Insider Exposure May Madness Standouts – Part 2

Some of North Florida's best were out in full force last weekend at the May Madness showdown in Alachua, FL. Bringing teams from all over, this non-eval event was a big time opportunity for some under-the-radar Florida prospects to show what they've got. And show it they did. There were talented players at all levels. But only a few really stood out to me during my time at the event. Here is the second group of guys who really got it done for their squads: <b>Ben Walker, 6-0, 2023, Spoto, Bayhawks Elite</b> Walker was a huge upside player for the Bayhawks in the game I watched against 904 Elite. For Walker, his jumper is his biggest asset. It felt like every time the ball came off of Walker's hands, it found the bottom of the net. This was beneficial in two main regards: free throws and distance shooting. His shots from long range were falling at a crazy shooting clip. It legitimately felt like he couldn't miss. With the defense having to respect his jumper, Walker found opportunities to get free with pump fakes or force 904 to foul him as he slashed to the basket. He was great at keeping the defense a step behind and getting fouled as a result. Walker finished with 21 points in this one, and will no doubt be a guy to watch throughout the rest of this season. <b>[player_tooltip player_id='1296045' first='Jonathan' last='Moore'], 6-7, 2023, Newsome, Bayhawks Elite</b> It felt like [player_tooltip player_id='1296045' first='Jonathan' last='Moore'] was doing a little bit of everything from the moment he stepped on the floor in the Bayhawks game against 904 Elite. Paired up against another strong big man in [player_tooltip player_id="1060170" first="Keenan" last="Johnson"], Moore immediately established that this was not going to be all Johnson's show. Moore showed his elite footwork in the post and was giving Johnson buckets every time he was on the floor. His feet were soft and his touch around the rim was immaculate. He shocked me with some really nice athletic impulses in the open floor, throwing down some serious dunks to open up the game. Moore's athleticism aided him as an elite rebounding threat, as it felt like he was gobbling up defensive boards for the entire game. He was able to expand the range to the high post and keep the 904 defense guessing as to how he was going to score on them. He's got the size and skillset of a more traditional post player and should be a guy for colleges in need of elite big man fundamentals. <b>Caleb Joyner, 5-8, 2023, Oakleaf, Jax Kingsmen</b> Joyner was the little engine that could for the Jax Kingsmen in the game I watched against Team Gritty. Joyner was able to get some serious offensive action going despite his small stature. His bag is as deep as they come, and he flashed his finishing ability against much larger defenders from the moment he got out on the floor. Joyner's jumper was falling as well, giving his team some much needed juice in a hard fought loss. On the defensive end, Joyner had active hands and unlimited energy, a dangerous combo that gave him a defensive end and let him generate a few steals. He was shifty, quick, and everything a small guard needs to be to be a successful player on both sides of the ball. I really enjoyed watching Joyner play and would encourage coaches to do their homework before playing Oakleaf next season.