Championship Game
Montverde
Academy (FL) 58 Paul VI (VA) 53
A two hour delay and change of venues couldn’t stop Montverde from
winning their second consecutive City of Palms championship. With a scheduled
9pm tip time, senior guard Justin Bibbs
wasted no time in draining a three pointer for Montverde to start the
championship game. Unfortunately none of the other players on the court could
stay upright due to the condensation that had built up in the sweltering Bishop
Verot High School. While the gym started off nice and cool in the morning, the
temperature steadily rose as the games went on and the crowd increased to capacity.
After clearing all spectators from the gym for 45 minutes, the executive
decision was made to move the game 15 minutes down the road to Fort Myers High.
At 11pm in front of another packed house, the two top teams finally got to face
off.
 |
| Rorie and Simmons led the new look Montverde against Paul VI |
The two hour delay certainly didn’t phase Montverde as they came
out scorching from behind the arc. Point guard Jaylen Patterson knocked in two three’s, senior guard Brendan Boyle made his only shot of the
night from behind the arc, and then future California guard Ahmaad Rorie came off the bench with
his jump shot locked and loaded. After eight minutes of play, Montverde was up
26-11 over a bewildered Paul VI squad. After the initial outburst, Montverde
cooled off and Paul VI settled down as well with the second quarter being
played to a draw as Paul VI went 9-24 from the field and 4-9 from the line
including a botched dunk attempt by point guard Kevin Dorsey. Rorie led all scorers with 11 points.
The second half was another story for the two teams as Montverde
tried to hold on for dear life while Paul VI kept chipping away at the lead.
With their constant man to man pressure, Paul VI forced turnovers and senior guard
Evan Taylor stepped up his game and
scored time and time again off drives to the basket. At first Paul VI couldn’t get
over the seven point hump after several tries they eventually closed the gap to
49-47. With the crowd cheering for the comeback, Paul VI missed some very
makeable shots down the stretch including a Marcus Derrickson post up on the left block. With Paul VI forced to
foul, Bibbs and Patterson calmly stepped to the line and made all of their free
throws in one and one situations. Montverde got their large lead with shooting
from the outside and held onto it with their clutch free throw shooting. When
the game ended well past midnight, Montverde held on to their championship
belt.
Top
Players:
Ahmaad Rorie, 5’10”, PG, Montverde Academy, Committed to Cal, 2014
Rorie had his shot working on Saturday night in a semi-final win
over Providence but raised his game to another level early on in the
championship game. There’s no question whether the 5’10” guard can get his jump
shot off, it’s just a matter of whether the shot swishes through the net or
bounces hard off the back rim. At Fort Myers High, the shot was ripping through
the net with ease as Rorie came in and hit a three, a jumper from 10 feet, and
another three in quick succession. After his initial 11 point outburst, Rorie
didn’t score again until he calmly sank two free throws at the end of the game.
While it came early, his outside shooting gave Montverde a large lead they
would never relinquish.
Final
Stats: 13 pts, 2 rbs, 2 asts, 4-5 FG’s, 3-3 3PT, 2-2 FT’s, 3 TO’s
Ben
Simmons, 6’8”, F, Montverde Academy, Committed to LSU, 2015
Playing in front of his future LSU coaches, the talented
Australian came to play on both sides of the ball. On the offensive end,
Simmons finished with 12 points on 5-7 shooting hitting numerous tough shots in
the lane including a powerful right handed fast break dunk. While he scored
double digits, Simmons was even better on the defensive end as he bottled up
Paul VI’s best player Marcus Derrickson all game long. While Derrickson had a
few pounds on Simmons, every touch was a struggle for the future Georgetown
forward. He was 0-2 from the 3 point line and struggled to get his patented
wing three pointer off due to the long arms of Simmons. He went 5-13 from the
field and with Simmons constantly in his face missed a few shots that he would
normally always hit.
Final
Stats: 12 pts, 10 rbs, 4 asts, 5-7 FG’s, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT’s, 4 TO’s
Evan
Taylor, 6’4”, SG, Paul VI, 2014
The unsung starter of Paul VI stepped up his performance as his
more talented teammates initially struggled against the Montverde pressure.
Taylor scored six points in the first half and finished with 15 points on 7-11
shooting. With an aggressive mindset, Taylor attacked the basket time and time
again and was one of the main reasons Montverde’s lead kept diminishing.
Whether it was off of pick and rolls or off the dribble, Taylor attacked the
taller front line and finished in the paint time and time again.
Final
Stats: 15 pts, 6 rbs, 0 asts, 7-11 FG’s, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT’s, 2 TO’s
3rd
Place Game
Whitney
Young (IL) 58 Providence (FL) 53
Top
Players:
Paul
White, 6’8”, F, Whitney Young, Committed to Georgetown, 2014
Playing in front of his future college coach, Paul White took
advantage of a miss-match on offense and made his slower opponent pay from
outside. He started the game off swishing two deep jump shots and finished the
first half with 12 points on 5-5 shooting.
