10 Best: Windermere Prep vs. Tampa Catholic
In a meeting between two first-year Class 5A teams, Windermere Prep upended Tampa Catholic 59-58 on Wednesday night. The Lakers ruined the Crusaders’ home season opener as they outscored Tampa Catholic 17-11 over the final quarter. Junior point guard Rahsaan…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIn a meeting between two first-year Class 5A teams, Windermere Prep upended Tampa Catholic 59-58 on Wednesday night.
The Lakers ruined the Crusaders’ home season opener as they outscored Tampa Catholic 17-11 over the final quarter. Junior point guard Rahsaan Lewis led Windermere with 16 points while Kevin Knox posted a game-high 27 points for Tampa Catholic.
MVP: Rahsaan Lewis (Windermere Prep)
The MVP tends to go to a player from the winning team. Rahsaan Lewis not only scored a team-high 16 points, but he hustled all over the floor with five rebounds and five steals. The 5’9″ junior point guard flashed his speed all night. He added seven points in the second half. Lewis, the son of former NFL great Ray Lewis is a player we know well from his time at our expo back in September.
Best offensive performance: Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic)
Kevin Knox gave the crowd a show time and time again whether it was with a two-handed slam or a 3-pointer. He added a team-best 27 points and made some important rebounds late in the game. The Lakers did a good job at bottling him up in the second half, allowing Knox to only score 11 in that span. Regardless, whenever Knox is playing, people will be watching. He showed his all-around game on Wednesday night.
Best defensive performance: Xion Golding (Windermere Prep)
Senior wing Xion Golding fought throughout this game to get his points. He finished with 13 and did everything could on the defensive end as Windermere Prep doubled Knox late in the game. Golding had five rebounds in this one and really played well as a defender.
Best guy off the bench: Messiah Turner and Tim Carter (Tampa Catholic)
Picking between the two juniors is not easy. Tim Carter had five points while Messiah Turner added four. Each player came off the bench for the Crusaders and brought much needed energy. Expect the junior duo to see a ton of time as the season progresses next to Tai Strickland.
Best intangibles: David Nickelberry (Windermere Prep)
Although he fouled out with three minutes left in the game, senior forward and Memphis commit David Nickelberry proved that he can bury his jumper when he finds open space. The 6’7″ forward connected on back-to-back 3’s in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers their first lead since the opening quarter. It proved to be enough as he ended up with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Best under-the-radar performance: Will Seelman (Windermere Prep)
A 6’6″ senior forward, Will Seelman’s eight points came the hard way. He fought in the paint for each and everyone of those. Seelman is a gritty player who isn’t afraid to mix it up down low. Next to Lewis, Nickelberry and Goldman, this kid is someone to keep an eye on all season.
Best underclassmen: Alijah Harrison (Tampa Catholic)
Freshman forward Alijah Harrison looks like a freshman at 6’4″, 168 lbs., but he is wise beyond his years. The Tampa Catholic starter had four points and a couple of rebounds in key moments. His second bucket of the night came at a perfect time as the Crusaders need something. Harrison scored on a quick layup to tie the game at 58 with 25 seconds left. This kid is a 2020 prospect to monitor.
Best catch and shoot guy: Tai Strickland (Tampa Catholic)
Behind Knox, junior point guard Tai Strickland made the biggest impact for the Tampa Catholic offense. Strickland has been making strides all off-season long and he flashed that on Wednesday night with 13 points including a 3-pointer and a couple of long jumpers. His shot has improved and so has his confidence.
Best blocker: Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic)
The dunks always come for Knox and so do the fancy shots, but sometimes he turns on that second gear defensively. He was fighting for rebounds with the physical Lakers and he came out firing in the second quarter with consecutive blocks. At 6’9″, you might not find a more athletic player in the state of Florida at his size or perhaps in the entire country in the 2017 class.