Geico Nationals: Sunrise Christian vs Prolific Prep (Pt. 1)

Joel Francisco

April 6, 2022 @ 06:44 PM

Geico Nationals: Sunrise Christian vs Prolific Prep (Pt. 1) 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, Dariq Whitehead, Keyonte George, and Gatorade National POY [player_tooltip player_id="787613" first="Gradey" last="Dick"]. On the Rise [player_tooltip player_id="709244" first="Scotty" last="Middleton"] (Sunrise Christian Academy) 2023, G, 6-foot-6, 180 pounds Joel’s Take: One of the highlights of Sunrise Christian was the play of up-and-coming Middleton. The willowy wing-type is a slashing scorer who plays hard at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he shows a nice burst off the dribble and he’s tough to stop in transition. Not to mention he knocked in three 3s. Defensively, his lateral quickness is impressive and he has quick hands. The Future [player_tooltip player_id="1119277" first="Zion" last="Sensley"] (Prolific Prep) 2024, G, 6-foot-8, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: Sensley is one of the more impressive looking sophomores in the country. He has that D1 frame that college coaches covet with length, quickness, and bounce. His ball skills are solid in the open court, delivers the look-ahead pass, and he can knock in the 3-pointer. He didn’t get many touches in this one, but the physical traits are evident. Athletic Combo Layden Blocker (Sunrise Christian Academy) 2022, G, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: Blocker is one of the fastest-rising combo-guards who possesses many of the skills needed to succeed in today’s game. He can play both guard positions, albeit at this time he is more of a scorer than a facilitator. He has a tight crossover, a quick burst, and he can elevate well above the rim for the finish. Two-Way standout [player_tooltip player_id="1270483" first="Tre" last="White"] (Prolific Prep) 2022, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds Joel’s Take: Arguably the MVP of his team in their thrilling upset over Sunrise Christian. Although teammate Jordan Poole put on a scoring clinic, White was the stalwart at both ends. Defensively, he put the clamps on All-American [player_tooltip player_id="787613" first="Gradey" last="Dick"], and offensively he was stellar at both facilitating and converting buckets. His mid-range game is tight and he has the strength to play through contact. Diamond in the rough Bobi Klintman (Sunrise Christian Academy) 2022, F, 6-foot-9, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: Klintman, who is originally from Sweden, has a bright future in this game. The has a terrific frame with ideal length and he’s a quality athlete. He delivered a couple of nifty passes while attacking at the elbow and he showed a nice touch that extends to the 3-point line. Heading forward he should have a nice career in college as a pick-and-pop 4-man.