Team Preview: Suncoast

<p>Throughout this month, I will be highlighting selected teams across South Florida. This article takes me to Rivera Beach Suncoast. The Chargers finished 10-4 last season under head coach <strong>Jason Powell</strong>. 2021’s <strong>Ethan</strong> <strong>Barnes</strong> (11.2 ppg), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="818770" first="Evan" last="Stinson"]</strong> (7.4 rpg), and <strong>William Wells</strong> (7.1 ppg) are key departures.</p> <p>The Chargers might have the two best players in the county with 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="709251" first="Nate" last="Sasser"] and 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1053915" first="Stone" last="Bureau"]. Their progression is key to the Chargers’ success this season. Sasser is a 6-foot-6 guard/forward with every attribute you would want at the high school level. How do you contain a kid that can fly in transition and finish above the rim? He averaged just under ten points per game and shot 48 percent from the floor. Sasser should blow past those numbers as a junior. He might be the hardest player to guard in the county. <span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">The 3-star prospect holds offers from </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Florida Gulf Coast</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"> and </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">USF</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">. Bureau is a 6-foot guard with elite quickness and playmaking ability in the halfcourt. I don’t see many defenders being able to keep up with him for 32 minutes. Bureau averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field.  He’s a tough kid that won’t back down from anyone. Bureau </span><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">did everything well and it was only his freshman season. His potential is through the roof.</span></p> <p>I think 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1055707" first="Ian" last="Smikle"] has the potential to take the next step. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 6.8 points, seven rebounds and a team-best 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 43 percent from the floor. Smikle already has plenty of frame to be a strong rim protector and will likely fill out. Moreover, he plays with good awareness when seeking a rejection. <span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">One area he could boost is his shooting efficiency. I can't see Smikle averaging just under three buckets per game much longer. Any increase could further establish Smikle as a solid two-way player. He could be a lethal option to go along with Bureau and Sasser.<br /> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">2022 6-foot-5 forward [player_tooltip player_id="956824" first="Henry" last="Peterson"] averaged 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. While those are solid numbers, I think Peterson has an extra gear in his game.</span></p> <p>The Chargers could be one of the best teams in Palm Beach County. Sasser and Bureau can take over games and lead this team to a successful season. Added help from the rest of the group and this unit could be very dangerous. I think this is a roster that should have no problem winning 15-20 games.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>