6 Duos To Watch From St. Petersburg Pre Season Classic

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">St. Petersburg high school hosted a great 6 team event to kick off the pre-season. Over two days, we watched a pair of juniors on the verge of a breakout, two elite athletes from Sarasota, and St. Pete’s getting great production from their stars. We’ll be talking about what these guys brought to the court and how they’re using it to start the season. Let’s get into the must-watch southwest Florida area duos of the 2021-22 season.</p> <p><strong>Riverview Sarasota</strong></p> <p>Riverview probably has the highest profile duo in the area. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="1164245" first="Jason" last="Jackson"] has already emerged as a top 100 talent in a loaded 2023 class receiving high major offers from SEC and ACC schools. His running mate [player_tooltip player_id="1301713" first="Jamier" last="Jones"] is a top three freshmen in the state who will battle for the number 1 spot this season. Together, they’re the most explosive duo not playing Montverde or IMG Academy.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Jason-Jackson.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1039572 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Jason-Jackson-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Jackson is a terrific athlete with the strength to pressure ball handlers. He’s an improving jump shooter that’s increased his three point percentage every month since August. In the halfcourt, it doesn’t take much for him to get downhill where teams have two options to foul him or let him finish above the rim. He’s averaging a shade under six trips to the line this season.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6635-rotated.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1344006" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6635-150x150.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="150" height="150" /></a>Jones is an athletic freak at this stage in the game. If you give him any runway, he’s going to take off for a powerful dunk and loves to do it over the top of defenders. His rip through going baseline on the right side is an automatic play for him today. At 6’6 his size and athleticism are the first things that stick out, but it’s his passing that shows how high his ceiling is. He can find the open man from the baseline, high post, and as the lead ball handler. The Rams have an elite prospect to nurture until 2025.</p> <p><strong>Boca Ciega</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6626-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1344007 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6626-150x150.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="150" height="150" /></a>The Bogies’ inside-outside threat of [player_tooltip player_id="962513" first="Reese" last="White"] and Kobie White is going to be hard to stop. Both have good size for their positions at 6’7 and 6’3, respectively. They’re only juniors, so like many duos on the list, we get to watch them grow over multiple seasons.</p> <p>Reese is a combo forward that can stretch the floor and uses his body to score around the block. When he has the ball on the perimeter, he’s a threat to shoot off the catch, take you off the bounce for a pull-up jumper, and get to the hole. He carves out space for rebounds and has the mobility to get boards out of his area. White left both games in St. Pete with double-doubles playing against athletic players of similar size.</p> <p>Kobie is a 6’3 shot maker that compliments Reese well. He’s a pressure release valve that will knock down shots with consistency. He knocked down 6 threes over two days. When teams closed out harder, he showed great footwork on his one and two dribble pull-ups. 23 &amp; 17 point performances against teams that will battle for a district title highlight how he plays against the Tampa area’s better teams.</p> <p><strong>Jesuit</strong></p> <p>When looking for duos, the Tigers make this hard. You could go with three-point sniper [player_tooltip player_id="1164282" first="Max" last="Sims"] whose gravity as a shooter makes it easier for 6’7 Patrick Ruffner to go through progressions on the block. But I’ll choose the 2024 duo of Nathan Boakye and Jackson Burkard. It’s no slight to their highly regarded upperclassmen who’ve been stellar this year. I’m just looking to focus on the young guys that impressed me over two days.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6621-rotated.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1344639" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6621-150x150.jpg" alt="Nathan Boakye | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p>Boakye is a speedy lead guard that applies so much pressure on the rim that he’s drawing the opposing team’s best defender to slow him down. He’s making plays off penetration, using his athleticism to make shots at the rim and has the court vision to kick to the plethora of shooters and finishers on this team. Through five regular season games, he hasn’t grabbed less than 3 steals.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6623-e1639161939993.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1344644 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6623-e1639161939993-150x150.jpg" alt="Jackson Burkard | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>Burkard gives Jesuit another guard that shoots the ball well from deep and scores at the rim as a cutter. At 6’3 he’s a heady off guard that can finish through contact. He and Boakye play on the nationally ranked 2024 G1 sports AAU team, giving them obvious chemistry.