LAKELAND — The 2020 FHSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament tipped off Wednesday at the RP Funding Center with six games. The tournament runs through Saturday. Here are the top performers from Day 1:
VEN-ALLEN LUBIN (2022), ORLANDO CHRISTIAN PREP
The 6-foot-7 Lubin — who has scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida, Iowa State, St. John’s and USF — posted a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds vs. Tampa Bayshore Christian. The sophomore made 7 of 13 field-goal attempts and ripped down 10 offensive rebounds as OCP dominated the paint. “Coach would always say that we have to dominate the paint,” Lubin said. “I just kept going to the basket every time to get as many opportunities as I can.” Lubin plays travel basketball with Team CP25.
YUSSIF BASA-AMA (2020), ST. ANDREW’S
The 6-9 Yale recruit scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Scots’ victory over Chaminade-Madonna. Basa-Ama (pictured) made 7 of 11 from the field and knocked in 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. He was a part of St. Andrew’s dominance on the boards (45 to 24 overall; offensive boards were 25-8). Basa-Ama is also an excellent rim protector and had 3 blocks. St. Andrew’s coach John O’Connell is 4-0 in state semifinals and has been to the title game in four consecutive decades: 1995, 2006, 2013 and 2020. He has yet to win a state crown at SA.
JACOB CREWS (2020), HILLIARD
The 6-7 University of North Florida recruit was dominant with 29 points and 13 rebounds in the W over Vernon.
Crews connected on 9 of 19 shots from the field, including 3 of 8 from deep, and made all 8 of his free throws. He grabbed 7 offensive rebounds for 23-3 Hilliard and played all but 32 seconds. Of going up against a box-and-1 defense, Crews said, “You kind of adapt to it. That’s why I work so hard on being versatile from the inside and outside.” Crews said UNF recruited him since the eighth grade.
TOREY BUIE (2021), HAWTHORNE
The 6-2 junior erupted for 32 points to lead Hawthorne into the finals. Buie, who single-handedly outscored Paxton, 13-12 at the half, shot 10 of 19 from the field and was 12 for 14 from the free-throw line. Hawthorne shot 19 for 36 as a team while holding Paxton to 17 of 45.
CALVIN JOHNSON (2021), IMPACT CHRISTIAN
Johnson, a 6-4 junior, scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the OT victory over Schoolhouse Prep. He shot 60 percent from the field (6 of 10). Despite being down double-digits at times Wednesday, Johnson said the Lions stayed together. “There’s been plenty of situations where we’ve been down a lot,” he said. “We trust each other. We make the extra pass.”
JOSH MINOTT (2021), ST. ANDREW’S
The 6-8 Minott was a key factor on the boards along with Basa-Ama with 10. He went 8 for 17 from the field and had 19 total points in helping the Scots win their 12th straight. Baylor, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma are among the programs talking with the junior, who will be playing for Nightrydas Elite on the Nike EYBL travel circuit.
THADDIUS FRANKLIN (2021), CHAMINADE-MADONNA
The University of Miami football recruit led Chaminade in points (19) and rebounds (6) in the loss to St. Andrew’s. He was 6 for 11 from the floor, including three 3-pointers. American University recruit Johnny O’Neil had 17 points, including five 3s.
OMAR FIGUEROA (2021) & A.J. BROWN (2022), OCP
Figueroa — a 6-foot reserve guard — led OCP with 19 points. He connected on three 3-pointers. Brown, a highly-touted sophomore, added 16 points.
JORDIN JACKSON (2020), IMPACT CHRISTIAN
The Warner University recruit scored 15 points, dished out 7 assists and made several key free throws down the stretch in the W over Schoolhouse Prep. He went 7 for 8 from the free-throw line.
JAY BESHEARS (2020), COMMUNITY SCHOOL NAPLES
The senior, who has signed to play baseball at Northwestern, scored 22 points in the loss to Andrew Jackson. Beshears hit 6 of 12 from the field and got to the free-throw line for 11 attempts.
ANTHONY LOPEZ JR. (2020), SCHOOLHOUSE PREP
The native of NYC, in his first year at Schoolhouse Prep, made 6-of-11 field-goal attempts and finished with 15 points in the semifinal loss. “Last year, we were the underdogs,” SHP coach Colin Campbell said. “This year, we’re the hunted.” Cedrick Saint Jean also had 15 points for Schoolhouse, including three 3-pointers. Schoolhouse Prep was Miami-Dade County’s only entrant at state this year.
CJ CREWS (2021) & DAVID FITZGERALD (2020), BAYSHORE CHRISTIAN
Fitzgerald finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds in the loss to OCP. The 6-2 Crews canned six 3s on the way to 20 points.
LOGAN WEST (2020), ANDREW JACKSON
The 6-6 senior is the heartbeat of the club. He plays with a relentless attitude. West had 8 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win over Community School of Naples. Andrew Jackson had six players score at least 8 points.
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
2A semifinals: Jacksonville Impact Christian 56, Miami Schoolhouse Prep 54 (OT)
2A semifinals: Orlando Christian Prep 74, Tampa Bayshore Christian 53
1A semifinals: Hilliard 80, Vernon 59
1A semifinals: Hawthorne 70, Paxton 58
3A semifinals: Boca St. Andrew’s 68, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna 58
3A semifinals: Jacksonville Andrew Jackson 65, Community School of Naples 53
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
10:00 — 4A semifinals: Paxon School vs. Stranahan
Noon — 4A semifinals: Tampa Catholic vs. Lake Highland Prep
2:00 — 5A semifinals: Rickards vs. Sebring
4:00 — 5A semifinals: Pines Charter vs. Naples
6:00 — 6A semifinals: Dillard vs. Lake City Columbia
8:00 — 6A semifinals: Bartow vs. East Lake
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
12:30 — 7A semifinals: Miramar vs. Oak Ridge
2:30 — 7A semifinals: Forest Hill vs. Seminole
4:30 — 2A championship game: Impact Christian vs. OCP
7:00 — 1A championship game: Hilliard vs. Hawthorne
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
10:00 — 3A championship: St. Andrew’s vs. Andrew Jackson
12:30 — 4A championship
3:00 — 5A championship
5:30 — 6A championship
8:00 — 7A championship
If you have high school or travel basketball news, you can reach Pat Lammer at PatALammer@Gmail.com
