Scouting Notebook: Tampa Bay Area (Jan. 10, 2021)

<p>It has been quite the start to 2021 with many games canceled and moved around already.</p> <p>I took in a few matchups in the Tampa Bay area.</p> <p>Here is a look at the notes I jotted down in terms of standouts.</p> <p><strong>Joshua Martin (Wiregrass Ranch)</strong></p> <p>Without 2021 lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="818933" first="Quincy" last="Smith"], it was the Joshua Martin show for Wiregrass Ranch in a convincing victory over Countryside on Saturday night. The 2022 5-9 guard scored 22 points in the opening half and he was doubled mostly in the second half but still totaled 40 points, tying a school record. He is speedy fast and really hard to slow down in the open floor. Martin is undersized and a true grit warrior. Also, 2021 6-0 guard Daniel Disalvo was active with 10 points.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055791" first="Karter" last="Knox"] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="1065489" first="Roderick" last="Watson-Pearcey"] (Tampa Catholic)</strong></p> <p>Tampa Catholic has a very talented young nucleus of talent. In all honesty, this is the deepest team I’ve seen from the Crusaders in a long time, even deeper than the previous senior heavy groups that featured the likes of Kevin Knox, Thomas Dziagwa, [player_tooltip player_id="827980" first="Kobe" last="Knox"], [player_tooltip player_id="828030" first="Alijah" last="Harrison"] and others.</p> <p>...2024 6-5 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1055791" first="Karter" last="Knox"] had 18 points and threw down some vicious dunks in the second half. He is the youngest of the Knox brothers and his upside is endless. 2022 6-4 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1065489" first="Roderick" last="Watson-Pearcey"] recorded 20 points and was hitting open looks from 3 and buckets in transition.</p> <p>...2023 6-4 guard [player_tooltip player_id="709222" first="Karmello" last="Branch"] added 14 points and was good at the bucket. 2023 6-3 guard [player_tooltip player_id="962519" first="Eddrin" last="Bronson"] connected on some 3’s and was assertive as a point man with 13 points. Also, 2022 6-5 forward [player_tooltip player_id="814923" first="Derrick" last="Mitchell"] had 13 points and set the tone from the jump with a really good mix of attacks and rebounds.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="953432" first="Ryan" last="Weir"] (Jesuit)</strong></p> <p>One of the best sharpshooters in Hillsborough County and perhaps the state, 2021 6-0 guard [player_tooltip player_id="953432" first="Ryan" last="Weir"] kept Jesuit alive late against rival Tampa Catholic on Friday evening. The Aquinas College commit - NAIA scored a team-high 18 points, made some deep 3-balls and attacked the rim with craftiness. Weir also was superb as a lead ballhandler. 2021 6-4 forward Brett Litschgi was strong from the mid-range and at the glass with 12 points. 2021 6-3 forward Joe Pesansky, a Holy Cross football commit had 10 points and made some key jumpers.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818677" first="EJ" last="Hubbert"] (Countryside)</strong></p> <p>Countryside was down too much at the half but the game interesting in the third quarter against Wiregrass Ranch. The game got away in the fourth quarter but it was 2020 duo [player_tooltip player_id="818677" first="EJ" last="Hubbert"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1068775" first="Michael" last="Blake"] that did all they could combining for 24 points, 12 each in the loss. Hubbert, a 6-3 guard is strong and a determined ballhandler who likes the mid-range spot. Blake, a 6-1 guard/forward is an undersized big who likes to clean up misses down low.</p> <p><strong>Logan Hinsberg (Steinbrenner)</strong></p> <p>In a win over Land O’ Lakes on Saturday night, Steinbrenner put the game away with just under five minutes left. 2022 5-10 guard Logan Hinsberg had the ball on a string and was dishing out key passes down the stretch for his side. 2021 6-5 forward Matt Daniels made it happen inside and 2021 6-2 guard/forward Darnell Nziga was aggressive and lived at the free throw line late.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">2022 Wiregrass Ranch guard Joshua Martin dropped a 40-ball against Countryside on Saturday night at the 10th annual Ulrich Classic.<br /> <br /> The undersized speedy guard couldn’t be slowed down the whole game.<a href="https://twitter.com/Wiregrassbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wiregrassbball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachRossWRHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachRossWRHS</a> <a href="https://t.co/qQL99na5X1">pic.twitter.com/qQL99na5X1</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1348099306184699904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>