Florida Friday
Action in Florida continues to heat up as teams from the sunshine state continue to do battle trying to position themselves to qualifying for the FCCAA tournament. This week we take our weekly look at the four conference battles as well as looking at the top 5 sophomore small forwards in the
state.
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Chipola the nation's second ranked team continues it's impressive play with only one blemish on its record. The Indians have a one game lead on Tallahassee in the battle for a Panhandle Conference championship and continue to feature a very balanced attack point guard Stefhon Hannah has really picked up his play and will be a great sign for a mid to high major program next season.
In Suncoast Conference play it is still a two team battle for the crown. Hillsborough has rebounded from consecutive losses in early January and is playing great basketball but look out for St. Petersburg who has an extremely talented roster and has only lost one conference game.
Hillsborough wing man Octavius Hawkins has been very impressive and could be a big steal for a mid major program.
The Mid-Florida Conference race is neck and neck with three schools battling for the conference's two slots in the FCCAA state tournament.
Daytona Beach, Central Florida, and Santa Fe have all played well of late and each pose a serious threat to other teams challenging for the FCCAA championship.
Perhaps the surprise of the season thus far is Indian River Community College which defeated Miami Dade on Wednesday for the second time this season. IRCC now has a 2 game lead on the Sharks for the Southern
Conference lead but don't forget about Palm Beach which dealt IRCC it's only conference loss of the season.
TOP 5 SMALL FORWARDS
6'8" 220
Niagara Falls
Shoots the ball extremely well for his size. Is extremely long and athletic. Very skilled offensively. Has an outstanding basketball IQ. Needs to become more vocal. Great kid who works very hard. Played his freshman year at Providence. On track to graduate. Signed with FAU.
Tavaris Nance
6'5" 200
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
One of the most underrated players in the state. Makes the open shot and handles the ball well for his size. Very versatile. Can play from the point to the post. Needs to get stronger. Great leadership skills.
Excellent attitude and work ethic. On track to graduate. Being recruited by South Carolina State, Campbell, and San Francisco.
Gerard Jackson
6'6" 235
Gainesville, FL
Extremely strong inside. Uses his body well and plays much bigger than his size. Very versatile. Can step outside and make the 3. Outstanding rebounding ability. Does a lot of the dirty work on the floor. Solid player. Signed with Louisiana-Monroe.
Phillip Wallace
6'4" 210
Crystal Lake, IL
One of the top rebounding wings in the state. Really goes hard to the glass. Outstanding athlete. Good offensive skills. Knows how to play. Very physical. Drives the ball well. Needs to improve his shooting. Excellent attitude and work ethic. On track to graduate.
Matt Fields
6'7" 190
Jacksonville, FL
Developing more of a perimeter game. Very active and long. Needs to improve his 3 point shot. Plays with a lot of energy. Not flashy but gets a lot done on the floor. Excellent attitude and work ethic. On track to graduate. Being recruited by Jacksonville, Boston, Bradley, and
Gardner-Webb.
RECRUITING NOTES
Dionte Perry, a 6'6" PF from Santa Fe took a visit to Gardner-Webb and is
also drawing interest from Long Island University. LIU is also looking at
St. Petersburg wing Tavaris Nance as well as Broward big man Errol Porteous. Savannah State has shown strong interest in Miami Dade guard Joel Davila, the University of New Hampshire has also shown interest. Miami Dade point guard Gabriel Lazo is now garnering interest from Texas State. Alton Hart, a 6'5 power forward from Indian River is attracting interest from Division II schools across the country. Hart is a mid-major Division I talent but will probably have to go the D2 route due to academics. Sante Fe freshman point guard Brandon Bryant, who is a high school qualifier, has attracted
interest from Niagara. The Purple Eagles are also pursuing Miami Dade's Calvin Henry. Henry, a small forward, is also a freshman qualifier with 3 years of eligibility available.