FLORIDA PREP  REPORT 
by Rick Staudt, Florida Editor of the HOOP SCOOP
Published February 16, 2005

Editor's Note:  Staudt's list of the top 100 seniors, 75 juniors, 50 sophomores, 26 freshmen, four 8th graders, eight 7th graders, and two 6th graders can be found by clicking below on Staudt Ranks Em: The Top High School Players in Florida.

THE TALENT LEVEL IS GOOD IN FLORIDA RIGHT NOW; BUT IT'S FUTURE...!
by Clark Francis, Editor & Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP

                    With 6'4 Derwin Kitchen from Jacksonville (Raines) FL, 6'4 David Huertas from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, and 6'9 Jimmie Sutton from Cocanut Creek (North Broward Prep) FL all already signed with Florida; 6'6 Adrian Thomas from Pembroke Pine (Flanagan) FL, 6'7 Brian Asbury from Miami (South Miami) FL, and 6'1 Denis Clemente from Miami (Calusa Prep) FL all already signed with Miami-FL; 6'8 Ryan Reid from Lauderdale Lakes (Boyd Anderson) FL already signed with Florida State; 6'6 Alonzo Gee from West Palm Beach (Dwyer) FL already signed with Georgia; 6'2 Darryl Merthie from Lake Mary (H.S.) FL already signed with Marshall; 7'0 Ricky Sanchez from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL already signed with Memphis; 6'10 Abdul Herrera from Miami (South Miami) FL already signed with Cincinnati; 6'4 Keaton Grant from Kississmee (Gateway) FL already signed with Missouri; 7'0 Rashaad Singleton from Graceville (H.S.) FL already signed with Georgia; 6'7 Luc Richard Mbad A Moute from Montverde (Academy) FL already signed with UCLA; 6'5 Sammy Hernandez from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL already signed with George Mason; 6'9 Hyman Taylor from Ft. Lauderdale (Cardinal Gibbons) FL already signed with Virginia Tech; 6'7 Kyle Marx from West Palm Beach (Dwyer) FL already signed with Nebraska; 6'7 Alex Rouff from Brookville (Central) FL and 6'3 Jarrett Brown from West Palm Beach (Palm Beach Lakes) FL (football) both bound for West Virginia; 6'2 Lewis Lampley from St. Petersburg (Admiral Farragut) FL already signed with James Madison; 6'8 Raymond Sykes from Jacksonville (Jackson) FL already signed with Clemson; 6'9 Emmanuel Adeife from Ft. Lauderdale (Dillard) FL already signed with Houston; 6'5 Zaronn Cann from Brandon (H.S.) FL already signed with South Florida; 6'10 Cruz Daniels from Clearwater (H.S.) FL already signed with High Point; and 6'2 Sal Patricio from Lake Suzy (Florida Prep) FL, 6'9 Greg Washington from Melbourne (Florida Air Academy) FL, and 6'9 Aminus Urbutis from Montverde (Academy) FL all heading to Hofstra, one can draw a number of conclusions. 
                    First, there is plenty of talent to be spread around in the Sunshine State.  Second, the in-state high major schools (i.e. Florida, Florida State, and Miami-FL) are tough to beat for the top players in the state, as is evident by the fact that seven of the top 13 players in the state have picked one of these three schools.  Third, the senior class in the state is extremely deep, as 19 players in the Class of 2005 have decided to play basketball at schools at the high major level and there are nine players - 6'8 Keith Brumbaugh from Deland (H.S.) FL, Kitchen, Gee, Thomas, Merthie, Asbury, Reid, Huertas, and Sanchez - in the class that our Florida Editor Rick Staudt thinks are good enough to be ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally.  And there are still a few players that are left unsigned and uncommitted, including Brumbaugh, 6'0 Walter Hodge from Melbourne (Florida Air Academy) FL, 6'5 Jermaine Taylor from Tavares (H.S.) FL, 6'9 RouSean Cromwell from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL, 6'7 Carlos Monroe from Cape Coral (H.S.) FL, 6'5 Lamarr Twitty from Lauderdale Lakes (Boyd Anderson) FL, 6'8 Quinton Thornton from Orlando (Edgewater) FL, 5'10 Jermonte Bush from Tallahassee (Rickards) FL, 6'3 Maxwell Dubois from Ft. Lauderdale (Dillard) FL, 6'4 Sean Morrison from St. Petersburg (Lakewood) FL, 6'4 Jeff Brown from Brooksville (Hernando) FL, and 6'2 DeAndre Boynton from Coconut Creek (North Broward Prep) FL, who are good enough to play at the mid-to-high Division I level.  However, we'd be surprised if Brumbaugh ends up anywhere, except at Florida State or in the NBA Draft this spring, and Cromwell will likely return to Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL, where he will continue to work on his skills and develop his game for another year. 
