Sleeper Squads: South Florida (Part 2)

I am going to deviate a bit from the original piece in this segment. In part one, I bubbled around teams that hovered around the .500 mark across the South Florida area. For this installment, some of the following teams have been pretty successful over the past couple of years. I am also including one player on one team who has a bright future as a dual-sport athlete. Generally speaking, these programs might not fit the conventional definition as "sleepers". However, I am a firm believer that each season a team develops its own identity. Different personnel results in different styles of play on the court. Simply put, additions or subtractions to a roster are going to leave you with more wins or losses. Teams have to rebuild or reload and formulate there own unique blueprint. Some of them take more time to gel than others. The past is the past. The future has new story-lines waiting to be written. Although, every team across this landscape has the same core message. Win a championship in Lakeland. Stranahan Mighty Dragons A program that has won 71 games over the past three seasons and two consecutive state championships is a sleeper? Here is where my perspective on the word comes into focus. [player_tooltip player_id="828054" first="Chayse" last="Culpepper"], [player_tooltip player_id="827954" first="Inady" last="Legiste"] and [player_tooltip player_id="828060" first="David" last="Herard"] are all gone. Culpepper is continuing his playing career at Ave Maria and Legiste is at Tusculum University. Herard is buckling up his chinstrap for the Virginia Cavaliers football team. Those are your top three scorers from the team last season. Additionally, Daquion Vickers and Savie McCall were not far behind. This core group defined Stranahan’s M.O. and lifted the team past University School on its way to Lakeland in the state playoffs. The win over the Sharks was one of the best pure wins I have seen in recent years. Heading into the fall, 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="829402" first="Houston" last="Culpepper"] will look to extend the legacy his brother helped build. The 6-foot-3 forward provided the Mighty Dragons with quality minutes en route to their second championship. In the state final, Culpepper scored 13 points over Tampa Catholic. The rising junior has the quickness to compete around the perimeter while using his size to score at the rim. Moreover, Culpepper is a compact athlete who grabs necessary rebounds and finishes around the glass. 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818719" first="Thaddeus" last="Squire"] will join Culpepper in the schools quest for a 3-peat. The 6-foot-3 wing scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds over the Crusaders to grab his second ring. Additionally, Squire is a gifted passer with excellent vision in transition. The rising senior racked up multiple games with five or more assists for the Mighty Dragons. 2021 guard Mario Bynes is a an excellent shooter that I see filling into a greater role. I witnessed Bynes knock down multiple 3-pointers while the Dragons were off and running last season. Furthermore, 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="963313" first="Hykeem" last="Williams"] is a name to keep an eye on. Williams is a 6-foot-4 forward with potential to grow as he receives more repetitions. 2022 Jaquan Adams and 2021 Christopher Robinson are also names that should receive extended minutes. The Mighty Dragons are extremely well coached and therefore I don’t see much of a drop-off. However, all the players listed who will have to raise their games to the next level for the program to continue be successful. Blanche Ely Tigers You can’t keep a program that has won eight state titles down for long. The Tigers went 11-13 last season but return a pair of players that are on my radar. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="955774" first="Kolby" last="King"] is a prospect I came away really impressed with when he played Stranahan over in Pompano. The 6-foot guard scored 15 points in that contest and grabbed 11 rebounds. King is quick in the open floor and smooth with the ball in his hands. Additionally, King has great technique as a defender and good coordination to cause turnovers. The rising junior will rack up multiple games with three or more steals. Furthermore, King will fall into a greater role with the loss of 2020 guard Lamont Evans. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="955773" first="Derrick" last="Lovett"] is a powerful forward on his way to a big junior season. The 6-foot-5 Lovett averaged 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Tigers. Lovett will get stronger and look to hammer out more points in the paint with the loss of 2020 Jahleel Patterson. 2020 Iowa State bound Dudley Blackwell will need to be replaced in the lineup. Miami Northwestern Known more for its success on the gridiron, the Bulls have something brewing on the hardwood. 2023 point guard P.J. Paulk is set to emerge as the next big star across Miami-Dade County. Paulk has excellent leadership skills as a primary ball handler at a young age. His athletic ability and shooing skills also translate well as a two guard. The 6-foot-2 Paulk averaged 16 points and eight rebounds last season. Not surprisingly, Paulk is a football standout for the Florida powerhouse as well. The Bulls will need to replace a terrific player in 2020 Antwanne Thompson. Overall, a 12-12 season did bring a district championship to the Bulls program last season. I am looking for them to build on that moment in 2020-2021. Miami High Stingarees 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818674" first="Justin" last="Neely"] is a name we all know. The Stingarees standout will average close to 30 points per game, grab 12 rebounds and dish out six assists next season. The 6-foot-5 forward has a pretty mid-range game that he uses exceptionally well in transition. Neely is a player I am comfortable counting on when I need a big jump shot. However, this a team that went 14-10 last season. I believe a big difference in this years win total will come at the hands of 6-foot-6 [player_tooltip player_id="818705" first="Taderrius" last="Davis"]. With the loss of [player_tooltip player_id="814905" first="Malik" last="Reneau"], Davis jumps in as possibly the best front-court player in the county. Davis is a legitimate triple-double threat who will block five shots a game. His combination of size and athleticism are going to propel him to a monster season. For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_23.