Robert Davis, Gerald Drumgoole and the Junior Starting Five

By PAUL GOTHAM

With the regular season in the rear-view mirror and sectionals ready to start, a look at some of Section Five’s top performers from the 11th-grade class.

Miles Brown 6-foot-1 Jr. G Northstar Christian Academy Knights (Private/Independent) – A first team Class C All-State selection, Brown possesses the unique quality of slowing the game to his speed, he is comfortable in the open court making decisions whether to feed teammates or go to the basket, deft touch with either hand at the rim, had the chance to go at Corning (IV) big man, 6-foot-6 Myles Bankstown earlier and didn’t flinch, has range beyond the 3-point arc which makes him all the more dangerous, scary to think he might grow and with the guard skills he is developing he will become a special talent if he isn’t already; played on the backline of a 1-3-1 zone and took a pair of charges, strong on the ball when playing man-to-man, makes intelligent adjustments off the ball; has scored 1,981 career points.

 

#FEATUREDBALLER @milesballer 6’2 PG MILES BROWN 2019 / @Sectvbb Mixtape. Carries an A average #MrRightNow #ClearinghouseReady #Multiple 30+/ 40+ / 50+ games 2017-2018. #D1Prospect #Blanketdefender #FloorGeneral #BounceGang @TheCityRocks @CoachNearyCR @kevanJr #WeoutHere pic.twitter.com/pCLgPrAOG4

— NEW RECRUIT MEDIA (@NewRecruitMedia) February 17, 2018

Robert Davis 5-foot-7 Jr. G Wilson Magnet Wildcats (RCAC) – Elite level scorer who can connect from anywhere on the floor, has to be guarded beyond the 3-point arc, foot speed and low center of gravity makes pull-up jumper deadly, quick release, gets impressive elevation and can shoot over taller players, proficient in the open floor, gets downhill quickly, makes keen decisions and adjustments in transition, can finish with either hand in traffic; underrated defender who sees one pass/play ahead, anticipates well, fights through screens without fouling, ready to move; tireless rebounder who reads long caroms well.; high basketball IQ; has scored 1,259 points.

Gerald Drumgoole 6-foot-5, Jr. G Irondequoit Eagles (Monroe County Division II) – Elite level player who can break down opposing individuals and defenses in a variety of ways, uses height to see over smaller opponents, above average court vision combined with acute awareness off where and when to distribute the ball as well as when to attack the basket, can pull up in transition and knock down a jumper or finish at the rim in traffic, evolving beyond the arc – has gone from being a catch-and-shoot guy from long range last year to creating his own shot, possesses the ability to take over a game and simultaneously allows the play to come to him; active rebounder with strong hands, does not stop at first contact, requires the attention of opponents throughout the duration of rebounding situations; above average defender who plays well off the ball and can see the game one pass ahead, moves well on the flight of the ball.

Keith Slack 5-foot-9 Jr. G Gates-Chili Spartans (Monroe County Division I) – Change of direction and change of pace rolled into one package, Gates-Chili’s leading scorer (27.3 ppg) gets downhill quickly in the open court, but is rarely, if ever, out of control, puts defenders on their heels and knows how to take advantage from there, his work in the half-court is just as impressive, able to force a defense into retreat mode to take away his drive, the phrase “stops on a dime” applies, uses low center of gravity for a pull-up jumper that makes defending him all the more daunting, has to be defended two steps behind the arc; active defender who sees one play/pass ahead to anticipate steals, rarely caught out of position and has to be accounted for when running offense; despite size limitations a skilled geometrician who reads caroms off the rim and plucks long rebounds; has scored 1,105 career points.

Rondell Watson 5-foot-11, Jr. G Leadership Academy Lions (RCAC) – Another returner to the Starting Five, supremely gifted offensive player whose confidence continues to grow with every game, an off guard a year ago who relied upon others to create scoring opportunities for him, he has become dynamic point guard this season, shooting range extends well beyond 3-point arc, but quick first step and ability to attack off the dribble makes him a threat to drive when a defense extends, has the ability to dominate from long range (connected on 10 3-pointers in 52-point performance earlier in the season) but don’t overlook his mid-range game, can stop and pop with a quick release; underrated playmaker who distributes the ball well; an active defender, he uses foot speed and keen instincts to frustrate opponents.

Names to know of other student-athletes from the junior class: Willie Ball/Brockport, Kaori Barley/East High, Logan Blankenberg/Wayne, Fidel Brock/Churchville-Chili, Michael Brown/Northstar Christian, Mitch Carr/Hilton, Nick Carmichael/Wayne, Jayden Castrechini/Gananda, Trevor Chamberlain/HF-L, Maurice Coney III/East High, Daniel Cook/Pittsford Mendon, Paddy Coyne/Avon, Jahmel Demery/Vertus, Joe Denegal/SOTA, Tremier Dollar/WOI, Jon Donovan/Marcus Whitman, Nate Doyle/Leadership Academy, Jack Falter/Brighton, Desi Floyd/Wilson, Ty Glasgow/Monroe, Maurice Glenn/NE Douglass, Devontae Goins/Franklin, AJ Gray/Bishop Kearney, Travon Harper/Greece Odyssey, Michael Harrington/Pittsford Mendon, Brett Heininger/Fairport, Ryan Hilton/HAC, Tim Jackson/Rush-Henrietta, Marcellus James/Churchville-Chili, Zitong Jin/HAC, Malikk Johnson/Wilson Magnet, Vanzell Johnson/Fairport, Jo-Nathan Jones/Monroe, Frederick June, Jr./Irondequoit, Jeff Jung, Jr./Greece Olympia, Alton Knight/Edison Tech, Connor Krapf/Pittsford Mendon, Chris Kurowski/Canandaigua, Kani Lagree/UPrep, Bruce Lewis/Rochester Prep, Vinny Liberto/Hornell, Jakhi Lucas/UPrep, Noah Malta/Hilton, Devante Mateo/Monroe, Mason McFollins/Batavia, Josh McGuire/Genesee Valley, Colin Merkey/Webster Schroeder, Jiahmere Mitchell/NE Douglass, Javion Monroe/Penfield, Keegan O’corr/C.G. Finney, Antwan Odom/Batavia, Reid Patchett/Geneva, Jayden Peters/Newark, Luke Putnam/Aquinas, Kelvin Reaves, Jr./Greece Athena, Terrence Reed/Eastridge, Alex Roach/Bloomfield, Adrian Rodgers/Eastridge, Kevin Ryan/Pittsford Sutherland, Johnny Salone/Greece Athena, Bobby Searight/WOI, Derek Slywka/Waterloo, Justice Smith/Lyons, Xavier Smith/C.G. Finney, LaDre Stanford/Avoca, Andre Starks, Jr./Fairport, Josh Stenglein/Irondequoit, Patrick Thomas/Irondequoit, Billy Thomson/Wayne, Chaz Washington/East High, Aric Williams/Greece Odyssey and Connor Zamiara/McQuaid.