Underheralded and Under The Radar: Miami
Quentin Alfieri, Palm Glades Prep One of the area’s lesser known prospects, Alfieri has prolific scoring ability as a 6-foot-3 combination guard who can play multiple positions. Alfieri stockpiled numerous double doubles as a junior and authored several games where…
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Continue ReadingQuentin Alfieri, Palm Glades Prep
One of the area’s lesser known prospects, Alfieri has prolific scoring ability as a 6-foot-3 combination guard who can play multiple positions.
Alfieri stockpiled numerous double doubles as a junior and authored several games where he collected 15+ rebounds. He wound up averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 boards, and 5.3 assists. The Class of 2019 Alfieri opened eyes during the Elite Miami Take Over in March, registering his presence as one of the leaders in scoring and rebounding.
Shawn Nelson, Miami Killian
The 6-foot-3 off guard has a smooth stroke and has the type of high caliber catch-and-stick game capable of piloting Killian’s perimeter assault.
He’s advanced his scoring acumen by being less reliant on a set shot and adding more fakes and dribbles to his game. While he was more of a role player last year, averaging 8.9 PPG, he’s got the type of deadeye and quick-strike shooting to play a more significant role as a seasoned senior.
While he still needs to develop more of a balanced offensive game by attacking and scoring off the dribble, his shooting from mid range and beyond is a reliable scoring tool.
Chris Calatayud, Miami Killian
The 6-foot-4 combination guard is a dual threat with his facilitating and scoring ability.
He’s also an active ingredient on the glass and has shown a knack for providing putbacks and stickbacks through traffic.
The most underrated aspect of his game is his shooting, as he’s known to get free and stick corner 3-pointers.
After averaging 10 points and five boards as a junior, expect the Class of 2019 prospect to inherit the leadership role and rapidly increase on these numbers.
He’s got good on-court awareness, an aspect that enables him to be a calming influence with the ball and make sound decisions under pressure.
Jalen Hawkins, Miami-Dade (JUCO)
The Class of 2020 JUCO product is best known for his scoring, an aspect that catapulted him into the all-time charts in upstate New York.
Hawkins, who played at The Conrad School in Orlando as a senior, has become more of an all around threat. He plays with defensive tenacity and a toughness and mental moxie that’s translatable to the Division-I level. He had numerous mid major Division-I offers from programs such as Iona and UMass before taking the JUCO route.
If Hawkins can show a more polished offensive game, that kind that allowed him to average 30+ during an illustrious high school career, expect high contributions from the well traveled prospect. There appears to be mutual intrigue between Hawkins and Clemson.
Seven Ferguson, Mater Academy
The 6-foot-5 Class of 2019 guard/forward possesses a component which no coach ever wants to have to instill in a player and that’s a motor.
He’s got length, quickness, athleticism, and is continuing to develop in the skill categories of his game. Beginning with his performance at Palm Beach State camp in Lake Worth, Ferguson flashed a vastly-improved 3-point game.
After leading as a quintessential hustle guy as a junior, Ferguson will adjust from being a glue guy to a central piece of legendary South Florida head coach Marcos “Shakey” Rodriguez’ core.
He’s got defensive versatility and an instinctive style of play. He’s become more of an efficient scorer and is beginning to be hunt for his shot more.
Expect him to continue to leave his fingerprints on every statistical category while also providing a major presence as a scorer.