Citrus Conference JUCO Practice Tour Recap
FORT PIERCE AND FORT MYERS, FL: Every fall, JUCO teams across the country welcome scouts and coaches from four-year programs into their gyms for open practice tours, giving coaches an early opportunity to evaluate the best JUCO players and teams before the regular season kicks off. This year’s Citrus Conference practice tour did not disappoint, as seven of the conference’s teams competed over two days at Indian River State College (Fort Pierce, FL) and Florida SouthWestern (Fort Myers, FL). Here are the players who stood out and some things to know about each of the conference’s practice tour participants.
EASTERN FLORIDA
Arguably the conference’s most complete team, Eastern Florida brings back important backcourt pieces and has added key frontcourt depth. The backcourt is led by French sophomore 6’3 G Djiby Ly and the ever-shifty 6’1 G Jevon Yapi. Ly’s vision has improved significantly, complementing his shotmaking prowess and tight handle. Yapi is a slippery combo guard who is comfortable making reads or scoring with his elite ball control. 6’3 G Nick Womack will provide an excellent scoring punch, shooting the ball at an elite level and getting downhill with an improved body and great feel. 6’5 G Johanes Piscikas and 6’4 G EJ Glover will add to the backcourt depth. Eastern Florida’s frontcourt rotation is as deep as any in the conference, led by sophomore 6’8 F Lana Agbalese, whose touch around the basket and perimeter shooting upside will be valuable assets. Freshman 6’9 F Phil Deng is a consistent workhorse on the interior. 6’8 F Adam Barrouk will provide needed rebounding intensity and energy, while 6’10 F Moses McKay is only beginning to tap into his upside with his size and great body. With depth across the board, Eastern Florida will be a team to be reckoned with.
DAYTONA STATE
The first year under former Mercer assistant Reed Ridder will be an interesting one for perennial national powerhouse Daytona State. The program has brought in an elite class of Division I and other four-year transfers, established JUCO players, and elite high school talent to bolster the roster. Leading the group is 6’6 G/W Jemeh Jones, a rangy scorer with good size who can score at all three levels and create offense with his improved court vision. 6’2 G Derek Delgardo Jr. has physically blossomed and is a great scorer at the rim and a vocal on-court leader. 6’1 G Sean Owens will bring his elite jump shot, while freshman 6’2 G Nathan Earl will provide necessary scoring in a reserve role. Both frontcourt staples arrive with Division I experience. 6’9 F Gabe Stewart played last season at IU Indy and will be a physical, rim-running big, while 6’5 W/F JR Leonard will add much-needed toughness and shotmaking as a positionless piece. Freshman 6’5 G/W Chris Kitenge will emerge as a key defensive piece, while Longwood transfer 6’0 G Jerome Williams has unlimited upside as an elite athlete who can attack the basket and defend on the ball. Daytona will be a team to watch, with great pieces to get it done.
INDIAN RIVER
One of the conference’s more distinctive teams, Indian River places greater emphasis on out-of-state talent and key transfers than on Florida talent. By far the most intriguing newcomer to the conference is 6’4 G Cohen Wyatt, who comes to Fort Pierce after an elite season in which he averaged 28 PPG at SPIRE Academy in Ohio. An elite shooter, Wyatt could be one of the conference’s premier scorers, using his size to play either guard position and create his own shot in the midrange. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by 6’3 G Ashton King, a Gardner-Webb transfer whose 210-pound frame allows him to compete physically with anybody in the conference. Freshman 6’4 G Nathan Kring and Hillsborough transfer 6’4 G Austin White round out perhaps the best three-point-shooting backcourt in the conference. The frontcourt features elite athletes in returning 6’8 F Arlindo Bernardo and 6’11 F Warris Isaiah. Bernardo’s bounce on the wing makes him an elite transition threat, while Isaiah’s size will be a real asset on the interior. Indian River’s elite shotmaking will keep the team in games all season, and its lesser-known acquisitions could make some serious noise.
