Teams to Watch: Miami-Dade County

<p>My latest article takes us to the 305.</p> <p>I have lightly covered Palm Beach and Broward counties over the past few days. There are many interesting headlines coming out of greater Miami.</p> <p>Let’s get into it...</p> <p><strong>Booker T. Washington</strong> (<em>Last season: 3-6)</em></p> <p>The Tornadoes got a great transfer in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709247" first="PJ" last="Paulk"]</strong>. The 6-foot-2 guard had a successful stint with <strong>Miami Northwestern</strong>. He is also an incredible tight end/wide receiver on the football field. Therefore, he is tough and durable in either sport. Paulk will go on the attack on the basketball court. He’s the type of floor leader you want in a close game. Count on him for a big bucket in traffic if things are tight down the stretch. </p> <p><strong>North Miami Beach</strong>  (Last season: 10-12)</p> <p>The Chargers return some pieces off a team that enjoyed some highs and lows last season. The good news is three of their top four scorers should be back. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="829502" first="Tyrieke" last="Sterile"]</strong> leads the way after averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-1 wing/forward can score on multiple levels and is a nice defender. Look for him to be more consistent this season. I think he’s got an extra level in his game we have yet to see. 2022 <strong>Kaseam Purkiss</strong> (7.1 ppg) and 2023 <strong>Kevin</strong> <strong>Armand</strong> (7.8 ppg) also have an opportunity to step up. Both players can rebound a bit and Purkiss is a nice on-ball defender (2.9 spg). 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818943" first="David" last="Alize"]</strong> is the man to replace. </p> <p><strong>Mater Lakes Academy</strong>  <em>(Last season: 12-10)</em></p> <p>The Bears will be a new group next season at the coaching (<strong>Eric Rodriguez</strong>) and player level. In terms of on-court personnel, 2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055719" first="Christian" last="Reid"] </strong>(<strong>SLAM</strong>) is a prospect to watch and that I have talked about. 2025 <strong>Anthony Knowles</strong> might be one of the better freshman in the county. He averaged over 11 points per game as an eight grader. Look for Knowles to take another step. </p> <p><strong>Keys Gate</strong> - <em>(Last season 12-8)</em></p> <p>The Knights went 10-3 over their final 13 games last season. Overall, many of their eight defeats were by single digits. The good thing is much of the roster is expected to return. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955776" first="Daniel" last="Zaladon"]</strong> averaged 22.3 points per game while shooting 63 percent from the floor (per MaxPreps). He also went 24-of-43 from deep (56 percent). 2023’s <strong>Andre Velez</strong> (13 ppg) and <strong>Carlos Santos</strong> (12.2 ppg) provide depth. 6-foot-4 2024 <strong>Javier Surze</strong> led the team in rebound (8.8 rpg). He also blocked 33 shots (2.8 bpg). If this team stayed together, Keys Gate is a tough out. </p> <p><strong>Miami Southridge</strong> - <em>(Last season: 4-6)</em></p> <p>The Spartans should be very talented team after a number of players from <strong>South</strong> <strong>Miami</strong> transferred over. 6-foot-5 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="962427" first="Koree" last="Cotton"] is a high-level point guard with athleticism and size. He averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.3 assists for the Cobras as a sophomore. Cotton is extremely gifted and a great playmaker off the dribble. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="962859" first="Josh" last="Middlebrooks"] is an accurate shooter from deep. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard should average 15 points per game. <strong>Mister Dean</strong>, brother of [player_tooltip player_id="818672" first="Arturo" last="Dean"], is another kid to keep an eye on. Dean is 6-foot-5 and has played great this summer. </p> <p><strong><em>For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</em></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>