Top Performers: Regional Semifinals (South Florida)

Elite Eight. The class field was trimmed once again after Tuesday’s semifinal action across the state. I was lucky to witness a state final atmosphere between St. Andrew’s and Calvary Christian. The heavyweight bout saw both schools trade leads before the Eagles finally prevailed, 61-58. Let’s look into my observations... [player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"] - St. Andrew’s 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"] was incredible in the loss to Calvary Christian Academy. The 6-foot-8 small forward scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds (unofficially) by my account. Moreover, Minott knocked down three 3-pointers. He does have a hitch in his shot, but he buries his field goals at a high rate. He is really more of a "point forward" than a listed classification at this level. Minott has guard skills and can use his long arms to finish on tough angles as he attacks the basket. The Memphis signee scored 12 of the Scots 16 first-quarter points. He then finished with 11 points in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback attempt. I thought he was the best player on the floor last night and gave St. Andrew’s an early shot in the arm. He was the top senior in the region in my mind and one of the best players in the area. Minott finished his prep career with 1263 points, 521 rebounds, 219 assists and 125 steals. He also won a state championship as a junior. His future in the American Athletic Conference is bright for head coach Penny Hardaway. Credit to 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818824" first="Devin" last="Hines"] as well. The 6-foot-4 combo guard scored 14 points in my book. I like his point guard skills and ability to play through contact on his way to the basket. He is a strong ball handler with burst in his trajectory towards the rim. Hines can finish with either hand and knock down shots from the outside. I thought he gave a really nice effort against a formidable backcourt. [player_tooltip player_id="709215" first="Marvel" last="Allen"] - Calvary Christian 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="709215" first="Marvel" last="Allen"] showed the crowd why he is one of the best prospects in South Florida Tuesday night. The 6-foot-4 combo guard scored a team-best 18 points on an array of buckets. Allen used his size and footwork effectively to finish at the rim. Moreover, he finished through contact while sidestepping his defender when necessary. Allen sealed the deal with a pair of clutch free-throws down the stretch. I think the national schedule Calvary faced this season prepared him for a game like this. In addition, his progression from it should continue to grow. Allen holds offers from USF, LSU and Virginia Tech. [player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"] - Calvary Christian 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="712107" first="Taylor" last="Hendricks"] had a tough assignment with [player_tooltip player_id="818738" first="Josh" last="Minott"], Kenny Turner and Bob Stewart around the frontline. The 6-foot-9 power forward had 14 points and six rebounds (unofficially) by my account. Hendricks hit a big 3-pointer in the third quarter off a pass from [player_tooltip player_id="814895" first="Gregg" last="Glenn"] that forced a St. Andrew’s timeout. He has great touch from the outside for a frontcourt player. Hendricks can also hit from the mid-range at an efficient rate. I would love to see power forwards ranked ahead of him knock down similar shots. His length allows him to finish around the rim and grab a high volume of rebounds. Hendricks holds offers from Florida, Florida State, Iona, Iowa State, LSU, Memphis, Miami, Penn, UCF, USF, Wake, Virginia Tech and Yale. [player_tooltip player_id="829398" first="Ryan" last="Davis"] - Martin County 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="829398" first="Ryan" last="Davis"] helped Martin County march past Dillard in the Class 6A regional semifinals. The 6-foot-4 guard scored 27 points, 17 of which came by halftime, in the 70-50 victory. Davis is a three-level scorer and shot 10-of-17 from the field in the game. Furthermore, he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. On the defensive end, Davis recorded a season-high six steals. It was a revenge game for the Tigers as they were defeated by the Panthers in the regional semifinal last season. He is the leading scorer on an undefeated team. What more can you want right now? The Tigers hope the future answer is a state championship. Pedro Brown - Grandview Prep 2021 Pedro Brown finished with a double-double to lift Grandview Prep to a 60-50 win over Atlantic Christian in the Class 2A regional semifinals. The 6-foot-8 forward scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Pride advance. Brown’s size and length makes him a potent weapon on both ends of the floor. 2021 Mayke Bowles added 22 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game via latest available statistics. [player_tooltip player_id="814910" first="Ausar" last="Thompson"] - Pine Crest 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="814910" first="Ausar" last="Thompson"] scored 31 points to help Pine Crest to a 68-38 victory over North Broward Prep in the 4A regional semifinals. The dynamic 6-foot-6 combo guard helped the Panthers jump out to a 15-3 lead over the Eagles. Thompson has elite athleticism in the open floor and can split defenders on his way to the rim. He also knocked down four 3-pointers to push Pine Crest one step closer to Lakeland. Twin brother [player_tooltip player_id="814909" first="Amen" last="Thompson"] added 16 points. Their versatility and playmaking ability from the position is why I would take them over any other prospect in South Florida. I could start a team with either of them and be in good shape. For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.