FHSAA 2013 Large classes (5A-8A) Top Teams
#1 Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) – 7A
Speed, talent, basketball IQ, tough defense and some flash made Blanche Ely the 7A state champs AGAIN. Hands down, they were the top team of the large classes. They dominated the paint with their bigs and shot the ball extremely well from the outside. The combinations of Cameron and Tajeda made for a difficult match up for any team. If they back off, they hit the deep jumper consistently. If they tighten up, they could blow past the defense and either score in the paint or force the big guys to stop penetration and dump it off to one of their two 6-7 power forwards. Just for added measure, they were high flying and a defensive nightmare. 13 recorded block shots and 17 steals in two games. They forced 40 turnovers in two games and only had 25 of their own.
#2 Jesuit (Tampa) – 5A
Jesuit over Norland you question. This was tough, but I had to go by the numbers to support this ranking. Jesuit showed the state what they have been doing all year long; Playing cohesive, fundamental basketball. Ball security, solid shooting and aggressive defense give them the nod over Norland. All year, they have not been the biggest or most athletic. But they are smart and take care of the ball. In both games, they only had 15 turnovers and forced 22 turnovers. The Tigers averaged 43% from the field shooting and a staggering 54% from the field in the championship game. In addition, they shot 60% from behind the three point line. Versus a more athletic and larger line up in American Heritage, the Tigers controlled the glass with 32 rebounds (Heritage – 23) and limited Haritage to 34% shooting on the day.
#3 Miami Norland – 6A
Hopefully Norland supporter are not feeling slighted, but the Vikings are still state champs and still darn good. The Bad: Far too many turnovers. The Vikings turned the ball over 20 times each game this weekend. They also allowed 39 offensive rebounds. That is too many second chance opportunities. The Good: Zach Johnson is a stud. He can hit from anywhere on the court. When he gets going, so does the team. The Vikings are strong in the second half and know how to turn it on and finish. In each game this past weekend, they shot over 44% from the field in the second half (57% in the semi-final game versus Gainesville). They are also a solid free throw shooting team. 81% from the stripe in the semi-final game and 60% in the championship game. Most impressive is their transition offense. They do a great job of pushing the basketball and putting the defense on their heels.
#4 Hagerty (Oviedo) – 8A
Who? Yep these guys. Everyone in the arena was thinking the same thing, “No way this team can hang with Deerfield Beach”! That’s the way it looked early as the more athletic, Deerfield team struck early and often. But, then came the sharpshooters. Hagerty did nothing fancy except put the ball in the hole. They shot better than 40% each game and play pesky defense. They move the ball well around the perimeter and have a plan of attack in their half court offense. Luke Doyle is the “go to” guy. He has some swag about him and wants the ball in his hands. Logan Hovey is the guy who surprised everyone that was not a Hagerty fan. His athleticism and agility “wowed” the crowd with a number of flashy plays and dunks. The Huskies are sound on both ends of the floor. They don’t turn the ball over often and have good transition defense to limit fast break scoring for the opposition.
#5 Evans (Orlando) – 7A
Did not look very good vs Martin County. But bounced back with a respectable showing versus state champ, Blanche Ely. Evans is fast. At times, too fast where they get slightly out of control. However, they do hustle and move the ball. Concerned that they do not have a “go to” guy. But, if they don’t have “That Dude” they should have more balanced scoring from their starters. This weekend, they displayed neither. Turnovers hurt them. The Trojans averaged 17.5 turnovers this weekend. On a good note, they created 16 turnovers versus Martin County and Ely. They compete. G Maleek Smith was the definition on a competitor. He never, ever gave up. He was the energy source to drive the comeback to beat Martin County and the heart to make a push to get back in the game vs Ely. As a team, the Trojans shot the ball fairly well. Around 40% for the two games and around 75% from the foul line.
#6 Bartow – 7A
Bartow’s problem, was Ely. Had the Jackets not been matched up against one of the most talented teams in the state, Bartow would likely be playing in the championship game. They have speed and played scrappy defense. Ely forced Bartow to shoot under 40% from the field and 3 of 8 from three point land. Chris Perry was steady. 14 points and 12 big rebounds. But Bartow did not get the production from G Ricky Williams, as they are accustomed to getting. Ended the night with just 5 points.