Geico Nationals: Link Academy vs Montverde Acad. (Pt. 2)

Joel Francisco

April 13, 2022 @ 11:33 AM

Geico Nationals: Link Academy 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 [player_tooltip player_id="889560" first="Jordan" last="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. Playmaker [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"] (Montverde Academy) 2022, G, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds Joel’s Take: The Duke signee didn’t have his usual scoring outburst (5-of-17 fga), but he had his fingertips all over this one. His jump shot wasn’t falling, but he did hit a clutch pull-up jump shot. However, it was his passing acumen that was the catalyst to his team’s victory. He dropped some nifty dimes in this one as he ended up with five assists—and he had some key buckets in the 2nd half to catapult his team to victory. Glue-guy [player_tooltip player_id="577854" first="Jalen" last="Hood-Schifino"] (Montverde Academy) 2022, G, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: Hood-Schifino didn’t have his usual scoring impact, but he was the overall perimeter glue for Montverde’s championship run. Grinding at both ends is the foundation of his game. He is a stout defender who has the strength and quickness to shut down opposing scorers. Offensively, he is equally effective as a driver and facilitator. Overall, due to his moxie, savvy, and budding skill set, he should have an immediate impact at Indiana. On the Rise [player_tooltip player_id="981141" first="Tarris" last="Reed Jr"] (Link Academy) 2022, F/C, 6-foot-10, 265 pounds Joel’s Take: Reed continued to show the kind of impact he will have at the next level—that being Michigan. Each and every time out at Geico Nationals, he showed another aspect of his game—this time defending on the perimeter and taking a charge. A player at his size having the ability to get into the passing lanes and cause turnovers is impressive. He is blessed with good feet and his inside/out scoring prowess bodes well for college and beyond. Oozing Potential [player_tooltip player_id="957019" first="Kwame" last="Evans"] (Montverde Academy) 2023, F, 6-foot-9, Joel’s take: Evans doesn’t get a whole lot of touches, but in the championship he made some key jump shots as well as one late in the 4th quarter that sealed the deal for his team. The feathery-shooting forward has an incredible wing-span and is only scratching the surface of his potential. In addition, he impacted the game with his length and passing prowess. Going forward I would like to see him play a more physical game and mix in post work to diversify his overall game.