MLK Dream Classic Day Two: Key Players from Games 3 & 4
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…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
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 3 and 4:
St. Francis (GA) – 61, Tampa Bay Tech – 60
Savannah Samuel – St. Francis – 2020
This girl can ball! She led all scorers in this wild game with 26 total. Savannah had five 3’s out of 6 attempts with a really clutch one in the fourth quarter. She’s lengthy and can score from all over in a 9 for 12 performance against a very, very good team. I liked that she’s a confident player who won’t take much or back down to any opponent. Oregon State is getting a good one with her.
Jasmine Peaks – Tampa Bay Tech – 2021
Jasmine has been the best offensive player I’ve seen for Tech in the 3 times I’ve watched them this year. She hit a few 3’s and finished up with a team-high 19 points. She’s got a nasty crossover and a really smooth shot that she can hit with from anywhere and over anyone. I’m more and more impressed with her game in each instance I see her.
Amiya Evans – Tampa Bay Tech – 2022
Amiya is not only a rebounding machine, but she does a lot of that damage on the offensive boards. She contributed 13 points in the tough loss, and controlled the boards for her team. She’s incredibly tough and humble with the right size to be trouble in any matchup.
K’Nisha Godfrey – Tampa Bay Tech – 2021
K’Nisha is really fun to watch. She’s got some spunk and charisma just like a lot of this team does. She is quick, shoots it well, and takes care of it along with Jaz. Her role isn’t to lead the team in scoring (she had 11), but to play really tough defense and get some big steals to name a few things. This team has so much talent and is so fun to watch compete.
Plant – 53, St. Thomas Aquinas – 45
Kendal Cheesman – Plant – 2021
Kendal is straight up ballin’ right now. She hit a 3 in the second quarter that put her over the 1,000 point mark in front of a Vandy coach and against a future Commodore, too. It was really neat to see it all go down in that fashion. Kendal finished the night with a 20 point, 10 rebound double-double. She also added a couple blocks and went 8 for 8 from the line in a key W that put them at 20 wins for the season.
Nyla Jean – Plant – 2021
Nyla is another really talented Junior who is tops in the 2021 class as well. A clear top PG in the state, she added 13 points and 5 boards against a strong STA team. Nyla is a really good athlete and an even better basketball player. She’s so fast and can get off the court so quickly that it’s tough to guard that first move she makes.
Honor Culpepper – Plant – 2020
Honor was on fire early in the game with three 3’s and concluded the game with 11 points. She also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists as a sneaky good passer. Honor is one of the toughest players I’ve seen, and she’s very meticulous with what she does with the ball. I enjoy how well she sees the court and finds her teammates after the defense has collapsed.
Bella is the other Vandy commit that I mentioned earlier. She really kept her team alive and competitive in this one with 20 of their 45 points. Bella did not miss a free throw, hit a few threes, and made some tough mid-range shots against a good defensive team. She’s clearly been around the game for a long time and will succeed with the work she puts in. She will get to Nashville first, and Kendal and Bella seem to already have a great friendship with the way they interacted on and off the court. Go Commodores!