SWFL TEAM RANKINGS
(as of 12/16/2008)
 
**With the third week of the season in the books we figured an updated set of Team Rankings was overdue.  With #1 Dunbar losing a low scoring affair versus Lehigh, albeit missing seniors Melvin German and John Florveus, they had to drop a couple notches.  Especially with North Port and Sarasota Riverview both on hot streaks.  North Port takes ahold of the top spot without losing, however Riverview is very very close on their heals.  The Rams won three district games over the past couple weeks, including one over a very good Lakeland squad at home.  Lehigh jumps into the rankings with the Dunbar win and an overall 6-0 record thus far.  Cape Coral was another hot team over the first three weeks until they ran into Fort Myers and were dealt their only defeat so far. Fort Myers notched two huge road wins over district foes Ida Baker and Cape Coral as we mentioned.  Baker drops a bit after two disappointing losses including the one to Ft Myers as well as a 17 point defeat to Bishop Verot, both at home. Desoto falls from the rankings for now after an 0-4 start, including 0-3 in district play, due in large part to just getting over 90% of their roster back last week from the football team.  We are confident they will be just fine as the season wears on.  Barron Collier has managed to steady the ship after a week 2 loss to Cape Coral, despite being without leading scorer Brian Landers and standout freshman Deion Clark.  Landers will be out another week or two with a fractured foot.  This week marks the start of the Pre-Christmas tourneys, and most notably the City of Palms, so we will get a chance to see a lot of local teams against different competition.  Feel free to give us your take and/or version of the rankings on our Message board.  And good luck to all the schools, coaches, and players this season!

1) North Port Bobcats
  • Record: 7-0 (5-0 in district 5A-12 action) 
  • Previous Ranking: #2
  • Head Coach: Curt Allen
  • Key Players: SG Shaun Noriega (6-foot-4, 195, Sr.); F Kasey Wilson (6-foot-6, 200, Soph.); PG Dominique Glinton (5-foot-9, 170, Sr.); PG Larry Taylor (5-foot-10, 145, Frosh.); F Tony Irons (6-foot-2, 245, Sr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/3 @ Lakewood Ranch 73-49 Win; Fri 12/5 @ Charlotte 59-47 Win; 12/9 vs Port Charlotte (home) 57-48 Win; 12/13 vs Bayshore (home) 68-22 Win
  • Notes: North Port continues to roll with convincing district wins over Lakewood Ranch, Charlotte and Bayshore, but looked human at time in the win over Port Charlotte.  The Bobcats will face their toughest test of the season tonight at home against Bradenton Manatee who is currently 3-0 in district play, and 5-3 overall.  Noriega continues to score the ball well as is expected, averaging 23 per game, but he will need to rebound the ball better, only averaging 2.9 per game thus far, and show more effort on the defensive end 100% of the time if the Bobcats expect to pick up wins over the Christmas break.  They will be facing off against some of the top teams in the state and country during the City of Palms Sunshine Series game vs Andrew Jackson HS (Jacksonville) and at the McDonald's Tampa Hoops Classic.  Kasey Wilson struggled through a couple games offensively mainly due to the Bobcats not looking his way much, but he is still averaging a solid 14.1 pts per game to go along with his team-leading 9.6 rebs per game.
