Top 250 Expo: 2021-22 Standouts (Part 3/3)
This year’s Prep Hoops Florida Top 250 Expo saw great talent from all over the state play with intensity, with grit, and with a determination to show who was the best on the court. Check out the underclassmen standouts from the day, part three of three.
Keegan Betzer 2021 – The Villages HS: Another Buffalo who made their presence felt, Betzer showed he can hit the three-ball, while finishing some tough, tough plays at the rim, in-traffic. He’s a shorter guard at just 5’9”, but it didn’t stop him from penetrating into the low-post area and creating shots for himself. The sophomore showed no fear, has a real bulldog mentality.
Jalen Willis 2021 – Mainland HS: With the Expo being hosted at Mainland High, it’s only right that SOMEONE from the host school, steps up. Willis did just that, proving he can hit the long-ball when left open. You have to respect his shot. He has a solid enough handle to go and create his own shot from the midrange area. In transition defense, he gave full effort to get back to his man & not give up an easy bucket.
Trey Lane 2022 – Lakeland HS: The only player I saw make someone fall with a crossover, the freshman is not afraid to shoot it from “deep-deep” and stroke it. You could tell there was a lot of confidence pouring from Lane with each made bucket. He’s a guy you can trust in late-game situations with the way he protects the ball with his dribbling. Doesn’t over-do it. He has a solid command over the ball, and I didn’t see him turn it over once anytime he ran point guard for his present team.
Dean Gabrelcik 2021 – East Lake HS: I was really impressed with how often he deferred to others and made the “right” pass for the sake of the team. Loved his willingness to get others involved. In-transition, he’s another guy you can trust with the ball—whether he ends up aiming to score himself, or dump it off to someone for an easy bucket. On defense, he was a force in the low-post, made it really difficult for others to get shots off. Gabrelcik is a rim protector, as well. He swated a few balls away, just when his opponents thought they had a clean layup.
James Repass 2021 – Providence School: He was just extremely tough for anyone else to guard at 6’10”. Talk about establishing position, Repass made it nearly impossible for anyone to score within the painted area. As he continues to develop an offensive arsenal, he’ll be even more of a weapon for Providence over the next three years.