Winthrop Collegiate Prep Academy Versus Bell Creek Academy

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Winthrop Collegiate Prep Academy and Bell Creek Academy played the battle of the youngins. Both squads have winning records with rosters littered with 2025 and 2024 prospects. Let’s get into the players that stood out from this game.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7234-e1639592508797.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1347423" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7234-e1639592508797-150x150.jpg" alt="Fero Christian | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>2024 Fero Christian had some of the loudest points of the game. He’s a good one-on-one scorer that uses crossovers to create space. Christian’s got range on his pull-up jumpers and needs a bit of rhythm to get into his shot. He drew a couple of fouls in isolation, knocking down all four free throw attempts.</p> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1301768" first="Caleb" last="Sanders"] is going to be really good. He’s already 6’5, coordinated, and athletic. Sanders uses his athleticism to fly around the court and rebound at a high level. He affected both sides of the court, grabbing defensive rebounds and starting the break with deep pinpoint outlet passes or pushing it himself. On the offensive boards, he’s good for a putback or two but focuses on kicking the ball out to restart the offense. The freshman has a lot of tools that he’s already using to produce, affecting the game without flashy scoring numbers.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7233-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1347428 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7233-150x150.jpg" alt="Jayden Guillaume | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>I talked to Coach Brilmyer about Jayden Guillaume’s development. He says the focus this summer was about getting him tough and embracing his size. It worked. From watching him play fall ball to now, he’s looking more aggressive in the post. He’s throwing his weight around, getting deep position in the paint, and scoring over his right shoulder. He’s a solid rebounder on both ends, but tonight it was the offensive boards where he shines. Guillaume had five blocks in the second half to seal his team’s win.</p> <p>Brandon Stokely is one of the elder statesmen on Winthrop’s roster. He has a creative handle and uses it to get downhill. Stokely did a nice job finishing in a crowded paint area. He also showed some range on his jumper stepping out to hit a three. The junior currently leads the undefeated squad in scoring.</p> <p>The lone senior of Winthrop Brevin Sparks is a leader on this team. He controls the tempo and has a shifty game that keeps defenders guessing. He didn’t need to score much in the 18 point win, but the craft he showed to score over bigger players is promising.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7231.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1347421" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7231-150x150.jpg" alt="Jermal Jones | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>Jermal Jones is only an 8th grader, but he’s trusted with lead ball handler responsibilities. He has a nice handle and a feel for the game well above his age. Jones doesn’t force offense yet you can tell when he decides to be aggressive. He gets downhill off quick crossovers and loves to finish on the left side of the rim. He adjusts to contact in the air, resulting in several tough finishes.</p> <p>Efraim Marvin is another young guard to keep an eye on. He’s a smooth ball handler that leads the team in assist and steals at 5 and 4 a game, respectively. Solid numbers for a sophomore team captain.</p> <p>Freshman Mark Dudley might not raise eyebrows at first sight, but his game is really smooth. He drops dimes to teammates, grabs boards, pushes the ball up the court, and has good touch on his floater.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7232-e1639592658424.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1347425 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_7232-e1639592658424-150x150.jpg" alt="Richard Sykes | The Traveling Hoopers" width="150" height="150" /></a>2025 Richard Sykes scored in double figures, but it’s the joy he plays with that catches the eye. He’s always smiling and is the first to help teammates off the ground. He’s only a freshman, but this is his second year playing varsity. On the night he hit two threes including one beyond the college line. The other four points came from quick finishes against real size. Sykes will need to improve his handle to take the next jump in his development. A tighter handle may help him expand his passing, which has already resulted in solid assists number through 8 games.</p> <p>2024 Tahir Bibbs played well in the closing minutes of this game. At 6’4 he’s a hard-playing forward that scored on the block and stepped out to hit a three.</p>