Top Performers: Mosaic Stinger Shootout (Day 2)
On Saturday, eight games were held at Bartow High School for the 15th annual Mosaic Stinger Shootout.
I made the trip over to Lakeland to watch all of the matchups, starting at 10 AM with Tampa Bay Tech and Tenoroc and ending at 8 PM with Winter Haven and Leesburg.
Here are the top performers from the shootout.
Keon Ellis (Leesburg)
The high scorer of the day was Leesburg senior Keon Ellis. The 6’5″ forward committed to Gardner Webb, generated a 26-point outing in an 80-54 victory over Winter Haven. He left the game early after getting an elbow to the face, but he came back and finished out strong. Ellis flashed his athleticism with a slew of dunks and smart jumpers (). Ellis is part of a deep group of athletes for the Yellow Jackets.
Nassir Little (Orlando Christian Prep)
6’7″ senior North Carolina commit Nassir Little drew a big crowd in his team’s 62-53 win over Auburndale. The price of admission was worth it to see to Orlando Christian Prep as Little scored 18 points which included four dunks (three that counted) and a bunch of tough buckets. Click this link to watch perhaps the putback of the year (). Little is a legitimate star in the making.
Rod Boggan (Kathleen)
Heading into the half with 18 points, Kathleen senior guard Rod Boggan ended up with 25 points in a 60-55 overtime loss to Apopka. He led his group for much of the game, but Apopka didn’t make life easy for him in the second half. Boggan, a 6’2″ guard is a gifted shooter who has good handles and a quick first step.
Matt Simpson (Plant City)
Standing at 6’0″, Matt Simpson is always finding ways to score and contribute to his team. He led the Raiders with 19 points in a 59-54 loss to host Bartow. He started off the game slow but found a way to score moving forward. Simpson is at his best when he’s attacking on the break.
Reese Yothers (Lake Gibson)
This has been a fun season for Reese Yothers. He’s come out of his shell a bit as an inside presence. The 6’6″ junior is long but awfully skinny. Either way, he finds ways to get by defenders for lay-ins. He did that time and time again with a 21-point performance in a 60-55 loss to Dr. Phillips. If Yothers can add some muscle this off-season, he’ll be in line for a sound senior campaign.
Daniel Love (Dr. Phillips)
Headed to Mercer next fall, Dr. Phillips senior guard Daniel Love flashed his range and all-around ability with a 21-point showing against Lake Gibson. The 6’2″ guard had some bright moments but Lake Gibson found ways to contain him. Either way, Love did more than enough to help his side late and he is a resilient player.
Jovan Dilworth (Tampa Bay Tech)
Senior guard Tyrick Brascom sat out due to injury, so Jovan Dilworth took it upon himself to step up. The 6’1″ senior had a team-best 20 points in a 75-49 win over Tenoroc to start the day. Dilworth is a solid shooter and he found a rhythm in this game.
Jaren Phillips (Tampa Prep)
The Terrapins are not as dominant as they once were, but when junior Jaren Phillips puts his head down and heads to the rack, he’s hard to slow down. The 6’5″ guard/forward did that a ton in the 62-47 win over Lake Wales, adding a team-high 18 points. Phillips settled for a jumper early in the game and then took it upon himself to drive to the lane the rest of the way.
Ronaldo Segu (Orlando Christian Prep)
It was a determined showing from Ronaldo Segu against a gritty Auburndale group. The 6’0″ senior Buffalo commit scored 17 points, pacing his 2018 counterpart Little. Segu is an elusive guard who can shoot, attack and make plays as a scorer or distributor.
Lance Erving (Leesburg)
There is a long list of reasons why Leesburg has only lost one game this season. Junior guard Lance Erving is one of them. The 6’0″ 2019 guard had 16 points for the Yellow Jackets in the convincing win over Winter Haven. Erving deserves more attention from Division I college programs.
Keyshawn Bryant (Winter Haven)
Known for his dunks and attacking ability, Keyshawn Bryant recorded 18 points against Leesburg. The 6’7″ senior forward had a couple of dunks of alley-oops. Most impressively, he displayed solid form on his outside shot and that is a huge value for his wing type body.
Nathan Beymer/Iverson Romulus (Auburndale)
The Bloodhounds kept the game interesting against a super gifted Orlando Christian Prep group. Senior guard Iverson Romulus had 17 points, shooting at a high clip from outside. At 6’2″, he’s able to do plenty as a spot-up shooter. Junior forward Nathan Beymer had the task of covering the likes of Little, CJ Walker and Kai Jones. The 6’7″ Beymer still managed 14 points on the offensive end.
Rodrick Rose/Alex Vigo (Bartow)
Senior guard Rodrick Rose and freshman guard Alex Vigo combined for 34 points. They each had 17 points. Rose, a 5’10” vocal leader was making things happen from outside. Vigo caught fire in the second quarter and kept it going throughout with his jumper and attacking.
Justyn King (Plant City)
Possessing the ideal size and length to be a successful wing, Justyn King is loaded with potential. The 6’6″ Plant City forward had 15 points in the loss to Bartow. He’s crafty inside and at times dangerous as a shooter. King is continuing to better his all-around game.
David Cexil/Jamarcus Robertson (Tampa Bay Tech)
A 5’9″ junior guard David Cexil drew the spot start with Brascom out. He took advantage with 15 points which included three 3’s from the same spot on the court, just right of the top of the key. Jamarcus Robertson, a 5’11” junior guard is a determined attacker who finished with 13 points against Tenoroc.
Christian Schach/Gabriel Sharp (Tampa Prep)
Tampa Prep needs Christian Schach and Gabriel Sharp to step up on a nightly basis. The starting duo combined for 27 points in the victory over Lake Wales. Schach, a 6’3″ had 14 points helping out with his outside shot. Sharp, a 6’2″ sophomore was finding success near the basket with 13 points.
Eli Gibson/Jordan Dominick (George Jenkins)
George Jenkins has a fierce senior big men pairing of Eli Gibson and Jordan Dominick. Gibson, a 6’4″ forward had 14 points in a 66-35 win over Hardee. Dominick, a 6’3″ forward is headed to Georgia Tech next fall for football. He netted 13 points.
Donte Armstead/Gervon Dexter (Lake Wales)
Freshman guard Walter Clayton Jr. was out so that put more pressure on senior guard Donte Armstead. The 5’9″ guard had some big moments with 12 points. Sophomore big man Gervon Dexter couldn’t find the back of the net early but in the second half, he scored all 10 of his points.
Ralph Tima/DeArian Jones (Tenoroc)
Senior Ralph Tima had a team-high 12 points while sophomore DeArian Jones scored 11. Tima, a 5’9″ guard found success from outside. Jones, a 6’4″ forward didn’t start too well, but he picked it up as he buckled down and went to the rack.
Nathan Louis/Jai Clark
It was junior forward Nathan Louis that finished with a team-high 12 points in the win over Kathleen. At 6’4″, Louis is bringing it all together this season. Senior guard Jai Clark, also standing at 6’4″ had 10 points. In fact, he was one of four players with 10 players for the Blue Darters along with John Latimer, Zach Anderson and Travis Henderson.
Jean Youte (Hardee)
A pure athlete, junior guard Jean Youte scored nearly half of Hardee’s points in the loss to George Jenkins with 16. The 6’1″ guard found success from outside and is a true leader for his side.