Florida's Top Prospects Kick Off the Season

Florida’s Top Prospects Kick Off the Season - Seffner Christian Pre-Season Classic Recap By Michael Wholey 11/16/20 5:00 PM EST Seffner Christian in Tampa kicked off the High School season hosting 6 quality teams for a two day preseason classic that featured some of the states’ top talent. We were there to take in some of the action. FHSAA rules dictate the first date eligible to play regular season games is Monday November 16 and any games played prior to that date do not count towards teams regular season record. All games were played in conjunction with Seffner Christian Pre-Season Classic and despite their being fans and officials, these games were essentially exhibition games. With that being said, the two day event featured 6 quality teams with 6 quality teams and a ton of talent.   EVENT SCHEDULE Friday November 13 5:30 PM IMG Academy v Brooks DeBartolo 7:00 PM Tampa Bay Tech v Lake Wales 8:30 PM Seffner Christian v Braden River Saturday November 14 1:00 PM Seffner Christian v Tampa Bay Tech 2:30 Brooks DeBartolo v Lake Wales 4:00 PM Braden River v IMG Academy [player_tooltip player_id="91479" first="O’Mariah" last="Gordon"], [player_tooltip player_id="91554" first="Janiah" last="Barker"], [player_tooltip player_id="91558" first="Kailyn" last="Gilbert"] and [player_tooltip player_id="91577" first="Amiya" last="Evans"] were the headliners of the events and they did not disappoint. In two games, Gordon went for 27 points, 8 assists & 4 steals in game # 1 v Seffner Christian and 35 points, 9 steals, 9 rebounds & 2 assists in game # 2 vs IMG Academy. Game # 1 put Gordon (a recent Florida State signee in the 2021 class) v one of the states top 2022 prospects [player_tooltip player_id="91558" first="Kailyn" last="Gilbert"]. The matchup of Gilbert v Gordon was a good one as Gilbert went for 25 points but ultimately it was unsigned 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="91507" first="Cheyenne" last="Stubbs"] who stole the show going for 30 points in a 92-69 blowout which saw Braden River shoot 73% from the field including 7/11 from 3! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzmjG0LeKfrNUvoe7X2h7zA">Issa Bucket</a> did a great job of capturing the weekends highlights, you can the Gordon v Gilbert matchup here: https://youtu.be/hyFjjE3qVkA While the Gordon v Gilbert was the most anticipated matchup on day # 1, the Seffner Christian v Tampa Bay Tech was the marque matchup on day # 2 pitting three of the countries top 2022 prospects on the floor against each other at the same time. The matchup lived up to the hype as Gordon went off for 46 points for Seffner Christian while [player_tooltip player_id="91554" first="Janiah" last="Barker"] went for 27 and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="91577" first="Amiya" last="Evans"] went for 26 and Tampa Bay Tech pulled out the 82-81 victory. Check out the highlights here: https://youtu.be/wjN17NUb9gU Throughout the weekend, Gordon showed why she is states # 1 prospect in the 2021 class and headed to Tallahassee next season to suit up for the Florida State Seminoles. Her speed and scoring ability is just at a different level and is super fun to watch when she turns it out. Gilbert put her elite level athleticism and scoring ability on display all weekend two. She plays tremendously hard on both ends of the floor and dropping 46 on anyone is impressive not to mention two 6’3 nationally ranked post players in [player_tooltip player_id="91554" first="Janiah" last="Barker"] and [player_tooltip player_id="91577" first="Amiya" last="Evans"]. Check out Evan’s highlights: https://youtu.be/wzS_104sIiM The tag team of Evans and Barker was fun to watch. At 6’3 they both have solid interior games but also showcased their ability to play face up and on the perimeter as well. The two compliment and play off each other very well (especially in the high/low game). The front courts of Evans/Barker has to be one of if not the best front court in the country alongside the front court of Lake Highland Prep with [player_tooltip player_id="91496" first="Kayla" last="Blackshear"] and [player_tooltip player_id="91555" first="Nyla" last="Harris"]. Check out Barker’s highlights: https://youtu.be/VSziIpiqtks Who else played well? Barker, Gilbert, Gordon and Evans were not the only players in the gym. In addition to [player_tooltip player_id="91507" first="Cheyenne" last="Stubbs"] who we mentioned above several other players stood out with their play. 5’10 Forward [player_tooltip player_id="223784" first="Nicole" last="Carreno"] was impressive in her Varsity High School debut for Seffner Christian. While still young and raw, her strength and body type will allow her to be an effective high and low post player who will continue to improve throughout the season as her comfort level grows and she gains more experience. Recent Loyola Marymount University signee 6’1 Forward [player_tooltip player_id="91534" first="Ava" last="Toone"] was solid in her performance for IMG Academy. The stretch four showed her ability to play inside/out displaying her 3 point range while also not shying away from banging inside and mixing it up in the paint. For Brooks DeBartolo [player_tooltip player_id="91581" first="Jaela" last="Davis"], [player_tooltip player_id="145105" first="Brionna" last="McClinton"], [player_tooltip player_id="220031" first="Amarie" last="Goodwin"] and recent Saint Leo signee [player_tooltip player_id="91530" first="Triniti" last="Youngblood"] lead most of the scoring for Brooks DeBartolo over the weekend. Senior Ayonna Simmons returned from an ACL injury she suffered last season to make a big impact on the boards. In the win over Lake Wales, 10 Lady Phoenix hit the scoring column. 2021 5’4 Shooter Ellie DiGiacomo was knocking them down all weekend from 3 for Braden River and 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="223783" first="Jade" last="Thompson"] was solid in her High School debut running the poing guard position. Conclusion The 2022 class is loaded with talent. [player_tooltip player_id="91554" first="Janiah" last="Barker"] is the highest ranked prospect nationally while [player_tooltip player_id="91558" first="Kailyn" last="Gilbert"] is considered top 20 and [player_tooltip player_id="91577" first="Amiya" last="Evans"] is ranked in the top 50. Most recruiting sites also including [player_tooltip player_id="91555" first="Nyla" last="Harris"], [player_tooltip player_id="91556" first="Tonie" last="Morgan"], [player_tooltip player_id="91559" first="Jordana" last="Codio"], and [player_tooltip player_id="91557" first="Sydney" last="Shaw"] while you also have recent UCF verbal commit [player_tooltip player_id="91579" first="Savannah" last="Henderson"], Mizzou verbal commit [player_tooltip player_id="91562" first="Addison" last="Potts"], [player_tooltip player_id="91563" first="Mya" last="Kone"], [player_tooltip player_id="91560" first="Paris" last="Pickett"], [player_tooltip player_id="91566" first="Joey" last="Delancy"], [player_tooltip player_id="91561" first="Michiyah" last="Simmons"], and a host of other talented prospects all in one class. The entire 2022 class is super deep and extremely versatile where a college coach can fill a variety of its needs no matter what they are looking for. Need a shooter? Want an inside/out post? Need a long, athletic versatile wing? Looking for a scorer who is a walking bucket? The 2022 class has it all in Florida.