With the reclassification of schools, there are some very interesting story lines that could develop as district and regional rivalries play out.  There could be some fireworks should Tallahassee schools Godby and/or Rickards meet up with Duval dynamos Raines and/or Ribault in Region One come playoff time.  St. Pete Gibbs and Tampa Blake are easily the two most talented teams in the classification but somehow got stuck in the same region.  Both teams deserve to be in Lakeland.  Region Four now stretches across the lower peninsula, from Naples to Miami.

Favorite: St. Petersburg Gibbs

Gibbs took last season’s Class 4A state title and with everybody of consequence back, is heavily favored to do so again.  They have a loaded frontcourt as 6’7 senior Bobby Crawford and 7’0 senior Isaiah Medina, who is committed to DePaul, should be able to control the glass at both ends, punish the rim on offense and protect the paint on defense.  Jacob Daniels, a 6’0 senior, will create scoring opportunities for teammates or take matters into his own hands and score in a variety of ways.  O’Neal Delancey, 6’3 and one of the better guard prospects nationally in the 2027 class is athletic, can light up a scoreboard, and defend at a high level.  Mathis Roberts, a 6’2 senior, is a dual-sport athlete and brings gridiron toughness to the hardwood.  He is an X-Factor that can give the team whatever it needs at either end of the floor to be successful.  The bench has a good combination of size, experience and athleticism.

Regional Favorites: Tallahassee Rickards (Region One); Eustis (Region Two); Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (Region Four)

Rickards made a regional final last season and has enough returning firepower to take the next step.  B.J. Plummer, a 6’6 senior and North Florida commit does a little bit of everything for the team.  Romie Cosby, a 5’11 senior, gives Rickards a potent three-point threat.  Eustis continues to develop into one of the better programs outside of Orlando in Central Florida.  Region Two is wide open but Eustis has the depth to be there at the end.  Stranahan continues to be a force in South Florida in general and Broward County in particular.  The combination of 6’4 junior Christian Yeargin and 6’9 junior Isaiah Brown should win the Dragons a lot of games.

Best Player: Josh Lewis, Tampa Blake

The 6’7 senior and USF recruit has become a top 100 player nationally in the 2025 Class.  Lewis is long, athletic, and gets the most out of his physical gifts.  His jump shot extends the to three-point line, he finishes strong at the basket despite being a bit on the lean side, rebounds at both ends (nearly ten per game in the EYBL this past season), and can be disruptive in the passing lanes as well as a shot blocker coming over from the help side.

Pre-Season All-State: Lewis; Jacob Daniels (Gibbs); B.J. Plummer (Rickards); Christian Yeargin (Stranahan); Bobby Crawford (Gibbs)

Daniels has been an impact player since his freshman season at Gibbs.  He has great handles, court vision and a knack for scoring the basketball from all angles and distances.  Plummer has greatly elevated his game the past couple of seasons.  He can and will play a variety of positions at both ends of the court.  Yeargin is an athletic marvel that gets to and finishes at the rim almost effortlessly.  The lefty’s perimeter shot is rapidly improving, making him even more difficult to defend.  Crawford uses his leap and length well to clean up on the glass, complete ball-screen action at the rim, and defend both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Better Than Advertised: Jacksonville Ribault 

Ribault may have lost all-everything Caleb Williams to graduation, but that doesn’t mean the team has forgotten how to play or more importantly how to win.  Ribault comes at opponents in waves, pressuring full-court on defense, manufacturing turnovers and poor shots, and turning those miscues into points at their end.

Don’t Sleep On: Spencer Clayton, Naples Barron Collier

The 6’2 senior gained rave notices this spring and summer for his shooting ability.  He has deep range, makes his shot off the catch or the dribble, reads ball-screen action well and takes care of the basketball.

PRE-SEASON TOP TEN

1.St. Petersburg Gibbs

2.Tampa Blake

3.Fort Lauderdale Stranahan

4.Tallahassee Rickards

5.Hialeah Mater Lakes

6.Miami St. Brendan

7.Eustis

8.Jacksonville Paxon

9.Miami Northwestern

10.Jacksonville Raines