  • Upcoming Games: Tues 12/16 vs Manatee (home); 12/18 vs Andrew Jackson (@ City of Palms) 6pm; Fri 12/26-12/30 @ Tampa Hoops Classic
2) Sarasota Riverview Rams
  • Record: 5-1 (3-0 in district 6A-8 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #3
  • Head Coach: James Ward
  • Key Players: G Derek Robbins (6-foot-2, 185, Sr.); F Matt Conway (6-foot-6, 200, Sr.); G John Bowers (5-foot-11, 175, Sr.); G Mike Peipert ( 5-foot-10, 180, Sr.); F Kyle Kragel (6-foot-5, 195, Jr.); F Austin Baker (6-foot-7, 195, Sr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/3 @ East Bay 66-42 Win; 12/4 @ Manatee 47-37 Win; 12/9 vs Lakeland (home) 50-46 Win; 12/11 @ Plant City 62-45 Win;
  • Notes: The Rams are right on the heels of North Port for the top spot and we were close to pushing them past the Bobcats after running off 5 straight wins including one over a state ranked Eustis squad and one over district rival Lakeland.  If they can pull out wins versus Southeast, Manatee and Durant, as well as make a good showing at their Christmas Tourney, and North Port struggles mightily versus real competition then the Rams could be the new #1 come January 1st.  Senior Matt Conway continues to lead Riverview averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds per game, and shooting at an 82% clip from the foul stripe.  Fellow senior Derek Robbins is the Rams second leading scorer at 10 per game, to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists and an 86 % clip from the foul line.  A nice surprise has been the play of junior Kyle Kragel.  Kragel's team-high 13 points against Lakeland helped the Rams secure the district win and his progression on the court has been noticeable this season, after deciding to go with basketball full-time instead of splitting time on the baseball team.  He is 6'5" already with some wing skills, but with his father standing 6'9", there is a good chance he will continue to grow.  If he does, and his skill set keeps improving, Kragel could be a very sought after recruit in the long run. 
  • Upcoming Games: 12/17 @ Bradenton Southeast; 12/18 vs Bradenton Manatee (home); 12/19 @ Tampa Durant; 12/27-12/30 Ram Jam Classic (home)
3) Fort Myers Green Wave
  • Record: 6-0 (4-0 in district 5A-15 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #5
  • Head Coach: Scott Guttery
  • Key Players: C Josh Nicholas (6-foot-11, 220, Sr.); G Evin Graham (6-foot-2, 155, Soph.); F Colin Henry (6-foot-4, 195, Jr.); G John Michael Hodge (6-foot-3, 185, Sr.); G/F Matt Yance (6-foot-4, 185, Soph.); G Terran McClendon (6-foot, 165, Jr.);
  • Recent Games: 12/2 @ Mariner 63-55 Win; 12/5 @ Baker 71-58 Win; 12/9 @ Gulf Coast 61-57 Win; 12/12 @ Cape Coral 62-58 Win; 12/13 vs Cypress Lake (home) 75-57 Win
  • Notes: The Wave got two very big wins over the past couple weeks with a 71-58 road defeat of previous #4 Ida Baker and another road win at Cape Coral, 62-58.  The win at Cape Coral was also without senior big man Josh Nicholas in the lineup.  This young team should only continue to get better.  One key to how good they can be is whether or not one of their seniors or underclassmen will step into a leadership role.  In talking to coach Guttery he admits that may be their biggest weakness at this point.  Losing three experienced seniors from a year ago has left a void in terms of player leadership.  Some of the biggest candidates to lead for the Wave, sophomore Evin Graham and senior John Micahel Hodge, are two of the quietest guys on the team.  Junior Colin Henry continues to do his best to lead by example with his hard-nore 100% effort 100% of the time.  Henry gets are nod at this point in the season as the "Blue-Collar Player of the Year."  Statistically the Wave are led by Nicholas with 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game.  Henry checks in at 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both second highest behind Nicholas.  Graham is chipping in with 10.2 points per game, while also dishing out 4.8 assists per contest.  Graham led the way with 15 points in the big win over district foe Cape Coral with Nicholas out.  Fort Myers' next game is on opening night of the City of Palms Classic versus Los Angeles Westchester at 9:30 pm.
