2018: Fast Risers (Part 1)
The summer is crucial for all of the talent across the United States. In Florida, there are a ton of players looking to not only improve their overall games but also draw more attention from the top college programs.
Here is a look at five fast risers in the class of 2018.
Serrel Smith (St. Pete)
Smith will be playing for Nike South Beach this summer. At 6’3″, 155 lbs., the rising senior is blazing fast with the ball in or out of his hands. He plays well as an attacker and can hit his open shots. At the City of Palms Classic, he dropped 30 points against Class 2A champions Miami Christian. A few months later, he scored 39 points against national powerhouse Oak Hill (W.Va.) at the ARS Rescue Rooter Hoopfest. Adding muscle is key for Smith as he matures further this season.
Offers: FGCU, James Madison and Wyoming.
Interest: Murray State, Stetson, South Alabama, UCF, USF, UTSA and Georgia Southern.
David Pierce (Gibbs)
Tearing his ACL and meniscus in January 2016 really set Pierce back. However, the strong young man was determined to bounce back. The 6’2″, 200-pounder did just that for Gibbs and now he’ll look to do more of the same this summer with SEBA. Pierce is a superb outside shooter and he makes it look easy as an attacker. He almost single handily won the game for Gibbs against rival Lakewood in a 66-63 loss on Jan. 24 as he scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. Pierce is coming into his own more and more.
Offers: FGCU, James Madison, Stetson, North Florida, USF and Western Carolina.
Interest: Florida, Florida State, Kansas State, South Carolina, Auburn and Illinois.
Duncan Demuth (Seminole)
Demuth scored a team-high 17 points in a loss to St. Pete in the Class 8A-District 10 semifinals in February. He told me after the game that he’s looking to improve his overall jump shot, something he called inconsistent throughout the season. At 6’8″, 195 lbs., he plays with poise and smarts. He can glide to the rim with ease with his long arms and upper body strength. If he can continue to improve his outside shot and comfort level as a point man, then he’ll be very good at the next level. He’s running with SEBA this summer.
Offers: Florida State, South Carolina, North Florida, USF, James Madison, Western Carolina and Wyoming.
Interest: Florida, Richmond, FGCU, Stanford and Yale.
Jai Clark (Apopka)
Clark has a ton of potential. His offensive game is expanding and as a passer, he knows how to get the job done. At 6’2″, 172 lbs, he is a rising senior that you can see has a ton of untapped potential. Playing alongside a young Apopka team, Clark is growing alongside his group. He told me after a January win over Clearwater that this is what has improved for him: “rip game getting to the one dribble pull up if needed as a shooter when the defense gets more aggressive on the close outs.” He’ll be running with E1T1 once again this summer.
Offers: North Florida and Lees-McRae.
Interest: FGCU, Georgia Southern and Stetson.
Madut Akec (Victory Rock Prep)
It is hard not to appreciate Akec’s game. At 6’7″, he simply has fun out on the court. He can shoot from outside rather well, attacks at the rim on both sides of the ball and is a student of the game. Making the move to the U.S. from Sudan three years ago, Akec understands the task ahead. He’ll be playing this summer again with the Florida Sons where he should be one of the top guys once again.
Interest: UCF, Louisville, Stanford, Tulane and Texas Rio Grande Valley.