete also stars as a wide receiver on the Falcons football team.</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>