May Day Hoopfest Standouts (Part 3)
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The 2017 May Day Hoopfest, hosted by Skills Center Elite took place this past weekend at various high schools in the Tampa Bay area.
Teams from the youth to high school ages participated in the bracketed tournament. I bounced around a lot of courts and watched some really close games.
The game of the weekend went down between host Skills Center Elite and eventual 17U gold champion Q6 All Stars Elite. The two sides went toe to toe until the end as Q6 pulled out the 62-57 victory.
Here are the top standouts from the May Day Hoopfest (Part 3) written by Jake Perper and Jerome Reed.
Trey Sibert (Skills Center Elite)
Sibert has always played bigger than his 6’4″ frame. The 2018 Tampa Prep forward had a fine weekend for Skills Center Elite. He put himself inside more often than not and caught an alley-oop from point guard Tyrick Brascom in all three days of the tourney. When Sibert is focused, he’s a solid attacker. He gets lost in the shuffle at times. Look for him to get better as a senior. – Jake Perper
Jalen Brinson (Q6 All-Stars)
Brinson isn’t large in stature at 5’8”, but his passion for setting up teammates couldn’t go unnoticed. The Olympia sophomore who kept his head on a swivel was the key to an assist-centered offense. The ball never stuck to his hand without purpose. Let him get some height in the next year, and you’ll have a true point guard in the making. — Jerome Reed
Zhahidi Robinson (Warehouse Ballers)
Unfortunately, Robinson broke his finger during the last game on Saturday night. Before that, Robinson was putting on a show. He had a fine Friday night performance against Red Storm Elite and once again on Saturday against Hoops on Mission. At 6’1″, Robinson’s speed and downhill ability help him stretch the floor. He’s going to be the leader for Largo this fall. – JP
John Williams (Skills Center Elite)
This sophomore was one of the most relentless rebounders I saw at the tourney. He positioned himself well under the basket as soon as the ball left players’ fingertips. Williams had his nose to the glass any time the ball was in the air. Williams can be a great presence in the post with continued development. — JR
Nick Heard (Q6 All Stars Elite)
Outside shooting is Heard’s No. 1 asset and he proved that this weekend for 17U gold tournament champion Q6. The 6’4″ 2018 New Smyrna Beach forward had an impressive junior season and he’s continuing his scoring abilities this summer. Heard can really improve his stock two-fold as a senior. – JP
Albert Iribarren (Florida Storm)
From the opening tip, Iribarren was nothing but energy for the Storm. He offered hustle play, after hustle play, got on the ground to battle for the ball, and served as the Storm’s version of Dennis Rodman. The sophomore did a lot of the dirty work for the squad. You could tell he truly has a fire for the game. — JR
Trey Williams (4Real)
Williams is someone who puts his body on the line every time I see him. He played hard this weekend for 4Real. The 2017 Steinbrenner guard is working towards landing a spot somewhere in the fall. He is a fit at Division-III, NAIA or JUCO at the very least. At 6’1″, he isn’t small, but he isn’t the strongest. He makes up for that with his pure scoring ability. – JP
Gabriel Del Valle (Tampa Tarpons)
Here’s another sophomore who asserted himself on the offensive glass. Del Valle had no issue with banging in the paint to snatch rebounds off missed jumpers. He even offered a few buckets to test out his low-post, low-block arsenal. If he could develop a mid-range jumper, he could be a force anywhere below the three-point line. — JR
Jordan Gainous (Hoops on Mission)
On a first year Hoops on Mission squad, Gainous is a slasher in the purest sense. The 2019 guard is one of three rising juniors on the Ft. Myers travel team. He can knock down jumpers with ease and he has a smoothness about him when driving to the rack. As he gets stronger in his upper body, the better off he’ll be. Look for Gainous to be a key part of the Fort Myers High success this fall. – JP
Rod Rose (Barton Blazers)
In the semifinal game of the U17 Gold Bracket, Rose notched 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Rose didn’t seem to shy away from the moment, I could tell he wanted to be the one to shoulder the squad in that particular matchup. He could use a bit of height at 5’9”, but his senior season is something to look out for. — JR
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