Impact Freshman: South Florida (Part 1)

<p>This season was unlike any other as <em>we know</em>.</p> <p>The traditional breakthrough for high school freshmen was challenged by the pandemic crisis. The grind of acclimating to the speed of the high school game was just a part of the normal growing process. </p> <p>That is why I would like to highlight players who I believe made an impact for their teams this season. These individuals should be <em>names to know</em> in the area for years to come.</p> <p><strong>Amare Sanders</strong> - <strong>Gulliver Prep</strong></p> <p>Amare Sanders was a prospect I noticed when I watched the Raiders practice back in November. The 6-foot-1 guard is extremely quick and has advanced backcourt skills at his age. While his classification lists him as a freshman, Sanders received varsity minutes as an eight grader. This experience will only help him as he advances in his progression. He is the younger brother of current <strong>Notre Dame</strong> freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="827888" first="Tony" last="Sanders"]</strong>.  The 6-foot-7 guard averaged 20.6 points and 7.2 rebounds as a senior at Gulliver Prep. Head Coach <strong>Gary DeCesare </strong>told me back in the fall that Amare has a similar level of progression. He could be a dangerous playmaker if he grows and has the length that his older brother had with the Raiders.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055719" first="Christian" last="Reid"]</strong> - <em>SLAM (Sports Leadership &amp; Management)<br /> </em></p> <p>Reid had a season that would rival most seniors. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 58 percent shooting from the field. Against <strong>Coral Reef</strong>, Reid had 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting from the field. He already has advanced size and length to play the position. The two-way playmaker has active hands and can block shots. Reid recorded 28 steals and 28 blocks according to MaxPreps. However, he probably had more with added information. It does show that Reid is aggressive and will attack you anywhere on the court. <strong>Ian Pascal</strong> is another player to watch for SLAM. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 8.9 points per game.</p> <p><strong>Malik Abdullahi</strong> - <em>Columbus</em></p> <p>Abdullahi was a huge help for Columbus alongside 2021’s [player_tooltip player_id="818777" first="Reggie" last="Luis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="953477" first="Hubertas" last="Pivorius"]. The 6-foot-6 small forward averaged 8.3 points and 9.7 rebounds on 45 percent shooting from the field. Moreover, Abdullahi blocked 41 shots for the Explorers. Against <strong>Miami Norland</strong>, he grabbed 20 rebounds and rejected three shots. The Vikings were one of the better teams in the county this season. Overall, Abdullahi recorded ten or more boards in 15 games. His natural athleticism is impressive for a 14/15 year old. Abdullahi will only get better around the frontline as he fills out and gets stronger. However, his high volume in the paint is already glaring.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055725" first="Clarence" last="Burts"]</strong> - <em>Miami Norland</em></p> <p>I think we can concede that <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1069620" first="Marcus" last="Allen"]</strong> is one of the best freshman in the region. Another player to watch on the Vikings is [player_tooltip player_id="1055725" first="Clarence" last="Burts"]. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard averaged 4.2 points and two rebounds for Miami Norland this season. However, Burts appeared to trust his shot more as the season progressed. He shot 44 percent overall (28-of-64) from behind the 3-point line. In addition, a majority of those buckets came later in the season. Burts scored eight or more points in six games after January 11th. He did not achieve that mark in any game prior. He should take that confidence into the off-season and onto the summer circuit. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055744" first="Dominic" last="Issa"]</strong> - <em>Sagemont</em></p> <p>Depth is always a valuable commodity on a basketball team. 6-foot-4 [player_tooltip player_id="1055744" first="Dominic" last="Issa"] was a prime example on the Sagemont roster. He played as a big guard on the floor for the Lions and showed adequate athleticism. His size allowed him to get into the paint and finish around the rim. I didn’t feel like the moment was too big for him this season and he took advantage of opportunities presented to him. An example of this was his shooting from outside. I think Issa can develop as a shooter with more work and playing time in the future.</p> <p><strong><em>For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</em></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>