Best of The Best Florida Showcase Standout Guard Play

Terry Drake November 20, 2022 @ 06:50 PM

Let’s take a look at some of the standout guards that were at the #BOTBFL Showcase. Malik Charles (5’11/PG/’27/Home School) Instagram: Malik__future2027 Malik had it going from the tip and did not take the foot off the pedal the entire…

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Let’s take a look at some of the standout guards that were at the #BOTBFL Showcase.

Malik Charles (5’11/PG/’27/Home School)

Instagram: Malik__future2027

Malik had it going from the tip and did not take the foot off the pedal the entire camp. He showed all in attendance that he was one of the best lead guards in the building. He had a great balance between facilitating and scoring and did them equally well. He is a nightmare for defenders when he gets going downhill. He is a multi-level scorer and was one of the toughest in one-on-one scenarios. I loved his ability to score the rock and his creative ability to distribute the rock. He is not currently playing with a team, but whoever gets his services for his high school years will have a reliable and trustworthy floor general. There was some good guard play at camp, but Malik separated himself from the bunch and was one of the best at the position.

Malik had it going from the tip and did not take the foot off the pedal the entire camp.
Terry J. Drake

Xavier Beavers (5’5/CG/’29/Clay Chalkville MS)

Instagram: Zaythat_bucket

I have put ink on Xavier before, and he continues to impress. He is a shifty guard with good handles and knows how to use his dribble to get to his spots. He is a young talent who is good in iso situations and can facilitate and get teammates involved but make no mistake about it, he is at his best when he has the ball in his hands and is attacking off the bounce. He has a deep bag and showed just how deep it was throughout the weekend. He is a passionate player who hates losing, and you saw that at one point during camp. He has a passion for winning and being great, which is a trait you never want to extinguish. He has to learn how to channel that passion and energy and, whether the game’s outcome is in his favor or not, use them both as fuel to be better the next time he steps on the court. The greats hate losing, but they know how to channel it in order to get better. The late great Kobe Bryant once said, “Winning takes precedence over all. There’s no gray area. No almosts.” I encourage Xavier to keep the passion he has for the game, but understand losing is part of the game, but use it for fuel for the next time he takes the court and dominate!

He is a shifty guard with good handles and knows how to use his dribble to get to his spots.
Terry J. Drake

Brady Western (5’0/PG/’29/East Lake MS)

Instagram: Brady.gets.buckets

One of the most exciting players to watch the entire weekend was Brady. It was a joy to see a young player with the skillset that he has and the knowledge of the game he possesses. I give a lot of credit to his parents for putting him in the right environments, as he has learned the game the right way. He is sound in all aspects, as he can shoot the rock, pass, and handle it. He doesn’t over-dribble, and he keeps the ball moving. He has a nice set-up ability and knows how to deliver the rock on time and on target. Now we are talking about a 6th grader, a very good one, I must say, but a player that has a lot of basketball in front of him, and the sky is the limit if he continues developing in the way that he has.

One of the most exciting players to watch the entire weekend was Brady.
Terry J. Drake

Gabriel Benkovskiy (5’7/CG/’27/Franklin MS)

Instagram: Gabba_30

I really enjoyed watching Gabriel compete as he was one of the few that competed relentlessly on both ends of the floor. In fact, it was his play on the defensive end that caught my eyes and had me locked in on him the rest of the weekend. Offensively he was in attack mode and got to the paint off of straight line drives and got there after using his crafty handles to get his defender out of position. He has a really nice feel for the game and plays the game the right way from the lead guard spot. He understands that the ball moves faster by the pass than the dribble, which was seen with his consistent kick-ahead passes in transition. His IQ was one of the other things that separated him from the pack, as he was a wizard creating off the bounce for himself and his teammates. Defensively, he was tenacious with his on-ball defense, and he had active hands and made the ballhandlers earn everything they got. He was one of the bright spots at camp, and his stock definitely rose.

I really enjoyed watching Gabriel compete as he was one of the few that competed relentlessly on both ends of the floor.
Terry J. Drake

Brandon Perkins (5’1/CG/’27/Thurgood Marshall)

Instagram: shifty._b

Brandon started camp out slowly, but when he got going, he did not look back. He showed his ability to be highly productive in the scoring column. He shot the ball well from behind the arc and used his quick burst to get by defenders and get in the paint. Once the switch turned on, he was a difficult cover. He is a heady PG that is shifty with the ball in his hands and was one of the best at pulling up off the bounce for the mid-range or trey ball. He showed that he could facilitate the offense, which is crucial because right now, he stands a mere 5’1. That did not hinder his performance during this camp but looking at his trajectory at the high school level next year, challenges could arise. However, I encourage BP not to focus on that but on what he can control, which is his development.

Brandon started camp out slowly, but when he got going, he did not look back.
Terry J. Drake

Aaron Britt, Jr. (5’11/PG/’27/Camden MS)

Instagram: Aaronbrittjr

Aaron was a smooth operator throughout the weekend. He did just about everything well that would be expected from a PG. He shot the ball well, was an excellent playmaker and passer, kept the offense flowing, and kept all his teammates happy as he distributed the rock evenly. He is an athletic backcourt prospect whose trajectory is headed in the right direction. The scary part about Aaron is that he has not even scratched the surface of his potential yet and is already becoming a known name in grassroots basketball. He is a smart and skilled player that functions as a triple threat player that contributes as a shooter, passer, and driver. Saying that a player is a complete player and he has not even played a minute of high school basketball can be questionable, but Aaron’s game is very impressive at this age. I am looking forward to seeing what his body of work will be over the next few years.

He did just about everything well that would be expected from a PG.
Terry J. Drake

Peter Palao (5’6/CG/’28/Venice MS)

Instagram: _official.peter_

Peter was looking for his offense early and often. He had an aggressive mindset when it came to attacking off the bounce. He got by his defender often and forced the collapse of the defense. From there, he took advantage of poor rotations and either scored himself or hit open teammates. He was very precise in his movements and getting to his spots. When he was not at the lead guard spot, he was getting it done at the off-guard spot, mostly by getting out in transition, running the floor, and getting buckets on the break. He easily moved between the lead guard and the off-guard position and never allowed his production to fall off. I am sure Peter is a player we will be hearing more about over the next couple of years, and we will be here to bring you coverage of his development.

He had an aggressive mindset when it came to attacking off the bounce.
Terry J. Drake

Michael Vilmenay (5’8/SG/’27/Westwood Christian)

Instagram: iam_mv24

I have put ink on Michael in the past, and it was good to see how much he has grown since the last time I wrote about him. He is a multi-level scorer that was aggressive in getting buckets. He is a gifted scorer with an IQ that is impressive for his age. He is nearly impossible to contain one-on-one and has good court awareness knowing how to attack gaps. He is not the quickest guard off the bounce, but his scoring instincts were amongst the best of all guards at the camp. He is a very good outside shooter who knows how to get separation and find room for his shot. He played extraordinarily poised and was never rattled. With the attention he draws when the ball is in his hands, he has good decision-making skills and knows how to get the ball to his teammates when the defense loads up to stop him. His feel for the game was impressive, and I’m convinced that we have not seen anything yet when it comes to everything that Michael has in his toolbox.

He is a multi-level scorer that was aggressive in getting buckets.
Terry J. Drake

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