US Amateur Nationals Tournament Standouts (Pt. 3)
From Minnesota to our home of Florida, teams from all over the country made their way to Gainesville for the U.S. Amateur National Championships. Florida squads made their presence felt, with some players going above the rest to make a statement. Check out Part Three of the standouts from the four-day event.
Perry Sylvester: Top Flight Elite 2021: Perry was great at being in the right place at the right time during his game vs. the Georgia Royals. Perry notched his scoring via drives through the lane, and putbacks at the rim. When he didn’t have a chance to score, he secured the offensive rebound and gave Top Flight extra possessions.
Steven Nelson: Top Flight Elite 2021: Nelson was the reason his squad was able to get back in the game, late. In the second half, he knocked down four threes in a span of a few minutes to chip away at the deficit. On the double-team, Nelson’s nice at poking away steals and pushing the fast-break to see teammates, up. Worked hard and hustled, all game.
Lloyd Matthew: GPI All-Stars 2020: On defense, Matthew really made his presence, felt. Every shot taken by the person he was guarding, Matthew contested it. He didn’t make anything easy. On the rebounding glass, he was extremely active, regardless of which side of the ball he was on. In the post, he’s a nightmare to handle. Matthew plays way bigger than his size.
Ravon Stanberry: Treasure Coast Titans 2021: Another guy that was a bully coming into the paint. Stanberry gave some strong moves and finishes whenever he had his chance. On defense, he served as a great rim protector, made drivers think twice about going up. Great at boxing-out for rebounds. Loved the energy.
Aaron Small Jr: Nike Team Florida 2022: The kid from P.K. Yonge School was aggressive all-tournament, on defense. Small Jr. had a number of deflections off the inbound play, and was a pesky transition-defender, poking away steals as the opponent crossed half-court. One thing that set him aside from many: his passing-vision. Small Jr. thread the needle on a few passes to the paint, setting up his teammates to succeed.