Nightrydas Invitational Standouts: Day 2

<p>Day 2 of the Nightrydas Invitational was the headliner day of the tournament. Matchups were ultra competitive and players from the state of Florida got to go up against some of the nation’s premiere AAU programs where they can challenge themselves against the best. Here are my standouts from the games I saw on day 2. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1055796" first="Ta’veon" last="Jones"] (2024)| 5’6 PG| Central Florida Christian Academy/Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was clear that [player_tooltip player_id="1055796" first="Ta’veon" last="Jones"] had something to prove on Saturday. The small guard out of Winter Garden, Florida had multiple crafty layups and finishes throughout his games. He plays feisty on both sides of the court and has the energy to establish himself as a top dog in each and every game. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1055794" first="Jordan" last="Tillery"] (2024)| 6’4 G| Dr. Phillips High School/Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With his size and skillset, [player_tooltip player_id="1055794" first="Jordan" last="Tillery"] has the ability to be a breakout player on EYBL. Despite being listed as a guard, Tillery does have the ability to grab rebounds in the paint leading to put back finishes and dunks. His athleticism stood out to many of the fans watching his game as he is able to dunk with power and jump with anybody. The 6’4 guard can also hit a three as well since he displayed this skill set during the season however in AAU basketball his dominance all over the court is really starting to show. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1055707" first="Ian" last="Smikle"] (2024)| 6’8 C/F| Suncoast High School/Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When is [player_tooltip player_id="1055707" first="Ian" last="Smikle"] not getting involved down in the paint? His lengthy arms allow him to contest multiple shots and layups on defense while on offense he can use his length to finish and all tip the ball in. With future development, Smikle may turn into a future lob/dunk threat. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1163621" first="Leroy" last="Roker"] (2024)| 6’1 CG/SF| Canterbury School/Team Speights</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Team Speights was in a battle against Team CP3 15U which is an EYBL program. Roker was still able to use his skills against these top ranked EYBL players. His athleticism helps with his craftiness and creating his own shot. He can also handle the ball as well and facilitate movement. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Gavin Williams (2025)| 6’0 G| Evangelical Christian High School/Team Speights</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gavin Williams showcased his composure on Saturday. He was able to not get flustered when going up against EYBL opponents. Williams was a facilitator and constantly passed the ball and moved it around in the halfcourt on offense. He would also handle the ball majority of the time and would limit his turnovers. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Marouf Moumine (2023)| 6’7 CG/SF| Cardinal Newman High School/Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At 6 foot 7, Marouf Moumine is oozing with upside. He is a prospect that fans are just now starting to learn about. His frame gives him some high major potential. He was able to illustrate his versatile skill set by how he is able to dribble the ball down in transition and also knock down shots from the midrange and get layups. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="709227" first="Jaylen" last="Carey"] (2023)| 6’7 C| Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nightrydas Elite is very familiar with [player_tooltip player_id="709227" first="Jaylen" last="Carey"]. Carey has been apart of the program for at least a few years now and his game is really starting to develop. The rising senior has great hands and can score easily with the paint. His IQ is becoming more and he is grasping a greater understanding of when to call for the ball downlow when there is a smaller defender. Carey’s playmaking and passing has also improved. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1301708" first="Benny" last="Fragela"] (2025)| 6’2 SG| Christopher Columbus High School/Nightrydas Elite</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1301708" first="Benny" last="Fragela"] is known to be a knocked down shooter. He holds the ball very high and launches it in the air to get the shot over taller defenders. What Fragela improved on was his driving and playmaking. He started to get better at finishing layups or kicking the ball out instead of laying it up. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Matthew Curprew Elsy (2024)| SF| Somerset Prep North Lauderdale/Bad Boys Basketball </b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dunk of the event has to come from 2024 small-forward Matthew Curprew Elsy. His poster vs Team CP3 16U was emphatic. His lengthy arms allows him to get layups and also dunk on players as mentioned. He also plays very hard and can run on defense. </span></p>