SWFL Postseason Standouts, Second Five

With the teams now heading to Lakeland to compete for a State Title, let's take a look back at some of the top performers throughout this year's postseason play. A number of SWFL teams made some noise in the playoffs and there are still two alive, with both Charlotte and FBA heading to the Final 4. It was a tremendous season for basketball in SWFL and some local prospects really helped put their names on the map with their stellar postseason play.    Johnson has been a double-double machine throughout his career and he continued that through postseason play with an 18 point, 16 rebound performance in a win over Oasis, and a 15 point, 16 rebound outing in a victory over Glades Central. The 6'8" senior has tremendous athleticism and is very quick off floor where he likes to get the crowd involved with his rim-rattling dunks. Johnson is just fun to watch both offensively and defensively, and has established himself as one of the top players in not just SWFL but the entire state.     Clayton is another SWFL product who has proven to be one of the elite players in the entire state. The do-it-all guy for Barron Collier put up some tremendous numbers this season where he averaged 20.6 ppg, 6.5 asp, 5.6 rpg, and 1.9 spg, in route to amassing over 1200 points in his career. He plays the game under control and with a cool and calm demeanor. He flirts with triple-double numbers each time he steps on the court, and finished his career with a 35 point, 8 rebound performance in a losing effort to a talented Stranahan squad.     Barron Collier's high flyer put his athleticism on display throughout the Cougar's playoff run. The junior forward has tremendous leaping ability and is quick off the the floor which make him an excellent rebounder on both ends of the court. He is very active on defense where he looks to force turnovers and has a great feel for turning defense into offense. For a guy his size he is an excellent shot blocker and loves to play above the rim. Walker finished with a game-high 16 points in an opening round win over Estero, and his energy and effort helped Barron Collier to yet another District Title.     The talented young sophomore continues to impress and elevate his game. Nestor is a hard-working prospect who is always pushing himself to become better. He is a tough, gritty guard who prides himself in defense and won't back down from any assignment. Offensively, he is a 3-level scorer with unlimited range, but also handles and distributes the ball very well. Nestor helped lead his Pirates to a District Title, totaling 13 points against both North Fort Myers and Fort Myers, and had a gutsy performance in an overtime loss to St. Pete where he finished with 17 points.     Lefresne had quite the playoff run, helping lead Port Charlotte to a District Title. The 6'2" senior guard can affect the game in a number of ways. In an opening round victory against Naples he finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals showcasing his all-around game. He is a smart, tough prospect who plays the game with a lot of heart and emotion. He is a solid rebounder from the guard position and has the ability to guard multiple positions. Lefresne can get into the paint and score around the rim, but has an excellent outside shot he can knock down efficiently.

With the teams now heading to Lakeland to compete for a State Title, let's take a look back at some of the top performers throughout this year's postseason play. A number of SWFL teams made some noise in the playoffs and there are still two alive, with both Charlotte and FBA heading to the Final 4. It was a tremendous season for basketball in SWFL and some local prospects really helped put their names on the map with their stellar postseason play.