SWFL Hot Starts, First Five

The high school season is underway and a lot of terrific basketball has already been played throughout the area, and across the entire state. Teams are starting to get their legs back and find their identities, while prospects are looking to improve their stock and help their teams stack victories. Let's take a closer look at a number or players who came out of the gates hot and put up some big numbers over the first couple weeks of the season.    SFCA's do-it-all guard has opened the season on fire, scoring multiple 30-point games. He has reached double-digit scoring each contest and recorded a season-high 40 points against a solid IMG white squad. Rogosich is a true 3-level scorer, who affects the game in a number of ways. He has a tremendous basketball IQ, and is an elite ball-handler who can attack the basket, but is also deadly from behind the arc. In a win over Marco Island, Rogosich, notched a 33 point triple-double to go along with 10 assists and a school record 15 steals.     Habing has taken some major strides in this his junior year with the Trailblazers. The 6'9" big man is an intimidating presence in the middle and has really upped his game so far this season. He is an affective scorer in the paint and rebounds the ball very well on both ends of the floor. He's recorded both multiple 20-point games and multiple double-doubles on the season so far, including a season-high 23 points in a win over LRPA. Habing is averaging 16.8 ppg and 8.7 rpg, while shooting 66% from the field early on in the 2024-25 season.     Clayton has led Barron Collier to a 6-1 record out of the gate, and has been producing night in and night out. He has reached double figures in scoring each game and is averaging 22.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7.2 apg, and 2.5 spg on the season. He's recoded multiple 20-point games and had his best game of this young season in a win over Naples with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Clayton can score inside and out, and does just about everything for the Cougars as he looks to lead them throughout the year in this his senior campaign.     Attia has helped paced the Tarpons to a 4-0 record to start the season. He is a true team player who does a little bit of everything on the court. He is an elite scorer, but is also a very smart player with great court vision. He has one of the best shots in the area, and is a great rebounder from the guard position. Attia has already recorded multiple 20-point games, including a 24 point, 9 rebound performance in a win over North Port.     Gateway Charter's jack-of-all trades has stormed out of the gate this year and is playing with a purpose to the start season. He opened the season with a 19 point performance in a win over Riverview and hasn't looked back. Jones can score on all 3-levels, and likes to attack the basket and finish above the rim, but can also hurt you from deep, where he shoots the 3-ball at a very high rate. He notched his 1,000th career point in a win over Providence and recorded a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in a gutsy win over Port Charlotte.

The high school season is underway and a lot of terrific basketball has already been played throughout the area, and across the entire state. Teams are starting to get their legs back and find their identities, while prospects are looking to improve their stock and help their teams stack victories. Let's take a closer look at a number or players who came out of the gates hot and put up some big numbers over the first couple weeks of the season.