Jalen Jones: The Steel City Gators’ Jalen Jones was one of the first players of the weekend to stand out as a star. The 5-foot-10 point guard dominated when he was on the court. He is in complete control when he’s running the offense. Jones has a good feel for the game, and he showed by making smart passes and taking good shots. In their blow-out win over F.I.S.T., Jones led the team in scoring with 15 points. In the first half, he showed that he can take over a game by scoring 13 of his 15 points. Jones’ performance pegged him as a player to keep an eye on moving forward. 

Florida talent: Florida made its presence known by winning over the mostly Georgia crowd. By the end of the night, the talking point became how good some of the Florida teams were. 

The two stars of the evening were Florida Pro’s Thompson twins. Amen and Ausar Thompson left people raving about their upside. Another player under the Florida Pro umbrella, Raph Houssou, scored 19 points in his team’s win over D-Favors Celtics. 

TNBA South 2023 Black showed that south Florida wasn’t the only basketball hot spot in the state. This central Florida squad was loaded. The backcourt combination of Jalon Cole and Dawson Barr is as formidable as they come. Cole can fill it up in a hurry, and Barr is one of the best passers playing this weekend. 

As the weekend progresses, don’t be surprised to hear about the Sunshine State being a bright spot. 

Guard Play: The list of high-level guards from Friday was staggering. Highly-touted names like Scoot Henderson, Isaiah Collier, Kanaan Carlyle, and the Thompson twins from Florida were all featured in marquee matchups, but every game seemed to have a guard that left an impression on people. Jaylun Goodrum, Reese Gelsthorpe, and Mekhi Mcginty were some more that I caught that I look forward to seeing more from in the future.