Hardwood Invite Standouts Day 4 (Part I)

<p>The final day of the Hardwood Invite had too many tasty matchups for one post. In part one we’re going to focus on the first two games of the day, the fifth-place game, and the consolation championship. These players had a chance to leave with something by their names, but two teams had to leave empty-handed. The following guys showed out for the final push of the tournament.</p> <p><strong>King’s Christian Vs Gonzaga Prep</strong></p> <p>King’s Christian HS Senior Guard <strong>Jake O’Hearn</strong> - Behind every good scorer is a good point guard. Well, maybe not, but for King’s, O’Hearn is that guard. He dictates the pace of the game running the offense and igniting the break when it’s there. He consistently affects the momentum of the game, whether that’s sinking a clutch three, or picking someone’s pocket to steal away a possession. </p> <p>Gonzaga Prep HS Junior Forward [player_tooltip player_id="1086705" first="Jamil" last="Miller"] - Early on in the Miller wasn’t a focal point of the offense but made the most of his touches, scoring on nearly every shot. The momentum built up slowly for the junior forward but once he got going, he could not be stopped. He sunk two deep threes near the midway point, but everything else was a bunny for him. His explosiveness with the ball and soft touch around the rim led to 22 pts on an efficient 10/15 shots.</p> <p>Gonzaga Prep HS Junior Forward <strong>Carter Verret</strong> - Verret was unleashed in the finale, matching his tournament total for shots and cashing in on all of them. He finished with 10 pts and 4 boards, but it was the presence he created inside that kept the defense accountable and opened up more looks for his teammates. Verret finished with a variety of moves and attacked the mismatches without hesitation.</p> <p>Gonzaga Prep HS Sophomore Guard<strong> Henry Sandberg</strong> - Sandberg has been lurking behind G-Prep’s star players, but he could be another one on the rise for the Bullpups. His confidence seemed to grow throughout the tournament. He’s got a good combo of quickness and strength that allows him to create space for his pure mid-range jumper.</p> <p><strong>Winter Haven Vs Ferris</strong></p> <p>Winter Haven HS Sophomore Guard [player_tooltip player_id="1055762" first="Jamie" last="Phillips"] - Phillips is a physical presence at point guard. He can get where he wants on the floor and knows how to use his body to keep defenders at bay. He loves getting to zero and can dish or put up a little floater from the middle. For a young player he has a bit of an old man’s game, using pumps, shielding the ball well, and using his strength to create space on drives. Phillips is one to watch going forward.</p> <p>Winter Haven HS Junior Forward [player_tooltip player_id="1055750" first="Isaac" last="Celiscar"] - Celiscar plays bigger than his 6’6 frame suggests. Now, 6’6 isn’t tiny, but Celiscar plays closer to 6’8-6’9. He came into the tournament on a tear and continued it throughout. Against Ferris he pulled down 12 rebounds and went for 22 pts, mostly all coming in the paint or at the foul line.</p> <p>Ferris HS Senior Guard [player_tooltip player_id="929632" first="Trayce" last="Atkins"] - This speedy guard kept his team close by sheer will in the second half. He outhustled everyone down the court for easy two’s numerous times and really caught fire in the third, burying jumpers and doing what he does best - getting to the cup. Even when defenses know what Atkins wants to do, they struggle to stop him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>