Mid-Summer Contenders: South Florida Edition (Part 2)

<p>I don’t know about anyone else, but the post July 4th holiday starts fast tracking my thoughts to the fall season. As a follow-up to my previous post, I would like to highlight some additional teams that will make an impact in the coming months.</p> <p>In such a large area, many teams are deserving of recognition. Furthermore, squads that might not hit on my radar are still dangerous players on anyone’s schedule. The talent spread across South Florida leaves anyone ripe for an upset if caught sleeping.</p> <p>Let’s jump into this segment...</p> <p><strong>St. Andrew’s</strong> (Boca Raton)</p> <p>Fresh off a 3A state championship, the Scots are hungry for an encore. Leading the charge will be 2021 forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"]</strong>, who has the eyes of college scouts all over the country vying for his services. The 6-foot-9 Minott spearheads the Scots on a 13-game winning streak dating back to last season. The versatile Minott averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists a season ago. With the loss of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="827884" first="Yussif" last="Basa-Ama"]</strong> to Yale, expect his numbers to rise as a team leader. Additionally, word has circulated that 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818824" first="Devin" last="Hines"]</strong> is having a good summer after a strong showing at the T<strong>eam Parsons (CP25)</strong> event in Orlando. Hines is a 6-foot-4 combo guard who has impressed onlookers with his shooting skills. 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="953685" first="Kenny" last="Turner"]</strong> is another player to watch as the Scots look to repeat at a title run. The 6-foot-7 forward has the athleticism to compete on both ends of the floor and will garner college interest as his upside is only trending upward. </p> <p><strong>Northeast</strong> (Fort Lauderdale)</p> <p>It really should be <em>boom</em> or <em>bust </em>for the Hurricanes out in Oakland Park. After last seasons loss to <strong>Pembroke Pines</strong> <strong>Charter</strong> in the state tournament, Northeast should have a bad taste in their mouth. The Hurricanes are simply <em>too</em> talented not to win a state championship. 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="773411" first="Wesley" last="Cardet Jr"]</strong>., who is arguably the top senior in the region, has been racking up offers as he plays for <strong>Team Breakdown</strong> this summer. The talented prospect picked up an offer from <strong>Howard University </strong>just today. The 6-foot-6 combo guard recently scored 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting in a win over the CP25 national team. Flanked by Cardet Jr. is 6-foot-9 twins <strong>Ryan</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709219" first="Matthew" last="Bewley"]</strong>. The athletic brothers recently earned an offer from <strong>St. Johns</strong> and have racked up interest as they ascend up the national radar. Along with a state championship, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="709219" first="Matthew" last="Bewley"]</strong> should be fronted as a state player of the year selection before his high school career is done. Additionally, 2021 <strong>Jameon "J.J.’ Harris </strong>is a slick point guard with D-1 offers and polished jumper.</p> <p><strong>Westminster Academy</strong> (Fort Lauderdale)</p> <p>A landmark program here in South Florida, it should come as know surprise that the Lions make this list. Specifically, 2021 shooting guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="527365" first="Troy" last="Boynton"]</strong> and 2022 combo guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="546221" first="Aidan" last="Abell"]</strong> are on the cusp of special seasons that should propel Westminster to a successful year. The 6-foot-4 Boynton showed off his skills at the <strong>Team Speights Elite</strong> scrimmage last month and is a good outside shooter. Boynton currently holds offers from Florida schools such as <strong>Florida Gulf Coast</strong>, <strong>Stetson</strong>, <strong>North</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> and <strong>Rollins</strong>. The 6-foot-5 Abell has been contacted by more than a dozen D1 programs and has impressive shooting splits. Abell marks out at about 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point line and 85 percent from the free-throw stripe. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814903" first="Ben" last="Middlebrooks"]</strong>, a 6-foot-9 forward, will be one of the best stretch players in South Florida next season. Middlebrooks recently earned an offer from <strong>Clemson </strong>and has high majors on his doorstep.</p> <p><strong>South Miami</strong> (Miami)</p> <p>In the last decade, the Cobras have been familiar faces to teams across Florida. South Miami has reached the state semifinals five times and were runners up back in 2013. Hungry for a state championship, the Cobras are led by 2021 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818672" first="Arturo" last="Dean"]</strong>. Dean is an explosive scorer, capable of dropping 25 points or more every time he steps out onto the floor. The back-court talent of Dean makes him the best playmaker in Miami-Dade County. Recently, Dean picked up an offer from <strong>Jacksonville University</strong> and holds multiple other offers. However, the loss of 2020 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="716877" first="Brandon" last="Sanders"]</strong> and 2020 <strong>Nicolas Louis-Jacques</strong> to <strong>Putnam Science Academy</strong> will be tough to replace.</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> <p>&nbsp;</p>