As impressive as those achievements are, Knight, who has narrowed his college choices down to Kentucky, Florida, Connecticut, Syracuse and Miami, isn’t done yet and has added yet another impressive accolade to his list.
On Thursday, Knight, who is widely considered the nation’s top basketball prospect, surpassed former American Heritage star and current Florida Gator Kenny Boynton as Broward County’s all-time leading scorer in a 67-37 win over Clewiston in the Class 3A boys basketball regional quarterfinal.
Riding a 19-point lead with 4:35 left in the third quarter, Knight stole the ball from Clewiston and took off for a two-handed dunk to break Boynton’s previous record of 3,346 points.
Knight scored a game-high 27 points, including five 3-pointers, on 9-of-18 shooting, giving him a total of 3,373 career points. The Miami native, who has also been selected as a starter for the West squad in the 33rd annual McDonald’s All-American game on March 31 in Columbus, Ohio, complemented his scoring barrage with 13 rebounds, seven steals, two blocks and three assists.
Despite his accolades and achievements, Knight has made it consistently clear that a third consecutive Class 3A state title will bring him the most joy at the end of this season.
"I’m thankful to be a part of this team and to coach for trusting me with the ball in my hands," said Knight. "I appreciate the support from the school and our fans but the most important thing for me is winning. A lot of people are remembered by points, but my most important thing is to get this third state championship."
The standout guard was serious about his goal after scoring five points and helping Pine Crest (22-4) race out to a 16-2 lead over Clewiston in the first quarter. After he got comfortable, Knight did what he does best and scored 10 points in the second quarter to help the Panthers take a 31-17 lead by halftime.
Knight has been one of the top players in Florida’s south region since he was an eighth-grader at Pine Crest. The standout guard holds most of the records at Pine Crest, including the single-game scoring (55, 2007), single-season scoring (968, 2008-09) and career scoring (3,373, 2005-present). Despite the individual achievements, Knight has also led the Panthers to three state tournament appearances, two state titles (2008, 2009) and an overall record of 128-18 from 2005 to present.
Six from region take states
Six wrestlers (three from Broward and three from Miami-Dade County) from Florida’s south region were crowned state champions, within their respective divisions, over the weekend in Lakeland. The Hall brothers, Shiquan and Earl, from South Dade represented Dade County early. Shiquan Hall won his first title in the 103-pound weight class, while older brother Earl won his third title at 112. Earl Hall, a junior, is on track to be the county’s first four-time champion. Belen Jesuit’s Esteban Gomez-Rivera won the Class 2A gold in the 119-pound weight class.
In Broward, Paul Weiss and Geordan Speiller of St. Thomas Aquinas took home the Class 3A gold, within their respective divisions. Weiss, who holds a 54-0 record, won his title in the 189-pound weight class, while Speiller took home the gold in the 160-pound weight class. Chistopher Burke of Cardinal Gibbons took home the Class 1A title in the 135-pound weight class.
Heritage girls soccer defends title
Led by the poised play of freshman midfielder Alyssa Robinson, the defending Class 3A state champion American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) girls soccer team defeated Berkeley Prep 1-0 and won its sixth state championship since 2000. Robinson, who did not play any minutes during the final, was picked by her teammates to participate in the penalty kicks and break the tie. Despite the pressure, the freshman scored the game-winning goal and helped her team defend its championship.
TIP award
This week’s top individual performance award goes to Lourdes Academy senior guard Takia Brooks. Brooks led the Bobcats to a 69-58 win over North Miami Beach in the Region 4-6A girls final by scoring a game-high 37 points and adding five steals.
Others
Fabricio De Melo, Center, Sagemont, scored 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds in a 67-40 win over American Heritage-Delray in the Class 2A regional quarterfinal.
Stephanie Edwards, Forward, Norland, scored a game-high 17 points in a 44-39 win over defending Class 4A champion Titusvill Astronaut, while sending the Vikings to the Class 4A state semifinals.
Jake Weiss, Pitcher, Miami Country Day, threw a no-hitter and led his team to a 10-0 win over Hillel.
Angel Rodriguez, Guard, Dr. Krop, scored 14 points to go along with five assists and five steals in a 64-25 win over Hialeah in the Region 4-6A quarterfinal.
Jonathan Holton, Coral Gables, scored 26 points in a 69-61 win over American in the Region 4-6A quarterfinal.
Samuel Soto, Forward, Calusa Prep, scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 70-39 win over Redland Christian in the Region 4-1A quarterfinal.
Khyle Marshall, Forward, Flanagan, scored 28 points in a 68-61 win over McArthur.
Jalen Williams, Guard, Ely, scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, in a 62-42 win over West Boca in the Regional quarterfinal. Williams’ hot shooting helped the Tigers stay undefeated at 26-0.
