Prep Hoops Preseason All-Orlando Third Team (Large Schools)

<p>It’s October and fall leagues are in full swing, players and coaches are getting ready for the regular season working hard in practice. With opening day just weeks away it’s time to make the Prep Hoops preseason All-Orlando teams. I broke it down into two categories large schools (5-7A) and small schools (1-4A). This article will highlight the Large School Third team.</p> <p>SF [player_tooltip player_id="1055776" first="Tyler" last="Johnson"] 6-5 Oak Ridge</p> <p>After starting as a freshmen over at Apopka, Johnson made the move over to Oak Ridge this summer. Simply put, Johnson is a fifteen year old in a grown mans body. He can play either forward position as he is unafraid to battle older,bigger players in the post, but he also has solid ball skills and can shoot from mid range. His 3-point shot is respectable enough to make defenders pay when they play him for the drive. With Oak Ridge graduating a lot of fire power with Mike James (Louisville) and [player_tooltip player_id="548985" first="Jalen" last="Smith"] (SMU) now playing at the highest level of college basketball, my money is on the sophomore to help replace a good part of their production. In the last month, Texas Tech and Clemson have extended offers to Johnson.</p> <p>C Samuel Alexis 6-9 Apopka</p> <p>One of the more interesting stories I’ve heard in a while, Alexis played JV basketball at Apopka last year. He has grown three inches since last fall and has clearly been working both in the gym and weight room . Recently I viewed him in an open gym and was blown away.He has a soft touch around the basket, shoots it from the mid range well and can even knock down a 3-pointer from time to time. His footwork also looked the part of a scholarship level post player. Sometimes it just takes big guys a little bit longer to develop, and Alexis is on his way to a monster senior season. “Who the heck is that kid?” will be a question asked frequently around Orlando this season.</p> <p>F Chris Nurse 6-5 Windermere (2022)</p> <p>With defenses draped all over [player_tooltip player_id="709255" first="Sean" last="Stewart"], Nurse is going to get his buckets. Last season he started for the Wolverines and was an reliable option offensively who battled on the boards and played sticky defense. Now that [player_tooltip player_id="818648" first="Trey" last="Moss"] (South Florida) and [player_tooltip player_id="714790" first="Kanye" last="Jones"] (Boston College) are now playing big time college hoops, Nurse seems primed to get more touches. The combo forward has had a huge summer playing with the Q6 All Stars and his improvement was evident at the last open gym I attended. He has a reliable mid range jumper, a wide array of post moves and finishes just about everything within 10 feet with either hand. Defensively he is just as versatile with the ability to defend multiple positions and rebound in and out of his area. NAIA and Division II schools have been in contact.</p> <p>G [player_tooltip player_id="546212" first="Jacari" last="Henderson"] 6-1 Seminole (2022)</p> <p>Henderson is going to play big time college football and is in the process of making his final decision. On the basketball court he brings elite level athleticism, and as you could assume out of a defensive back: relentless defense. Henderson and his twin brother Demari (Who also could have easily made this list) form one of the best defensive backcourts in Orlando. Henderson led the offense last year starting at point putting up 8.4 PPG to go along with 4.0 APG and 3.7 SPG. Seminole again seems primed to be a top team in east Orlando after finishing 16-8 last season.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="1060199" first="Dawson" last="Barr"] 6-4 Oviedo (2023)</p> <p>As a sophomore last year Barr led the Lions in scoring averaging 11 PPG on a balanced team. With three starters graduation, it seems as though Barr will likely be the go-to-guy for Oviedo as a junior and his strong summer playing AAU furthered that belief. The Wing can knock down long range shots, but he also capable of getting to the basket or hitting floaters from the midrange. What sets him apart is his high level IQ as he makes the right pass-shot-dribble decisions both in the half court and in transition. Barr has a lot of work to do both on his game, and in the weight room but he seems to be on the right track with two full seasons of high school basketball left.</p>