We finalize our regional previews with a look into South Florida.

TOP FIVE “BIG” SCHOOLS (CLASS 7A thru 4A)

Miami Christopher Columbus (Class 7A, Region 4, District 15): The Explorers are looking to grab a fifth consecutive state title this season.  The recent transfer of Jaxon Richardson to Southeastern Prep makes Columbus a bit less of a lock to get “one for the thumb” but they will certainly be very formidable.  Caleb Gaskins, a 6’8 senior, is a solid mid-range scorer, finishes drives well at the basket, gets plenty of putback points, and is solid defending both perimeter and post.  “Little brother” Cayden Gaskins, a 6’8 freshman, has a strong and solid frame, plenty of athletic ability, solid scoring tools and touch around the basket, and does a good job of challenging, changing, and rejecting shots on defense.  Marcellous “Cello” Jackson, a 6’2 senior, has a strong frame, plays physical without fouling, makes good decisions when attacking the defense with the drive, and has a reliable perimeter shot.  Jackson is also one tough on-ball defender.  Felipe Quinones, a 6’5 senior, is more solid than spectacular, pllays and defends multiple positions, scores well off the dribble, and makes an impact as a grab-and-go rebounder.  Jordan Fisher, a 6’6 sophomore, is now thrust into a starting role and will use his athleticism and energy to make contributions at both ends of the floor.  Jeremiah Hammond, a 6’4 senior, provides instant offense off the bench with his ability to knock down shots from behind the arc as well as get to and score at the rim if the defense overplays him for the shot.

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (Class 6A, Region 4, District 14): Last year’s Class 6A champion will no doubt miss all-everything D.J. Wimbley but certainly have enough talent and experience to do it all again.  D.J. Sandi, a 6’1 senior, runs the team well from the point, can score or distribute at a high rate of success, and knows how to take advantage of what the defense gives him.  Another senior, 6’6 senior Zane Elliott, has a variety of inside/outside skills, is a mismatch on offense and a versatile defender.  A trio of juniors look to continue their success from the past two seasons.  Clarence Westbrook, 6’1, contributed double-figure scoring per game, is a creative shot-maker and slasher. K.J. Sandi, also 6’1, is a tremendous perimeter shooter with a quick release.  Nate Acciuss, a 6’4 wing, brings energy and an aggressive approach to the game on both offense and defense.

Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (Class 4A, Region 4, District 14): A last-second bucket gave Stranahan an unexpected state championship last season and they seemed poised to grab another one.  Isaiah Brown, a 6’10 senior, has greatly improved on the offensive end.  He is still a menace when it comes to rebounding and protecting the rim.  Christian Yeargin, a 6’4 senior, is an energetic athlete that is tough to keep out of the lane.  When viewed this summer and fall, he appears to have become a much more potent perimeter shooter.  David Nealey, a 6’3 senior, is a potent perimeter shooter, is a strong athlete that can overpower defenders to get and finish at the basket, and an aggressive defender.  Damari Foster, a 6’0 junior, spearheads the attack at both ends of the floor.

Pembroke Pines Charter (Class 5A, Region 4, District 15): The Jags are annually a contender in this region.  It all starts inside with Robert Guishard, a 6’8 senior.  He was quite impressive this spring and summer, both with the Florida Pro travel team and with Pines Charter at various team camps.  A good athlete with length, Guishard scores well around the basket, controls the glass at both ends, runs the floor, and protects the paint.  Anthony Walcott, a 6’7 junior, transfers in.  He is a strong score inside the arc, making jumpers or driving to the basket.  Walcott is also a big help in the rebounding department and on defense.  Zacuras Dawson, a 6’0 junior, is another transfer that will help the program.  He is quick with the ball, pushes the pace, and scores well when called upon.  Jordan Moshe, a 6’2 senior, will help with a reliable perimeter shot as well as toughness at both ends of the floor.

