Stock Risers: Playoff Edition (South Florida)
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The road to Lakeland is in full swing with district final matchups to begin later today. Many of the top contenders feature some of the top prospects in the state. I think if you have a general knowledge of the…
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Continue ReadingThe road to Lakeland is in full swing with district final matchups to begin later today. Many of the top contenders feature some of the top prospects in the state. I think if you have a general knowledge of the area and have been following our coverage you know who those players are!
In this segment, I would like to highlight some players that could build off their performances from this week. The 24/7 landscape of basketball here in South Florida should give these kids momentum as we head into the spring and summer.
Braylon Burbridge Braylon Burbridge 6'2" | PG Miami Palmetto | 2024 State FL – Sagemont
2024 Braylon Burbridge Braylon Burbridge 6'2" | PG Miami Palmetto | 2024 State FL looked poised running the point for Sagemont against Westminster Academy. The 5-foot-10 Burbridge scored seven points and played strong on-ball defense. I didn’t see a ton of mistakes from him in the absence of 2021 Raphael Houssou Raphael Houssou 6'2" | CG Sagemont | 2021 State FL . Specifically, Burbridge didn’t turn the ball over or make errant passes. Things like proper positioning or in-game management are coachable. The bottom line is he played valuable minutes against a strong opponent in a playoff game. Burbridge poked away a pass that set-up a Rickey Ballard Rickey Ballard 6'6" | CG Westminster | 2022 State FL dunk on the other end in the fourth quarter. He also displayed strong vision and the ability to dribble penetrate. I think his best basketball is ahead of him. Check out some of his highlights by clicking here.
Maxwell Gordon – Cypress Bay
2022 Maxwell Gordon seemed to step-up and hit a big shot after every Piper counter on Tuesday. The 5-foot-11 guard scored eight points and hit a pair of 3-pointers. Gordon followed-up that performance with 11 points on 4-of-5 from the field against Cooper City. Moreover, Gordon dished out five assists and grabbed five rebounds. His value is paramount alongside Noah Kattan Noah Kattan 6'3" | CG Cypress Bay | 2022 State FL in the backcourt. Gordon is steady on the defensive end and holds a 4.7 GPA in the classroom. Check out some of his highlights by clicking here.
Adrian Cruz – Southwest
2022 Adrian Cruz is a talented player for the Southwest Miami Eagles. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game on 55 percent shooting from the field. He is a big reason why Southwest went 16-3 this season. Against Palmetto, Cruz posted a triple-double of 24 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists. He is a three-level scorer with good size at the position.
Guilherme Tesch Guilherme Tesch 6'8" | SF North Broward Prep | 2023 FL – North Broward Prep
2023 Guilherme Tesch Guilherme Tesch 6'8" | SF North Broward Prep | 2023 FL is a versatile playmaker with growing potential for North Broward Prep. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field. Against St. John Paul II, Tesch had 14 points, ten rebounds and seven assists. He followed that up with 16 points and ten boards against Sports Leadership & Management. Moreover, Tesch went a combined 5-of-11 from deep in both outings. He has a nice touch from the outside that should only improve. His basketball IQ and instincts are already strong for a frontline player.
Deshawn Jean-Charles Deshawn Jean-Charles 6'6" | PF West Oaks | 2022 State FL – Miramar
2022 Deshawn Jean-Charles Deshawn Jean-Charles 6'6" | PF West Oaks | 2022 State FL is a big-time player for the Patriots. The 6-foot-6 wing scored 23 points in a victory over Western in the BCAA Big 8 title game. It was the second Big 8 championship for Miramar since 2018. Jean-Charles is a freak athlete with ability to guard all five positions. He went for 17 points and eight rebounds against 11-3 Boyd Anderson earlier this season. A shortened schedule hasn’t stopped him or the Patriots from reaching the 7A-14 title game against Everglades. Jean-Charles seems to step-up his game on the big stage. He had 25 points in a 66-51 win over Seminole last season in the 7A championship game.
For any South Florida Prep Hoops news or information…please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.