  • Upcoming Games: 12/18-12/23 City of Palms Classic; 12/26-12/30 @ 5th/3rd Classic (Lexington, Ky)
4) Dunbar Tigers (Fort Myers)
  • Record: 4-1 (1-0 in district 3A-12 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #1
  • Head Coach: Andre McGill
  • Key Players: WF David Paulk (6-foot-5, 200, Jr.); G Darius Perkins (6-foot-2 1/2, 180, Soph.); G/F Melvin German (6-foot-4, 190, Sr.); F/C John Florveus (6-foot-10, 210, Sr.); G Joel German (5-foot-11, 175, Jr.); G Troy Simmons (6-foot, 175, Jr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/4 vs Riverdale (home) 48-30 Win; 12/5 @ Lehigh 34-39 Loss; 12/9 @ Estero 62-26 Win; 12/10 vs East Lee (home) 81-45 Win; 12/12 vs Cardinal Mooney (home) 66-32 Win
  • Notes:  The Tigers drop three spots after their loss to Lehigh 34-39.  Contrary to how we would normally have the team that lost behind the team that won in the rankings, we had to take into consideration that Dunbar was without senior starters Melvin German and Florveus.  Having both of those guys in the lineup makes the Tigers a completely different team.  Since returning, Melvin has been the team leading scorer at 14.3 points per game while also averaging 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game.  With everybody healthy for the City of Palms Classic, the Tigers will have a lineup on 6'5 Paulk, 6'2 Perkins, 6'4 M.German, 6'10 Florveus, and 6' Simmons, with 6' Joel German, 6'6 Willie Moore, and 6'5 James Strowbridge coming off the bench.  A lineup with that size and talent may not be able to beat their first round opponent Duncanville (TX), but should make them very competitive from then on.  The key to the whole mix may end up being point guard Troy Simmons though, who has looked like a division 1 caliber guard at times but has also looked very average at others.  He gives them a guard who can beat his man off the dribble consistently breaking down defenses that should lead to more opportunities for shooters like Paulk, Perkins and Joel German on the outside.  They open up play in the City of Palms on Thursday night versus Duncanville at 7:45 pm.
  • Upcoming Games: Thu 12/18-12/23 City of Palms Tourney; 12/27-12/30 @ Gulf Shore Shootout (@ Golden Gate HS)
5) Lehigh Lightning
  • Record: 7-0 (2-0 in district 5A-15 action)
  • Previous Ranking: NR
  • Head Coach: Mark Morehead
  • Key Players: F Leon Davis (6-foot-4, 180, Sr.); G Jamaris Brown (5-foot-7, Soph.); G Kendris Mathews (5-foot-11, Sr.); G Sharod Morse (5-foot-11, Sr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/2 vs. North Fort Myers (home) 68-35 Win; 12/4 @ South Fort Myers (home) 48-29 Win; 12/5 vs. Dunbar (home) 39-34 Win; 12/8 @ Immokalee 55-39 Win; 12/12 vs. Gulf Coast (home) 47-40 Win; 12/15 vs Estero (home) 54-32 Win
  • Notes: Lehigh not only makes their first appearance in the 2008-09 rankings, but does it with a splash as they go all the way to the #5 spot with a big 39-34 upset over previous #1 Dunbar on the road.  Although Dunbar was missing a couple key players, Lehigh head man Mark Morehead thoroughly got the best of Dunbar coach Andre McGill in the win.  Morehead knew he could not compete going up and down with the athleticism and skill of the Tigers, so he slowed it down, almost to a stand still.  The Lightning used a stall type of game plan to take control of the game and did just enough to walk out on top of the low scoring affair.  The Lightning have not faced the big boys in district 5A-15 as of yet, and that will probably be when we get to see if they are the real deal or not, but starting 7-0 including 2-0 in district play is still impressive.  The big news coming after Christmas break will be whether or not senior guard Luis Sanchez will be allowed to return to the court for Lehigh.  Sanchez moved to Michigan before the start of the season, but has since returned.  However, the FHSAA rules require any player who leaves the state and then returns to appear before a rules committee in order to be reinstated to play.  The hearing is set for sometime in January.  While without Sanchez some other players have really stepped up, led by sophomore guard Jamaris Brown, who is averaging 14.6 points per game.  Senior guard Kendris Mathews is second on the team avergaing 12 per game to go along with a team-leading 3.7 assists per contest.  Senior forward Leon Davis is chipping in 10.1 points per game, as well as leading the team with 9 rebounds per game.  Lehigh will take on East Lee and Riverdale this week before taking part in the Gulf Shore Shootout that starts next Friday at Golden Gate HS.
