Sun Bash Miami: The Preview

The holiday season is here and that means its time for the 2nd annual Prep Hoops Sun Bash in Miami. The event will take place this Saturday starting at 11 am at Westminster Christian. This year's showcase will feature some of the top teams across Florida. The prestigious hoop fest has produced two NBA draftees, 26 D-1 players and 116 total athletes playing on the college level. The Sun Bash has a following event December 18th and 19th in Tampa Bay. The high-level tournament is run by Prep Hoops' lead Florida scout Jake Perper. Find out more about the event at <a href="https://www.sunbashtourney.com/">sunbashtourney.com</a>. The game schedule is as follows: Gulliver Prep vs. Miami Northwestern - 11 am Miami Country Day vs. Doral Academy - 1 pm Miami High vs. North Miami - 3 pm Westminster Academy vs. Mater Lakes - 5 pm South Miami vs. Westminster Christian - 7 pm Team Breakdowns: Gulliver Prep Raiders The Raiders are an exciting young team to kick-off game one of the Sun Bash. 2023 guard Jordan Bankston leads the group averaging 19.5 points and six rebounds through two games. The 6-foot Bankston has shot a crisp 16-of-32 from the field (50%) and leads the team with 2.5 steals per game. Gulliver Prep also features 2023 guard Walter Ray Allen III. The 6-foot-2 guard is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen. Allen III has averaged six points, six rebounds and two steals on the young season. 2023 guard Amare Sanders is also a player to watch. The 6-foot-1 Sanders is the younger brother of former Raider and current Notre Dame freshman [player_tooltip player_id="827888" first="Tony" last="Sanders"]. In addition, 2023 guard Paul Karam scored 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field in the Raiders opening victory over Oxbridge Academy. Head coach Gary DeCesare should have this group hungry to prove their mettle. Miami Northwestern Bulls While known nationally as a football school, the Miami Northwestern Bulls put their name on the regional map with a district championship last season. Northwestern is led by super sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="709247" first="PJ" last="Paulk"]. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game as a freshman. Paulk is also a standout wide receiver for the Bulls on the gridiron. His guard athleticism is matched by his pure power from the football field. 2021 forward [player_tooltip player_id="953107" first="Robert" last="Harris"] is also physical front man for Northwestern. The 6-foot-4 Harris is a durable post player who will do damage around the rim. Miami Country Day Spartans The Spartans have stormed out of the gate at 3-0 heading into the Sun Bash. Miami Country Day has won its first three contests by a combined score of 240-156. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="818876" first="Jordan" last="Cooke"] is an underrated player in the region. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 21.5 points per game for the Spartans as a junior. Moreover, Cooke scored 20 or more points in 14 contests and shot 49 percent from 3-point range. 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="709245" first="Jasai" last="Miles"] provides an added lethal punch. The 6-foot-5 Miles averaged 16.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. His potential is through the roof and should be on display Saturday. Doral Academy Firebirds The Firebirds have a pair of talented brothers in 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="818731" first="Kameron" last="Johnson"] and 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="955591" first="Justin" last="Johnson"]. The duo stand 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-7 respectively. There is no question they provide Doral Academy with versatility on both ends of the floor. Look for the Johnson brothers to exert their will around the rim and protect the cylinder thanks to their length. Miami High Stingarees The Miami High Stingarees are one of the most historic programs in the state of Florida. The program has won multiple state titles and has produced ageless Miami Heat favorite Udonis Haslem and former Maryland Terrapin Steve Blake. The Stingarees are led by versatile wing [player_tooltip player_id="818705" first="Taderrius" last="Davis"]. The 6-foot-7 Davis is a three-year starter and stat sheet stuffer. The senior leader will pepper you with points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. I am high on Davis as one of the best interior players around Miami-Dade. 2022 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="829412" first="Andre" last="Bynum"] is also a player to watch. The 5-foot-7 Bynum averaged 6.8 assists per game as a sophomore, good for 91st in the country. North Miami Pioneers The Pioneers have blazed out of the gate at 3-0 and present a good matchup against the Stingarees. North Miami has a formidable front court led by 6-foot-5 forward Joel Mora. This kid is a bull that looks like he could pancake a defensive lineman on the football team. Instead, Mora uses his physical frame to carve up space in the paint. The Pioneers have the additional size in 2021 Lennox Scholl. The 6-foot-8 forward has great footwork and finish around the rim. Scholl had 14 points and eight rebounds Monday against Killian. 2023 shooting guard Derrick Edouard leads the team thus far with 15 points per game. North Miami is <a href="https://prephoops.com/2020/12/scouting-notebook-south-florida-week-2/">very</a> deep as you can read in my scouting report from earlier this week. Westminster Academy Lions The evening tilt brings in perennial power Westminster Academy. The Lions are led by 6-foot-10 [player_tooltip player_id="814903" first="Ben" last="Middlebrooks"] and 6-foot-5 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="546221" first="Aidan" last="Abell"]. Middlebrooks is arguably the best junior in the region next to [player_tooltip player_id="814895" first="Gregg" last="Glenn"] of Calvary Christian (FTL). The power forward averaged 17.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a sophomore. Middlebrooks is really a multi-positional player thanks to his size and athleticism. The D-1 prospect has a laundry list of offers that should only keep growing. Abell is a sharpshooting combo guard with tremendous athleticism to get to the rim. The junior can rise up on a dime to hit an outside shot. This quick shooting ability has shown in games against powerhouse Montverde Academy and Charlotte (Punta Gorda). Abell is just beginning to hit his stride for the Lions. Mater Lakes Academy Bears 2022 wing [player_tooltip player_id="829495" first="Kareem" last="Barnett"] is box office. The 6-foot-4 Barnett will put you on a poster if you don't stop him in transition. I am willing to bet he will have some of you coming out of your seat with his high flying ability. Moreover, the Bears have a strong mix of athletic guards and lengthy forwards to go along with him. 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068706" first="Maximo" last="Moratinos"] has really impressed me in the early going. The 6-foot-6 forward has been active around the rim and can jet by you with his quickness from the outside. 2023 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="709231" first="Anthony" last="Floyd"] is lightning quick when he sees an opening at the rim. You will like watching this team play as players bring different facets to the game. South Miami Cobras The Cobras bring an exciting blend of talent into the nightcap. 2021 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="953073" first="Christian" last="Pujals"] averaged 11.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game for South Miami as a junior. Moreover, Pujals was efficient shooting the ball averaging 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep. His 6-foot-3 size gives him a nice advantage to shoot over defenders. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="962427" first="Koree" last="Cotton"] is a rising star to watch. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward provides a lot of playmaking ability thanks to his frame. 2023 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="962859" first="Josh" last="Middlebrooks"] is someone I am interested to see. The 6-foot-3 Middlebrooks dropped a cool 30 points and hit five 3-pointers in a win over Homestead. Westminster Christian 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="548997" first="James" last="Henderson"] is the brass for Westminster Christian. The 6-foot-8 has a strong upper body and will punish you around the paint. Henderson has offers from Northern Arizona and Hampton under his belt. The host school also features Belen Jesuit transfers in 2023 Danny Fernandez and 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1068621" first="David" last="Fernandez"]. The Fernandez brothers are tough guards with high motors on the court. They combined to average 28 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals for the Wolverines. The Warriors have begun the season 2-0 under PJ Brown. For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.