GEICO Nationals boast a star-studded basketball field. Here are the top players to watch
For the third straight year, the GEICO Nationals are calling Fort Myers and Suncoast Credit Union Arena home.
The tournament, which brings together arguably the best high school basketball teams in the country, has eight of the nation's top boys' teams and four of the top girls' teams in Southwest Florida from March 30-April 1. It is a single-elimination format with every game being broadcast on an ESPN network.
Here are 20 players to watch (15 boys, 5 girls) in this year's GEICO Nationals.
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Amier Ali
School: IMG Academy
Year: Junior
Details: Ranked as the No. 14 junior in the nation by ESPN, Ali previously played at Montverde and Spring Creek Academy (Texas) but transferred to IMG. The 6-foot-8, 175-pound forward holds a host of offers from multiple programs that made it to the NCAA Tournament.
Layden Blocker
School: Sunrise Christian
Year: Senior
Details: Signed with Arkansas, Blocker is the No. 25 senior in his class, according to ESPN. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard does the little things needed to win games, as he's able to rebound effectively for his size as well as taking care of the basketball. He takes very few bad shots, making him one of the more intriguing prospects that's set to join Eric Musselman's system.
Matas Buzelis
School: Sunrise Christian
Year: Senior
Details: Buzelis is the highest-rated recruit in his class who will not be heading to the college level. One of five McDonald's All-Americans on this list, Buzelis will be heading to the NBA G League to play for the Ignite, with a true shot at being one of the top picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. His Lithuanian heritage gives him a good shot at finding success in the league, as European players in Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic became two of the league's best in short order.
Elliot Cadeau
School: Link Academy
Year: Junior
Details: Cadeau is ranked as the No. 13 junior in the nation by ESPN, and 11th by 247Sports. Cadeau hails from New Jersey and won't play that far away in college, as he'll suit up for North Carolina. Cadeau could very well be a first-year starter with the departure of Caleb Love, who is in the transfer portal.
Mookie Cook
School: AZ Compass Prep
Year: Senior
Details: Cook will stay in the pacific time zone, playing for Oregon come the fall. Cook impressed at last year's GEICO Nationals and is a McDonald's All-American. Whether or not Dana Altman is coaching at Oregon or not next season, expect Cook to suit up for the Ducks in the fall.
Kwame Evans
School: Montverde
Year: Senior
Details: Evans is another player who will head to Eugene to play for the Ducks, giving the program a real shot at contending in the Pac-12 next season. Evans is a consensus top-15 prospect in his class, checking in at 6-foot-9. His defensive presence will be worth watching the next few days while he's in Fort Myers.
Darren Harris
School: Paul VI
Year: Junior
Details: Harris and the Panthers will return to Fort Myers for the second time in less than four months having played in December's City of Palms Classic. Harris, committed to Duke, displayed his prowess as a great shot-taker back in December, which earned him the Three-Point Championship. The Panthers will need his 3-point shooting to be on this go-around, with much tougher competition brewing.
DeShawn Harris-Smith
School: Paul VI
Year: Senior
Details: The 6-foot-5 shooting guard who signed with Maryland is rated No. 43 by On3, 53rd by ESPN, 55th by 247Sports, and 89th by Rivals in the senior class. He chose Maryland over such schools as Xavier, Penn State, Indiana, and LSU.
Aden Holloway
School: Prolific Prep
Year: Senior
Details: Holloway has been impressive during his time in high school, which has earned him a spot in the McDonald's All-American game. The Auburn-bound guard is a very strong shooter that has displayed his deep range but lacks size at 6-foot, 155 pounds. When Prolific is in transition, you could see some exciting plays with Holloway facilitating a lot of it.