  • Upcoming Games: Tue 12/16 vs East Lee (home); Fri 12/19 @ Riverdale; Sat 12/27-12/31 Gulf Shore Tournament (@ Golden Gate)
6) Venice Indians
  • Record: 3-0 (2-0 in district 5A-12 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #8
  • Head Coach: Steve Cavallaro
  • Key Players: G/F Trey Burton (6-foot-3, 220, Jr.); G Justin Grant (6-foot-1, 185, Jr.); G Kyle Jutras (5-foot-10, 175, Sr.);
  • Recent Games: 12/9 vs Charlotte (home) 47-42 Win; 12/11 @ Lakewood Ranch 77-60 Win; 12/13 @ Booker 68-48 Win
  • Notes:  The Venice Indians started their season with three solid wins, including one over defending district 5A-12 champion Charlotte.  Their defense and free throw shooting have been the keys to their early success.  In the Charlotte game, the Indians held the Tarpons scoreless for the first quarter and took a 13-0 lead in route to a 47-42 win at home.  Senior point guard Kyle Jutras already has games of 17 (vs Charlotte) and 28 (vs Lakewood Ranch) under his belt, and is averaging 17 per game overall.  He shot a combined 26 of 34 from the foul line in those two games. Juniors Justin Grant and Trey Burton have been steady for Venice averaging 11.7 and 11 points per game, respectively.  The Indians' next district test should come against an athletic Bradenton Southeast squad on the road December 23rd. Southeast is currently 3-1 in district play and 4-1 overall.
  • Upcoming Games: Tues 12/16 vs Bayshore (home); Thurs 12/18 @ Sarasota; Fri 12/19 vs Cardinal Mooney (home); Tues 12/23 @ Southeast; 12/26-12/29 @ Keswick Suncoast Classic
7) Cape Coral Seahawks
  • Record: 5-1 (3-1 in district 5A-15 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #10
  • Head Coach: Mark Rhinehart
  • Key Players: F/G Joel Hill (6-foot-3, 185, Jr.); G Cameron Hall (5-foot-7, 155, Sr.); F Wellington Tavarez (6-foot-1, 235, Sr.); G Justin Mitchell (5-foot-8, 160, Soph)
  • Recent Games: 12/3 @ Barron Collier 73-58 Win; 12/5 vs East Lee (home) 64-51 Win; 12/7 vs Mariner (home) 69-45 Win; 12/12 vs Fort Myers (home) 58-62 Loss
  • Notes: The Seahawks have had an OK couple of weeks.  They went 3-1 since our last rankings, with all games being district 5A-15 contests.  The biggest win came on the road defeating previously unbeaten Barron Collier 73-58, behind 26 points and 10 rebounds from junior Joel Hill. They had a reall good opportunity to jump even higher in the rankings if they could have pulled out the win at home versus Fort Myers, but fell short 58-62.  Statistically, Hill is leading the team with 19 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds per contest.  Senior big man Wellington Tavarez is second on the team in scoring with 8.8 per game and leads the teams with just over 6 rebounds per contest.  After that the Seahawks are very balanced in scoring with 6 other players averaging more than 5 points per game. Cape Coral has looked very good so far, and with speedy senior point guard Cameron Hall and Hill leading the way they will cause some problems for the rest of the teams on their schedule.  They take on district rival Ida Baker tonight at home with a chance to bounce back quickly from the Fort Myers loss and pick up a big win.  After that they will travel to Charleston, South Carolina to compete int he Christmas in the Corner tournament.