                    The Class of 2006 isn't nearly as deep as the Class of 2005, but it does have more star power at the top, as 6'4 Jr Jeremiah Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, 5'11 Jr Josue Soto from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 6'4 Jr Jonathan Hall from Miami (Senior) FL, 6'4 Jr Aaron Holmes from St. Petersburg (Catholic) FL, 6'3 Jr Corey Claitt from West Palm Beach (Palm Beach Lakes) FL, and 6'7 Jr Dwayne Collins from Miami (Senior) FL all have the talent, potential, and athleticism necessary to be ranked among our top 50 juniors nationally.  The Class of 2006 also has plenty of size, as 7'0 Jr Jonathan Kreft from Parkland (Marjory Stoneman Douglas) FL and 7'1 Jr Jason Bennett from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL  both are in the 7-foot range; an outstanding point guard out of the Jose Juan Barea-mold in Soto; plenty of outside firepower out on the perimeter with players like Rivers, Hall, Holmes, Claitt, and 6'0 Jr Dwain Williams from Bradenton Pendleton School) FL; and some players, like 6'8 Jr A.J. Tyler from Palm Harbor (University) FL, 5'10 Jr London Warren from Jacksonville (Raines) FL, 6'6 Jr Tyrone Curnell from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, and 6'4 Jr L.D. Williams from Montverde (Academy) FL, who have the potential to be, but haven't been highly touted yet on the national scene. 
                    However, Rivers, who is ranked as the best junior in the state by Staudt, as well as #25 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, isn't even the best prospect in his family.  Instead, right now that honor goes to 5'7 Austin Rivers from Winter Park, FL, who is the arguably the #1 6th Grader in the nation and has incredible ball handling and passing skills and court savvy for somebody so young.  But Patrick Stanwood of the HOOP SCOOP tells us that Doc Rivers has an even younger son who projects to be even better than Jeremiah Rivers and Austin Rivers.  And, Austin Rivers isn't the only great young player in the state on our radar screen.  As a matter of fact, 6'1 Kenny Boynton from Coconut Creek (North Broward Prep) FL, who already is the second best player on his high school team, is ranked as the #7 8th Grader nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; and 6'2 Kearis Pinkney from Orlando, FL, who is multi-dimensional enough to play any position on the basketball court, is ranked as the #6 7th Grader nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  There also is a 7'2 freshman who has moved into the state from Richmond, VA that they call "Baby Shaq."  We're talking about 7'2 Frosh James Tyler, who Tony Squire has stashed at Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL.  However, we rank players the old-fashioned way, whereby, you have to earn it.  So Tyler, who we have yet to see, is currently ranked #6, behind 6'0 Frosh Miguel Paul from Lakeland (Kathleen) FL, 6'4 Frosh Jay Wade from Panama City (Bay) FL, 6'3 Frosh Rayford Shipman from Miami (Pace) FL, 5'8 Frosh Kenneth Williams from Lake City (Columbia) FL, and 6'5 Frosh Kevin Foster from Auburndale (H.S.) FL, in what already appears to be an excellent freshman class in the state. 
                    But really it's the Class of 2007 that gets us excited.  That's the class that features 6'0 Soph Edwin Rios from Miami (Senior) FL, who is ranked #6 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and already is the best player that school has produced since Doug Edwards, Steve Edwards, and Allen Edwards graduated from this basketball factory in the 1989, 1992, and 1994, respectively.  However, unlike Doug Edwards, who played at Florida State, and Allen Edwards, who played at Kentucky, it's our guess that Rios will follow in the footsteps of Steve Edwards to Miami-FL.  And this is extremely important, because it means that 5'11 Jr Josue Soto from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, who has emerged into one of the best point guards in the class this winter, will probably get away, because there just isn't going to be enough room for another undersized guard at Miami-FL.  Remember, the Hurricanes also got a commitment last summer from 6'1 Denis Clemente from Miami (Calusa Prep) FL and they aren't about to do anything that is going to scare off Rios.  And, if you don't believe it, just ask Art Alverez, who is Soto's coach on the NIKE-Sponsored Miami Tropics club team. 
                    Getting back to the sophomore class in general, 6'3 Soph Gary Clark from Sarasota (Booker) FL, 6'6 Soph Orane Chin from Miami (Dr. Krop) FL, and 6'7 Soph A.J. Stewart from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL are already on the national radar screen; 6'4 Soph Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 5'10 Soph John Roberson from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'0 Soph Joey Rodriguez from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, all of whom are ranked among the top 10 sophomores in the state, already are the three amigos in what promises to be one of the best teams in the state for the next several years; and Shaky Rodriguez is now the head coach at Miami (Dr. Krop) FL and is in the process of building a powerhouse.  As a matter of fact, the former legendary Miami Senior coach already has Chin, who is the #3-ranke sophomore in the state, and the possibility does exist that Edwin Rios and Dwayne Collins could both transfer to Miami (Dr. Krop) FL next year.