Day 1 Standouts: The Battle of The Best
The Battle of The Best opened up at The Big House on Thursday.
A lot of teams competed all day long on the three main courts as college coaches looked on. Coaches from UConn, Villanova, FSU, Providence and other schools were in attendance.
Here are the top players that I saw on Day 1.
Justyn King (Plant City/Nike Team Florida)
The 2019 Plant City big man has continued his progressions this summer. He showed well as a sophomore as an attacker and a jump shooter. King did more of the same on Thursday and was very vocal on the defensive end setting up his group.
Shawn Esajas (Hudson/Team Under Pressure)
A rising junior at Hudson, Esajas is a very crafty 2019 guard. He flashed the tenacity to score inside and can make outside shots with ease. He was the top guy for Team Under Pressure on the day.
Keidron Smith (Oxbridge/Florida Vipers)
The 2018 dual threat athlete was very solid for the shorthanded Vipers. Smith is a rising senior who performs well in transition. A couple of times on the day he fought his way past defenders to get buckets. Expect him to have a solid rest of his summer.
Markus Niblack (Wildwood/Showtime Ballers)
A standout as a freshman for the Class 1A state runner up Wildcats, Niblack is on the rise. The rising sophomore has ridiculous range plus he finds a way to get to the basket and get everyone involved in the action.
Tyrell Jones (West Oaks/Showtime Ballers)
2019 West Oaks guard Tyrell Jones has wheels, a solid jumper and is someone the Showtime Ballers lean on. Jones has a high motor and seems to always have fun out on the court. He’s a 2019 guard that I really like watching.
Jordan Smith (Titusville/Showtime Ballers)
Jones’ brother, Jordan Smith is the second part of the pair that call themselves “Turbo.” Smith works well off Jones and visa verse. He has very good court vision and made a good amount of set up plays for his guys on the day.
Evan Busby (Deltona/Florida Prospects)
Playing for a Florida Prospects team that only had five guys in the early morning, Busby kept up the pace early as his group hung around. Busby is a long guard who should serve a key role for Deltona as a junior.