  • Upcoming Games: Tues 12/16 vs Ida Baker (home); Mon 12/29-12/31@ Christmas in the Corner Tourney (Berkeley HS-Charleston, SC)
8) Barron Collier Cougars (Naples)
  • Record: 7-2 (1-1 in district 5A-15 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #7
  • Head Coach: Carlos Clark
  • Key Players: F Jason Humphrey (6-foot-5, 190, Sr.); G Brian Landers (6-foot-2, 175, Sr.); PG Jesus Gonzalez (5-foot-10, 165, Sr.); G Deion Clark (6-foot-1, 150, Frosh); G David Phillips (6-foot-1, 175, Soph.); G Diego Sanchez (5-foot-9, Jr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/2 vs #10 Cape Coral (home) 58-73 Loss; Wed 12/3 vs Lely (home) 51-42 Win; 12/11 @ Palmetto Ridge 61-60 Win; 12/12 vs Coral Park 67-51 Win; 12/13 vs Miami Southwest 52-61 Loss; 12/15 vs Immokalee (home) 61-52 Win
  • Notes: The Cougars fall back a spot after losing at home to a good Cape Coral squad 58-73.  Barron has had to deal with not having the services of freshman standout guard Deion Clark since the first game of the season and leading scorer Brian Landers since the Cape Coral game.  However they managed to pick up wins over Palmetto Ridge, Miami Coral Park, and Immokalee and lost a close overtime game to a good Miami Southwest squad.  In the absence of Clark and Landers, sophomore David Phillips and junior point guard Diego Sanchez have stepped up to help out Humphrey and Gonzalez handle the load, averaging 8.6 and 8.7 points per game respectively.  Humphrey has shouldered the load well though, averaging 17.4 points per contest since Landers went down.  However, Clark has returned and scored a team-high 16 in his first game back against Immokalee on last night, and is averaging 20 for the two games he has played.  Landers will be out a little longer though, as he is still recovering from a fracture bone in his foot.  Senior point guard Jesus Gonzalez has been solid as well thus far, averaging 10.1 points per game.  Barron Collier will be back in action after Christmas in the Gulf Shore Shootout at Golden Gate HS on December 27th.
  • Upcoming Games: Gulf Shore Shootout 12/27-12/31 (@ Golden Gate HS)
9) Bishop Verot Vikings (Fort Myers)
  • Record: 4-2 (1-0 in district 3A-12 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #9
  • Head Coach: Matt Herting
  • Key Players: G Brennen Melvin (6-foot-4, 195, Sr.); F Etienne Effenberg (6-foot-6, 215, Sr.); G Jacquard Hagan (5-foot-11, 165, Jr.); PG Bobby Thomas (5-foot-11, 160, Jr.); G/F Abner Sandoval (6-foot-3, 175, Jr.); G Nate Howard (6-foot-4, 175, Soph.)
  • Recent Games: 12/4 @ Naples 87-72 Win; 12/5 @ Cardinal Mooney 63-31 Win; 12/10 @ Ida Baker 65-48 Win; 12/13 vs Winter Park 46-55 Loss
  • Notes: Bishop Verot stays steady at the ninth spot with solid wins, most notably over previously #4 ranked Ida Baker at their place 65-48.  However, the teams above them have done enough to keep the Vikings from moving up any for these rankings.  If they could have pulled the upset over state power Winter Park there would have been more than enough reason to bump them up, however they fell just short losing 46-55 on the road.  In that game they led by 4 as late as the fourth quarter but in the end Winter Park's nationally ranked sophomore Austin Rivers' free throws as the game winded down did them in.  There is no doubt that the Vikings of now are playing astronomically better than they did in their season-opening loss to Barron Collier.  Senior forward Etienne Effenberg continues to be a mismatch for teams in the paint, and junior Jacquard Hagan has burst out in two different games for more than 20 points and 5 treys.  Senior guard Brennen Melvin has shown flashes of being the player we expect him to be, but at other times you can tell he is still learning to play with the added muscle and weight he put on over the summer.  Through six games, Effenberg is averaging 22.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and both would be higher if it wasn't for him sitting out most of the second half of the teams blowout win against Cardinal Mooney.  Melvin is second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.  Hagan checks in at 11 per contest, including a team-leading 14 three point field goals made.  Senior Jesse Kane leads the team in assist with a 4.7 per game average.  The only local game for the Vikings over the Christmas break will be their City of Palms Sunshine Series match-up with Tampa Sickles at 7:15 pm next Tuesday night following the championship game of the tournament.
