Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic: Day 1 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic will be taking place on January 6 and January 7 at Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville. Prep Hoops Florida scouts Mark Holland and Ross Van De Griek will be on site covering the event. Here is a complete preview of what you need to know heading into Day 1 of the shootout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game #1: St. Andrew's (Georgia) vs Raines- Friday at 4:00pm: </strong>The opening game of the Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic features the St. Andrew's Lions who are making their way from Savannah and come into the shootout with an 11-0 record. The Lions are averaging 69.5 points per game this season and are led by 7th year head coach Mel Abrams Jr. A name to know will be 5'9 senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1147608' first='Zyere' last='Edwards'] who is averaging a team high 23.9 points per game, as well as 2.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Another name to keep an eye on will be the younger brother Zayden, a 6-0 guard averaging 12.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. A name to keep an eye on for the Raines Vikings will be 6'2 senior forward JaQuan Coffey who has been their focal point this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game #2: Sagemont vs Alexander (Georgia)- Friday at 5:30pm: </strong>The Sagemont Lions come into this matchup ranked No. 2 in the state across all classifications, according to MaxPreps' latest rankings. The Lions are led by 6th year head coach David Roe and come into the classic with a 13-1 record on the season. A name to keep an eye on for Sagemont will be 6'7 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='962452' first='Tynan' last='Becker'] who is leading the team averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Also keep an eye on 6'4 senior guard Maxx Martinez who is averaging 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on the season. On the other side, the Alexander (Georgia) Cougars come into the Pre-MLK Classic ranked No. 6 across all classifications in the state of Georgia. A name to keep an eye on for the Cougars will be 6'8 junior forward Braeden Lue, who is averaging a team best 16.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. In 12 games played this season, Lue is shooting 60 percent from the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game #3: Gibbs vs Riverside- Friday at 7:00pm: </strong>In the third matchup of the Opening Day slate in the Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic, the Gibbs Gladiators hail from St. Petersburg and are off to a 9-2 start to the season. The Gladiators reached the Class 4A Final Four last season and are led by 18th year head coach Larry Murphy. Gibbs are led by 6'0 sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1450211' first='Jacob' last='Daniels'] who is averaging a team best 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. Another name to keep an eye on will be 6'3 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='962440' first='Marcus' last='Calvin'], who is signed to play football at the University of Kansas. On the other side for the Riverside Generals, who come into the Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic with a 4-8 record. A name to keep an eye on will be 6'4 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1060243' first='Dominick' last='Scott'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game #4: SLAM Academy vs Andrew Jackson- Friday at 8:30pm:</strong> In the final game of the Opening Day slate in the Jacksonville Pre-MLK Classic, the SLAM Academy Spartans come from the Tampa Bay area and are led by 6th year head coach Brian Reeves. The Spartans come into the shootout ranked No. 18 in Class 2A, according to MaxPreps and have played the toughest strength of schedule in the state. Keep an eye on 6'5 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1055721' first='Ramone' last='Seals'], who is averaging a team best 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Another name to keep an eye on will be 6'4 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1060254' first='Xavier' last='Finney'], who is averaging 12.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. On the other side, the Andrew Jackson Tigers are led by 13th year head coach James Collins and come into the shootout on a 2-game winning streak. The Tigers are led by a young backcourt duo between junior [player_tooltip player_id='1149246' first='Jaylen' last='Dopson'] and sophomore Jahari Simmons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->