IMG Academy Ascender Classic Preview: Day 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The annual Ascender Classic has arrived and Prep Hoops Florida is taking a deeper dive at what to watch out for the next two days. Top teams and top prospects from across the state will be on display. Prep Hoops Florida scout Ross Van De Griek will be taking in the action. Check out the Day 1 preview below:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Tampa Christian vs IMG Academy Black- Friday at 12:45pm: </strong>The North Tampa Christian Titans will be making their first appearance in the Ascender Classic and have a talented freshman core led by 6'9 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1658584' first='Toni' last='Bryant'], alongside 6'0 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2134674' first='Archie' last='McFadden'] who picked up his first offer from NJIT earlier in the week. Another name to keep an eye on will be 6'2 freshman combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1658583' first='Evan' last='Kramer']. On the other side, the IMG Academy Black Ascenders come in looking to snap out of a 3-game losing streak. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Palmetto vs IMG Academy Silver- Friday at 2:15pm:</strong> The Palmetto Tigers are also making their first appearance in the Ascender Classic are led by head coach Abel Varnadore and come into play with an 8-8 record. Keep an eye on 6'0 freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1660031' first='Evan' last='Roberts'] for Palmetto in this matchup. The IMG Academy Silver Ascenders come into play with a 7-5 record and have won 3 of their last 4 games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Benjamin vs Bradenton Christian- Friday at 3:45pm: </strong>The Benjamin Buccaneers will be making the trip across the state and are led by 7th year head coach Brandon Arnette. Keep an eye on 6'11 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='962596' first='Gavin' last='Aydelotte'] in this matchup, averaging a team best 18.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season for the Buccaneers. Another name to keep an eye on will be 6'0 senior guard Sanjae Moncrieffe who is averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season. On the other side, the Bradenton Christian Panthers are led by 11th year head coach Scott Townsend and have been playing good basketball since the new year, winning 3 of their last 4 games. Keep an eye on 6'0 junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1306129' first='Jaden' last='Baker'] who is averaging a team best 21.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season for the Panthers. Another name to keep an eye on will be 5'11 sophomore guard Aaron Clark who is averaging 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Combine Academy (NC) vs Oldsmar Christian- Friday at 5:15pm: </strong>The Combine Academy will be making their way to the Sunshine State from North Carolina as they appear in the Ascender Classic for the first time. Keep an eye on 6'9 junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1489567' first='Trentyn' last='Flowers'] who holds over 20 D-1 offers leading the team averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. Another name to keep an eye on will be 6'5 junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1131546' first='Rakease' last='Passmore'] who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season. On the other side, the Oldsmar Christian Eagles are led by 6'5 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1578249' first='Braylon' last='Jackson'] and 6'5 senior combo guard Cristian Sanon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Columbus (Miami) vs IMG Academy- Friday at 7:30pm: </strong>In the final matchup of the first day at the Ascender Classic, we bring you a Top 10 matchup between the No. 10 Columbus Explorers who are led by 6'5 sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1301715' first='Cayden' last='Boozer'] and 6'9 sophomore power forward [player_tooltip player_id='1301714' first='Cameron' last='Boozer']. Also keep an eye on 6'8 junior small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1578317' first='Malik' last='Abdullahi'] who scored the game-winner at the Hoophall Classic to knock off Sierra Canyon (California). On the other side, the IMG Academy Ascenders come in ranked No. 9 in the nation, according to the Xcellent Top 25 rankings. Watch out for 6'4 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='992517' first='Blue' last='Cain'] (Georgia Tech signee), as well as 6'7 junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1125963' first='Amier' last='Ali'] and 6'2 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='957021' first='Jacoi' last='Hutchinson'] (George Washington University signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->