Vivian Iwuchukwu
School: Montverde
Year: Junior
Details: Iwuchukwu is one of the nation's top prospects in the 2024 class, ranked 34th. At 6-foot-3, Iwuchukwu is strong inside, averaging 7.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Sahnya Jah
School: Montverde
Year: Senior
Details: Jah is headed to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after she wraps up her final year of high school basketball. Jah is ranked 40th in the 2023 class and is averaging 10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Chris Johnson
School: Montverde
Year: Senior
Details: Heading to Kansas, Johnson will be one of the bigger guards the Jayhawks will have on their roster next season. At Montverde, he's averaging 6.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while averaging 17.4 minutes per game.
Kateryna Koval
School: LuHi
Year: Junior
Details: Koval has been a key piece for LuHi's success all season and it's been because of her ability to finish inside. At 6-foot-4, Koval is expected to finish, but she can will her way to a bucket through double teams. Don't be shocked if she's the No. 1 player in the 2024 class by the time her prep career is finished.
Scotty Middleton
School: Sunrise Christian
Year: Senior
Details: Middleton gives Sunrise Christian great length at 6-foot-6 on the wing, making an impact in all facets of the game. Don't expect him to be taking over games, but his ability to distribute and get other teammates good looks is what makes the Ohio State signee dangerous.
Yves Missi
School: Prolific Prep
Year: Junior
Details: Prolific Prep has had a knack for churning out bigs to the Power Five ranks, and Missi will add to that list. The Baylor signee gives Scott Drew a big, physical frame at 6-foot-10, 210 pounds that can rebound and block shots.
Jamari Phillips
School: AZ Compass
Year: Junior
Details: Phillips won't go far to play in college, committing to Arizona back in December. Phillips is rated as a top 5 shooting guard in the country and is a consensus four-star prospect. Phillips has helped AZ Compass go 19-9 this season against a relatively tough schedule.
Sean Stewart
School: Montverde
Year: Senior
Details: Stewart may not be hitting double figures, but he's still solid for Kevin Boyle's group. Averaging 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds, Stewart is physical at the power forward position despite being 6-foot-8. He recently won the McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest and is a McDonald's All-American.
Kennedy Umeh
School: McDonogh
Year: Junior
Details: Recovering from a scary knee injury earlier this season, Umeh is back and has been key for the Eagles in their quest to win the GEICO Nationals. She helped the team win the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championship and is ranked inside the top 30 in the nation in the 2024 class.
Letycia Vasconcelos
School: Montverde
Year: Senior
Details: Vasconcelos has plenty of experience playing at a high level, especially with the Brazilian U18 National Team. Recently committed to Baylor, she imposes her will on opponents at 6-foot-7, and finishes with ease more often than not in the paint.
Ja'Kobe Walter
School: Link Academy
Year: Senior
Details: The 6-foot-5 senior is ranked No. 10 in his class by On3 and No. 17 by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports. He signed with Baylor over UCLA, Seton Hall, Auburn, Kansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas. He helped lead McKinney High (Texas) to the Class 6A state runner-up finish last season when he averaged 23.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.
GEICO Nationals Schedule
Thursday
Boys: No. 5 Paul VI (Va.) vs. No. 4 Link Academy (Mo.), noon, ESPNU
Boys: No. 11 IMG Academy vs. No. 3 Prolific Prep (Calif.), 2 p.m., ESPNU
Boys: No. 15 AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) vs. No. 4 LuHi (N.Y.), 4 p.m., ESPNU
Boys: No. 16 Sunrise Christian (Kan.) vs. No. 1 Montverde Academy, 6 p.m., ESPNU
Friday
Girls: McDonogh (Md.) vs. No. 4 LuHi (N.Y.), 10:30 a.m., ESPNU
Girls: Westtown (Pa.) vs. No. 3 Montverde Academy, 12:30 p.m., ESPNU
Boys: Semifinal No. 1, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2
Boys: Semifinal No. 2, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday
Girls: Championship, 10 a.m., ESPN2
Boys: Championship, noon, ESPN
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Who are 20 basketball players to watch in the 2023 GEICO Nationals?
