HOLIDAY HOOPFEST Standouts, First Five

Bishop Verot High School hosted its annual Holiday Hoopfest Tournament during the last week of December, and as always it was a tremendous success. It included a number of talented teams with many intriguing prospects to get your eyes on, and was an excellent 4 days of basketball to close out the year. There was great basketball played throughout the tournament, and I'd like to take a closer look at some of players who really stood out and entered 2025 on a high note.    Ambrose is a crafty PG who has the ability to score inside and out. He can beat the defender off the dribble and finish around the rim, but is also a threat from behind the arc where he shoots the 3-ball at a very high rate. Ambrose has a tremendous basketball IQ and is a true floor general for this Cardinal Gibbons squad. The MVP of the Holiday Hoopfest finished with 18 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in the Championship win over Bishop Verot.     The Chiefs super athletic forward had himself quite the tourney, earning him All-Tournament Team honors. Herbert is quick off the floor and rebounds the ball very well on both ends of the court. He has a smooth stroke from behind the arc, but also has the ability to attack the basket and finish above the rim. Herbert finished the tourney scoring in double-figures for multiple games including a 20 point performance in a win over FBA.     Leslie continues to reestablish himself as one of the top players in SWFL after transferring back home from The Rock School for his senior season. The 6'7" CG played hard and was aggressive throughout the tournament. He scored in double-figures every game, including a 32 point, 12 rebound performance in a win over Ferguson, and a 21 point, 5 rebound outing in tough loss in the Championship game.     Williams coming off an impressive performance in the COP 3-point contest, where he recorded a score of 21 earning him 3rd place, continued his hot shooting throughout the Holiday tournament. He recorded multiple 20 point games and was a catalyst for his Vikings squad night in and night out. Williams handles the ball very well and can stop on a dime and knock down the jumper in the defenders face, but is also lethal from behind the arc if you give him any space, making him very difficult to defend     Clayton continues to impress in each and every game so far in this his senior season. The 6'3" PG is a true team leader and plays the game with tremendous poise and control. He never gets flustered and can score in bunches when called upon. He recorded 13 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in a quarter-final victory over Seminole, but had a stellar performance in a double OT victory over Taravella. In that contest Clayton had the tying shots in both the 4th quarter and 1st overtime, and finished the game with 29 points and 8 assists.

Bishop Verot High School hosted its annual Holiday Hoopfest Tournament during the last week of December, and as always it was a tremendous success. It included a number of talented teams with many intriguing prospects to get your eyes on, and was an excellent 4 days of basketball to close out the year. There was great basketball played throughout the tournament, and I'd like to take a closer look at some of players who really stood out and entered 2025 on a high note.