By James Oyola
MaxPreps.com
The 2008-2009 Florida high school boys basketball postseason is well underway and four defending state champions hail from the south region. Miami Norland (6A), Dillard (5A), Monsignor Pace (4A) and Pine Crest (3A) have all had exceptional seasons this year and are competing for a chance to defend their titles against tough competition throughout the state.
Dr. Krop (6A), Northeast (5A) and American Heritage (3A) have the best chance in upsetting the current state champions after defeating them during the regular season.
Regional Semifinal Games
Class 6A
Blanche Ely (23-5) @ Miramar (18-8)
Ely enters its regional semifinal with an enormous amount of momentum after defeating nationally-ranked Boyd Anderson in the District 11-6A championship game on Feb. 14. The Tigers enter their match-up against Miramar led by sharpshooting forward Thelbert Green. Green, a senior, scored 17 points in the win over Boyd Anderson.
The Patriots also enter the game with heavy momentum after defeating Boyd Anderson 54-53 in the regional quarterfinal on Feb. 19. Kareem Roach, a 6-foot-3 senior, led the way for Miramar with a game-high 19 points against the Cobras. Xavier Martin leads Miramar with 18.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The Patriots have a chance to even the score after losing to Ely 69-65 in their first game of the season.
South Miami (22-5) vs. Coral Reef (23-4)
South Miami enters its semifinal battle with Coral Reef led by senior forward Keion Palmer. Palmer, who is also a football standout for the Cobras, led the team with 16 points in their 48-47 win over Palmetto in the regional quarterfinal on Feb. 19. The Cobras will look to get back in the championship race after a 50-43 loss to Norland in the regional final last year.
Coral Reef features arguably the best backcourt tandem in Miami-Dade County with Charles Hankerson Jr. and Jerron Granberry. Hankerson (6-5, 215), a junior, leads the team in scoring at 20.7 points per game, while Granberry (6-5, 215), a senior, is second on the team with 16.5 points per game. Hankerson led the Barracudas to their first District 16-6A title in school history after posting 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 73-64 win over Palmetto. Granberry scored a game-high 26 points in the win.
Dr. Krop (24-4) vs. Norland (16-9)
Dr. Krop will begin its journey toward a Class 6A championship led by star guard Angel Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a sophomore and cousin of former Lightning and current North Carolina State guard Javi Gonzalez, is an emerging star in south Florida.
The 5-10 sophomore led Krop to a 53-51 win over Norland in the District 13-6A title game. Rodriguez, who posted 21 points and dished out seven assists in the win, hit the game-winning shot against the Vikings. Krop leads the series 2-1 against Norland.
Norland, the defending Class 6A state champions, will look for revenge against the Lightning who defeated them in the District 13-6A championship game. The Vikings will look to 6-7 center Marvin Baynham to lead them against Krop. Baynham, a senior, led Norland in a 67-60 win over Hialeah Miami-Lakes in the regional quarterfinal on Feb. 19 by scoring 18 points to go along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Hialeah Miami-Lakes defeated Norland in the first round of the GMAC tournament. The Vikings will look to continue their vengeance against teams who defeated them in big games when they face Dr. Krop.
Class 5A
Dillard (22-6) @ Northeast (21-7)
Dillard, the defending Class 5A state champions, looks to defend its title against a scrappy Northeast team and star guard Jelani Hewitt. The Panthers, who lost to Northeast in the District 16-5A title game 48-47, will look to seniors Robert Burger and Fred Landers for leadership in the postseason. Burger leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game, while Landers leads the team in rebounding with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Northeast is still riding high after its victory over the Panthers and looks to continue its claim as a viable contender for the Class 5A title. Guard Jelani Hewitt has been a key factory in their success thus far and will look to perform when it matters most, in the postseason. Hewitt, a junior, is averaging 25.9 points and 6.0 assists per game, while placing second in Broward County (among large schools) in scoring. Hewitt, who's in his first year with Northeast, exploded on the scene as a true scoring threat throughout south Florida after erupting for 50 points in his second game with the Hurricanes.
Class 4A
Monsignor Pace (23-7) vs. Belen Jesuit (19-8)
Monsignor Pace, the defending Class 4A state champions, will look to 6-foot-8 forward Rakeem Buckles in leading them back to the state tournament for a Miami-Dade County record seventh consecutive season. Buckles, a senior and Louisville commit, will try to leave his legacy with the Spartans as a three-time state champion. Buckles led Pace to a 56-52 win over Belen in the District 16-4A championship by scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Belen is led by Sergio Fernandez-Soto, who scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 56-52 loss to Pace in the District 16 final. Fernandez-Soto, a junior, is Belen's most consistent player and will look for revenge against the defending Class 4A champion Spartans.
Class 3A
American Heritage (20-5) @ Pine Crest (23-4)
American Heritage has a chance for revenge after its 83-69 loss to Pine Crest in the District 14-3A championship. The Patriots enter the semifinal battle against Pine Crest led by University of Florida-bound guard Kenny Boynton and Florida Atlantic signee Ray Taylor. Boynton, who averages 31.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, is regarded as one of the top players in the country. The standout guard has led Florida in scoring the past two seasons and this season became the state's third all-time leading scorer (3,367 points). The 5-foot-7 Taylor, who averages 16.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, is one of the state's top facilitators and one of the best “little” guards in the country. Taylor, without Boynton who was sidelined with an ankle injury, singlehandedly led the Patriots to a 73-69 win over Pine Crest on Jan. 30 by scoring 28 points to go along with six assists and three steals.
Pine Crest, the defending Class 3A state champions, beat American Heritage 90-76 in last year’s regional semifinal. Junior guard Brandon Knight leads the way for the Panthers, who have taken two of three contests against Boynton’s squad this year. Knight, who leads Broward County in scoring averaging 31.2 points per game, is widely regarded as one of the top players in the country regardless of class. Senior foward Ed Waite, who averages 13.8 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, is also a viable piece of the Panther program. The standout senior was named MVP of last year’s state championship game in which Pine Crest edged P.K. Yonge 69-50. Both will be instrumental in Pine Crest's run for another state championship.
Class 2A
Miami Country Day (24-5) @ Archbishop Curley (26-2)
Miami Country Day is led by star guard Alex Rudolph. Rudolph, a senior, was one point shy of his sixth triple-double of the season after scoring nine points, grabbing 12 rebounds and handing out 10 assists in leading the Spartans to a 49-38 win over Palmer Trinity in the regional quarterfinal.
Twin brothers Christian and Christopher Ortiz are the focal point for Archbishop Curley. The two towers combined for 35 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and six steals helping the Knights to a 63-43 win over Miami Christian in the regional quarterfinal. The Knights defeated MCD 61-42 in last year’s regional semifinal before losing to Sagemont in the finals.
