5 Florida Players To Watch at BOTS
The long awaited July live period is about to be underway beginning Thursday with our Best of The South Tournament. There will be a ton of high-level talent from all over the country. The Sunshine state has had a number of standout players throughout this travel season, and BOTS will be no different. Here are five players to watch.
Ballard has seen his stock rise recently and it should continue to trend up as we enter the July live period. As a 6-foot-7 W with long arms and a high motor, he impact is immediately felt once he takes the floor. He has great size and understands how to utilize his length on both ends. Due to his size, he can score both inside and out, causing all sorts of problems for some defenses. Ballard is really fun to watch slashing to the basket. He can rise up to throw down a dunk or finish a lay up through traffic.
As a player with elite athleticism, a highlight could happen at any moment when watching Boldin play. His quick twitch muscles pay dividends for him on both ends of the floor. He is able to finish over bigger defenders and rebound really well for a guard. His slashing ability really stands out, paired with his athleticism. Once he catches a defender slacking, he takes no time to make them pay with his high activity level off the ball. Boldin has the tools to be a really good two-way player. He can score 20+ points in any game, but he can also make huge plays on the defensive side.
After a great showing at the GBCA team camp, Ethridge has a chance to keep that momentum going in front of college coaches at BOTS. At 6-foot-6, he can be a real matchup problem due to his size and shooting ability. He has a really smooth stroke from deep and does not hesitate to pull the trigger. Just looking at him, you would not expect him to be as good as an athlete that he is, but he can definitely get up. I watched him throw down multiple dunks in transition and off the dribble drive. Once in the lane, he is a creative finisher that can finish with either hand.
The Canada native opened a ton of eyes with his performances at the Bob Gibbons TOC. Not only was he one of the top 16U performers, but you could argue he played just about as good as any player in the loaded field. I watched him have multiple games with 4+ threes; he shoots it effortlessly. Not only is he a sniper from deep, but he has a really smooth game off the bounce too. Hurley has the ability to create space and get to the rim with ease. He could end up as one of Florida's biggest stock risers of July.
Young is the definition of a shot maker. This kid simply finds a way to get the ball in the hoop. At 6-foot-4, he has good positional size and length that makes him a real scoring threat on the perimeter. He has the ability to rise up and knock down jumpers over defenders, and he can find his way to inside the paint with ease. With a smooth handle, he is dangerous off the dribble due to his ability to score it from anywhere on the floor. Young is definitely a guy that could see his recruitment jump with coaches out on the sidelines.