Coral Springs Coral Glades (Class 7A, Region 4, District 13): This is the season that Coral Glades has been building for the last two years.  Kyler Theophile, a 6’5 senior, is a long athlete with solid perimeter skills, tough defend off the dribble when attacking the basket and has the ability to pull up quickly and know down shots.  Brandon Pitts, a 6’6 senior, can score around the rim as well as take his defender away from the basket and put up points with either the shot or drive, and is a versatile defender as well.  Jamari Bolden, a 6’0 senior, uses his speed and quickness well to get past defenders, get paint touches and score with floaters or crafty finishes in traffic.  Ethan Jean Louis, a 6’7 junior, provides an interior and rebounding presence at both ends.  Donovan Swain, a 6’2 junior, stretches defenses with his perimeter shooting.  Gavin Reed, a 6’0 junior, runs the team well from the point, understands when to push and when to pull back the pace, and makes good shot vs. pass decisions.

TOP FIVE “SMALL” SCHOOLS (CLASS 3A thru Rural)

Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian (Class 3A, Region 3, District 12): Last year’s team won the state title and was considered a top fifteen team nationally.  Sean Abaev is now at Cincinnati but much of the cast returns.  The key will be if 6’6 senior Collin Paul returns from a knee injury that occurred in June.  Cayden Daughtry, a 6’0 junior, was dynamic playing up in the 17U EBYL this past spring and summer for the FL Rebels.  A dynamic shooter and playmaker, he has deep range and knocks them down at a high success rate.  He has elevated his game in terms of distributing the ball and scoring through contact at the basket.  Samuel Hallas, a 6’7 senior, is an athletic forward that helps on the glass, runs the floor, and disrupts the passing lanes as well as challenges shots in the paint.  K. J. Francis, a 6’4 senior, gets to the rim and finishes, rebounds with vigor, and attacks the ball on defense.

Miami Riviera Prep (Class 2A, Region 4, District 15): The Bulldogs are looking for a four-peat and some talented newcomers will be key in achieving that goal.  Myles Fuentes, a 6’1 junior, does everything a coach wants from a point guard: he scores it, distributes it, defends, and is an extension of the coach on the floor.  Mason Fuentes, a 6’1 senior, shoots and passes the ball at a high level, seeks and accepts contact when driving to the basket, and plays at nothing less than full-speed on every dribble of the basketball.  Randy Livingston, Jr., a 6’2 senior, returns to Florida after spending two years in Louisiana playing for his dad.  He drains  three after three, but he also uses his speed and quickness with the ball to make plays.  Quincy Douby, a 6’3 junior, is a dangerous scorer inside the arc with his ability to knock down floaters, pull up quickly and connect from mid-range, and creatively finish in a crowd at the rim.  Laron Mack, a 6’8 sophomore, has grown at least three inches since the end of last season.  He has kept his perimeter skills and now with his added size has become a much more versatile defender.  Riviera Prep doesn’t lack for size as a trio of newcomers anchor the interior.  Anton Saffin, a 6’7 junior, Oliver Bishop, a 6’10 sophomore, and Myles Loene, a 6’9 freshman, all find ways to make a positive impact when they come into the game.  Each understands their role is rebound, run, protect the basket, and make the most of their offensive opportunities

Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (Class 3A, Region 4, District 13): Much of the cast that led Gibbons to the final four last season returns.  A.J. Ambrose, a 5’9 senior, has great skills, a high basketball IQ, and consistently makes the game easier for his teammates.  Ambrose is very good at finishing in traffic at the basket, a reliable perimeter shooter, makes great shot vs. pass decisions, and is a clever pest on the defensive end as he surprises with double-teams and seems to appear out of thin air to disrupt the passing lanes.  Running alongside Ambrose is 6’4 senior wing Justus Dylan Herbert, a high-level athlete that is an excellent scorer inside the arc both as a driver and pull-up shooter, will knock down open three-point shots if the defense plays too far off and is a terror both in transition and on the offensive glass.  Evan Wyche, a 6’4 senior, is a long, wiry athlete, an opportunistic scorer that makes the most of his chances in transition, cuts into the lane, putbacks, and simply knows when and where to be on offense.  J.P Fernandez, a 6’3 junior, helps out wherever he can, usually in the rebounding department and connecting on open perimeter shots.  K.J. Ambrose, a 5’7 freshman and Chandler Sikes, a 6’1 junior, provide help off the bench.

