MLK Dream Classic Day Two: Key Players from Games 1 & 2
I had the opportunity to get out to two different MLK Holiday Tournaments over the course of the long weekend in Tampa Bay. Chamberlain HS hosted this event, and I was able to catch four games on Saturday. The unique…
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Continue ReadingI had the opportunity to get out to two different MLK Holiday Tournaments over the course of the long weekend in Tampa Bay. Chamberlain HS hosted this event, and I was able to catch four games on Saturday. The unique part of this event was that a player from each team was selected to read a quote by Martin Luther King Jr which I thought was a neat way to honor the intelligence and kindness he embodied. We must all continue to push his legacy forward with our actions as his work is still not finished. I really enjoyed that aspect of this tournament, and there were a lot of media and coaches in the stands on Saturday for a day full of high quality talent. Some of the schools in attendance that I can recall were: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Florida, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, USF, Alabama, USC, St. Leo, Keiser, and I’m sure that I’m missing some. Here are some of the key players from games 1 and 2:
Nova – 72, Braden River – 67
O’Mariah Gordon – Braden River – 2021
O just might win the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida again. They narrowly lost to Nova without their other star in Julia Rodriguez, so O’Mariah had to do even more in this one. She finished with 37 points, and shot an efficient 13 for 14 from the line and 11 of 15 from the field. She also added 7 steals, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 4 blocks to that monster line. Her change of speed, change of direction, jump shot, and just overall abilities is unreal. After the game, college coaches were lining up to talk with Coach Stephanie Smith about O’Mariah.
Joey was easily the second most impressive player in this game behind O’Mariah. She struggled at the FT line a bit in the fourth, but put up 23 points in a very strong outing against a good team. Joey shot it well, found her teammates in the half court as well as fast break, and played hard on every possession. She was crafty to get through multiple defenders and made nice adjustments to get good shots up. Make sure to get this kid on your watch list!
Sarei McGill – Nova – 2021
Sarei was the number two scorer for the Titans in a quality win on Monday with 18 points. Sarei is an athlete who hustled to make some big plays down the stretch. She finished through contact and has an improving mid-range game. There is a lot of potential with Sarei as a talented prospect in the Junior class.
Trinity is one of the better unsigned seniors in the state. She knows the game well and shoots the rock with confidence. Her final point total was 13, and she did more than just score in this win. She’s a true leader who communicated with her team on both ends and took care of the ball against a pesky defense in Braden River.
Miami Country Day – 65, Florida State University – 43
Emani Theodule – Miami Country Day – 2022
Emani is a sharpshooter who hit four 3’s and ended the day with 16 points in a convincing win over FSUS. She helps take care of the ball, and is one of the top Sophomores in the state. She’s got a lot of potential with one of the best shooting strokes I’ve seen and very good awareness on the court.
Kayla Nelms – Miami Country Day – 2024
I don’t talk about 8th graders much at the high school level, but Kayla played an incredible game on Monday. Kayla led her team in scoring with 22 points as one of the best post players all day. She did all of her damage through the first three quarters and saw some quality playing time with her hot hand. Out of everything she did right, I was really impressed with her touch and composure as a young gun.
Andrea Daley – Miami Country Day – 2021
Andrea was once again a top player for the day. She scored 13 in a big win and has been the most impressive Spartans player in the 3 times I’ve seen them this season. MCDS has to been the best 9-loss team in the country, right? They only have a couple seniors and will be looking to continue their state championship domination this year and in the near future.
Tonie Morgan – Florida State – 2022
Tonie is a really nice player who obviously has a very good feel for the game. She has a solid frame and can put points up in a hurry. Although she didn’t have her best offensive game with only 12 points, she was still very active and impactful on both ends of the court. I was really impressed with the way she passed the ball and anticipated plays. I’m comfortable saying she is a top 5 player in the 2022 Florida class.
Jordan Rosier – Florida State – 2021
Another quality player for the Seminoles is Jordan Rosier. She was by far the best shooter on this team with three 3’s and 13 total points. I liked her intensity and basketball IQ as a big leader on this squad. This Tallahassee team moved the ball really well, but ran into one of the toughest teams in the state.