The South Florida Draft

With sports on hiatus, I thought it would be fun to speculate on a South Florida player draft. In my criteria, my focus will be on players returning to South Florida to continue their pursuit of college careers. Therefore, current seniors will be omitted. Unlike all-county pieces of the past, the following tabulation focuses more on progression and projection than production. With that being said, get a draft jingle in your <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSFAlTe6F-Q">head</a> and lets rundown my top 10 selections. 1) [player_tooltip player_id="709219" first="Matthew" last="Bewley"] - Northeast: With the No. 1 pick in the South Florida draft, I have to select the 2023 freshman phenom. The 6’8" forward averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three blocks per game for the Hurricanes this season. In January, I witnessed Bewley score 28 points and pull down 20 rebounds against Fort Lauderdale. In retrospect, his performance on that night was one of the best I saw all season. In my time covering players here, former South Florida stars Vernon Carey Jr. and Toumani Camera come to mind with similar performances. On the forefront, the combination of his size and athleticism is nearly unmatched to not take him at this spot. In recognition of his efforts, Bewley was named to MaxPreps Freshman All-American <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/news/7_wtaf1svkaQeeIUm_XPYA/maxpreps-2019-20-boys-basketball-freshman-all-american-team.htm">Team</a>. 2) [player_tooltip player_id="814897" first="Jett" last="Howard"] - University School: Who do I want taking the last shot of a game? [player_tooltip player_id="814897" first="Jett" last="Howard"]. Beyond his statistics, the 6’7" guard just has a swagger and confidence about him that I really like. While it looks like he is having fun, the 2022 sensation is all business on the court and can back it up. With an elite dribble-drive, Howard averaged 15.6 points and 3.7 assists for U-School this season. With the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="827896" first="Roger" last="McFarlane"], Howard should step into a greater role for the Sharks moving forward. After tasting a state championship as a freshman, Howard should be quite hungry to get back to Lakeland after suffering a dramatic loss to Stranahan in the state playoffs this year. 3) [player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"] - Boca-St Andrew’s: In terms of natural ability, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example than Minott. The 6’8" 2021 is long and can use it to his advantage on both ends of the court. Along with his size as a front-court forward, the D-1 prospect can handle the ball like a guard and get to the rim. The sophomore can shield off a defender with his length while also having the ability to change direction for an up and under score. The 2021 D-1 prospect was a key factor in leading the Scots to its first-ever state championship after scoring 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. I am very interested to see what he does for an encore during his senior season for the Scots. 4) Wesley Cardet - Northeast: A 6’5" assassin for Northeast, Cardet is a player with great versatility as I see him able to play multiple positions. The Hurricanes star is versatile enough to play the point guard, shooting guard and small forward spots. I really value players who can expand beyond there regimented roles and the 2021 D-1 prospect does just that with his rebounding ability. On the glass, the D-1 prospect pulled down nine rebounds per game. In addition, Cardet has great vision and dished out five assists for Northeast. When you add in his 14 points per game, you see why the junior is a complete, coveted player in the region. 5) Greg Glenn - Calvary Christian: Heading into this season, the 6’6" Glenn would have been in my top spot. While the 2022 forward had a good year averaging 14.6 points and six rebounds per game, I think he has more to prove. For example, Glenn struggled against then No.1 Sante Fe Catholic in the state playoffs. In that game, Glenn scored only six points and committed six turnovers while being hampered with foul trouble. My feeling is, that is a game Glenn would like to have back. Make no mistake, sophomore has all the tools of an elite player, particularly on the defensive end. Overall, I just want to see more dominate efforts from him that I know he is capable of. A D-1 talent with room to grow. 6) [player_tooltip player_id="709227" first="Jaylen" last="Carey"] - University School In maybe my first surprise, the 6’7" 260-pound Carey makes my list. Let’s face facts, how many kids with that size are walking around? When you factor in that Carey is 2023, the answer dwindles down even more. On that alone, Carey is someone who I project to be a force as his role expands for the Sharks. While he averaged 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season, Carey posted three double figure games in January. As his footwork and conditioning improve, so will his game. In my only stat prediction, I am projecting Carey to average double figures while grabbing six-eight rebounds per game next season. 7) [player_tooltip player_id="814909" first="Amen" last="Thompson"] - Pine Crest Flip a coin over these next two spots, because the Panthers have a couple of forces in the Thompson twins. In Amen, you are getting a 6’4" guard who can do everything on the floor. With his excellent back-court size, Thompson averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists for Pine Crest. On the defensive end, the 2022 has great hands and reach to pick up steals and block shots. A complete player with tremendous upside. 8) [player_tooltip player_id="814910" first="Ausar" last="Thompson"] - Pine Crest As I said above, flip flop these two positions. The 6’4" guard led Pine Crest with 17.3 points per game and finished second to his brother in rebounds, assists and steals. With a double dose of that production, the Thompson brothers are turned heads for the Panthers and will light things up on the prep circuit this summer 9) Osmar Garcia-Araujo - Riviera Prep In Miami-Dade, Garcia-Araujo is my first choice in the front-court. The 6’7" 2022 has great footwork and instinct around the rim. In Garcia-Araujo, you are looking at a kid who can finish with either hand while driving to the basket. Furthermore, the sophomore can extend his scoring out beyond the paint with an above-average jump shot. In conclusion, bigger or smaller players will have a tough time defending him. On the year, Garcia-Araujo averaged 13.6 points and six rebounds per game. 10) [player_tooltip player_id="709215" first="Marvel" last="Allen"] - Wellington A really tough call for my final spot, but Allen has been lighting it up in South Florida ever since his days with the The Benjamin School as an eight-grader. It seems like the ladder continues to get bigger for Allen, who at 6’4" averaged 18.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a freshman. In analyzing his game, I find the 2023 to be an excellent outside shooter and aggressive player getting to the basket. D-1 offers will be coming aplenty. From reports, Allen is motivated to be a high D-1 player. For any South Florida hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.