Coconut Creek North Broward Prep (Class 3A, Region 3, District 12): This group looks to have a lot of the necessary pieces to make a run to Jacksonville (seems strange to say that instead of “Lakeland”).  Francesco Borio, a 6’7 senior, is an effective scorer in the lane as well as on the perimeter.  He is also a solid rebounder and good passer.  Luigi Borio, a 6’6 sophomore, brings many of those same attributes.  Chudier Yak, a 6’9 freshman, looked very good this summer playing against older and stronger players.  He has good skills, plenty of athletic ability, and plays with energy.  Samuel Cano, a 6’5 senior, will spend time in both the frontcourt and backcourt.  He plays with a high IQ, rebounds, and is a solid shooter and passer.  A trio of seniors, 6’1 Felex Buroz, 5’11 Ryan Baxley, and 6’1 Jayden Smith are interchangeable in the backcourt.  All are solid fundamentally and give great effort at both ends of the floor on every possession.

Boca Raton St. Andrew’s (Class 3A, Region 3, District 12): As you can tell, this is a “district of death” with three high-level teams.  The senior duo of 6’2 Xander Gerard and 6’0 Brendan Gerard is extremely potent.  Each can dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level, play unselfishly, and has an accurate shot from well past the high school arc.  Sneaky athletic, both Xander and Brendan can get past defenders into the lane and breakdown defenses by making the right play at the right time either via the pass or the shot.  Lynden Adea, a 5’11 sophomore, is a player to watch with his speed, quickness, ability to connect from deep and get the ball inside.  Lukas Buinevicius, a 6’4 senior, stands out with his overall energy level, work on the glass, and inside/out scoring ability.  Ben MacGibbon, a 6’5 senior, Andrej Stankovic, a 6’7 junior, and Jakob Wiegard, a 6’8 senior, each impact the game in the lane at both ends of the court.  They do a good job of feeding the other in high-low action, run the floor well, own their respective rebounding areas, and have good touch around the basket.

Top Five Players

Caleb Gaskins, Miami Columbus: The 6’8 senior continues to expand his game, becoming an effective perimeter shooter to go along with his ability to score on post ups, hit mid-range shots, run the floor for scores and attack from the high post and short corners.  He excels on the glass at both ends and shows versatility as a defender.

Cayden Daughtry, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian: The 6’0 junior may have had the best spring and summer of any Floridian.  Playing up a level in the ultra-competitive EBYL 17U circuit, Daughtry led the team in scoring while showcasing his ability to run a team.  He is a flame-thrower from deep (like, real deep), crafty with his ball-handling and ability to finish in traffic at the rim, and sneaky athletic.

Jasen Lopez, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna: The 6’1 senior is a dual-sport athlete committed to Florida State for football but has every intention of playing basketball as well.  A deluxe shot-maker from all three levels, Lopez is just as good of a shooter when highly contested as when he is wide-open.  His football strength and toughness make him a challenge to guard when he heads to basket.

Myles Fuentes, Miami Riviera Prep: The 6’0 junior has been playing varsity since his eighth grade year and it isn’t any surprise that he has won a state title each season.  Fuentes plays with great control, scores and assists at a high rate, and is a crafty defender.  His athleticism is under-rated.  He is starting to get serious interest from high-majors and rightfully so.

Tai Bell, Hialeah Mater Lakes: The 6’2 sophomore is considered a top 25 player in the national class of 2028.  A point guard that can score, he gets to and finishes at the basket in a crowd, has a respectable perimeter shot, makes good shot vs. pass decisions and is solid on defense.

(Note: Colin Paul of Calvary Christian would certainly be on this list if not for question marks surrounding his injury status)

#1 SR: Caleb Gaskins (see above)

#1 JR: Cayden Daughtry (see above)

#1 SO: Tai Bell (see above)

#1 FR: Cayden Gaskins, Miami Columbus: The 6’8 freshman has a solid frame, scores well around the basket, rebounds in and out of his area at both ends and challenges opponents at the basket on defense.

Senior Sleeper: Eastin Gelin, Miami Monsignor Pace: The 6’3 guard does a little bit of everything for Pace.  A good athlete, he shoot well from the perimeter, get teammates involved, and is a solid on-ball defender.