Recruiting Update: South Florida
Ivan Reynolds, Coral Springs Charter
The 6-foot-5 guard is an athletic playmaker who makes sound decisions with the ball and has considerable elevation on his jumper. The Class of 2020 prospect has an established handle and can operate offense and trigger the souped up attack.
His blend of IQ and wealth of varsity experience make him an appealing choice for Division-I programs. You would be hard-pressed to find a local guard who rebounds the ball as well as Reynolds.
He recently earned an offer from nearby Florida Atlantic University.
An explosive finisher who possesses a wing’s skill set, Reynolds’ style aligns with the system enforced by first year head coach Dusty May. Reynolds would also be an enticing and productive off the ball option for South Florida native (and current FAU freshman point guard) Michael Forrest. Since the very beginning, this new FAU coaching staff vowed to prioritize local talent. The staff, collectively, was quite outspoken about essentially being able to “put a fence around Florida.”
A diamond in the rough caliber recruit of Reynolds’ fabric, an underrated local kid who isn’t being heavily recruited, would certainly be a glowing example of this philosophy.
Kenan Blackshear, Jones
The vastly underrated 6-foot-5 guard has the potential to be a best kept secret at the mid major level. Blackshear, he of the 6-9 wingspan, has improved his shooting incrementally heading into his senior season. He’s a well-built guard who can beat defenders off the dribble and get to the rim through traffic. Having committed to Florida Atlantic on Sept.9, Blackshear has the potential to be an instant impact player in the backcourt. He’s been under the radar, despite garnering interest and offers since his sophomore season. He joins a list of in-state talent at Florida Atlantic, which includes Richardson Maitre (West Oaks), Madiaw Niang (DME Academy), and Micheal Forrest (Blanche Ely) as key pieces of its 2018 recruiting class.
It is a key recruiting coup for FAU, which beat out East Carolina in solidifying a significant in-state commitment.
Mamadou Gueye, The Nation Prep
The 7-footer has a polished skill set, one which he spent the summer refining. He’s developed an adroit touch from beyond the arc and can knock down the feathery 15-18 footer with consistency. McNeese State and Illinois State have recently expressed interest in the burgeoning prospect, who has the length and mobility to be a unique threat at his position.
Maxime Demeus, Boca Raton
The left handed guard is a facilitator with a savvy and know-how in picking apart a defense. He’s going to have to adjust as the alpha dog scorer, after ceding the spotlight to Cade Long last season. Demeus can score it at an efficient clip, albeit his true attribute is his ability to spark the offense as a quarterback. He can pull off Division-I passes which many at this level simply couldn’t.
UMass and Florida Atlantic have offered. Murray State has expressed considerable interest and should pull the trigger before the 2018-19 season kicks off.
Terrell Sanders, Superior Collegiate
The 6-foot-5 guard has a hard to guard left handed sling shot. He’s got the potential to be an automatic off the dribble scorer with consistency and a refined pull-up game. Georgia and Xavier have now expressed interest in the bouncy and athletic guard, who will set the tone as defensive stalwart.
Diego Rivera, Miami Christian
The returning guard brings a skill set as a deft 3-point shooter and facilitator. He had several noteworthy performances last season and will be expected to produce from the get-go. He’s surrounded by even more talented pieces this time around, unknown and undiscovered guys who have the potential to restore major credibility to the perennially tough program.
Arkansas State, Austin Peay, and Florida Gulf Coast University are expressing the most interest in the veteran Class of 2019 guard.