MIAMI DADE
A veteran-heavy crew with an experienced coaching staff to boot, Miami Dade looks poised to compete with anybody in the Citrus Conference. The backcourt features the leadership of 6’2 G Ace Evans, a gifted passer and ball handler who runs the offense. He’s paired with Indian River transfer 6’2 G Anthony Ferrer, who has a claim to being the conference’s best pure shooter. He can create off the dribble and is lethal when given any time and space. Miami Dade’s defensive style emphasizes intense on-ball pressure and full-court schemes, which will give freshman 6’2 G Bol Diing a chance to show his defensive prowess. Holding the group together is 6’5 W Leeroy Nijean, a do-it-all Swiss Army knife capable of scoring above the rim, knocking down open shots, and guarding anybody in front of him. He’ll be a clear-cut standout on both ends of the floor. The engine will keep running thanks to the hard-nosed, physical toughness of Miami Dade’s frontcourt, led by 6’6 F Jan Lopez and 6’8 F Maxandre Calixte, both of whom will make an immediate impact on the glass and serve as defensive anchors. Israeli 7’0 C Michael Eliaszadeh showed intriguing potential with his soft touch around the rim and elite size. Although they didn’t practice, 6’7 F Joachim Kouassi and 7’1 C Rauan Paulo Rodrigues will undoubtedly play important roles in the team’s success. Miami Dade boasts impressive depth and upside on both sides of the floor.
ST. PETERSBURG
Positional size and athletic prowess define this year’s St. Pete team. The program has assembled a roster that can physically compete with anybody, prioritizing raw athleticism and players who bring consistent energy. The primary threat comes in the form of 6’6 G Travis Musonda, a long and fluid scorer with the defensive tools to guard positions 1 through 4. He dictates the team’s defensive effort and is a capable three-level scorer with a knack for getting downhill. 6’5 W Paulo Teixeira and 6’3 G Travis Chin provide additional scoring punch. Teixeira is a gifted shot creator in the midrange, while Chin is a capable athlete who scores in bunches at the rim. 6’8 F Flamio Mateus brings great athletic bounce and rebounding prowess to the Trojans. His motor, toughness, and consistent activity will help keep the team in games.
POLK STATE
Polk State’s first year with Marreese Speights at the helm should bring a lot of excitement to Winter Haven. With a revamped roster and key returners, Polk State looks capable of getting back into contention for a conference title as soon as this year. 6’4 G Eric Dailey will be the driving force behind the team’s success this season. A smooth three-level scorer, Dailey will become even more prolific as he develops physically. He’s athletic, shifty, and can shoot the ball with the best of them. He won’t shoulder the load alone, as he’ll be joined in the backcourt by 6’1 G Terrell James, whose physical development and IQ will make him an immediate contributor on offense. James’s defensive intensity will also translate into plenty of steals and deflections. Buffalo transfer 6’6 W Omar Migues brings veteran savvy to a younger roster, adding a perimeter shooting boost and smart play on both ends of the floor. 6’6 G Nicolas Logan will finish a lot of possessions with his elite shooting and great positional length. In the frontcourt, 6’9 F Ethan Simon will bring energy and create a multitude of second-chance opportunities with his rebounding intensity. He blocks shots, runs the floor hard, and does all of the little things you want from your starting big. 6’7 F Jordan Bryant will provide a lot of athleticism at the 3 and 4 positions, and if 7’0 F Tammar Brown can continue to improve, Polk could end up with one of the conference’s best frontcourt rotations. Polk State will look to compete right away with a roster as talented as ever.
FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN
Another traditional JUCO powerhouse under new management, Florida SouthWestern has assembled a unique roster of players from all over the globe with various levels of prior college experience following the late addition of David Grace as head coach. Grace has emphasized defensive versatility and will likely run a press-heavy system with the pieces to compete defensively with any team in the country. Among the team’s defensive talents is Trinity Valley transfer 6’8 F Moussa Bamba, whose length and activity on the interior will allow him to block shots in bunches and defend on the perimeter in spurts. His simple offensive game will translate well to any system. 6’7 W Enzo Mbaho and 6’7 W Mbaye Ndiaye provide the wing length and size to be disruptive in full-court pressure. Offensively, the Bucs will rely heavily on the playmaking of San Francisco transfer 6’0 G Weilin Zhao, whose court vision and pace will allow them to get clean looks in transition and in a half-court setting. 6’6 W Hashim Abukar displayed some critical shotmaking, and 6’2 G Sean Gomez, a former practice player, could also find himself playing a key role offensively. This team is a wild card but undoubtedly has the pieces to compete on both ends of the floor and a coaching staff capable of getting it done.
The league is as wide open as ever, with very talented rosters from top to bottom. As usual, the Citrus Conference will be one of the premier conferences in JUCO and will be worth watching for many college coaches.
