Panhandle Update

<p>With NFHS streaming games from all over the state I decided to watch a few games featuring some of the best teams from the Panhandle. With our main writers located in the Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, and Orlando area I decided to show a few teams some love in an area that I am not as familiar with.</p> <p>Games I watched included:</p> <p><strong>Choctawhatchee 85 Booker T. Washington 51</strong></p> <p><strong>FSU School 58 Lincoln 49</strong></p> <p><strong>Escambia 67 Choctawhatchee 54</strong></p> <p>Standouts</p> <p><strong>SF Marcus White 6-8 Escambia 2021</strong></p> <p>In a 13-point win over a well coached Choctaw team, White’s talents were on full display. At 6-8, the long armed small forward handles the ball well for his size and his athleticism was a problem for the opposition all night long. The forward showed off his athleticism with an impressive two-handed put back dunk and also broke lose for a pair of dunks in transition. Shooting an efficient 8 of 13 from the field including 2 of 3 from behind the 3-point arc White finished with 21 points to go along with five rebounds. Defensively he uses his length and solid instincts to create deflections, and get into passing lanes as well as block shots. Although this was my first time seeing White play, I came away confident that he can play at the next level.</p> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id="714880" first="Jamil" last="Bowles"] 6-5 Choctawhatchee 2021</strong></p> <p>Bowles is a player that I have seen play a handful of times on film or at AAU Tournaments suiting up for 1 Family. The thing that stands out the most about his game is his defensive potential. A fluid athlete at 6-5, Bowles can defend each position on the perimeter. On offense, the guard is a more than capable 3-point shooter who handles the ball well and can get by defenders with a quick burst. Last season, the wing averaged just under 13 PPG and sank 40 3-pointers at a 35 percent rate. In the games I watched he shot the ball well from deep and looks poised for an even bigger roll for his senior season.</p> <p><strong>C [player_tooltip player_id="829404" first="Brian" last="Grant"] 6-8 &amp; F/C Elijah Johnson 6-7 Choctawhatchee (2022)</strong></p> <p>If there is a more physically imposing front court duo in Florida high school basketball, I have not seen it yet. Grant and Johnson are both defensive linemen on Choctaw’s football team and stand at least 6-7. Each player appears to weigh at least 250 pounds and they are extremely light on their feet. Grant showed the ability to play at and above the rim finishing a drop step to a two handed jam in each game. In addition to being deceptively quick laterally he also has quick hands and was able to poke the ball away from dribblers on a few occasions. Johnson does his best work underneath as a space eating big man, rebounding and scoring in close but also sees the floor well as a passer.</p> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id="962384" first="Anthony" last="Robinson"] II 6-2 FSU School (2023)</strong></p> <p>After a major growth spurt this past year Robinson looks primed to continue his development into a major college basketball player. One of this summer’s breakout performers participating up an age level for team Judah Nation the point guard’s strong play has carried over into his sophomore season. Against a strong well coached Lincoln team, Robinson scored 16 points to go along with an impressive 10 rebounds. While not the largest or strongest player on the court Robinson uses his quickness and basketball instincts to track down rebounds and loose balls. With a lightning quick crossover and a variety of moves he is able to create his own shot, or find teammates for scoring opportunities. With offers from Auburn, Alabama State, Stetson and IUPUI already you can expect that list to get longer as Robinson’s best basketball days are far ahead of him.</p> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id="818689" first="Makai" last="Willis"] 6-8 FSU School (2021)</strong></p> <p>In the win over Lincoln, Willis controlled the paint. The big man was absolutely dominant rebounding the basketball and scoring around the basket often through contact. On the night, the forward finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Come playoff time the Fairfield commits play will factor heavily in how far this talented team can go.</p> <p><strong>CG [player_tooltip player_id="818832" first="David" last="Ganious"] 6-4 Lincoln (2021)</strong></p> <p>In addition to Marcus White, [player_tooltip player_id="818832" first="David" last="Ganious"] is another name that I learned in my streaming of teams from the panhandle. At 6-4 with great length Ganious has  the ability to defend both guard positions. Last year he averaged 10 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.0 APG on a Lincoln team that finished 23-6 on the season. Against FSU School, he showed solid mechanics on his 3-point shot, and had a pretty spin move finishing on a left-handed drive. The guard ended the night with a team-high 10 points in the low scoring battle. It is my understanding that Ganious is also solid in the classroom with a 3.6 GPA.</p>