Geico Nationals: La Lumiere vs IMG Acad. (Pt 1)

Joel Francisco

April 5, 2022 @ 10:23 PM

Geico Nationals: La Lumiere vs IMG Acad. (Pt 1) FORT MEYERS, FL—It’s hard to believe but Geico Nationals is in its thirteenth year of existence and its been quite a ride with a staggering amount of players that have ended up in the NBA, including Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jaylen Brown to name a few. This year is no different as there are a plethora of highly-talented ballers in Jordan Walsh, Chris Livingston, [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"], [player_tooltip player_id="781876" first="Keyonte" last="George"], and Gatorade National POY [player_tooltip player_id="787613" first="Gradey" last="Dick"]. Most Improved [player_tooltip player_id="546189" first="Jarace" last="Walker"] (IMG Academy) 2022, F, 6-foot-8, 230, pounds Joel’s Take: Walker, who is headed to Houston, is yet another high-level prospect that has taken his game to a new level. He was patient during his time at IMG and that patience and hard work have paid off. He is a physical beast with broad shoulders and good length. He can face-up his defender and use his quick and powerful 1st step to get to the rim. His shooting touch has extended out to the 3-point line and he can also deliver the assist—as demonstrated by a nifty off-hand pass to an open teammate. On the Rise [player_tooltip player_id="957021" first="Jacoi" last="Hutchinson"] (IMG Academy) 2023, G, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Hutchinson-Jacoi-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1005045 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Hutchinson-Jacoi-Head-Shot-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> Joel’s Take: Hutchinson did a nice job of filling in for the injured [player_tooltip player_id="787609" first="Jaden" last="Bradley"]. The gritty point guard prospect brings that Patrick Beverly competitiveness on the defensive end and his offensive game is becoming tight as well. He can break down defenders off the dribble and he sets up teammates with the pass. His jump shot is solid out to the stripe and he can finish with either hand at the rim. Son of a coach [player_tooltip player_id="814897" first="Jett" last="Howard"] (IMG Academy) 2022, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds Joel’s Take: Howard has grown steadily both physically as well as from a skill standpoint. The rangy Howard has been taught well by his father as he plays the game on balance and he doesn’t force the issue. He does a nice job cutting off of screens and he sets up his shot well. Defensively, he has become more stout in that area of the game where he uses his length to get deflections. The Next Step Aden Holloway (La Lumiere) 2023, G, 6-foot-1, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: With JJ Starling hobbled by an ankle injury, Holloway needed a big game. However, he didn’t seem to get into a good rhythm. The sharpshooting combo-guard can knock down the 3, but he was only to get one to fall. In addition, he showed glimpses of his middle game as he tossed in a nice runner. Going forward he needs to still learn different ways to impact the game when his scoring package is being suffocated. Blue-Collar Madness Chisom Okpara (La Lumiere) 2022, F, 6-foot-7, 200 pounds Joel’s Take: Harvard got a good one when Okpara committed to Tommy Amaker. The high-motor 4-man can play inside and out due to his versatile skill set. He battles for rebounds and can finish through contact. His pivot work in the paint is on the come as he can finish with his back to the basket or take a defender off the drive. His IQ showed up with his sweet transition pass and he can e