Francisco’s Geico Takes: IMG Acad. vs Sunrise Christian (Part 1)

Joel Francisco

April 8, 2021 @ 03:11 PM

Francisco’s Finest: Geico Nationals—IMG Academy vs Sunrise Christian (Part 1) FORT MYERS, FL—Each and every season one of the events I look forward to is the Geico Nationals. The combination of high-level talent and effort never disappoints—and this year’s version of the event was no different. Whether it was the potent point guard play of Tennessee-bound [player_tooltip player_id="537220" first="Kennedy" last="Chandler"] or the immense potential of 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1062409" first="Jalen" last="Duren"], each and every game did not disappoint. Mr. All-Around [player_tooltip player_id="537220" first="Kennedy" last="Chandler"] (Sunrise Christian) 2021, PG, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: After watching Chandler’s performance throughout this game, it would be hard to find a more complete point guard in the senior class. The McDonald’s AA has that lethal combination of scoring and facilitating. He is tough to deal with in transition with his ability to toss in the floater or he can rise up and hit the jump shot. The Tennessee signee changes speeds, is clever with the dribble, and his vision is high-level. Shot out of a Canon [player_tooltip player_id="1094569" first="Kendall" last="Brown"] (Sunrise Christian) 2021, WF, 6-foot-8, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: When it comes to effort, this McDonald’s AA is as consistent as it gets. Brown is a Baylor signee who should fit in well with Scott Drew’s defensive mindset. He is a multi-positional defender who has great instincts, active hands, and he’s a bouncy athlete. He excels in transition where he’s blur in transition. In the half-court set, he has a tendency to play too fast and take ill-advised shots, but that aspect of his game should tighten up at the next level. Beastly 4-man [player_tooltip player_id="546189" first="Jarace" last="Walker"] (IMG Academy) 2022, PF, 6-8, 230 pounds <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/08/Jarace-Walker-1.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-816320 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/08/Jarace-Walker-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> Joel’s Take: Walker has been on the recruiting landscape since his freshman season due to his chiseled frame, long arms, strong hands, and explosiveness. However, the physical 4-man needs to improve his ball handling and extend the range on his touch to reach his potential. When he is engaged he can assault the rim and rebound in and out of his area. He is tough to deal with in the paint area due to his strength and he shows a nice touch from the elbow. Best PG in 2022 Class? [player_tooltip player_id="787609" first="Jaden" last="Bradley"] (IMG Academy) 2022, PG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: Bradley is in the conversation for No. 1 point guard in the junior class. The fluid facilitator has a Chauncey Billups-like frame and his game is similar as well. He shows a good burst, crafty ball-handling, and he pushes it well in transition. His passing in transition as well as in the half-court is high-level due to his impeccable vision. However, to reach his potential he needs to improve the consistency of his jump shot.