Spring News & Notes: South Florida

<p>While the high school season has ended, news continues to occur across South Florida. That is the one (of many) things that makes this region great. You are not always getting the spur of activity in other parts of the country.</p> <p>Let’s get right into it...</p> <p>2022’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"]</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1065427" first="Tyler" last="Hendricks"]</strong> committed to the <strong>University</strong> of <strong>Central Florida</strong> on March 20th. My thoughts on "3-star" [player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"] have been well documented on this site. I would like to focus on his brother in this instance. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds on 43 percent shooting from the field this season for the Eagles. Moreover, Hendricks knocked down a steady 36 percent (27-of-76) from 3-point range. Keep in mind that he played in a <em>loaded</em> rotation for the 3A state champions. I do believe Hendricks took advantage of his opportunities and hit timely shots during his minutes on the floor. Against <strong>Jupiter Christian</strong>, he scored 11 points and knocked down 3-of-5 from deep. He is a developmental point guard with a high level of length. With his measurements, Hendricks can be a factor around the glass and grab rebounds. He had six contests with six or more boards in limited time.</p> <p>2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955591" first="Justin" last="Johnson"]</strong> received an offer from <strong>Georgetown University</strong>. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on 47 percent shooting from the field for <strong>Doral Academy</strong>. Moreover, Johnson helped the Firebirds to a 14-8 overall record. He was an excellent playmaker when I saw him participate in the <strong>Miami Sun Bash</strong> tournament. Get him in motion and he can use his athleticism to drive towards the basket and finish above the rim. Johnson can also use wingspan to create space and find open teammates on the perimeter. In addition, his vision in these instances really stands out. I was really impressed with his guard skills when I witnessed him play.</p> <p>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068746" first="Jordan" last="Hinds"] took an official visit to D-2 <strong>Rockhurst (MO)</strong>, per <strong>Cypress Bay</strong> head coach Jason Looky. The 6-foot-4 guard also picked up an offer from <strong>Florida Memorial University</strong> back on March 11th. Hinds’ stock continues to rise after a fantastic senior season for the Lightning. Check <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rQ3qngeBKI">out</a> his 39 points in three quarters against <strong>Cooper City</strong> for reference. Hinds shot 69 percent from the field this season and averaged 20.2 points per game. He also connected on 43 percent of his 3-point attempts. He was virtually unstoppable, especially in motion as he got into the paint. Hinds can rise up for a dunk or finish with either hand from there.</p> <p>2022 <strong>Connor Weston</strong> is a player I will be watching out of <strong>Jupiter Christian</strong>. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season. Against <strong>Calvary Christian Academy</strong>, Weston scored 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. I thought he really battled and used his size to carve out space in that contest. In addition, Weston has shown to be a threat from long range. He had a five-game stretch where he went 11-of-26 from deep. Look for him to continue to improve in this area as he moves into his senior season. Check out his highlights by clicking <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15390836/604bc0b45ca98008d0d3f070">here</a>.</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>&nbsp;</p>