The Miami-Dade County Five

Over the past week, I have seen many media publications come out with all-class and all-county teams. With the abundance of talent that exists in South Florida, this list might be one of the more difficult tabulations in the entire country. As stringent as it is, I myself flip-flopped over many choices, particularly between the first and second teams. Moreover, my MVP candidate for this grouping was a difficult decision. *Note* Due to the injury of [player_tooltip player_id="716858" first="Devin" last="Carter"], I left him off the first team list. Carter is one of the best D-1 prospects in the state and played in seventeen games this season. As I have said in the past, a second or third team nomination in this region would likely be upgraded in other parts of the country. The teammates you practice with and the opponents you play against here will better prepare you for the college game. With that said, congratulations to the players below on a fantastic season. MVP: [player_tooltip player_id="818674" first="Justin" last="Neely"] - Miami High Stingarees: When you put up a stat line like Neely, its hard to ignore. The 2021 forward posted 27.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game for the Stingarees. As many of you know, Neely put up a historic 60-point game against Coral Park in December. While going 17-for-37 from the field in that game, Neely added 25 rebounds and 12 assists. On the season, the 6’5" forward notched eleven 30-point games and recorded double-figures in all of them. Neely, who has an excellent mid-range game, has interest from schools such as Jacksonville, Mercer, Duquesne, Florida Gulf Coast, FAU, Yale, Princeton, Baylor and Georgetown. As silly as his sounds, Neely is a sleeper who has his best basketball still ahead of him. [player_tooltip player_id="818672" first="Arturo" last="Dean"] - South Miami Cobras: The 2021 point guard makes this list for a few reasons. First of all, South Miami was one of the best teams in the county and Dean was a huge part of it. The Cobras went 22-6 and finished 10th in the state according to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rankings heading into Lakeland. As for Dean, the 5’10" D-1 prospect scored 24.6 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 steals and 4.9 rebounds per game. In perhaps his best game of the year, Dean scored 34 points and dished out six assists in the GMAC final against Columbus. An excellent passer, Dean notched six or more assists in sixteen games this season. Currently, he holds offers from Mercer and Stetson. [player_tooltip player_id="814905" first="Malik" last="Reneau"] - Mater Academy Lions One of the best players in South Florida, Reneau posted a season double-double of 20.5 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Lions. The 2022 forward helped Mater Academy to a 25-5 record and a spot in the 6A regional final against Dillard. The 6’7" junior has great footwork, post skills and can beat you with either hand around the basket. Against South Miami, Reneau scored a season-high 40 points. A D-1 prospect, he has offers from schools such as Miami and Oklahoma State. [player_tooltip player_id="716946" first="Ga’Khari" last="Lacount"] - Coral Park Rams The top scorer in the county, LaCount led Coral Park to an 18-8 record with quality wins of Coral Gables (2) and Park Vista. The 6’1" guard averaged 31 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game for the Rams this season. In two of his best games, LaCount scored 43 points against Miami Beach and dropped 42 against Miami Christian. Overall, the 7A Florida Dairy Farmers Player of the Year scored 30 or more points 16 times this season. Currently, the 2020 LaCount remains unsigned after decommiting from Lynn University. [player_tooltip player_id="828033" first="Gabe" last="Taylor"] - Gulliver Prep Raiders A two-sport athlete, the 2020 Taylor led Gulliver Prep to a a 23-7 record and a 4A-Disctric 16 championship. An electric engine for the Raiders, the 5’11" point guard averaged 22 points and 4.6 assists per game for the team. An excellent defender, Taylor added 3.5 steals per game this season. Moreover, Taylor posted a ten steal performance against Oxbridge Academy and reached five or more nine times. Late in the season, Taylor played one of his best games of the year when he scored 41 points in a comeback victory over Hallandale Beach. Currently, Taylor is signed to play cornerback at Rice University. The Next Five: [player_tooltip player_id="716858" first="Devin" last="Carter"] - Doral Academy Osmar Garcia - Araujo - Riviera Prep Anthony Lopez - Schoolhouse Prep [player_tooltip player_id="827888" first="Tony" last="Sanders"] - Gulliver Prep [player_tooltip player_id="552716" first="Carlos" last="Hart"] - North Miami The Next, Next Five: Esteban Lluberes - Riviera Prep [player_tooltip player_id="716877" first="Brandon" last="Sanders"] - South Miami Antwanne Thompson - Northwestern [player_tooltip player_id="684398" first="Jimel" last="Cofer"] Jr. - Schoolhouse Prep Daniel Fernandez - Belen Jesuit For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.