Bradenton – FABC Camp in Bradenton marks the Traveling Hoopers first event in Florida. With a good group of teams from the all over the state in particular Tampa and Florida we got a good landscape of local hoops. This will be the first of a two part series detailing the stand outs from the event.
Trinity Prep
Javon Bennet – An athletic small guard that loves to push the pace. His athleticism makes him a good rebounder for the position where his court vision takes over on the break. That same vision shows up in the halfcourt where he kicks to open shooters and cutters. He had a phenomenal shooting day going 6 of 8 from the three. Bennet’s range extends beyond the college three.
Krishen Atwal – At 6-6 Atwal brings a lot of size to the wing. His frame allows him to power through contact leading to 3 and 1s on the night. He shoots well from the outside, making 2 of his 3 attempts from the corner against solid closeouts.
Josh Cooper – Sitting somewhere between 6-6 and 6-7 is the play finisher, Cooper. He rebounds, runs the floor, and scores around the basket.
Charlotte
Gabriel McCoy – At 6-6 with a bruiser game McCoy carves out space on the block. He rebounds and makes up for his lack of height with a muscular build.
West Nassau
Keenan Johnson – A versatile 6-8 wing with a growing offensive game. All weekend he showed off a developing mid range pull up. Johnson can defend positions 1-4 making switching an easy task for the rising junior. Jacksonville State is currently in the mix for the young and after a season where he’ll have an extended role in the offense they won’t be the only one.
Rota
Jayden Butler – Butler manufactures offense. He ended the game on an 8 point run that included back-to-back stepback threes against good defense and a crafty move that lead to a layup. He has a strong handle that allows him to create his shot at any time. Besides having a good build for the game he shows a will to win in the closing moments of the game.
Tampa Catholic
Karter Knox – The youngest Knox brother is a 6-5 guard that can score in multiple ways. He has deep range on his jumper and shoots with volume and accuracy. He can score out of the post with turnaround jumpers. The 2024 prospect showed off his athleticism with big blocks and nasty poster attempts. Just to add in some fun, Knox is a deceptive passer. Already listed as a top 5 player in his Florida for his class he’s likely to have stars by his name when national rankings drop.
Caleb Gatewood – A good defensive prospect with long arms and guard skills. Gatewood blocks shots, rebounds, and finishes plays. He connected on a few shots from deep and caught an alley oop throughout the three games I watched.
Eddrin Bronson – This 2023 prospect brings shooting and size to the guard position. He’s dangerous off the catch and dribble, making him a dynamic scorer for Tampa Catholic. He also locks in on defense forcing the opponent to play at a faster tempo. Current interest includes 2 SEC schools.
Karmello Branch – Branch proved to be a do it all wing in his time on the court. He has good size for the position and fits well in the offense.
Fleming Island
Bennie McDuffie – With zone-busting speed McDuffie ran past full court pressure to find open teammates down the court. In the halfcourt that speed helps the undersized guard get to the paint for scoring opportunities. Before transferring to Fleming Island the rising senior averaged 20 points in his final three games at Mandarin HS.
Ahman Greenidge – A tough physical forward that score on the block and has perimeter skills.
Archbishop McCarthy
Tyler Brant – Brant has some go to his game. The 6-3 CG has range to volleyball line off the catch and the dribble. He’s an aggressive scorer that draws the attention of help defenders giving him the chance to distribute to his teammates. Brant creates space thanks to his shifty play. The 2022 prospect showed electric athleticism on break by punching a big dunk through the rim in the second half.
The Traveling Hooper 