It was an AMAZING two days of wall-to-wall basketball this past weekend at The Big House in Tavares as Hoop Exchange held its annual Fall Festival.  Nearly 100 teams from all over the Sunshine State came to test themselves against competition they won’t likely get or see in their area.  There is a lot to cover, so let’s get to it.

MONTVERDE ACADEMY

The old but popular phrase “the more that things change, the more they stay the same”, certainly applies to this version of the Eagles.  A single coach and single player remain from last year’s Montverde team.  However, after watching Montverde win a pair of games convincingly against two of the better teams regardless of classification in the state, it is clear the Eagles will not be taking a step back any time soon.  That lone returnee, 6’2 senior Dhani Miller, is solid in his point guard role.  He moves the ball quickly, finds open teammates ahead of the defense in transition, is a reliable perimeter shooter and a very good defender.  He has a great deal of talent running alongside him.  Joe Philon, a 6’8 senior, is long, athletic, a versatile defender, and a capable playmaker and scorer on the perimeter.  Kevin Thomas, another 6’8 senior, shoots the ball well from the perimeter off the dribble as well as the catch, runs the floor, and helps on the glass.  Jayden Hodge, a 6’6 senior, is a jack-of-all trades type with his ability to handle and pass the basketball, make good pass vs. shot decisions on the move, rebound and defend different positions.  Derek Daniels, a 6’8 junior, is a potent inside scoring option, ferocious rebounder at both ends, and valuable rim protector.  Javion Tyndale, a 5’9, is a speedster with the ball, has good court vision, finishes drives, and creates scoring opportunities for his teammates.  Lincoln Cosby, a 6’10 junior, has both worlds of potential and a great deal of skill and high basketball IQ.  He is a triple-double, and possibly 5 X 5 (points, rebounds, assists, steals, & blocks) stat line waiting to happen.  Sebastien Ndour, a 6’7 junior, is another long athlete that makes highlight plays on a routine basis.  There is great size and interior depth in the forms of 6’9 senior Nikos Koulisianis, 6’10 senior Jaxon Clark, and 6’9 sophomore Trace Lopez.  A pair of prized 2027 prospects, 6’3 Oneal Delancy and 6’7 Malachi Booker, did not play this weekend due to injury.

SOUTHEASTERN PREPARATORY ACADEMY

This program from the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) has made a major investment in talent both on the floor and on the sidelines.  The Falcons pretty much came into the Fall Festival and announced they were legit contenders for Chipotle Nationals come April of 2026.  A trio of top twenty ranked juniors sets the tone. Beckham Black, a 6’4 guard, runs the show from the point.  He does a great job of finding teammates in transition, when attacking the basket, and quickly moving the ball to open shooters on the perimeter.  Black has three-level scoring ability and a nose for the ball on the defensive end.  C.J. Rosser, 6’9 wing, is a long, fluid athlete that is swift up and down the floor, gets to rebounds quickly at both ends, and has developing scoring and ball-handling skills on the perimeter.  The third junior, Obinna Ekezie, stands 7’1, protects the rim, can hedge and keep up with smaller players in ball-screen action, and is a potent lob threat.  Rylan Kelley, one of the few holdovers from last season’s SIAA finalist, is an accomplished scoring guard that also puts in work on the defensive end of the floor.  Griffin Starks, a 6’7 junior, has inside-out scoring versatility with his ability to connect from deep and take advantage of physical mismatches out on the perimeter or in the lane.  Kellan Cantrell and Aiden Groce, both 6’2 juniors, provide perimeter scoring punch while Marri Wesley, a 6’5 junior, is another dynamic athlete that can seemingly be plugged in to play any position on the floor.  A pair of seniors, 6’2 Anthony Cruz, and 6’9 Jackson Flint, provide quality depth.