  • Upcoming Games: 12/18-12/20 @ Berkeley Prep Invitational; Tues 12/23 vs Sickles (@ COP-Sunshine Series) 7:15 PM; 12/27-12/30 @ SPX Tourney (Atlanta, GA)
10) Braden River Pirates (Bradenton)
  • Record: 7-1 (4-1 in district 4A-10 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #11
  • Head Coach: Matt Nesser
  • Key Players: G Wille McNeal (5-foot-10, Sr.); F/G Marc McKoan (6-foot-3, Jr.); G/F Ruben Roderick (6-foot, Sr.); G Kareem Jackson (5-foot-9, Jr.); G Frachon Paramore (5-foot-10, Jr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/2 @ Avon Park 37-45 Loss; 12/3 @ Bayshore 72-41 Win; 12/5 @ Booker 43-36 Win; 12/9 @ Desoto 49-44 Win; 12/12 vs Sebring (home) 91-76 Win; 12/15 vs Lakewood Ranch (home) 62-53 Win
  • Notes: The Pirates dropped a close one to a solid team and district rival Avon Park 37-45, but have been rolling ever since.  Since picking up their lone loss, they have corralled wins over district rivals Booker, Desoto, and Sebring.  Desoto we might add was playing their first game with the football players back, but nonetheless it is still a good win for a program trying to secure their first winning season in school history. Their 91-76 defeat of Sebring might be their most impressive game of the year, with junior forward Casey Bobelis leading the way with 23 points and 8 rebounds.  Bobelis has been hot lately, averaging 17 points per contest in the Pirates last four games.  Braden River takes on Palmetto tonight at home in a match-up of the top two teams in district 4A-10 so far this season.  Palmetto is undefeated at 4-0 in district play and 7-0 overall.  Braden River is 4-1 thus far in district play.  A win over Palmetto could catapult the Pirates, giving them confidence that could lead to potentially winning the Bradenton Christian Christmas tourney which would give them a 10-game winning streak heading into January.  Almost guaranteeing the first winning season in school history.  Not too shabby for a team that was scoring less than 20 points in some games only 3 or so years ago. 
  • Upcoming Games: Tues 12/16 vs Palmetto (home); Thur 12/18 vs Cardinal Mooney (home); 12/29-12/31 @ Smoothie King Classic (Bradenton Christian School)
11) Ida Baker Bulldogs(Cape Coral)
  • Record: 6-3 (3-0 in district 5A-15 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #4
  • Head Coach: Greg Coleman, Jr.
