CLASS 4A

We are actually quite pleased with our 14-2 record from the quarter-finals.  Both Boca Ciega and St. Brendan out of Miami hit the road and won.  While our choice for Best Matchup, Suncoast and St. Brendan wasn’t the closest game of the night (that was Alachua Santa Fe over Kissimmee Liberty by two points), it was a five point contest meaning it was anybody’s game up until the final minutes.  In our way of upset choices, both were single digit wins as Godby defeated visiting Jacksonville Raines by just three and Boca Ciega prevailed over Dunedin by eight points.  The top three teams in the classification (Gibbs, Northwestern and Blake) won by margins of 53, 20 and 39 points respectively.  Wednesday’s results set up a few district rematches.  Godby visits Rickards in Tallahassee, Gibbs host Pinellas County rival Seminole in St. Petersburg, and Northwestern and St. Brendan will battle it out in Miami.

Best Matchup: By the numbers, the Godby/Rickards game in Tallahassee should be the closest.  Not only is Rickards ranked #9 and Godby #10 in the classification, but numbers 86 and 89 overall respectively.  We also think the Eustis/Alachua Santa Fe contest could be an interesting affair as both teams have a stable of quality athletes.

Best Chance for an Upset: To be honest, we don’t really see one.  The gaps in power ranking and strength of schedule for the home teams on Monday night seems pretty substantial.

Our Picks

Jacksonville Ribault over Jacksonville Bishop Kenny

Tallahassee Rickards over Tallahassee Godby

Eustis over Alachua Santa Fe

Port Orange Atlantic over Citra North Marion

St. Petersburg Gibbs over Osceola Seminole

Tampa Blake over Boca Ciega

Miami Northwestern over Miami St. Brendan

Fort Lauderdale Stranahan over Miami Central

CLASS 5A

Our record for picks of 13-3 in this classification came close to being much better.  Tallahassee Leon went on the road and defeated St. Augustine by just three points while Clearwater won by eight on the road at Tampa Jesuit.  Lecanto made a statement by defeating New Smyrna Beach on the road by twenty-plus.  One of our choices for Best Chance for an Upset almost came to fruition as Ocala Vanguard lost by just four to Wesley Chapel on the road.  Thanks to Clearwater’s win as a seven seed, the only district rematch in this classification is Clearwater taking on neighboring Countryside.

Best Matchup: #4 Norland visits #2 Ely in Pompano Beach Monday night.  Ely is experiencing a bit of revival this season while many seem to have forgotten that Norland won a state title last year and that despite losing a lot of talent off that team, Lawton Williams continues to do a masterful job guiding the program.  For whatever reason, we think the Gainesville/Ponte Vedra Game should be highly competitive and entertaining as well.

Best Chance for an Upset: If there is one, it might be St. Petersburg at Port Charlotte.  If the Green Devils of St. Pete can get standout freshman Nijuan Harris going, they have enough fire power to get to the regional final.

Our Picks

Fleming Island over Tallahassee Leon

Ponte Vedra over Gainesville

Leesburg over Wesley Chapel

Lecanto over Auburndale

Port Charlotte over St. Petersburg

Clearwater Countryside over Clearwater

Pembroke Pines Charter over Miami Belen Jesuit

Pompano Beach Ely over Miami Norland

 

CLASS 6A

We went 13-3 in our picks and we can somewhat be excused for the two misses in South Florida as both Boyd Anderson and Coral Springs each won on the road by eight points.  Our biggest “fail” was Winter Park Lake Howell crushing Oakleaf by 29(!).  Oakleaf was one of our possible upset picks.  Clearly, that didn’t work out but our warning to Martin County about Boyd Anderson was spot on.  Wharton visiting Wiregrass Ranch and Coral Springs hosting Boyd Anderson are the only district rematches in this classification.

Best Matchup: The Punta Gorda Charlotte/Tarpon Springs East Lake game may be a meeting of mirror images.  Both teams have similar power rankings and strength of schedule, rely on solid guard play, and  have at least one player with size than can impact a game.

Best Chance for an Upset: We are believers in Milton after they defeated Oviedo by three in overtime.  Monday will be another trip across the panhandle, this time to St. John’s county to take on a Tocoi Creek team which is having its finest season in the school’s brief history.  Also, Evans better not overlook a young Bartow team that is peaking at just the right time.

Our Picks

Tocoi Creek over Milton

Winter Park Lake Howell over Ocala Forest

Orlando Evans over Bartow

Orlando Edgewater over Viera

Wiregrass Ranch over Tampa Wharton

Punta Gorda Charlotte over Tarpon Springs East Lake

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas over Miramar

Coral Springs over Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson

 

CLASS 7A

Our record of 12-4 in the state’s largest classification isn’t too bad.  All but one of those losses was by single digits.  Arguably the biggest surprise was St. Cloud winning by double-digits at Orlando Olympia. That was supposed to be one of the best matchups of the night.  The other was Fort Pierce Central at Wellington but the host Wolverines won by 20+ points.  Colonial only fell by three points at Apopka so at least we were much closer on our upset suggestions.

Best Matchup: Our mind suggests that the Apopka/Winter Park game will be closely contested the full thirty-two minutes.  Our heart is telling us to look down south at Miami High hosting Coral Glades.  Miami High is loaded with experienced seniors and dripping with tradition while Coral Glades is doing all it can to establish itself as a presence in Broward County basketball.

Best Chance for an Upset: #6 Wellington comes calling on #4 Oak Ridge in Orlando Monday night and if there is a team that can give the fast-paced Pioneers a challenge it is the Wolverines.  Wellington is comfortable playing any style but will need to handle the type of defensive pressure that Oak Ridge can throw at teams.  Oak Ridge is just aching for another chance at Columbus after losing the state title in OT last year.  That won’t happen if they take Wellington lightly.

Our Picks

St. John’s Creekside over Sanford Seminole

Apopka over Winter Park

Windermere over St. Cloud

Orlando Oak Ridge over Wellington

Kissimmee Osceola over Tampa Plant

Sarasota over Plant City

Miami Columbus over Davie Western

Miami Senior over Coral Glades