Insider Exposure Lakewood Shootout: Top 10 Players on Friday

I was only able to attend the Friday session for the Lakewood Shootout, but I got to see a lot of talent in the 3 games I witnessed (one game was cancelled between Ft. Myers and Carrollwood Day). The first game was a 63-43 win for Braden River over Lakewood. The second game was a 60-49 win for Sandalwood over Booker. The last game was a tight 56-51 win for Bishop Kenny over Atlantic. Here are my top ten players during Friday's action (no specific order): &nbsp; <strong>O'Mariah Gordon, Braden River (Jr.)  - </strong>Braden River started out slow in their game as they were down after one quarter, but they picked it up behind the leadership of O'Mariah and Julia. There isn't much else you can say about O'Mariah that hasn't already been said. She didn't miss a free throw on Friday and finished with 22 points with three 3's that all came in the early part of the game. O'Mariah can take over against solid opponents like Lakewood with her ability to score, steal the ball, and make her teammates looks better. A superstar that hustles on every play and after every mistake is hard to find. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/julia-rodriguez/">Julia Rodriguez</a>, Braden River (Sr.) -</strong> She doesn't draw as much attention as O, but she is one of the best players in the state who is a D1 commit. Julia scored 25 against Lakewood with 12 of those coming from long range. There aren't many teams in the state that can compete with these two and the other pieces that the Pirates have. Julia is a very athletic kid who hustles all over the court on both ends and really can do it all. She will be a good addition to Kennesaw State next year. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jada-jones/">Jada Jones</a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jada-jones/">, Sandalwood</a> (Fr.) - </strong>I am convinced that Jada is the best post player in the 2023 class in Florida. You can tell she is young in the face, but her game says otherwise. Jada scored 27 points, rebounded well, and had some monster blocks against Booker on Friday. She showed some strong post moves and looked refined for only being a Freshman. They biggest thing she can work on is her free throw shooting that was lacking in this one. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/amari-wright/">Amari Wright</a>, Sandalwood (Sr.) - </strong>Easily one of the best passers in the state, Amari brought this Saints squad back from being down after each of the first 3 quarters. Sandalwood came alive in the final quarter behind the facilitation of Amari which created a lot of opportunities for Jada and company. Amari scored 23 in the win as she has had to step up her scoring with two of their best players out. Once this team is at full health, they will undoubtedly be one of the best teams in the state behind the passing of this Seton Hall commit. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jasmyne-roberts/">Jasmyne Roberts</a>, Bishop Kenny (Jr.) - </strong>Atlantic face-guarded Jasmyne in the second half after she torched them for 14 points in the first half. She finished with 19 on the night, and the only way they could stop her was by making sure she didn't get the ball. Jasmyne is as smooth as they come with her shooting touch and ability to get to the hole. She'll have her pick at a number of big time programs. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-millar/">Maddie Millar</a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-millar/">, Bishop Kenny</a> (So.) - </strong>She was the best pure shooter on Friday. Maddie made six 3's to help her team get a gutsy victory. She's only a Sophomore, so it will be interesting to see her elevate her game in areas other than shooting. Maddie is strong all-around, but if she really works on those other aspects then she will be VERY tough to stop. <strong>D'asia Small, Atlantic (Sr.) - </strong>She is an undersized post on this team, but she did a little bit of everything for this scrappy Atlantic team to stay in the game. D'asia put up 21 points and did everything from rebounding, passing, and playing tough D with some steals and blocks in this one. I think she is someone who could contribute at the next level if she improves her shot and fine tunes some of those crafty moves. <strong>Cashanti Bradley, Booker (Sr.) - </strong>The tornadoes are playing a very tough schedule, but Cashanti has played the best in the games that I have seen. She hit five 3's in this one (20 total points), but it wasn't enough for the dominant 4th quarter that Sandalwood had. Cashanti can obviously shoot, but she does other things well too like passing, rebounding, and knowing where to be on the floor. <strong>Omari Davis, Booker (Sr.) - </strong>Booker has a trio of guards that have given them a chance against their tough schedule, and Omari played a nice game by scoring 16 points all over the court on Friday. Her shot looks nice, and she can get to the hoop with ease. If Omari added a little speed and strength, she could be one of the best in the area. <strong>Ta'Nauviyon Williams, Lakewood (Jr.) - </strong>She is one of the most athletic players I've seen, and Braden River didn't really have an answer for her. Nauvi posted 12 points by rising above everyone for her buckets. She is going to have a strong junior year as a scorer and rebounder on a team that should start seeing more success. Lakewood just didn't look very comfortable in this game after the first quarter.