January 10
Old Spice High School Showcase

Tuesday, January 15th has the potential to be a historical night of basketball for Florida. ESPNU will televise nationally the game between Miami's Monsignor Pace and Plantation American Heritage live from Nova Southeastern University as part of the Old Spice High School Showcase. Prior to the marquee match-up, Weston Cypress Bay will take on IMG Academy. The action tips off at 7:00 PM with Cypress Bay and IMG, followed by Pace and American Heritage. Tickets are only $10 and go on sale Saturday, January 12th at the Nova Southeastern box office. This game is expected to be a sellout, so get your tickets now and get to the game early on the 15th.

The first game should be very interesting. Cypress Bay has a solid young core of players and are starting to come into their own. Blake Foreman, a 6’5 junior wing, is a versatile player that can grab a rebound on the defensive end, start the break, and either dish it for an assist or take it all the way for a finish. His sophomore sidekick, 6’0 point guard Venton Wilder, is a strong and athletic backcourt player that can create shots off the dribble for himself or make scoring opportunities easier for his teammates. Maybe the most exciting player on the team is James Jackson, a 6’5 leaper extraordinaire who playing his first year of organized ball.

IMG has committed to bring Florida signee Kenny Kadji, a 6’10 center as well as 6’7 wing Jared Swopshire who is heading to Louisville in the fall. The one player we would like to see is 6’10 sophomore Dwight Powell, a top 125 player nationally in his class and originally from Canada. Another player to watch for would be 6’6 senior Shamar Marston, originally from Orlando. With over 40 players in the program, IMG has the option of putting several different players on the active roster for the game. Should IMG decide to “load up” with its best talent, they could give any team in the state a real test.

In the marquee game, American Heritage comes in with arguably the best trio of players in the state. Florida signee Eloy Vargas is a very versatile player that can score inside or move out to the perimeter and knock down shots. Junior guard Ray Taylor at only 5’6 is a dynamic showman with the basketball but is more than that. Taylor finished well over the trees inside when attacking the basket and is an improved shooter from deep. Junior Kenny Boynton, rated in the top five nationally in the junior class, is a big game player as evidenced by his performance in the state finals last season and the 17U AAU Nationals this past summer. As he goes, so goes American Heritage. A key for the team will be the play of complementary players such as 6’0 guard Everton Chin and 6’8 center Jake Wheeler. If those two and any player off the bench can provide production, American Heritage has an excellent chance of winning.

Their opponent, Monsignor Pace, annually plays one of the toughest schedules in the state. This season they have played in the City of Palms and the Beach Ball Classic, where they finished fourth. Led by 6’4 high-scoring wing Ray Shipman (a UF recruit), Pace likes to push the pace at every opportunity. Inside muscle is provided by 6’7 Virginia Commonwealth recruit Terrance Santil and 6’8 junior Rakeem Buckles who is emerging into a future star. 6’3 junior guard Darren Stewart and 5’9 senior point Reggie Chambers complete the starting five. The bench for Pace is a little deeper than American Heritage’s and that could be the difference in the game.

This is a great chance for Florida high school hoops to shine on a national stage. It started with winning the 17U AAU Nationals and can continue with the Old Spice High School Showcase. If we can get the gym packed out and the crowd rockin’, it will show this state can support big time high school basketball and possibly convince the McDonald’s All American Game organizers to bring that event to our state. I hope to see you at Nova Southeastern University on January 15th for this event.