Season Preview: Class 4A State Title Favorites
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Florida High School Basketball practices officially got underway last week. Two months ago, Prep Hoops Florida took a deep dive into the way-too-early preseason rankings. Now we can provide more accurate in-depth analysis for teams to watch for this upcoming…
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Continue ReadingFlorida High School Basketball practices officially got underway last week. Two months ago, Prep Hoops Florida took a deep dive into the way-too-early preseason rankings. Now we can provide more accurate in-depth analysis for teams to watch for this upcoming season. Here are some of the state title favorites in Class 4A for this season:
The reigning Class 4A Champions were the Mater Lakes Academy Bears who won their first state title in school history, with a 77-41 thumping win over The Villages Charter at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
North Broward Prep: The Eagles are coming off a 22-8 season last year where they reached the Regional Finals before losing to eventual state champ Mater Lakes Academy. The Eagles are led by 6-8 senior power forward Enrico Borio Enrico Borio 6'8" | PF North Broward Prep | 2024 State FL (Jacksonville commit), 6-4 senior shooting guard Ryan Weiss, 6-8 senior wing Pavle Djeric Pavle Djeric 6'6" | SG North Broward Prep | 2025 State FL and 6-5 senior combo guard Raul Perez Raul Perez 6'5" | CG North Borward Prep | 2024 State FL .
The Villages Charter: The Buffalo are coming off a 23-9 season last year where they were led by Alabama signee Sam Walters who finished his career just short of a state championship. This year’s squad reloaded with talent as they landed 6-7 sophomore shooting guard Brisun Hammermeister Brisun Hammermeister 6'7" | SG The Villages | 2026 State FL to pair up with 6-8 sophomore forward Christopher Washington Jr. Christopher Washington Jr. 6'7" | SF The Villages | 2026 State FL and 6-7 sophomore forward Kymani Weathers Kymani Weathers 6'8" | C The Villages | 2026 State FL . The Buffalo do retain their best playmaker in 6-4 senior combo guard Ben Koubek Ben Koubek 6'2" | PG The Villages | 2024 FL who can be lethal when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc.
Mater Lakes Academy: The Bears are coming off their first state championship in school history a year ago, while retaining their top two leading scorers. Keep an eye on 6-5 senior small forward Christian Reid Christian Reid 6'5" | SF Mater Lakes | 2024 State FL (14.1 points and 10.1 rebounds) per game as a junior last season and 6-0 junior guard Anthony Knowles Anthony Knowles 5'10" | CG Mater Lakes | 2025 State #93 Nation FL (13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists) per game as a sophomore. The Bears also added a key playmaker in 6-1 senior guard Braylon Burbridge Braylon Burbridge 6'2" | PG Miami Palmetto | 2024 State FL and 6-9 junior forward Teo Martinez Teo Martinez 6'8" | PF Palmetto | 2025 FL who adds size as well as rim protection on both ends of the floor.
Gibbs: The Gladiators are hungry for a state title and have reached the semifinal round in each of the last two seasons. The Gladiators retain 6-1 junior guard Jacob Daniels Jacob Daniels 5'9" | PG Gibbs | 2025 State FL who led the team in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game as a sophomore. Also keep an eye on 6-2 freshman guard ONeal Delancy who already holds an offer from South Florida as his game continues to get better every time he steps onto the floor.
Ribault: The Trojans are coming off a 25-5 record last season and reached the Semifinals before losing to 4A runner-up The Villages Charter. Keep an eye on 6-0 senior combo guard Caleb G. Williams Caleb G. Williams 6'0" | PG Ribault | 2024 State FL and 5-9 junior guard Kaleb McDuffie Kaleb McDuffie 5'7" | C Ribault | 2025 FL in the backcourt this season. Another name to keep an eye on this season will be 6-3 junior combo guard Jamian Jackson Jamian Jackson 6'3" | SG Jean Ribault | 2025 FL who is a high-flying finisher around the rim as well as an excellent rebounder.
Other Notable Contenders: Cardinal Gibbons, Lake Highland Prep, Paxon, Santa Fe