Team Preview: King

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">King can challenge for a district title this year. It will be their first since 2009 and the juniors and seniors on this team are ready to turn the program around. Coached by former pro Chris “CT” Senoga-Zake Taylor, the group has the talent and size to cause problems in the 2021-22 season. Let’s get into what this team offers with their “Big 7”.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Tony-Livingston.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1189873" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Tony-Livingston-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>First up is going to be [player_tooltip player_id="814919" first="Tony" last="Livingston"]. Most people know Livingston as a football player committed to UF, but he’s coming for county player of the year. He’s in great shape after dropping 55 pounds this summer. I feel he may have a higher ceiling than that award based on the intensity he’s played with in the preseason and the tone he sets in practice.</p> <p>He’s an imposing inside outside scorer. As a 6-7 forward, Livingston can handle the ball, shoot beyond college range, and play through the post. He’s a vocal leader and just one of two seniors on this team. The senior has a nose for the ball that may lead to him averaging a double-double for the season. When he gets a board, expect him to push in transition where he’s a freight train that can put pressure on the rim or pull up from three. He’s a strong, athletic defender that can put pressure on big wings and defend the paint when he’s locked in.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/IMG_5300-1-rotated.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1329708" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/IMG_5300-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Though I have Livingston winning awards this season, players and the coaching staff have appointed [player_tooltip player_id="962380" first="John" last="Ziegler"] the man of this team. He breathes the game while being a stellar student with a 4.9 GPA. Coach Taylor tells me he’s his hardest worker and Ziegler’s father backs up the claim. The 2023 prospect averaged 17 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3 steals per game, shooting 50% from the field, 45% from three, and 83% from the line as a sophomore. He’s scored 770 points in his first two seasons, spending much of his young career as the first option on offense. John also has an older brother who plays college basketball.</p> <p>Ziegler is an efficient scorer that can go on runs by himself. During the XBLeague he broke down Sarasota Riverview’s defense, getting past athletic defenders to score at the rim and the mid-range. The team played a full court game of king of the court during practice where Ziegler showed his deep bag of tricks, hitting turnaround jumpers, pull-ups, and crossing people over for lay ups. He knows how to get to his spots on both sides of the floor. A part of his game that goes underrated is his athleticism. He throws down dunks with ease as a 6-1 guard. He’ll have the ball in his hands a lot this season as he slides over to full time point guard following the loss of a talented guard in [player_tooltip player_id="709261" first="Amon" last="Whitlow"]. Expect his overall numbers to rise as the hard playing guard takes on a bigger load while having a more talented team around him.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/IMG_5297-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1329706 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/IMG_5297-150x150.jpg" alt="Domanic Betancourt | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>Domanic Betancourt has been in a few situations before coming to King. As a freshman, he was 6’6 playing full time center for a team that used him solely as a rebounder and paint scorer. Next season as a 6’7 sophomore at a new school in a lower classification, they allowed him to do whatever he wanted as the best player on the team. Now as a 6’8 junior, he’ll play as an inside outside threat for King.</p> <p>Betancourt anchors the defense as an athletic forward that protects the rim and switches out to perimeter players for short stints. He has good feet, head above the rim bounce, a plus wingspan, and a mean streak that comes out in big moments. Offensively, he scores on the block with hook shots and above the rim finishes. He can step out and hit the 18 footers with consistency. The 2023 prospect is also young for the class being 16 and not turning 17 until next year.</p> <p>A sleeper for this team will be 6’2 junior Byron Clay. He shows flashes of being a double digit contributor while having a solid overall game. Keep an eye on him to have a breakout closer to the end of the season as he settles into his role on the team. He’ll learn when to pick his spots as the lead men take pressure off him. This feels like a preparation year before he becomes a relied on player during his senior year.</p> <p>Jaden Altman will be a glue guy to this team as the only other senior on the roster. At 6’3 he can guard both backcourt spots and provide relief on the wing with his shooting. He’s solid at 185 pounds and uses his strength to attack the rim.</p> <p>Helping with lead ball-handler duties will be Chris Hendricks. He’s a well-known baseball player in the area but has the vision to make plays. He doesn’t turn the ball over, can push the pace, and provides floor spacing when the top guys are drawing attention. The junior uses his stocky body to play tight defense on his matchups.</p> <p>Devon Haile brings quickness and pull-up shooting to this squad. As a 5-10 guard, he thrives in transition, where he can stop on a dime to get his shot off. He’s more of a secondary ball-handler but King won’t lose production when he pushes the pace. The junior can take guards off the dribble in 1 on 1 opportunities. He’s a nice change of pace and spark plug.</p>