</p> <p><strong>King</strong></p> <p>The Lions will walk into many games this season with the best frontcourt. 6’8 Domanic Betancourt and 6’7 [player_tooltip player_id="814919" first="Tony" last="Livingston"] have the size and athleticism to dominate the game on both ends. They have very different play styles that complement the other.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5853.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1188535" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5853-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p>Livingston is more perimeter-based with a nice handle for his size, a consistent stroke beyond the college three, and a slasher powered by an almost angry athletic burst. You can ask for more effort on the defensive end, but we’re looking at a guy that can guard 2-4 and grab double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_5297-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1344649 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_5297-150x150.jpg" alt="Domanic Betancourt | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>Betancourt is still growing in the game, but head at the rim bounce and a promising jumper are hard to miss. He has flashes of being a great face-up four that can hit turnaround jumpers, fade in the post, and finish over defenders. The forward can run the floor in transition, finishing above the rim on the break. He has good timing as a shot blocker, occasionally hunting the highlight, but it’s covered up by his physical gifts. He’s only a junior and plays under a coach that focuses on development. Keep an eye on his growth throughout the year.</p> <p><strong>St. Pete</strong></p> <p>There’s a bit of a fire and ice role for the Green Devils. [player_tooltip player_id="814923" first="Derrick" last="Mitchell"] brings the fire as a high motor 6’5 forward. [player_tooltip player_id="709233" first="Tristan" last="Gross"]’ ridiculous shooting off the dribble is the ice.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/90-Derrick-Mitchell.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1292877" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/90-Derrick-Mitchell-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p>If you’re looking for an athletic defensive wing that gives you a double-double threat, Mitchell is your guy. We’re looking at someone who’s expanding his game after years of playing down low. He’s physical, tough, with above the rim athleticism. He’s always working whether it’s on the offensive boards or finding a place to cut. Mitchell can hit the outside shot and get to the rim out of the triple threat. He’s putting together a big senior season.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/74-Tristan-Gross.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1054070 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/74-Tristan-Gross-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>2023 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="709233" first="Tristan" last="Gross"] continues to see his name grow in basketball circles. The 6’5 combo guard has a great jump shot from everywhere on the floor. The release is lightning quick. Combined with his size and quickness, he can get his shot off in the face of defenders. He makes difficult shots easy. The athleticism he uses to score in the halfcourt goes a long way on the break and defensive end. He can get above the rim to finish plays, block shots on rotations, and deny his man the ball by closing passing lanes with deflections.</p> <p><strong>Freedom</strong></p> <p>The Patriots have a trio of senior guards team’s will have to game plan for. Christian DeVore, Kenneth Garad, and Joshua Germain all give this team firepower. But for the sake of this article, it’s DeVore and Germain who get the spotlight.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6629-rotated.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1344654" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6629-150x150.jpg" alt="Christian DeVore | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>DeVore is a 6’1 guard that shot the lights out on back-to-back days. I’ve been tracking this team and his shooting since the XBL League in August. He’s been a consistent contributor from deep since day 1 and doesn’t look to slow down anytime soon. He’s a highly efficient zone-busting three-point shooter that knocked down 7 shots from deep over two games. The 2022 prospect is currently third in scoring at 12.3 points per game.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6630-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1344655 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_6630-150x150.jpg" alt="Joshua Germain | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>Germain quickly became a crowd favorite over the two days with his bulldog-like play. He’s tough, he’s physical, and he will not let his team lose. He generates offense with his three level scoring. His drive game dictates everything else. When defenses key in on his slashing, his potent pull-up jumper arrives. When he gets hot, he can knock down the three. He’s a tenacious competitor that gives his team a spark when they get cold.</p>