SIAA Season Preview (Part 1)
Preseason classics are approaching in a few weeks for the FHSAA and the regular season officially begins on November 26.
Before that all starts, the SIAA will open up its season in early November.
After that, we will bring you previews on all nine classes in the state of Florida and the independent conferences.
Here’s a look at the SIAA south (North will be coming out soon).
2017-18 state champion: The Rock
2017-18 runner-up: Victory Rock
South
West Oaks
—There is endless guard talent on this West Oaks squad. 2019 guard Tyrell Jones committed to Auburn last week while 2020 guard Selton Miguel continues to rack up offers, most recently from Iowa State, Kansas State and USF. 2021 guard AJ Neal holds a plethora of offers including FSU while his 2021 counterpart Jameon Harris has Ole Miss, FGCU and Tennessee Tech offers under his belt.
—After that, the Flame have 2019 guard Jordan Smith, who is blazing fast and an underrated slasher. 2019 forward Marvens Petion is part of this group as a 6’6″ guard with offers from Louisiana Tech and Tulsa. 2019 forwards Noble Crawford and Alic Troutman are going to be leaned on plenty to make stretch plays.
—Lastly, 2020 big man Jean Therenciel, a 6’9″ forward will be asked to do plenty defensively. 2022 forward Fray Dieud Nguimbi stands at 6’7″ and will get a long look this season on the wing.
Oldsmar Christian
—Oldsmar Christian fields a much deeper group than a year ago. 2019 guard Braxton Bartlett is the leader as the ballhandler, court general and smart shooter. He’s joined in the backcourt by athletic combo guard Jadrian Tracey (USF, FGCU and Murray State have offered as of late), who transferred over from Ft. Myers Riverdale. The lengthy guard duo should be fun to watch.
—Forward to keep an eye on for this Oldsmar unit are 2019 6’8″ Jalel Williams, 2020 6’7″ Kobe Gibbs and 2021 6’5″ Javaris Patterson. Williams and Gibbs are newcomers to the group and their length will be crucial to the flow of the game. Patterson will look to build off a solid freshman season.
—A trio of 2021 guards A’drelin Robinson, EJ Hubbert and Anthony Bittar will provide depth for this team. Robinson comes over after excelling at Florida A&M High. Bittar and Hubbert showed flashes as freshmen and are out to prove their worth.
Superior Collegiate
—The quartet of 2019 guard Robert Hardy (Santa Fe, State College of Florida, Colby Community offer), 2019 guard Terrell Sanders, 2020 guard Godwin IIumoka (Arkansas Little Rock offer) and 2020 guard Khalil Shaheed (Stetson, FAU and Bethune Cookman offers) is really good. Hardy, a 6’6″ senior has length and shooting/slashing ability. Sanders, a 6’5″ senior is a tough nosed ballhandler and driver. IIumoka is a pure athlete at 6’5″ and Shaheed can score in bunches at 6’3″.
—The Legion earned real size with the addition of 2019 center Kassem Ouedraogo from New York. He stands at 6’11” and will give his new team length alongside 2019 6’9″ forward Jayden Watson.
—Three essential contributors are all Class of 2020 in Murad Berrian, Miguel Miranda (Stetson offer) and Joshua Frazier (Flagler offer). Berrian is a 5’10” flashy ballhandler who mixes it up against anyone. Miranda is a 6’5″ guard/forward who is gaining muscle and shooting well as of late. Frazier
Victory Rock
—The key senior for this new look Victory Rock bunch is 2019 guard Kolton Mitchell. The 6’2″ ballhandler boosted his stock with a plethora of college coaches. He has a quick twitch and can lead an offense. An unselfish player with a high IQ, Mitchell is in for a steady season.
—Victory Rock brought in 2021 6’4″ guard Tyler Delevante from Canada and his athleticism should be a factor this season.
—This team has a deep group of young bigs to build up in 2022 6’8″ forward Prince Mosengo, 2022 6’11 center Jermaine Charles, 2020 7’0 center Fares Kacem, 2020 6’8 forward Aly Sakho and 2019 6’9″ center Axel Mofoua. That is a tone of size and length that Victory Rock can employ all over the floor.