Scouting Roundup: District Playoffs (South Florida – Pt.1)

Scouting Roundup: District Playoffs (South Florida &#8211; Pt.1)

Michael Costeines

February 10, 2021 @ 09:19 PM

Playoff week is here in South Florida! I am excited to be attending so many games in the area. I want to remind anyone reading this that some states are not rewarding state championships at all! My home state of Connecticut is having an abbreviated 12 game season and league tournaments. The equivalent to our Lakeland is not happening for them. Take advantage of every minute on the floor. Let’s get into my notes... [player_tooltip player_id="1068746" first="Jordan" last="Hinds"] - Cypress Bay 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068746" first="Jordan" last="Hinds"] scored 25 points in a quarterfinal victory over Piper. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward was ambidextrous attacking the rim for the Lightning. His athleticism and length is difficult to defend when he gets into the paint. Hinds will finish above the rim when he gets in close. His chemistry with 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1062420" first="Noah" last="Kattan"] was on full display. The 6-foot-3 combo guard finished with ten assists, a number of which resulted in buckets for Hinds. Kattan pierced a nice pass to Hinds from the backcourt during the first play of the game. He also dished a few dimes to him on backdoor cuts. Kattan’s vision and awareness is a huge plus. He holds a 4.07 GPA in the classroom. 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068747" first="Jaylen" last="Bernard"] finished with 11 points and was big on the glass. The 6-foot-6 forward gave Cypress Bay a number of second chance opportunities thanks to his physicality. He scored on a nice tip-in in the paint for one his buckets. Bernard can also finish in transition if given the opportunity. He holds a 3.8 GPA/1120 SAT in the classroom. *Note* [player_tooltip player_id="1068746" first="Jordan" last="Hinds"] scored 37/39 (team book 37) points in a semifinal victory against Cooper City. Brandon Gopaul - Piper 2022 Brandon Gopaul deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Bengals in the game against the Lightning. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard scored 21 points and knocked down 7-of-8 from deep. I would like to see Gopaul work on his handle and develop an ability to create his own shot. He was virtually automatic when he was left open. Cypress Bay seemed to recognize that in the second half and limited his catch-and-release ability. 2021 Moses Frazier finished with 14 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers. The 5-foot-8 point guard showed quickness and was relentless attacking the rim. Frazier played very tough and above his measurements. He holds a 4.2 GPA in the classroom. The Bengals looked much better than their 2-9 record indicated. [player_tooltip player_id="709227" first="Jaylen" last="Carey"] - Westminster Academy 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="709227" first="Jaylen" last="Carey"] scored nine points and grabbed ten rebounds (unofficially) in a 52-42 victory over Sagemont Wednesday night. The 6-foot-8 power forward looked good with his footwork in the paint. Moreover, Carey maneuvers his way into lane very well for a player that probably weighs around 260. He bodied his way down on the baseline for one of his buckets in the first half. In addition, Carey is so big that sometimes it appears he is drawing offensive fouls on smaller opponents. I think you can make an argument that its just his muscle and ability to move a defender that creates this illusion. I want to see Carey work on his free-throw shooting. I think that’s the only way teams have a chance of stopping him. I have seen Carey complement his post skills with solid outside shooting in the past. He is the definition of a matchup problem at this level. [player_tooltip player_id="953074" first="Sergey" last="Grishaev"] - Sagemont 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="953074" first="Sergey" last="Grishaev"] played well on both ends of the floor against Westminster Academy. The 6-foot-10 power forward scored 12 points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. Moreover, I recorded Grishaev with 5 blocks/deflections. I thought his weakside help on defense was very strong. Grishaev has long arms and awareness to be able to do this. He would probably like to hit a few more open looks from long range, but his overall play was solid. I also think his defensive footwork was solid against a talented Westminster frontline. For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.