2019 IS8 Opening Weekend
This weekend, Recruit the Bronx made their way out to the borough of Queens to check out the opening weekend of the IS8 Spring Classic at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens. The tournament had plenty of strong players from around the tri-state area. Check out the standouts from this week:
Irvin Patrick, 6-0, Shooting Guard, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon Recreation & Department, Class of 2020 - Patrick makes good strides and knows where to move on both ends of the court. Is a good passer and has a good wingspan. Is a player that shows plenty of scoring prowess.
Kervin Benoit, 6-0, Shooting Guard, Springfield Gardens High School, PD Nation, Class of 2019 - Benoit is a guard who plays tough defense and knows how to seal his opponent when guarding him. Finds ways di get to the basket. Has an affinity for shooting from three-point range. Plays great defense and knows when to crash the boards for rebounds.
Tayejon Lynch, 5-9, Point Guard, Our Saviour Lutheran High School, PD Nation, Class of 2019 - Lynch is a shifty guard who likes to run on offense and looks to get past his defender at all times. Is a streaky shooter and has good hands on defense. Possesses some good ballhandling abilities.
Dwight Reed, 6-2, Shooting Guard, Our Saviour Lutheran High School, PD Nation, Class of 2019 - Reed plays bigger than his frame and always looks to grab rebounds in the low post. Displays athleticism by going up for dunks when the lane is open.
Joel Cooper, 5-10, Point Guard, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon Department of Recreation, Class of 2019 - Cooper is a point guard who is a good facilitator and can get teammates involved with his passing. Displays great court vision and knows when and where to pass the ball to his teammates. Is very aggressive when going to the basket.
Charles Lovett, 5-10, Point Guard, Mount Vernon High School, Class of 2021 - Lovett is shifty and knows how to flash to the basket and get to the hole. He does struggle with shot selection, but makes up for it with quickness. Although he has a diminutive frame, he plays bigger than his height.
Nigel Harris, 6-1, Shooting Guard, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon Department of Recreation, Class of 2020 - Harris is very scrappy and has good hands on defense. He is a player who will give the maximum effort for his fellow teammates. Possesses plenty of athleticism and will go up for blocks.
Bernard Kouma, 6-10, Forward, Our Saviour Lutheran High School, PD Nation, Class of 2019 - Kouma can do many things on the low blocks and on offense when he has the ball in his hands. He is a solid rebounder and can finish at the basket. Kouma is good when shooting from 15 feet and is a formidable presence in the paint on both ends of the court.
Ibine Ayo Sadiku, 6-6, Forward, Our Saviour Lutheran, PD Nation, Class of 2022 - Sadiku has plenty of athleticism on both ends of the court. He is known for throwing down powerful dunks on offense and for blocking shots on defense. Struggles with lack of strength, but makes up for it with effort and hard work on the court.
Jaylen Murray, 5-11, Point Guard, Cardinal Hayes High School, Road 2 Riches, Class of 2021 - Murray has good hands on defense and can make the opposition give up the ball frequently. He is able to shoot from long range and make plenty of effortless plays. Shows plenty of quickness and making strong drives when getting to the basket.
Posh Alexander, 6-0, Point Guard, Our Saviour Lutheran High School, Road 2 Riches, Class of 2020 - Alexander is a very explosive player who goes to the basket easily and terrorizes the rim. He is also a facilitator who is great at getting his teammates the ball. Knows when and where to make the right moves and is good at making drives to the basket when the lane is open.
Khalil Brantley, 5-11, Point Guard, Nazareth High School, Road 2 Riches, Class of 2021 - A guard who is scrappy and tenacious and can do plenty of things on the defensive end. He can also play the lead guard position and can make plenty of good plays and direct his team. Also has the ability to shoot from three-point range.
Shemani Fuller, 6-7, Forward, Cardinal Hayes High School, Road 2 Riches, Class of 2020 - Fuller is versatile, as he can put the ball on the floor. Good at getting to the basket and using his length to seal his defender. Shows the ability to be a force in the low post as far as getting blocks in the paint. Shows plenty of athleticism at both ends of the court.
Dylan Wusu, 6-2, Shooting Guard, Our Saviour Lutheran High School, Road 2 Riches, Class of 2020 - Wusu can shoot from long range and can be physical when the opportunity presents itself. Has the ability to get rebounds efficiently and possesses plenty of athleticism.
Nicholas Chan, 5-11, Shooting Guard, St. Mary’s High School, Team Uplife, Class of 2020 - A guard that likes to get to the basket and also find other ways to score. Good at running in transition. Has a good spin move that he uses in order to get to the basket.
God’s Love Upke, 6-4, Redemption Christian Academy (MA), Team Uplife, Class of 2021 - Upke is a big guard who has a long wingspan and uses his length to get rebounds. He uses strong drives to get to the basket. He ossesses plenty of toughness and loves to get the ball at the top of the key and penetrate to the hole.
Isaiah Barnes, 5-10, Point Guard, Elmont High School, Team Elmont, Class of 2020 - Barnes is a point guard that makes smart moves and knows when to pick his spots to shoot. Makes good passes to his teammates and knows when to hit them with passes that can lead to baskets.
Christian Ings, 6-2, Point Guard, Neumann-Goretti High School (PA), Above & Beyond, Class of 2019 - Ings is an explosive guard who can go up for slams and gets to the basket with no problem. Also displays plenty of versatility with his passing skills, as he is great at distributing the ball to his teammates.
Kalique Mitchell, 6-4, Shooting Guard, McKee/Staten Island Technical High School, Above & Beyond, Class of 2019 - Mitchell makes effortless plays and can dominate the game when he has the ball in his hands. He makes smooth drives to the basket and has plenty of athleticism when going up for two. He is best known for driving from the perimeter and can hurt a team when left open.
Ray Somerville, 6-9, Forward, Shipley School (PA), Above & Beyond, Class of 2019 - A forward who is dominant in the paint and possesses plenty of strength on both ends of the court. Has the ability to block shots and corral plenty of rebounds. Is a good finisher at the basket.