AAU State Championships 11th Grade Division notebook (Part1)

<p>This past weekend I made the drive to out to Tavares for the AAU State Championships at The Big House Sports Complex. Lots of competitive basketball was on display, with FTL Elite National Orange taking out Team TMac in the finals 47-40. I tried my best to make it to as many games as possible, from what I was able to watch these are some of the players who showed promise:</p> <p>SF/PF [player_tooltip player_id="818743" first="Diego" last="Platas-Ivan"] 6-7 (Team TMAC ) High school: Auburndale</p> <p>With good size, and perimeter skills Platas showed a lot of potential this weekend. On offense, he handled the ball like a wing, sealed his man in the post, and scored from all three levels. With a very high basketball IQ, Platas found cutting teammates passing out of the post, and always seemed to be in the right spot on the floor. As the 6-7 match-up nightmare continues to get stronger, more and more schools should come calling. Recruiting wise, he claims interest from several Division II schools with Rollins College representing his lone scholarship offer.</p> <p>PF [player_tooltip player_id="818855" first="Daithan" last="Davis"] 6-5 (FTL Elite National Orange) High School: Bartow</p> <p>It is very evident that Davis has been working since winning a state championship last March. The big man looks like he has added 10 pounds of solid muscle since the season concluded. This weekend Davis showed a diverse skill set, posting up smaller players, and scoring off of the bounce bullying defenders on his way to the basket. He even showed the ability to  stretch the floor a little, knocking down some three-pointers. With Bartow losing starting forward [player_tooltip player_id="828035" first="Joshua" last="Simons"] to graduation, Davis looks poised for a huge senior season.</p> <p>CG [player_tooltip player_id="953724" first="Amarion" last="Frazier"] 6-2 (FTL Elite National Orange) High School: Bartow</p> <p>After being named Player of the Game in the FHSAA State Championships, Frazier picked up right where he left off. The guard plays with a serious chip on his shoulder, looking to defend the opposing teams best player regardless of size. This weekend Frazier filled it up from behind the three-point line, with multiple games of three three-point field goals or more. With shooting from the mid range as an area for improvement, his competitive spirit and defense are two attributes that all coaches admire. I am told that Frazier is a leader on and off of the court, and a solid student with a 3.3 GPA.</p> <p>PF Jonah Pierce 6-7 (TNBA South) High School: Lake Howell</p> <p>A big man that knows how to play the game the right way, Pierce looked like a solid prospect this past weekend. On offense , he showed great patience finding open cutters, and a face up game often using the rim to shield off defenders. With great hands, and solid footwork Pierce ran the floor hard, and even had a beautiful drop step to a big two handed slam. As he continues to add muscle to his long 6-7 frame, his list of suitors should continue grow. Division II and NAIA schools have recently been in contact.</p> <p>CG [player_tooltip player_id="818806" first="Nelson" last="St. Louis"] 6-4 (East Coast United) High School: Port St. Lucie</p> <p>At AAU Super Regionals, St. Louis looked very good. This weekend the he looked even better scoring from all over the floor, hitting three pointers, and even escaping for a few dunks in transition. The physical guard already has an offer from Point Park (NAIA) and with a summer of hard work, it shouldn’t be his last. Off the court St. Louis takes school very seriously reporting a 3.5 GPA.</p>