MIAMI COLUMBUS

The Boozer Twins ship has sailed to Durham, NC but these Explorers will still be heavy favorites for a fifth consecutive Class 7A state title as well as national honors.  Caleb Gaskins, a 6’8 senior, has a tough-to-contain inside/outside game.  He 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.  Jaxon Richardson, a 6’6 senior, is a dynamic athlete with length, a high basketball IQ, improved perimeter scoring skills, and extreme versatility on the defensive end.  His ability to finish above the rim in a crowd, whether at the end of the break, a set play lob, or a putback, is unparalleled at this level.  Marcellous “Cello” Jackson, a 6’2 senior, is a solid point guard prospect.  He 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, has come over from IMG.  More solid than spectacular, Quinones does whatever the team needs to win.  He plays 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, has a solid frame, makes an instant impact as a rebounder and interior scorer off the bench, and isn’t shy about playing physically at either end 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.

MIAMI RIVIERA PREP

The three-time defending Class 2A champions played a brutal four-game schedule at the event and while we didn’t get to see them at full-strength on Sunday, it seems like they will contend for not just another state title but a national ranking as well.  Myles Fuentes, a 6’1 junior, leads a deadly four-headed monster of a backcourt.  Fuentes 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.  He may have had the dunk of the day on Saturday with a breakaway where he darn near caught his head on the rim.  Fuentes also play with an aggressive but not arrogant attitude and backs down from no one.  Mason Fuentes, a 6’1 senior, is a dynamic player in his own right.  He 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.  On Sunday, he was draining three after three, but he also used his speed and quickness with the ball to make plays.  Quincy Douby, a 6’3 junior, rounds out a potent perimeter.  He is a dangerous scorer inside the arc with his ability to knock down floaters, pull up quickly and connect from mid-range, a 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 anchors the interior.  Anton Saffin, a 6’7 junior, Oliver Bishop, a 6’10 sophomore, and Myles Loene, a 6’9 freshman, all found ways to make a positive impact when they rotated in the game.  Each understands their role is rebound, run, protect the basket, and make the most of their offensive opportunities.

FLEMING ISLAND

The Eagles were one of the must-see teams of the weekend after their impressive performance at the FABC Team Camp in June.  Carson Crawford, a 6’7 junior, is very versatile and athletic.  He can score from inside and out, is fast up the floor on the break, has good ball-handling and passing skills, and defends all five positions.  Crawford may be the main attraction, but Fleming Island is no one-man show.  Ryan Turner, a 6’4 senior, is strong with the basketball, challenges defenders at the rim, and helps on the glass.  Joseph Johnson, a 6’0 junior, stretches the defense with his ability to make shots from deep.  Bryce Robinson, 6’0, and Isaiah Robinson, 6’1, a pair of seniors, are athletic guards that make the most of their opportunities when gaps appear in the defense and attack the rim.  Each is a strong and athletic defender.  Ayden Greenidge, a 6’2 junior, is another wing that produces at both ends of the floor when the opportunity presents itself.  Jalil Hill, a 6’8 freshman, is a recent addition that should provide opponents with another headache when it comes to playing Fleming Island.  Hill moves well for a guy his age and size, shows an ability to step out and hit shots facing the basket, is active on the offensive glass, rebounds and runs the floor, and makes opponents think twice before taking shots in the lane.

OAK RIDGE

The Pioneers don’t rebuild; they reload.  Such is the case with the year’s edition.  Donovan Williams, a 6’3 senior, has returned to the Orlando area after a stint at Oak Hill as a junior.  A dynamic scorer on either side of the arc, Williams can create his own shot from all three levels.  He isn’t just a shooter/scorer as he showed this weekend he can run the offense without losing his scoring mind-set.  Jordan Smith, a 6’6 freshman, is the future of the program.  A good athlete with a solid frame and length, he is also quite skilled.  He has good ball-skills, a reliable perimeter shot, good instincts for the ball coming off the glass, and plays with energy.  Nate Earl, a 6’3 senior, has the ability to play either guard spot.  He gets the ball to the right spot at the right time, understands how to place with pace, and will knock down perimeter shots if given too much room.  Tim Winkler, a 6’9 senior, is an opportunistic scorer around the basket and a reliable rebounder and rim protector.  Jahmar Smith, a 6’2 sophomore, sparks the offense with his ability to make threes, draw fouls off drives, and on defense is tenacious when guarding the basketball.  Whit Bynoe, a 6’0 junior, is a deadly accurate shooter from behind the arc.  He is also unselfish, quick to move the ball to open shooters or to teammates ahead of the defense on the break.