Geico Nationals: Arizona Compass vs Montverde Acad. (Pt. 2)

Joel Francisco

April 3, 2022 @ 10:53 PM

Geico Nationals: Arizona Compass vs Montverde Acad. (Pt. 2) FORT MEYERS, FL—It’s hard to believe but Geico Nationals is in its thirteenth year of existence and its been quite a ride with a staggering amount of players that have ended up in the NBA, including Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jaylen Brown to name a few. This year is no different as there are a plethora of highly-talented ballers in Jordan Walsh, Chris Livingston, [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"], [player_tooltip player_id="781876" first="Keyonte" last="George"], and Gatorade National POY Gradey Dick. Mr. All-Around [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"] 2022, G, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds Joel’s Take: Whitehead, who is headed to Duke, is one of the more improved high-level prospects in the country. In the past he struggled a bit with consistency. However, his game has really evolved nicely in the past 4 years. The bouncy explosiveness has always been there, but now he has solid ball skills, savvy decision making, and he’s a high-level defender who can guard all three perimeter positions. The Next Step [player_tooltip player_id="826994" first="Adrame" last="Diongue"] (Arizona Compass) 2022, C, 6-foot-11, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: Diongue is just scratching the surface of his potential. He plays with a good motor, runs well in transition, and his skill set is coming together. He needs to gain strength and his shoulder width is a bit narrow, but he does have soft hands and good feet. He shows the touch from the elbow and he’s active as a rebounder and rim protector. 3-point Marksman [player_tooltip player_id="992477" first="Kylan" last="Boswell"] (Arizona Compass) 2023, PG, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds Joel’s Take: Boswell has been on the recruiting radar since his freshman season in Southern California. He has always played beyond his years in terms of skill, savvy, and overall mindset. His confidence is exhibited in his leadership and ability to knock in clutch jump shots. His jump shot is tight and his range extends to well beyond the arc. He can toss in the floater, run the pick and roll, and finish through contact. Mr. Moxie [player_tooltip player_id="787678" first="Lamar" last="Washington"] (Arizona Compass) 2022, G, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds Joel’s Take: The Texas Tech signee has all the physical and mental traits to excel in the Red Raider program. The slick lefty plays with moxie at both ends and can score from all three levels. In addition, he can break down the defense and deliver timely passes to open teammates. [player_tooltip player_id="814905" first="Malik" last="Reneau"] 2022, F, 6-foot-9, 225 pounds Joel’s Take: Reneau is one of the better prospects in the country that is still available. The skilled lefty doesn’t have great bounce or quickness, but he has magnetic hands and a soft touch. There is no wasted motion in his game and he knows what he is—a skilled post who plays with a good motor and a high basketball IQ.