The Villages v. P.K. Yonge: STANDOUTS
The P.K. Yonge Blue Wave opened the regular season with a thriller at home against The Villages on Monday night. The tilt had quite the storyline, as last year’s top scorer for the Wave, class of 2019’s Byron Smith, is starting his first year as a Villages Buffalo. In a defensive affair, Villages won 54-53 off of a last-second fadeaway by Dalton Berry. Here are the four standouts from the night.
Tre Mann – Villages: The junior who’s received offers from Alabama and Georgia Tech definitely proved why, that night. Mann finished with 33 points, 16 of them coming in the fourth quarter, alone. From beyond the arc, Mann notched five threes. When it came to the free-throw line, he didn’t drop one, at all. Mann went 8-for-8, 5-for-5 during crunch time in the fourth quarter. It’s no question on why Mann is one of the top guards in the state for his class.
Jalen Speer – Blue Wave: Just a sophomore, Speer has already identified himself as a go-to scorer for P.K. Yonge. He finished the night with 30 points, including seven three-balls of his own. Speer just knows how to get open, he runs screens very well, doesn’t do a lot of standing around. If he can get a bit more size on him, he should be a force as he grows.
Will Banks IV – Blue Wave: The senior post-man notched seven of his 10 points in the fourth quarter to help keep it close until the end. In the paint, he’s a true battler. On 50/50 balls off the rim, he pursues them with 100% effort. His only knock? I’d love to see him calm himself down at the free-throw line. Late in the final period, he went 1-of-4 from the stripe. If his poise can grow, everything else will, as well.
Dalton Berry – Villages: This 6’5” senior only notched seven points, all game. Although, you can’t put a number on hustle. Berry was one of the more vocal players for his squad when on the floor, yelling to everyone on the same page to run their different sets. Clearly his clutch gene is present, as I mentioned he hit the game-winner while falling away from the basket. He’s a tough guard for anyone in the post, no doubt.