US Amateur Nationals Tournament Standouts (Pt. 2)
From Minnesota to our home of Florida, teams from all over the country made their way to Gainesville for the U.S. Amateur National Championships. Florida squads made their presence felt, with some players going above the rest to make a statement. Check out Part Two of the standouts from the four-day event.
Zach Lee: Treasure Coast Titans 2021: Besides his teammate Jeremiah Denaud, Lee was the other Titan who brought the rain from downtown. Whether it be from the corner, or the top of the key, he found ways to drain it whether by himself, or with a hand in his face. Even in the post, Lee played strong, finished with defenders draped on him.
Terrance Gibbs: Nike Team Florida 2022: Gibbs is another one of the NTF guys who is a nightmare on transition-defense. If you’re trying to push the ball, don’t pass ahead towards his direction. All game long, he was seen deflecting passes in the middle of the floor. On inbounds plays, he’s great creating traps and earning steals.
Deshaun Osborne: GPI All-Stars 2020: The only other double-digit scorer in the game I watched, Osborne can hit the trey when called upon, or take it inside for tough finishes. What also stood out was his awareness. On one seemingly-botched play, he was able to recover his own bad pass, and flip it to the post for a finish at the last second. Osborne’s another guy who can snuff out steals off the inbound, as well.
Gabriel Borges: Florida Splash 2021: Still a bit raw when it comes to offensive skill, but with being at Gainesville’s “The Rock School”, coach Justin Harden will surely work on that. What stood out more was his EFFORT near and on the glass. He notched a few blocks at the rim, tough rebounds on both sides of the floor, and used his strength to box-out, continuously.
Navaun Peterson: GPI All-Stars 2020: Similar to Borges, wasn’t a guy that made his mark primarily on offense, but on transition defense and in the paint. Peterson will chase you down for a steal from behind, closes out well when defenders aim to drive it in, and got his share of offensive-putbacks to help with scoring. From the wing, he can definitely knock down the three.