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The Cassidy Awards: GEICO Nationals

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 2022 GEICO Nationals event will crown a high school national champion on Saturday, when Florida’s Montverde Academy meets Missouri’s Link Academy. Friday featured a pair of exciting semifinal matchups featuring a long list of Div. I-bound talent. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on Florida’s Gulf Coast for both games and dishes out some awards for the most notable performances below.

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Commitment breakdown: Auburn lands five-star Yohan Traore

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

2024 Rankings: Top 40

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SUPER SUB: Trey Green

What he did: Green played just 15 minutes on Friday but his impact was massive. Not only did he knock down a key 3-pointer and make a spectacular open-floor assist that led to a dunk in the final five minutes, but his 10 points were good for 4th on the Link Year Prep roster in the team’s 59-53 win over Prolific Prep. The class of 2023 point guard brings a big motor and quick feet to the defensive end, where he had a hand in a couple turnovers that didn’t show as steals on the stat sheet. The 5-foot-11 Green is obviously limited by his lack of length, but he’s as steady and trustworthy as guards come and rarely hurts his team while he’s on the floor.

Where he’s going: A class of 2023 prospect, Green has taken unofficial visits to both Virginia Tech and Cincinnati and seems pretty high on both programs. He hopes to add more offers this summer, however, and won’t make a decision until his senior season.

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SECOND HALF SURGE: Jordan Walsh 

What he did: Walsh had just two points at halftime and his team trailed by one. Then, the Arkansas signee decided the second 16 minutes would be different. Walsh came out of the locker room and knocked down a 3-pointer in the first minute of the half on his way to a 17-point, seven-rebound effort that helped Link Year Prep separate and secure a victory over Prolific (Calif.) Prep. Walsh didn’t play particularly well at the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday, but has been better when the games have counted at GEICO. He still needs to harness his energy a bit and limit turnovers, but the fact that attack mode is his default setting sometimes allows him to take over games. This was the case for stretches on Friday.

Where he’s going: Walsh is signed with Arkansas.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ARKANSAS FANS AT HAWGBEAT.COM

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RANKINGS RISER: Jarace Walker 

What he did: Just a few days after shining at the McDonald's All-American Game, Walker was back at it again on Friday afternoon. The Houston signee started Friday’s game with a sequence that included a 3-pointer, a steal on the other end and a transition layup, which perfectly underscored his appeal as a prospect. He finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds and a game-high six blocks, as he continues to look better than his current No. 15 ranking. Walker is a good bet to slide up in the final Rivals150 update next month. Defensively, he’s becoming good for a chase-down block or two per game in addition to stuffing shots in the post. Still, he needs to become a bit more efficient and learn to take better shots in the half-court. Friday was far from his best shooting day, but the fact that he remains this effective while a bit raw from an offensive standpoint is encouraging.

Where he’s going: Walker is signed with Houston.

SHARE YOU THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT COUGARSDEN.COM

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KING OF THE CASTLE: Dariq Whitehead

What he did: The No. 1 player in the class of 2022, Whitehead is on quite a run as of late. On Tuesday, he won the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game. By the end of Friday’s game he had led his Montverde team to the brink of a high school national title at GEICO Nationals. The Duke-bound star scored 21 points on 50-percent shooting in the semifinal win over IMG Academy, which was just what the doctor ordered for a prospect that is sometimes nitpicked for being inefficient. Whitehead also came up with a clutch steal in the final two minutes that led to a layup and helped put IMG in the lead for good.

Where he’s going: Whitehead is signed with Duke

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DUKE FANS AT DEVILSILLUSTRATED.COM

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SHOOTING STAR: Keyonte George 

What he did: It’s not news that Baylor signee Keyonte George can be lethal shooting the ball, but he showed off his full range of shot-making ability on Friday. There were catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, a couple pull-up jumpers that shook defenders and brought the crowd to its feet and even a buzzer-beating stroke from NBA-range that pulled his IMG team to within one point at halftime. George is as confident as shooters come and is gifted when it comes to creating space using his handles and upper-body strength. He finished Friday’s narrow loss with a team-high 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, which included four 3-pointers.

Where he’s going: George is signed with Baylor.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH BAYLOR FANS AT SICEMSPORTS.COM

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SPARK PLUG: Tre White

What he did: White was a major reason why underdog Prolific (Calif) Prep was able to keep things close with loaded Link (Mo.) Academy on Friday and impacted the contest in a number of ways. The USC-bound guard forced the action and regularly got to the free-throw line in a 15-point performance that saw him flash some nice court vision and make creative passes that often led to buckets. White may trust his vision a bit too much at times, which results in the occasional sloppy turnover, but his confidence and skill set is impressive. He’ll need to become a bit more refined before he impacts the Pac 12, but his trajectory is encouraging.

Where he’s going: White is signed with USC.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT TROJANSPORTS.COM

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