Geico Nationals: Link Academy vs Prolific Prep (Pt. 1)

Joel Francisco

April 10, 2022 @ 10:41 PM

Geico Nationals: Link Academy vs Prolific Prep (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 [player_tooltip player_id="889560" first="Jordan" last="Walsh"], Chris Livingston, Dariq Whitehead, Keyonte George, and Gatorade National POY Gradey Dick. Mr. Impact [player_tooltip player_id="889560" first="Jordan" last="Walsh"] (Link Academy) 2022, F, 6-foot-7, 195 pounds Joel’s Take: Walsh had his fingertips all over this game. His forte is impacting the game with his motor. He uses his length and bounce to slash his way to the rim in transition, catch lobs, and convert the occasional 3-pointer. His face-up skills are on the come as he possesses a quick 1st step. Once he gets in the paint, he has a nose to score. Defensively, he uses his length and active hands to cause havoc. l Stepping it up [player_tooltip player_id="1270483" first="Tre" last="White"] (Prolific Prep) 2022, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds Joel’s take: White was Prolific Prep’s go-to player with [player_tooltip player_id="1252976" first="MJ" last="Rice"] out of the lineup. He was the primary playmaker who did an outstanding job of scoring and facilitating. His shot selection can be a bit questionable at times, but he is built to score. He is tough to deal with off the bounce and he can either nail the mid-range pull-up or finish through contact. When attacking he is quite the nifty passer where he set up [player_tooltip player_id="766841" first="Jordan" last="Pope"] on a number of 3-point attempts. Shooter Alert [player_tooltip player_id="766841" first="Jordan" last="Pope"] (Prolific Prep) 2023, PG, 6-foot, 165 pounds Joel’s take: Pope had a terrific stretch at Geico. He is equally adept at shooting off the catch or converting the 3 in transition. He sets up his shot well where he is always on balance. He gets great lift on his shot as well. If the defender crowds him he can utilize the pump-fake to free himself and deliver the mid-range pull-up. Pope is one of the better combo-guards in the West. Paint Nemesis [player_tooltip player_id="996898" first="Felix" last="Okpara"] (Link Academy) 2022, C, 6-foot-11, 240 pounds Joel’s take: While Walsh is the perimeter defensive catalyst, Okpara has been the paint protector. Okpara has good feet and mobility and excellent timing. He had a stunning block on a dunk attempt on a probable post finish by [player_tooltip player_id="1254022" first="Mor" last="Seck"], and then covered the length of the floor to stuff a rim finish where he showed impeccable timing. With his length, quick feet, and instincts he should be a defensive nightmare at the next level.