2017 Monsignor King Tournament
By Derrick Irving @CoachDIrving
RecruitTheBronx was on hand Saturday December 30, 2017 to watch four games at the 49th Monsignor King Tournament at St. Thomas Aquinas in Brooklyn, NY. The tournament, the oldest running HS basketball tournament in NYC, is run by St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Director Guy DeFonzo. Here are our top prospects:
Joshua Gourgue 2018 6’5 Forward Xavier HS - good hands, good inside finisher, active defender, can block shots, good court awareness, long and lanky frame. Needs to add muscle - gets pushed around in the paint, develop an outside shot and work on his handle.
Owen Jacobsen 2020 6’4 Forward Xavier HS - can finish on the drive, good discipline on defense, hustles hard on defense, deflects passes. Needs to work on his outside shot and perimeter handle.
Billy Muller 2018 6’6 Power Forward North Babylon HS - soft touch around the basket, can finish thru contact, decent footwork in the low post, quick hands playing the passing lanes on defense, good rebounder. Needs to increase his vertical, be more aggressive on the boards, and show more toughness defending the paint.
Jalyke Gaines Wyatt 2022 5’9 Point Guard North Babylon HS - shifty handle, attacks the rim strong, quick first step, decent playmaker, plays hard perimeter be defense. Very young in the 8th grade, needs to be mentally tougher but will come with experience. Needs to be a consistent finisher on the drive and work on his outside shot.
Tyler Small 2018 6’1 Shooting Guard Holy Trinity - good 3pt shooter, attacks the basket strong, can finish thru contact, tough defender moves his feet well, strong body. Needs to work on his playmaking ability.
Shemar Latty 2020 5’11 Guard St. Edmund Prep - quick first step attacks the basket strong, adept at drawing contact, creates driving lanes for himself, strong handle, good confidence and aggressiveness on the offensive end. Needs to distribute the ball more, be a more consistent shooter, and show more effort on defense.
Wahaad Johnson 2018 5’11 Guard Bedford Academy - good pull-up jumper, creates good separation off the dribble, crafty finisher on the drive, moves well without the ball, good hesitation dribble, good court vision. Needs to show more effort on defense, streaky shooter.
Gary Sykes 2018 6’6 Power Forward Bedford Academy - can finish thru contact inside, good rebounder, runs the floor well, big body. Needs to increase his vertical to grab more rebounds and to finish above the rim, needs to trim down more.
Larry Moreno 2018 5’11 Point Guard Brooklyn Law & Tech - good 3pt shooter, attacks the basket strong, very quick, shifty handle. Needs to get stronger to be effective in traffic and distribute the ball more, streaky shooter. Committed to St. Francis College (BK)
David Grady 2018 6’5 Small Forward Brooklyn Law & Tech - explosive leaper, improved his outside shooting good catch and shoot game, attacks the basket strong, good timing on blocks, good rebounder. Needs to work on his handle and shot off the dribble to create more scoring opportunities for himself.
Mike Young 2018 6’5 Forward Nazareth HS - attacks the basket strong, can get above the rim, good defender-good instincts, hustles on both ends, long arms. Needs to work on his outside shot and perimeter handle.
Jim Carter 2018 6’2 Point Guard Tampa Catholic (FL) - good pull-up jumper, quick first step, attacks the basket strong, tough perimeter defender, sneaky athleticism, good IQ, confident, strong body. Needs to be a more consistent outside shooter and distribute the ball more.
Kobe Knox 2020 6’3 Shooting Guard Tampa Catholic (FL) - good 3pt shooter, quick release, good shot off the dribble, moves well without the ball. Needs to add muscle and show more effort on defense.
Isaiah Elmore 2020 6’7 Power Forward Tampa Catholic (FL) - putback finisher, athletic rebounder, decent handle, gets up and down the court well, hustles on both ends, long and lanky frame. Needs to work on his low post game and be a consistent inside finisher, needs to get stronger.
Alijah Harrison 2020 6’4 Wing Tampa Catholic (FL) - can score inside-out, good 3pt shooter good arc on his jumper, attacks the basket strong, can finish thru contact, good defender, hustles on both ends. Needs to be more aggressive on offense and get stronger.