  • Key Players: F John Skinner (6-foot-5, 200, Sr.); F Zach Campbell (6-foot-6, 185, Sr.); PG Xavier Battle (5-foot-11, 160, Sr.); G Gabe Rodriguez (5-foot-10, 150, Sr.); G Ron Ward (5-foot-11, 180, Sr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/2 vs Gulf Coast (home) 62-60 Win; 12/4 @ Cypress Lake 73-51 Win; 12/5 vs #5 Fort Myers (home) 71-58 Loss; 12/10 vs Bishop Verot (home) 48-65 Loss; 12/12 @ Mariner 67-52 Win
  • Notes: Baker takes the biggest hit of all the teams that were ranked in our week 2 edition, outside of Desoto which dropped out completely.  They fall from #4 to where they are now on the heels of two double digit home losses to Fort Myers and then Bishop Verot.  In the loss to Fort Myers, the ending outcome was due to multiple missed free throws by the Bulldogs, mostly on the front end of 1-and-1s, and subsequently the made free throws by the Green Wave.  The loss to Verot was another story.  The Bulldogs looked overmatched and flat out bad for most of the game, with leading scorer John Skinner only scoring 6 points.  At one point the Bulldogs were down by more than 20 in the first half.  Skinner has had games this season that are we would expect of him, inlcuding a 25 point and 24 rebound effort versus Mariner, but then has also had three games where he did not even reach double figures in points.  He is still averaging 17.3 points and 10 rebounds per game on the season, but for the Bulldogs to be taken seriously as a team that could reach the state playoffs for the first time in school history, he will have to be more consistent on a nightly basis.  Senior guard Gabe Rodriguez has been a pleasant surprise as a scorer, averaging just over 13 per game so far, including three games in which he had 20 or more.  Senior forward Zach Campbell is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest.  Baker takes on 7th ranked Cape Coral tonight on the road, in a game that could show us which team is to be taken more seriously at this point in the season. 
  • Upcoming Games: Tues 12/16 @ Cape Coral; 12/27-12/30 @ Gulf Shore Shootout (@ Golden Gate HS)
12) Bradenton Christian School Panthers
  • Record: 5-2 (1-0 in district 1A-12 action)
  • Previous Ranking: #12
  • Head Coach: David Magley Sr.
  • Key Players: G Jordan Negrin (5-foot-8, 155, Jr.); F Michael Frey  (6-foot-4, 185, Jr.); F Spence Purnell (6-foot-3, 200, Sr.); G Joe Wood (5-foot-9, 170, Sr.); G Jonothan Negrin (5-foot-6, 145, Jr.)
  • Recent Games: 12/2 vs Berekeley Prep (home) 65-84 Loss; 12/4 @ Florida Christian; 12/6 vs Manatee (home) 84-71 Win; 12/8 @ First Academy (Orlando) 66-86 Loss; 12/11 @ Out-of-Door Academy 91-53 Win; 12/15 @ Sarasota Christian 59-57 Win
  • Notes: The Panthers are flat out one of the most entertaining teams to watch if your a true basketball fan.  They play hard and fast throughout the game, and can put points up in a hurry.  They dropped two games over the last couple of weeks, the teams they lost to will no doubt be vying for state final four spots come February in their respective classes.  Their wins over a tough 5A Manatee squad, a talented Florida Christian team, and solid district rival Sarasota Christian keep them hanging out at the tail end of our rankings.  Not to mention there aren't too many teams notching big time wins on the outside looking in to put much pressure on them.  They took a huge 59-57 win on the road against Sarasota Christian, in which they held a 33-17 halftime lead only to see it disappear in the third quarter.  However, a trey from the corner by senior Joe Wood with 5.7 seconds remaining in the game gave the Panthers the victory.  Throughout the game, I believe I saw every single player who saw minutes for BCS on the floor for a loose ball at one point or another.  Junior Jordan Negrin is a superfast, scrappy and ultra intelligent point guard that reminds you of a much smaller Steve Nash.  They even look somewhat similar!  Coach Magley does a tremendous job of making sure his guys are all on the same page and always doing the little things that have allowed the Panthers to send 16 players to colleges to play basketball, including 4 to Division 1 schools, during his tenure.  They will get another solid test from Bradenton-area rival Palmetto on Saturday before hosting multiple teams in the Smoothie King Classic December 29th thru the 31st.
  • Upcoming Games: Fri 12/19 vs Keswick Christian (home); Sat 12/20 @ Palmetto; 12/29-12/31 Smoothie King Classic (home)



Others of Note: Community School of Naples (5-1), Bradenton Manatee (5-3), Bradenton Southeast (4-1), Sarasota Christian (4-2), Naples Lely (4-2)
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