Best Tandems: South Florida (Part Two)

<p>Everyone knows the basketball talent that resides in South Florida. With that in mind, many of the schools that compete in this area have a dream team of rosters. Chances are if you don’t bring it every single night, you are going to get beat. </p> <p>It is something to celebrate, so I would like to highlight some of the great pairings that make this region great.</p> <p>Let’s look into the list...part two.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="684398" first="Jimel" last="Cofer"] Jr.</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="812618" first="Jayven" last="Cofer"]</strong> - Schoolhouse Prep</p> <p>With the graduation of <strong>Anthony Lopez Jr.</strong> and <strong>Cedrick Saint Jean</strong>, 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="684398" first="Jimel" last="Cofer"] Jr. returns as the Wolfpack’s returning scorer after averaging 12.7 points and three assists per game. The 6-foot-3 combo guard helped Schoolhouse Prep to a 20-win season and a spot in the Class 3A state semifinals in Lakeland. In one of the best games I saw all season, Cofer Jr. scored 27 points in a 27-point comeback win over <strong>Chaminade</strong>-<strong>Madonna</strong>. The rising senior has exceptional body control when he takes on contact at the rim. The lefty guard will only improve his stock as the Wolfpack’s primary option. Any improvements on his steady jump shot will make him a difficult player to guard. The Texas native has received offers from many Big 12 schools, including <strong>Texas Tech</strong>, <strong>Oklahoma State</strong>, <strong>Baylor</strong>, and <strong>Texas Christian</strong>.</p> <p>Surging behind his brother is 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="812618" first="Jayven" last="Cofer"]. In his inauguration to South Florida, Cofer averaged 7.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is still growing and has a great tutor to follow in his senior sibling. With 28 games under his belt, Cofer already has a strong level of game knowledge behind him. The rising sophomore is a terrific ball handler and excels in transition. With the teams losses to graduation, Cofer should see more responsibility and a extended amount of time with the ball in his hands. For that reason, Cofer should benefit the most as his D-1 interest continues to circulate.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962550" first="Daniel" last="Fernandez"]</strong> and <strong>David Fernandez</strong> - Belen Jesuit</p> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="962550" first="Daniel" last="Fernandez"] put together an exceptional season for the Wolverines. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard averaged a team-best 14.6 points per game. In addition, Fernandez grabbed 3.9 rebounds and dished out 3.9 assists across 25 games. The rising sophomore is one of the best shooters from the two position in the region. Specifically, Fernandez shot 55% from the field and 43% from behind the 3-point line. Any additional growth by Fernandez will only make him a difficult player to defend. </p> <p>The trend of talented brothers in South Florida continues with 2021 David Fernandez. Fernandez is a play-making point guard that averaged 12.9 points, 5.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. With the loss of 2020 6-foot-9 <strong>Josh Cecol</strong>, Fernandez will be relied upon even more as the Wolverines general. The rising senior has good vision and is an exceptional rebounder at his 5-foot-8 size. Fernandez has tremendous heart and will leave everything on the floor to get a victory.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814895" first="Gregg" last="Glenn"]</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818826" first="Noah" last="Tovar"]</strong> - Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale)</p> <p>My thoughts on Glenn are well documented, who has the potential to be the best player in the state. The 2022 averaged 14.6 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Eagles a season ago. The scary part is I think Glenn has as much potential as any player I have covered, along with the Bewley twins. At 6-foot-7, Glenn can guard multiple positions. His natural athleticism makes him too quick for guards and too big for forwards. Former Penn State and current head coach <strong>Cilk McSweeney</strong> will get the best out of him. There is no reason Glenn shouldn’t average 20 points a night as a junior. </p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818826" first="Noah" last="Tovar"] stands out to me as a player with exceptional court awareness. On many occasions, I saw Tovar slip behind a defense and recover a loose rebound or tip in a shot. In the Eagles back-court, Tovar has the prototypical 6-foot-4 size. Last season, the rising senior averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Additionally, Tovar is a great shooter with clips of 51% from the field and 42% from behind the 3-point arc. I think he has room to bulk up which will only strengthen his overall game. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818672" first="Arturo" last="Dean"]</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="953073" first="Christian" last="Pujals"]</strong> - South Miami</p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818672" first="Arturo" last="Dean"] is the best returning point guard in Miami-Dade county. The rising senior averaged 24.6 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 steals last season for the Cobras.  The D-1 prospect propelled South Miami to a 22-win season and a trip to the 6A regional semifinal. According to MaxPreps, the rising senior scored 25 or more points in 12 games. Recently, Dean picked up an offer from <strong>Florida Gulf Coast. </strong>Additionally<strong>, Mercer</strong> and <strong>Stetson</strong> have offered him. During the 2019 <strong>Kreul</strong> <strong>Classic</strong>, Dean finished as the invitationals second-leading scorer with 23.7 points per game. In conclusion, you are looking at a player of the year candidate in 2021.</p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="953073" first="Christian" last="Pujals"] presents an interesting situation with a key loss to graduation. The Cobras will need to replace 2020 shooting guard <strong>Nicolas Louis-Jaques, </strong>who averaged 16.6 points per game<strong>.</strong> The 6-foot-3 shooting guard will now likely be the teams robin behind Dean. As a junior, Pujals averaged 11.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Heading into next year, all of those numbers should significantly increase with a greater role. Pujals has already shown himself to be a strong shooter with eight games of 15 or more points last season. Moreover, Pujals shot 49% from the field and 44% from deep. Therefore, he can be a key factor in duplicating the teams success last season.</p> <p><em><strong>For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information....please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong> </strong> </em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>