Boys Basketball tips off this week in Northeast Florida and there are usual suspects as contenders, as well as several faces changing places shaking up things in Northeast Florida. This is sure to make for an exciting year of basketball and we take a look at the Top 10 teams in the area, as well as
1. Jackson- Coach James Collins has shown why he is a basketball extraordinaire both on the court and on the sidelines. After winning the prestigious Mr Basketball award, he now patrols the sidelines of his alma mater. He returns a very experienced team hungry to return to Lakeland for the third year in a row. This time, they want to bring back a boys basketball championship to Duval. Led by senior (F) Davin Daniels, junior (PG) Kevin Odom, senior (G) Jackie Simmons III, they are physical and aggressive team. Big man senior Marquez Ray at 6’9 is a player who can be a difference maker in the middle if he has developed his game this off-season.
2. Impact Christian Academy– Coach Benjamin Jones is one of the best coaches in the area and he’s proved that by taking Impact to the the Final 4 two times in three years. It’s no coincidence that the first two teams on the list have two of the best coaches in Northeast Florida. Calvin Johnson (10.6 ppg) returns and must take the lead from the departed Jordin Jackson. Ivan Lawson (7.0 RPG) at 6’6 also gives the Lions great size. Ball handling is something we must see who fills that void, but Jones most likely has that dilema figured out already.
3. Columbia- I know, Columbia? Yes Columbia! Coach Steve Faulkner guided his team all the way to Lakeland losing in overtime to Dillard last year. They lost two great seniors in Kenney Gaines and Darrien Jones. But (PF) Charleston Ponds and two sports stars (SF) Marcus Peterson and (G) Tray Tolliver are exceptional talents, so look for possibly a slow start for the Tigers until their able to hit the court hard after football season.
4. Lee- Arguably the best player in the area resides at Lee. LSU commit Alex Fudge looks to lead his team back to the playoffs, but this time all the way to Lakeland. A new head coach is something Lee must navigate, but in basketball talent and size is all you need to make it work. Lee has that with Teron Haywood and Dontae Beaufort
5. Bolles- Bolles returns their top scorers from last year in Bobby Crouch (18.2ppg ) (Babson commit) and Ben McGraw (15.5ppg) . Senior Richie Rosenblum has put himself on the radar too as a primetime player for the Bulldogs. If not for Mr Basketball Isaiah Adams and Paxon, Bolles would’ve gone further in the playoffs.
6. Providence – The Stallions look to turn its program back to prominence in 2020-2021. Size is a big part of basketball and in senior James Repass (15.3ppg) Providence certainly has it.
7. Bishop Kenny- Ross Candelino (14.1ppg) and Daniel Buckley (11.7ppg) return for BK as they take another crack at the playoffs in 2020-2021. Jerry Buckley’s team was one step from the Final 4 after toppling Gadsden County 53-43. Candelino’s acrobatic play along with their total team approach overwhelms teams at both ends of the court.
8. University Christian– UC has a plethora of underclassmen coming back including two sports stars senior Joseph Carter (11.3 ppg), and senior Royce Morris (11.2 ppg) and junior Jaden Brill (10.1ppg). They were in Lakeland two years ago and fell short of returning to the promised land, losing to Florida A&M 58-56 in dramatic fashion last year. Coach Keith Stroud welcomes his juniors back with anticipation of making a run at Lakeland this year.
9. Bishop Snyder- The Cardinals are the talk of the town with transfers Moise Balungu (19.3ppg Ridgeview), Justin Hicks (13.7ppg West Nassau), Nick Lowery (12.7 ppg Oakleaf) and Manok Lual (Wolfson). Yet at 13-14 last year the Cardinals didn’t live up to the talent they already have in Jalen Gilmore, Austin Lewis and Trent Walker. It’s up to Coach Russell Powell to put the pieces together.
10. NFEI- The Eagles made it to Lakeland two years ago, losing in the state championship game. Last year Coach Stacey Poole Jr and his team were on their way back, but ran into eventual Final 4 participant Impact Christian who knocked them out in dramatic fashion. Now, senior Dahntay Tillman 6’8, junior F Javon Prindle 6’4, and senior CG Dimron Phillips 6’2 fill a void left by Jashawne Joseph and Saevion Brown.
Teams to keep an eye on: West Nassau, Ed White, Paxon, Westside, Raines, Ribault, Hilliard, Fleming Island
Dallan (Deebo) Coleman, Sr, West Nassau (Georgia Tech commit) averages 25 ppg and can have the Warriors fighting for the district. Ed White returns junior Kenneth Young (11.3ppg) ,Westside’s Niron Waters joins junior Donovan Morgan (11.9 ppg) as the Wolverines are a team to look out for.
Mr Basketball Isaiah Adams is gone so Quinnton Jackson and Ja’Kobe Williams must step up for Coach Toby Frazier and Paxon. Final 4 participant Hillard lost Jacob Crews (UNF) and a host of seniors. Coach Myron Saunders must fill those voids as well as coach Travis Chandler of Fleming Island who lost in the 2nd round of the 6A playoffs.
Former Potter’s House Girls Basketball Head Coach Tony Bannister takes over as Raines Boys Basketball head coach. The tandem that the Vikings have created with Bannister and Girls Basketball head coach Julius Paden may have Raines turning the Boys into contenders like the Girls have become.
