Top Performers: Regional Quarterfinals (South Florida)

<p>The road to Lakeland began on Thursday with quarterfinal action. I went out to <strong>Fort Lauderdale</strong> to watch <strong>Calvary Christian Academy</strong> take on <strong>Jupiter</strong> <strong>Christian</strong>. The hometown Eagles defeated the visiting Eagles by a score of 78-53.</p> <p>Let’s take a look what I thought from that game and others...</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"]</strong> - <em>Calvary Christian </em></p> <p>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"] finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds (unofficially) in the victory. Moreover, the 6-foot-9 power forward knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. His ability to knock down shots from the outside is nice complement to his work in the paint. He also has a quality jumper from inside 15 feet. Hendricks can use his length to grab 50/50 balls off the glass and go back up for an easy lay-in. His athleticism in motion can result in a dunk if you fail to put a body on him. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068757" first="Dylan" last="Canoville"]</strong> - <em>Calvary Christian</em></p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068757" first="Dylan" last="Canoville"] was a huge factor in this game with 18 points and six rebounds (unofficially). The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Canoville used his body to carve out space and finish from the baseline. He also exploded towards the rim for a dunk in the same vicinity. Canoville also showcased his athleticism with a spin-move in the paint for a bucket. He was arguably the Eagles best player for four quarters. That is a scary thought when you realize all of the weapons Calvary Christian has.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956782" first="Conner" last="Weston"]</strong> - <em>Jupiter Christian</em></p> <p>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="956782" first="Conner" last="Weston"] used his size and footwork effectively against Calvary Christian. The 6-foot-6 forward scored 19 points on 6-of-11 from the field. I thought Weston found opportunities to finish in the paint while playing in control. He finishes his junior season averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818946" first="RJ" last="Morris"] </strong>finished with 24 points and knocked down four 3-pointers. The 6-foot-3 guard also went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Morris can really stretch a defense with his outside shot. He finishes his senior year averaging 16.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814930" first="Jose" last="Amat"]</strong> - <em>Florida Christian</em></p> <p>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="814930" first="Jose" last="Amat"] lifted the Patriots to a 81-46 victory over <strong>Palmer Trinity</strong> in Class 3A. The 5-foot-9 combo guard scored 21 points and knocked down seven 3-pointers. Amat’s statistics are impressive when you take into account he did so on 58 percent shooting from the field. Moreover, the seven trifectas were a season high. Amat is shooting 48 percent from deep on the season. He is a quick guard that can bury you fast with his stroke. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"]</strong> - <em>St. Andrew’s</em></p> <p>The Scots faced a heavyweight in the opening round with a matchup against <strong>Westminster Academy</strong>. 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"] delivered a strong punch with 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five blocks via <em>The Palm Beach Post</em>. That is a strong line when you consider Westminster Academy throws out 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814903" first="Ben" last="Middlebrooks"]</strong> and 2023 J<strong>aylen Carey</strong> on the frontline. 2022 <strong>Anquan Boldin Jr</strong>. also made a huge block late in the fourth quarter with the game still in the balance. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard has that kind of ladder athleticism on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="712115" first="Justin" last="Abson"]</strong>- <em>North Broward Prep</em></p> <p>2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="712115" first="Justin" last="Abson"] </strong>dominated <strong>Somerset Academy - Pines</strong> in a 64-40 victory in Class 4A. The 6-foot-9 forward had 19 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five blocks against the Panthers. In a previous matchup against Somerset Academy - Pines, Abson had 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Those are two good days of work for the talented junior. 2022 shooting guard<strong> [player_tooltip player_id="829406" first="Maximus" last="Fuentes"]</strong> added 15 points on 7-of-14 from the field.</p> <p><strong>Nathan Mikkelson</strong> - Martin County</p> <p>2021 Nathan Mikkelson scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Tigers 53-32 victory over <strong>St. Thomas Aquinas</strong> in Class 6A. The 6-foot-7 wing exploded from the baseline for a dunk for one of his buckets. That is the kind of thunder Mikkelson can bring on the floor. His latest statistics show him with 141 total rebounds. Mikkelson has the length and size to be an issue on the boards. In addition, his hard work and effort is a huge factor in this department. He has six games with four or more offensive rebounds as of February 12th. Martin County is now 20-0 with a matchup against <strong>Dillard</strong> on Tuesday.</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>