QUEENS, NY — Indiana 2019 recruiting target Harlond Beverly and his Montverde team defeated NSU University School in the GEICO 2019 Nationals this afternoon. Beverly’s 25 points off of 9 of 11 shooting led his Montverde team to a 65-57 victory. They now advance to the next round to face fellow Florida team IMG Academy, who defeated Sunrise Christian (KS) earlier in the day.
Harlond Beverly is currently a top 100 four-star guard that hold an offer from Archie Miller and the Hoosiers.
The 6’5″ Beverly would also post 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, and only 2 turnovers in 30 minutes of play time.
The high school senior guard was not afraid to compete against one of the biggest names in high school basketball, Duke commitVernon Carey Jr., who finished the game with an impressive 15 points and 11 rebounds himself. However, the afternoon belonged to two-way player Harlond Beverly. He was the undisputed best player on the court tonight.
On the offensive end, Beverly showcased his ability attack the rim and play off the baseline wing. He attacks in controlled bursts, but not in a reckless fashion. Beverly opened with an early 4 points for his team on quick drives to the rim in transition. Given the size of teammates Precious Achiuwa and Balsa Koprivica, and opponents of Vernon Carey Jr. and Scottie Barnes, the lane was clogged to say the least.
Notably, Beverly seems to be a drive-first guard. When possible, he seeking for the penetration to the rim instead of favoring a deep shot. He only had 2 of Montverde’s 14 attempts from behind the arc. He made both. In the spirit of staying on the floor, his shot selection seemed to keep coach Kevin Boyle content.
This afternoon Beverly continued to show the potential to be a high major floor general with his understanding of the game from a guard’s perspective. When asked what made him successful today, he explained how his front court allowed him to open up along the arc. He plays the game with cognition, not only to manage his own body movement, but how the players are positioned on the floor.