Regional Playoffs Orlando Standouts: Backcourt

<p>The Regional Playoffs have officially come to a close, and it was everything we would want to see as basketball fans! Teams battled it out all over the city of Orlando in what is one of the most talent-packed cities in the country. I was lucky enough to catch two huge games and scout a myriad of collegiate-level talent on the floor. Here were the games’ results:</p> <p><em>Oak</em> <em>Ridge</em> v. <em>Windermere, </em>Class 7A Region 2 Semifinals, 58-68 Oak Ridge wins</p> <p><em>Santa Fe </em>v. <em>Lake Highland Preparatory</em>, Class 4A Region 2 Finals, 51-49 Santa Fe wins</p> <p>Here were the backcourt standouts for these games:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814925" first="Jared" last="Berry"], Lake Highland Prep, 6’, 2022</strong></p> <p>Berry has been absolutely one of my favorite players to watch this season. The combination of heart skill in this guy is absolutely unmatched. He’s the hardest worker on the floor night in and night out and is just a dog in every sense of the word. His skillset is just as solid as his effort. He can blow by you from the wing or at the top of the key and if unafraid to finish against bigger defenders. He’s become a more reliable shooter and nailed a massive pull-up 3 to tie the game with seconds left against Santa Fe. He was the spark in the second half that the Highlanders needed to keep up with a great Santa Fe squad. He finished the game with 18 points and will be a headliner for every game he plays in next season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818648" first="Trey" last="Moss"], Windermere, 6’4", 2021, USF Commit</strong></p> <p>Salute to Moss for an incredible high school career, which ended in a heartbreaking 58-68 loss to Oak Ridge in the semis last week. Moss had to go out with a bang and show out one more time for his hometown Wolverines. The senior guard finished with 24 points in the loss and was seemingly unstoppable in the second half. He was able to split screens and grab rebounds at a high level as well. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with at the next level as he prepares to suit up for the Bulls in Tampa.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814920" first="Fabio" last="Basili"], Oak Ridge, 6’5", 2022</strong></p> <p>Basili had the 3rd quarter of his life against the Wolverines to regain what had once been a 13-point lead in Windermere’s favor. He wasn’t afraid to take contested shots and go to the rim with force despite being guarded heavily by [player_tooltip player_id="818648" first="Trey" last="Moss"] and crew. Basili is lanky and has a good feel for the offense, making good plays and being able to put away the Wolverines with smart moves down the stretch. He and backcourt buddy Mike James will now look to capitalize on his 19-point outing and make a deep run in the state playoffs. </p> <p><strong>Mike James, Oak Ridge, 6’5", 2021, Louisville commit</strong></p> <p>James had a rough start in the beginning of the contest against Windermere, but definitely picked it up later in the game. He finished with a team high 25 points on a solid free throw shooting percentage down the stretch. More than just his free throw shooting was needed, however, to topple a strong Wolverines squad. With 1:31 left in the 3rd quarter, I made a quick note of the Wolverine Band shouting "overrated" at James after he missed an uncontested 3. It was over from there. James quickly turned on the engines and was relentless in going to the basket and finishing on a [player_tooltip player_id="709255" first="Sean" last="Stewart"]-less (fouled out) Windermere. James waved goodbye at the Wolverine Band while hitting a game-clinching free throw. You’ll see him in Lakeland this week! </p>