January 6
Tournament Preview

Here is Part Two following up on Friday's article.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Amare Stoudemire Session

10:00AM Choice Learning Academy vs. Pahokee High

A lot of talk on the message boards abound on Choice Learning Academy. Yes, several players have transferred in for their senior year. Joel Bierbolini, a 6'8" forward and Nestor Carrion, a 6'6" forward, make this a potent team. They have enough talent to make a run at the Class 1A title this year.

Pahokee has had some players come out and make a name for themselves. Zabian Dowdell has been one of my favorite players to watch since his high school days. Senior guard Antavious Wilson as well as Dexter Holmes have been providing some key offense to help Pahokee win some games lately.

12:00PM Miramar High vs. LaSalle

The host Miramar Patriots had a rough time at the Kreul Classic. They will be looking to senior guard Wally Meija, senior forward 6'4" Larry Smith, and junior guard Kareem Roach to step up to give LaSalle a good game. Solid wins over Blanche Ely and Pine Crest should give them some confidence coming off the holiday break.

Gone is high profile recruit Ruben Cotto. Ruben found his way to Illinois and left LaSalle wondering who would step up in his absence. Senior guard Steven Miro, senior forward 6'5" Glen Rodriguez, junior forward/center 6'8" Christian Pellot, and freshman guard Tyler Greenspahn seem to have come in and picked up where Cotto left them.

2:00PM William T. Dwyer vs. Cypress Bay

William T. Dwyer is one of those programs that just constantly reloads. Senior 6'3" guard JaShawn Anderson is the lone Class of 2008 player on this talented squad. Current leading scorer is New York transfer 6'3" junior guard Ramon Galloway, and 6'4" freshman wing Jacoby Brissett are just three standout players for the Fred Ross coached team. A hiccup against Deland is the only blemish on their record so far this season. They won the Kreul Classic cruising to a 19 point win over Science Hill, TN.

Cypress Bay is another young team as their anchors are from the Class of 2009. Junior guard Vinton Wilder, forward 6'7" Blake Foreman and 6'5" James Jackson should help make the Lightning competitive against the always tough Class 5A Panthers.

James Jones Session

4:00PM St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Miami Springs

St. Thomas Aquinas is yet another team that features some talented underclassmen. Juniors Brett Bailey, Gabe Holmes, Daniel Munoz and sophomores Zack Perkins and Joe Zavertnik help Coach Steve Strand's squad. They had a good run at the Kreul Classic winning their final two games after falling in the first round to William T. Dwyer.

Miami Springs seniors T.Y. Hilton and Simeon Walker lead the Golden Hawks. Their appearance in the Junior Orange Bowl Classic proved a positive note as they won the tournament defeating Dr. Michael Krop. Alex Marquez, Raj Prahabakar, and Jerome Harris round a quality team that is sporting only two losses so far this season.

6:00PM Palm Beach Lakes vs. Miami Northwestern

Palm Beach lakes coach Lorenzo Hands has finally gotten his entire squad together after senior Sammy Emile finally got on the floor for the Rams in the last couple of weeks. Emile has some help in the form of fellow senior Elijah Jones. Guard play features sophomore 5'10" Matt Elam and junior Rodney Mickens. The Rams have a few more losses than they are use to. But, this should change as Sammy Emile gets back into the flow of the game.

The Northwestern Bulls return 3 starters from last years Final Four team. Senior shooting guard Wendell Ward, 6'3 junior wing Thomas Addison and 5'9 junior point guard Vladimir Raymondvil. All three average double figures. The inside presence is provided by 6'7 senior Gregory Fisher and 6'5 seniors Greg Blackmon and Deiontay Williams.

Udonis Haslem Session

8:00 Pine Crest School vs. Boca Raton High

The final session of the day features several nationally reknowned players. Pine Crest super sophomore Brandon Knight suffered an injury that has had him out all season thus far. Luckilly, this team is no one man show. Senior 5'10" guard Brandon Reese, senior forward 6'8" Jeff Pelage, junior forward Edward Waite, and sophomore Jeremiah Bell are pretty darn solid. Add together Class of 2012 Trey Henry, yes an 8th grader coming off the bench, and this team can pull some wins out.

Boca Raton features a senior strong lineup in Colby Wohlleb, John Peterson, Mike Technow, and Greg Westry. The Bobcats also have one of the best freshmen in the state in 6'5" Anthony Anderson. They have played a tough schedule losing to nationally ranked Monteverde Academy in overtime at the City of Palms Classic.

9:30 Boyd Anderson vs. American Heritage

Boyd Anderson is the only team to appear at both days of the event. Friday night is going to be tough enough. But, Saturday night coud be tougher. Yes, Bishop Verot played American Heritage toughed at the City of Palms. But, the matchups for the Saturday game should be interesting.

Will American Heritage junior point guard Ray Taylor dominate the Boyd Anderson guards? Can Martavious Irving or Bryan Bynes control him? Will junior Everton Chin be able to contribute for the Patriots? Can Eloy Vargas finally get over his nagging ankle injury? It has slowed him over the past month nearly. Will Frank Gaines or Ivan Aska be able to take Vargas out of his game? Will American Heritage take advantage of using their sophomore forwards in 6'8" Brett Buzzard and 6'9" Jake Wheeler? If that's enough talent to worry about, then just who is going to guard national junior sensation Kenny Boynton? Come out to the games and let's see who comes out on top!