Jordan's Takeaways: Surprises dominate second day at Sunshine Classic
MONTVERDE, Fla. – The second day of action at the Sunshine Classic was surprising to some degree with the clash of the Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen and Montverde Academy and the Boozer twins and Columbus turning into a drubbing from the opening tip.
Montverde’s stable of thoroughbreds was just too much in the end, and in game one, Brewster and IMG Academy produced memorable performances that could have impacts on rankings in the future.
Here are a handful of players who turned heads on Friday:
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Freeman was the master of the two-dribble pull up all night, using his quickness to get by Brewster Academy’s bigs and draining 15 footers consistently. Freeman finished six of eight from the field for 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 67-63 win over Brewster.
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The 6-foot-7 junior came out hot against IMG Academy, connecting on five of six from the field in the first half and scoring 13 points. Aristode showed off his ability as a sniper draining three 3-pointers and keeping the defense off balance with his ability to penetrate into the lane. Aristode’s stock is already ascending, but at this rate he’s primed to make a big jump in the next rankings update. He finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in the loss.
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Acuff finished with strong drives and knocked down perimeter jumpers at a 60 percent clip in the 67-63 win over Brewster Academy. His shiftiness made him a headache of a defensive assignment all night and produced 24 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win.
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Wright is the engine for the country’s top team, masterfully dictating the tempo and keeping the defense off balance while steering the ship. His ability to ignite their transition offense and run a halfcourt offense with equal effectiveness makes him an invaluable piece to the puzzle for Montverde. Wright posted 18 points, five rebounds and four assists against Cayden Boozer in the 89-61 win.
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McNeeley was under the weather on the first day of the event, but came out motivated the next day, connecting on five of eight from the 3-point line and scoring 20 points. McNeeley also grabbed eight rebounds in the win. Mike Woodson will improve his perimeter scoring immediately once McNeeley is on campus.
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Flagg impacted every aspect of the game on and off the stat sheet, which is on brand for him. The 6-foot-9 wing posted 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks in the win. His ability to impact the game in multiple areas is what has legitimizes the No. 1 NBA Draft pick buzz swirling around him.
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It was a rough night for Columbus, but the one bright spot was the play of Boozer. The 6-foot-10 forward had his hands full all night with Montverde’s frontline but managed to figure things out enough to score 20 points and haul in eight rebounds in the lopsided loss.