Standouts from Tuesday’s preseason action
Tuesday was a jampacked night of preseason hoops.
I went around the Tampa Bay area to see a trio of matchups.
Schedule: Santa Fa Catholic vs. Carrollwood Day (at Seffner Christian), St. Pete Catholic vs. Canterbury (at Northeast) and Countryside at Largo.
Here are the top players that I saw ball out on Tuesday.
Javon Bell (Santa Fe Catholic)
Bell had a game-high 30 points in the 61-58 win over Carrollwood Day. That included 18 first half points and two highlight-reel putback dunks in the second half. Bell even had a sweet alley-oop to Joe Stubbs midway through the fourth quarter (). He consistently got to the free throw line. This young man shined last year as a freshman and now he’s really coming into his own. At 6’3″, Bell is a promising 2020 prospect.
Nathan Tettenborn (Countryside)
Tettenborn scored a team-best 20 points in a 74-66 victory over Largo. The senior guard showed off his range time and time again with four 3-pointers. Tettenborn added 10 points in a really sound third quarter showing. Credit his teammates for getting him the ball in catch and shoot situations, especially senior guard CJ Williams. Tettenborn is highly underrated.
Edgar Ziegler (Carrollwood Day)
Ziegler took over at shooting guard with Malcolm Whitlow (ankle) out. The junior guard had his troubles carrying the rock at times, but he made plays when he needed to most. The 6’4″ guard is full of length and determination inside. Ziegler had a team-best 20 points which included nine in the fourth quarter alone. Pairing with Whitlow, the 2019 duo will be the heart and soul of the Patriots offense.
Isaiah Bellamy (Largo)
Largo needed a big man to take over with Bobby Roundtree now at Illinois playing football. Bellamy, a UCF football commit tied for a team-high 17 points in a 74-66 loss to Countryside. Eight came in the first half and nine in the second half. He is as consistent as they come as an inside presence. The Packers will be leaning on the 6’5″ forward a ton this season.
Rivers Lenholt (Canterbury)
It took Lenholt a bit to get going, but once he did he made important shots for the Crusaders in a 60-57 victory over St. Pete Catholic. The sophomore guard dropped nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter including four free throws to keep Canterbury in front. It appeared Lenholt had a cold, but that didn’t stop him from making jumpers when it mattered most. He is mature beyond his years.
Keenan Hester (St. Pete Catholic)
Speaking of big men, Hester really impressed me. The junior tied for the team-high with 17 points. He bullied his way in the paint often and made some athletic plays. With 1.4 seconds left in the game, Hester went to the floor and he was seen bleeding right under his eye. It looked like a took a nail to the skin. The kid is a warrior who the Barons will focus on a lot this fall.
Matthew Berry (Countryside)
I absolutely love the addition of Berry to the Countryside program. It gives the Cougars a true athletic forward to pair with Williams, Tettenborn and Tino Petrovic. Berry scored all of his 16 points in the first half. It will take some time for him to fit the style that Countryside plays, but once he settles in, watch out. The 6’6″ senior forward is a sound player.
Tyler Harris (St. Pete Catholic)
Transferring over from St. Pete, Harris tied the team-high in points with 17. Fellow junior guard Jack Hosack, who also came over to St. Pete Catholic with him, scored 10 points on the night. Harris had a sluggish start, but he found his groove with 3’s and some fancy moves to the rack. The Barons will want to use him in key situations all year long.
Amant Deliu (Largo)
Deliu, a senior guard tied Bellamy for the team lead in points with 17. The undersized guard hit an absolutely ridiculous 3-pointer with time winding down in the fourth quarter. He went to the corner in front of his team’s bench, leaned into his defender looking to draw a foul and basically catapulted the ball into the hoop. Largo has him in the position to succeed.
Tino Petrovic (Countryside)
Petrovic is a player that I’ve been a fan of for quite some time. A former Oldsmar Christian prospect, the senior guard/wing always makes plays. He had 15 points in the win over Largo, none bigger than a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the third quarter. Petrovic always gets his group hyped and rarely makes a bad decision.
Owen Mixon (Carrollwood Day)
The 6’8″ senior center has a presence inside. He is in the process of maturing and it showed down the stretch. Mixon recorded 10 points and upped his tenacity and physicality in the fourth quarter. His free throw shot still needs work, but Carrollwood Day is going to depend on his size and scoring inside.
Photo credit: Will Turner/WT Productions