He missed his first shot of the game to start the second half, but with 3:48
to go in the third quarter White caught a two hand baseline alley-oop that gave
Whitney Young a one point lead which was one they would never relinquish.
White’s jump shot was on target tonight, but he still could have been more
aggressive given the quickness advantage he had on Providence’s power forward.
Final
Stats: 22 pts, 5 rbs, 2 asts, 8-12 FG’s, 6-8 FT’s, 4 TO’s
Jahlil
Okafor, 6’10”, C, Whitney Young, Committed to Duke, 2014
Despite the constant triple teams, the big man finally broke out.
Okafor dominated the smaller Providence front line and went for 22 points and
23 rebounds, just four shy of the tournament record. In the first quarter
Okafor sealed his man in the middle and caught the ball up high. In an instant
his arm was at the rim and he laid the ball in for his first basket. Okafor
stayed patient the entire game and went 8-9 from the field including a 12 foot
corner jump shot. Throughout the tournament Okafor primarily saw zone defense
and by the time the 3rd place game came around he stayed patient
enough to wait for his opportunities and dominate.
Final
Stats: 22 pts, 23 rbs, 4 asts, 8-9 FG’s, 6-8 FT’s, 6 TO’s
Christian
Terrell, 6’4”, G, Providence, Committed to FGCU, 2014
Terrell only shot 33% for the game; however his fingerprints were
all over the court and several of his misses were shots that he would normally
easily convert. In the first half he hit a mixture of deep jump shots and
athletic drives to the basket using both his right and left hand to finish. In
the second half he showed off some fancy footwork in the post when he came up
against taller defenders after an offensive rebound. Terrell’s leaping ability
got a loud reaction from the crowd when he slapped a Miles Reynolds fastbreak
lay-up off the glass. Throughout the game Terrell handled the ball and guarded
anyone on Whitney Young from the point guard to the power forward.
Final
Stats: 20 pts, 7 rbs, 2 asts, 6-18 FG’s, 0-2 3PT, 8-11 FT’s, 1 TO
Grayson
Allen, 6’4”, G, Providence, Committed to Duke, 2014
Allen had it working early in the game in front of Dick Vitale as
he started the game off with a three from NBA range and followed that up with a
pull-up three from the wing. After his initial first quarter burst, Allen was
fairly quiet and seemed content to hang around the perimeter. He did have a
fast break dunk and a nice one dribble pull up, but unlike Terrell, he didn’t
use his athleticism to get to the basket as shown by his lack of trips to the
charity stripe.
Final
Stats: 17 pts, 2 rbs, 1 ast, 7-19 FG’s, 0-0 FT’s, 3-8 3PT, 4 TO’s
5th
Place Game
Lincoln
(NY) 73 Wheeler (GA) 57
Top
Players:
Isaiah
Whitehead, 6’4”, SG, Lincoln, Committed to Seton Hall, 2014
The most exciting player in the City of Palms tournament was
cooking as soon as the ball touched his hands off of the opening tip. Two
three’s and a 15 foot jumper in the first two minutes was enough to get Lincoln
off and running. Unfortunately Whitehead cooled off after that initial outburst
but he did put together another mini run in the third quarter when he hit a
stop and pop jump shot and a three pointer from the left corner. Whitehead
ended the game with only three assists but that doesn’t accurately describe his
passing ability. Several times he threaded the needle with his pinpoint passes
to only see his teammate fouled or miss an open shot. In the second quarter,
Whitehead threw a three quarter court bounce pass that hit his teammate Elisha Boone in perfect stride for a
two hand dunk. Whitehead’s jump shot is a thing of beauty and whether it comes
off the catch or the dribble, he always manages to get his shoulders square for
a picture perfect release.
Final
Stats: 20 pts, 3 rbs, 3asts, 7-14 FG’s, 3-6 3PT, 3-4 FT’s, 2 TO’s
Avery
Patterson, 6’2”, G, Wheeler, 2014
Patterson was the leading scorer for Wheeler with 19 points but it
was more his defensive intensity that was impressive. After Whitehead scored
eight points in two minutes, Wheeler gave Patterson the chance to match-up with
the taller guard. Patterson went toe to toe with Whitehead and forced him into
some difficult shots that slowed down the highly touted guard for awhile. On
the offensive side Patterson drained two three’s and also converted some tough
lay-ups in the paint. Despite the loss, it was evident that Patterson valued
the challenge to guard Whitehead and took it upon himself to slow down the
five-star guard.
Final
Stats: 19 pts, 3 rbs, 2 asts, 5-13 FG’s, 2-6 3PT, 6-7 FT’s, 2 TO’s
Consolation
Final
St.
