Fran’s Geico Takes: Montverde Acad. vs Sunrise Christian-Part 2

Joel Francisco

April 18, 2021 @ 02:34 PM

Fran’s Geico Takes: Montverde Acad. vs Sunrise Christian (Part 2) 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. Bates has competition [player_tooltip player_id="1062409" first="Jalen" last="Duren"] (Montverde Academy) 2022, PF, 6-foot-10, 240 pounds Joel’s Take: Emoni Bates gets an absurd amount of attention, and yes, he can back it up. However, Duren is right there as a player and prospect in my opinion. Whether you like the Chris Webber or Bam Adebayo comparison, that is up to you. However, this kid has the tools to be special. Magnetic hands, explosiveness, and an uncanny passer are just a few of his traits. Once his shooting range expands as well as his face-up skills (off the bounce), his upside is right there with Bates. On the Rise [player_tooltip player_id="787613" first="Gradey" last="Dick"] (Sunrise Christian) 2022, WF, 6-foot-7, 195 pounds Joel’s Take: The Kansas-bound Dick is just a joy to watch. He’s a great athlete who has an uncanny ability to finish in traffic, can knock down the jump shot from anywhere on the court, and his ball skills are tight. He can play all three perimeter positions due to his savvy and skill, but he projects well as a hybrid guard at the next level and beyond. Silky Smooth [player_tooltip player_id="712102" first="Caleb" last="Houstan"] (Montverde Academy) 2021, WF, 6-foot-8, 210 pounds Joel’s Take: Overall, Houstan had an up-and-down Geico Nationals. The smooth wing-type has a feathery stroke from beyond the arc, but his release is a tad slow. His first step is solid and he has a high IQ for the game due to his ability to move without the ball and find open teammates. He isn’t a high-level athlete and he’ll need to improve his face-up skills when defenders get into him, but in this 3-point driven game, as we know it today, he’ll always be a factor. A Baylor-fit [player_tooltip player_id="594553" first="Langston" last="Love"] (Montverde Academy) 2021, SG, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds Joel’s Take: Montverde has so many weapons that Love was just “a guy” in the semi-finals. However, in the final, he sparked a stagnant Montverde offense in the 1st half. He has the strength to finish off the dribble and his jump shot is quite potent either off the catch or off the bounce. Due to his skill set, he should be an immediate player in the role of an Eric Gordon-type at the next level.