Fran’s Geico Takes: Montverde Acad. vs Sunrise Christian–Part 1

Joel Francisco

April 18, 2021 @ 12:18 AM

Fran’s Geico Takes: Montverde Acad. 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. Float Game [player_tooltip player_id="537220" first="Kennedy" last="Chandler"] (Sunrise Christian) College: Tennessee 2021, PG, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: Chandler is regarded as the No. 1 point guard in the country, and there is no argument otherwise on this end. He controls the game with aplomb and is more than solid in all facets of the game, especially his float game. He attacks well in transition, changes speeds, and his touch in the paint area is special. Two-way stalwart [player_tooltip player_id="1094569" first="Kendall" last="Brown"] (Sunrise Christian) College: Baylor 2021, WF, 6-foot-8, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: Each and every time I watch Brown play, I come away more impressed. There isn’t a more highly-regard player than Brown who plays as hard as he does at both ends of the floor. Defensively, he can guard inside and out, but due to his length, active hands, and lateral quickness, he is a menace to deal with at both ends of the floor. His offense is on the come (improved jump shot), but he needs to play with better pace and improve his ball skills against pressure. Ice in his veins [player_tooltip player_id="814899" first="Ryan" last="Nembhard"] (Montverde Academy) College: Creighton 2022, PG, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: When it comes to the most complete floor general in the country, it would be hard to not recognize Nembhard for this honor. He isn’t the most explosive, but his overall game is tight. He plays with a great pace, has impeccable vision, and his demeanor never waivers no matter the situation—he just plays the game with poise, skill, and savvy. A jump shot away [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"] (Montverde Academy) 2022, SG, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds Joel’s Take: The term “upside” gets thrown around alot in this profession, but it definitely applies here when talking ahout Whitehead. The high-flying wing-type has improved his ball skills, can explode to the rim off the dribble, and he can find the open man with the pass. In addition, defensively he can guard 1-through-3. Once his jump shot becomes consistent, he will make a push for Top 3 in the class behind Emoni Bates and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="1062409" first="Jalen" last="Duren"].