John Bosco (CA) 89 Oak Ridge (FL) 83
Top
Players:
Daniel Hamilton, 6’8”, SF, St. John Bosco, Committed to
Connecticut, 2014
Two days after going 4-12 from the field, Hamilton went for 34
points on 9-15 shooting. Knocked for his consistency, Hamilton was extremely
efficient all game long. In the first two minutes he knocked in two three
pointers to give Bosco a 9-0 lead. He added in one more three for good measure
and finished the first half with 13 points and four rebounds. In the second
half, his partner in crime Tyler Dorsey got in foul trouble and Hamilton took
over with aggressive drives to the basket and strong defense. In addition to
attacking off of the dribble, he added in eight assists. Hamilton saved his
best game for last and showed why he is a five-star player.
Final
Stats: 34 pts, 8 rbs, 6 ast, 9-15 FG’s, 4-5 3PT, 12-19 FT’s, 3 TO’s
Tyler Dorsey, 6’4”, SG, St. John Bosco, 2015
A few seconds into the game Dorsey let loose a three from the wing
which splashed through the net. After Hamilton hit two in a row it was time for
Dorsey to get back in on the action as he drained another one from the same
spot at the top of the key. Along with his outside shooting, Dorsey was much
more aggressive than he was on Saturday afternoon using his quick first step to
blow by defenders off the dribble. At the half, Dorsey had 15 points on 5-9
shooting. He got into foul trouble early in the 3rd quarter and was
forced to sit for a long stretch in the second half. Dorsey finished the game
off with a powerful two hand dunk on the break and knocked down his free throws
to help Bosco hang onto their lead.
Final
Stats: 25 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asts, 7-12 FG’s, 2-5 3PT, 5-9 FT’s, 1 TO
Antonio Blakeney, 6’3”, SG, Oak Ridge, 2015
Blakeney, the tournaments leading scorer went for 30+ points for
the third time this tournament. In the first half, he scored 11 points on 4-10
shooting with three of those shots coming off the dribble from behind the arc
including one over Dorsey’s outstretched hand. In the second half Blakeney
started quickly with three free throws, a driving right hand lay-up, and a
seven foot floater but cooled off after that and had several shots rim in and
out. With Oak Ridge attempting to close the deficit at the end of the game
their offense turned into clear outs for Blakeney as he started to attack the
basket off the dribble which resulted in a total 12 free throw attempts. While
not at the same level of quickness as Dorsey, Blackeney was just a level below and
got by him off the dribble on occasion. The majority of baskets came from beyond
the arc or right at the basket as he was 1-4 from 5-12 feet and had a tendency
to shoot one footed floaters a bit too much.
Final
Stats: 30 pts, 2 rebs, 0 asts, 8-21 FG’s, 3-9 3PT, 11-12 FT’s, 2 TO’s
Challenge
Round
Neumann
Gorretti (PA) 73 St. Mary-St. Vincent 57
Top
Players:
Ja’Quan Newton, 6’4”, PG, Neumann Goretti, Committed to Miami,
2014
Newton had his game working like he was back dominating the NBPA
Top 100 camp in Charlottesville this past summer. Newton and Neuman-Goretti
jumped out to a quick 18-10 first quarter lead and never looked back. Hitting
from the outside early on opened up the lanes for Newton to attack off the
dribble highlighted when he froze a defender with a fake around the back pass
for an easy lay-up. At halftime Newton had 18 points and he kept the pedal to
the metal in the third quarter when Neuman-Gorretti put the game away
outscoring St. Vincent-St. Mary 25-8. It might have been the first game of the
morning, but it didn’t take long for Newton to heat up.
Final
Stats: 31 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts, 13-18 FG’s, 4-6 3PT, 1-1 FT’s, 2 TO’s
Jayvon Grave, 6’0”, G, St. Mary-St. Vincent, 2017
Receiving his first extended minutes of the tournament, the
freshman raised some eyebrows with his play. In 16 minutes of action, Grave put
in 12 points. His first points came from behind the arc and then he added in a
rarely seen one dribble jump shot. Grave continue his strong shooting and hit
two more three’s throughout the game. While all of his points came from the
outside, Grave showed good athleticism and build for a freshman that will
surely see more minutes as the season goes on.
Final
Stats: 12 pts, 2 rbs, 1 ast, 4-7 FG’s, 3-4 3PT, 1-2 FT’s, 1 TO
Game
#5 (Sunshine Series)
Lake
Highland Prep (FL) 60 Tift County (GA) 47
Top
Player:
Joel
Berry, 6’0”, PG, Lake Highland Prep, Committed to UNC
In the last Sunshine Series game of the day, point guard Joel Berry
came out firing and finished with a solid 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists
in a win over an athletic Tift County squad led by Tadric Jackson, a Georgia Tech commitment. Berry hit a three from
the right wing on the second possession and Lake Highland hit eight three’s on
the game. Despite the defensive pressure by Tift, Berry finished with just one
turnover. He was able to get by defenders off the dribble or with the pick and
roll which created open jump shots or floaters in the paint. While he didn’t
look to attack as much in the second half, Lake Highland maintained their
halftime lead and was never seriously threatened.
Final
Stats: 16 pts, 8 rbs, 5 asts, 7-14 FG’s, 2-6 3PT, 1 TO
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