Florida Prospects MLK Classic

Held each year in Orlando at Jones High School, FloridaProspects.com brings together teams from Central Florida and matches them against some of the best teams in the state.  Robert Sumpter and his staff do a very good job and this year was no exception.

Due to a schedule conflict, we missed the first two games of the day.  Game one matched University of Orlando against Alachua Santa Fe.  It was close for much of the contest but University was able to pull out a 62-58 win.

In game two, Class 2A powers Gainesville P.K. Yonge and The First Academy of Orlando matched up.  Both teams could meet in the region final in February.  On this day, The First Academy took control early and led the entire way, finishing with a 61-49 victory.

In the third contest of the day, Wekiva from nearby Apopka took on Jacksonville First Coast.  Wekiva got an early jump on the visitors and held a 19-14 lead after one quarter of play.  First Coast regained its composure and at the half had a one point margin.  First Coast would extend that lead to seven at the end of the third and finished with an eight point 71-63 triumph.

First Coast was led by the senior guard duo Ambrose Mosley and Danny Alston.  Mosley finished with 17 points as well as 6 assists.  Long-armed and reasonably athletic, Mosley let the game come to him, never forcing the action and always playing under control.  He can play both guard spots, shoots the ball well from distance, and has a high basketball IQ.

Alston did much of his damage from beyond the arc, going for 25 points, 15 of those coming on 5-12 from three point land.  He also a couple of jumpers off the bounce, scored in transition and knocked down all six of his free throws.  At 6’1 he’s a bit undersized at the wing but does not yet exhibit the passing and setup skills of a point guard.  However, Alston’s ability to score should at least provide him an opportunity somewhere at the next level.

For Wekiva, 6’3 combo guard D’Andre Bullard paced the Mustangs with 18 points.  Bullard has good size for a point, has length and takes care of the ball.  He’s not explosive to the basket off the bounce and while he’s a pretty solid mid-range shooter his range is inconsistent past seventeen feet.  Some D-I schools are interested and with the lack of quality point guards, Bullard could have a multitude of options come spring.

In the day’s fourth game, Orlando Christian Prep took on Miami Norland.  The Vikings from Miami were coming in at a disadvantage.  They had to play a district game on the road at Key West on Friday night (an eight hour round trip) then get up early for another game four hours to the north in Orlando.  They certainly looked tired as they fell behind OCP 19-6 after one quarter of play. However, this is Miami Norland.  There is no way that Head Coach Lawton Williams was going to let his team quit.  They tied up the game by half-time at 25.  In the third quarter, OCP came out and duplicated its first quarter blitz and held a 41-30 advantage going into the fourth.  This time there was no comeback.  Norland was able to stay with them but couldn’t catch up.  Orlando Christian Prep was able to come away with a 61-49 victory.

Jordan Montgomery, a 6’3 junior wing, paced OCP with 16 points.  He went 7-8 from the floor with a three, some transition baskets, and mid-range shots.  Montgomery exhibited excellent body control when going for shots in traffic and had a couple shots drop that made the crowd “ooh” and “ahh”.  He needs to improve his ball-handling a bit and extend the consistency and range of his jump shot but he is definitely a player to watch this spring and summer.

For Norland, 6’4 junior Cleon Roberts once again led the way with 15 points.  At one point he drilled four jumpers in a row, each one farther out than the last.  He might have been better served trying to get to the rim a little more but the OCP zone traps and makes it difficult on the dribbler.

The next game of the event pitted Winter Garden West Orange against Southridge from Homestead.  Both teams are very athletic and this game was fast-paced.  West Orange led 16-12 after one quarter of play but Southridge led by two, 31-29 going into the break.  Both teams fought back and forth in the third quarter and with one period left to play West Orange held a two point lead.  West Orange took control in the fourth as Southridge’s outside jumpers failed to drop and ended up with a convincing 76-62 win.

6’6 junior wing Eric McCree paced West Orange with 19 points.  His damage was done in transition and he had three emphatic dunks on successive Southridge turnovers.  McCree made some tough catches in traffic, got on the offensive glass, and finished with contact.

For Southridge, junior combo guard Javon Price tallied 20 points.  The 6’1 Price was playing with a taped-up right (shooting) hand so one has to wonder how he would have played at 100%.  He’s got deep range, good handles and vision, and can score off the bounce.  Price didn’t shoot a great percentage from three so he needs to get consistent from that range yet still continue to score and distribute from inside the arc.  He is somewhat reminiscent of Chris Warren, formerly of Orlando Dr. Phillips and now at Ole Miss.

The final game of the day was Gainesville Eastside against host school Orlando Jones.  Truth be told, this one was over early.  Jones led 16-8 after one quarter and continued to build that lead throughout the contest.  Jones led by twenty with one quarter to play and ultimately secured a 72-54 triumph.

Matt Williams, a 6’5 junior wing from Jones, led them with 19 points.  He started the game slow but came on with a flourish at the end, scoring fourteen points in the second half.  Williams hit a pair of threes, scored on a quick baseline drive and had two “and one” plays on the break in the second half.  A dangerous offensive player, Williams will only improve his recruiting stock if he can gain confidence in his mid-range game.

For Eastside, junior guard 6’3 Rodney Mills was their only true threat, scoring 16 points.  Though Mills couldn’t buy a jumper all night, he was very effective getting to the rim and exhibited excellent body control to finish some tough shots in traffic.  He’s got a strong frame and a warrior’s mentality.