Risers: Palm Beach County 3.0

<p>As we move right up the South Florida coast, I would like to next highlight players in Palm Beach County. In my opinion, this area is underrated in basketball talent. This past season, a tremendous run by <strong>Boca-St.Andrew’s</strong> gave the region a well deserved boost. Regardless, the PBC area is rich in prospects. In continuing the tradition, here is my follow-up piece to the county original.</p> <p>Here is list 3.0.</p> <p><strong>Michael Kalina</strong> - <em>Boca Raton Bobcats</em></p> <p>2022 Michael Kalina averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Bobcats a season ago. A point guard, Kalina should continue to develop his game playing alongside 2021 6-foot-8 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="953502" first="Bob" last="Stewart"]</strong>. As a sophomore, Kalina put together some big games for Boca Raton. Against <strong>Spanish River</strong>, Kalina went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field while dropping 17 points. In a match-up with 20-win <strong>Grandview Prep, </strong>Kalina scored 14 points on 63% shooting. A sneaky player on the glass, the rising junior recorded multiple games with nine rebounds. The Bobcats should improve on its 11-12 record next season with his development.</p> <p><strong>Zech Bennett</strong> - <em>Village Academy Tigers</em></p> <p>Alongside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818874" first="Shane" last="Allen"]</strong>, Bennett returns as one of the Tigers returning scorers after averaging 10.6 points per game a season ago. A 5-foot-7 combo guard, Bennett recorded ten games for Village Academy in double-figures. The 2021 played especially well late in the season with a 15-point night against <strong>Katz Yeshiva</strong> and a 19-point effort against <strong>Olympic Heights</strong>. In addition, the rising senior went 19-for-37 (51%) from 3-point range during a six-game stretch late in the season. Overall, Bennett is a shifty guard who should help the Tigers eclipse its 13-10 record from last season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="953503" first="Christian" last="Baquerizo"]</strong> - <em>Olympic Heights Lions</em></p> <p>Over in Boca Raton, Baquerizo is a player to keep an eye on for Olympic Heights. The 2021 has good size for a back-court guard at 6-foot-3. As a junior, Baquerizo led the Lions in scoring with 14.3 points per game while grabbing just over five rebounds per contest. Against <strong>Spanish River</strong>, the rising senior scored a season-high 28 points on 69% from the field. Moreover, Baquerizo put his size on display by pulling down a season-high 12 rebounds against the Sharks. With promising talent in the back-court, the Lions return their top seven scorers from a season ago. Two other players to watch out for are 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818863" first="Marc" last="Steig"]</strong> and 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="829421" first="Caleb" last="Mackrey"]</strong>. The pair averaged 12.9 and 11.2 points per game respectively. Moving forward, Olympic Heights has plenty of depth to capture more victories next season.</p> <p><strong>Jovonte Allen</strong> - <em>Trinity Christian Academy Warriors</em></p> <p>In Lake Worth, Allen led the Warriors in rebounding (9.7) and finished second in both scoring (15.1) and assists (4.0). Against <strong>Morningside Academy</strong>, the 6-foot-4 2021 scored a season-high 34 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. In total, Allen notched 18 games in double-figures and 13 games with double-digit boards. An efficient scorer, the rising senior shot 53% on his two-point field goals. A strong passer in the front-court, Allen recorded 12 games with four or more assists. With <strong>Tristan Gee</strong> and <strong>Justin Wiggins</strong> returning, Allen provides the Warriors with a nice big three. Exclusively speaking, Jovonte can contribute on all levels of the court.</p> <p><strong>George Hyland</strong> - <em>American Heritage Stallions </em></p> <p>An underrated player in Palm Beach County, Hyland averaged 15.0 points per game for the Stallions a season ago. The 6-foot-2 2021 is a strong outside shooter, recording nine games with four or more 3-pointers. Against <strong>West Boca Raton</strong>, Hyland knocked down eight alone to finish with a season-high 28 points. A versatile forward, Hyland has great hands and vision for a front-court player. In nine games for the Stallions, the rising senior recorded three or more steals. Heading into next season, I expect Hyland to land on a first or second team after being named an honorable mention by the <em>Palm Beach Post</em> as a junior. </p> <p><em><strong>For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 or Follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>