SWFL Juniors Making Noise, First Five

It's been an exciting year of basketball in SWFL and next week teams will be competing in their district tournaments. Players from around the area will need to step up their games in hopes of being crowned champs and punching their ticket to the state tournament. As we wrap up the 2025-26 regular season and head to postseason play, let's take a closer look at some of the Juniors in the area who have had successful seasons and seen their stock rise this past year.    The junior captain has put together another impressive season for the Lions. Taylor is a strong-bodied, do-it-all guard who is a tremendous 2-way player. He rebounds the ball very well from the guard position and has the ability to guard multiple positions on Defense. Taylor has an excellent basketball IQ, to go along with elite handles and great court vision, making him a true floor general. He has the strength to score inside, but also has a nice smooth jumper where he is efficient in both the mid-range game and from behind the arc.     Lehigh's man in the middle, Thurman, has been a force all year and is one of the most talented bigs in the area. He has a massive wingspan and is an elite shot blocker, and also has excellent leaping ability where he loves to play above the rim. He's averaging 14.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 3.7 bpg and has recorded both multiple 20+ point games and multiple double-doubles on the season. Thurman has helped lead Lehigh to a 21-3 record and scored a season-high 25 points in a win over Ida Baker.     Nestor is a hardworking prospect who never takes a play off and never backs down from an assignment. The transfer from Port Charlotte has fit in quite nicely with his new squad and helped them to a 17-6 record. He is a true 3-level scorer, with a quick first step to beat you off the dribble, an impressive mid-range game, and the 5'11" CG also shoots the 3-ball at a very high rate. Nestor is a lockdown defender, who prides himself on that side of the ball and will be in his opponents face for the entire 84 ft.     Marquez is a jack-of-all-trades for his Gateway Charter squad, and has produced night in and night out for the Griffins. The 6'3" junior plays the game under control and with poise. He handles the ball extremely well and has tremendous court vision, and is always looking for the open man. He has the ability to guard multiple positions on defense and can also be a big asset on the boards. Marquez has a knack for attacking the basket and finishing with contact, but also has a smooth stroke from the outside to keep the defense honest.     The super athletic PG for the Wolfpack, Sotomayer, has put together another impressive season in this his junior campaign. The 5'11" junior is a quick and shifty guard who plays with energy an emotion. He's averaging 15.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 2.8 spg and has recorded mulitple 30+ point games, including a season-high of 32 in a win over Ida Baker. As you can see Sotomayer fills the stat sheet night in and night out, and seems to be constantly flirting with triple-double numbers.

It's been an exciting year of basketball in SWFL and next week teams will be competing in their district tournaments. Players from around the area will need to step up their games in hopes of being crowned champs and punching their ticket to the state tournament. As we wrap up the 2025-26 regular season and head to postseason play, let's take a closer look at some of the Juniors in the area who have had successful seasons and seen their stock rise this past year.