There was no change at the top of this week’s boys basketball poll, as unbeaten Grandview Prep and St. Andrew’s maintained their hold on the top two spots.
Javonni Quince and Dwyer maintained the No. 3 spot in this week’s top 10. The Panthers defeated district rival Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday. (Photo by Damon Higgins)
The Pride (18-0) won a trio of games last week, while the Scots (17-0) earned wins over Coral Springs Charter and Saint John Paul II Academy.
No. 3 Dwyer and No. 4 Wellington also held their spots, while Royal Palm Beach moved into the No. 5 position after beating Forest Hill and No. 6 Santaluces last week. The Wildcats have won five of their past six games. Rounding out the top 10 are Lake Worth, Palm Beach Lakes, Boca Raton and Suncoast.
Boys basketball top 10 entering Week 7:
1. Grandview Prep (18-0): Pride 9-0 out of county
2. St. Andrew’s (17-0): Scots allowing 41.3 points per game
3. Dwyer (14-2): Panthers have won 13-of-14
4. Wellington (15-4): Trent Frazier averaging 20.1 points
5. Royal Palm Beach (10-4): Wildcats have won 5-of-6
6. Santaluces (12-5): Four players scoring in double figures
7. Lake Worth (12-4): Win streak snapped by Santaluces
8. Palm Beach Lakes (10-4): Rams play Royal Palm Beach Tues.
9. Boca Raton (12-6): Bobcats are 7-3 in district play
10. Suncoast (10-4): Chargers fall to Dwyer, PB Lakes
Also considered: Oxbridge Academy (10-4); Benjamin (11-5)
Games of the Week:
No. 5 Royal Palm Beach (10-4) at No. 8 Palm Beach Lakes (10-4), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: This will be the second meeting of the season between the District 13-7A rivals, with the Wildcats winning the opener Nov. 17 in a close contest at home. Expect another tight one here. Both Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Lakes are in the middle of the district playoff race, and this game could be key for positioning. The Wildcats have gotten great production from junior swingmen Leonard Thorpe and Jules Jasmin, while guard John Blanchard pitched in 24 points against No. 3 Dwyer on Tuesday. Junior guard Lavorris Givins continues to lead the way offensively for Palm Beach Lakes, scoring 17.2 points per game. Palm Beach Lakes has won three straight since making the finals of the D-Hop Holiday Tournament, while the Wildcats beat No. 6 Santaluces last week and came within three points of knocking off No. 3 Dwyer.
No. 9 Boca Raton (12-6) vs. Miami-Central (13-3) at Martin Luther King Tournament, Coral Springs, 8:30 p.m. Friday: The Bobcats are the second of seven Palm Beach County teams to tip off at this weekend’s South Florida Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Classic, and they draw a tough test in the Rockets. Miami Central has lost just three games this season; one to state-ranked Miami-Norland, one to an 11-win Miami-Dr. Krop team, and the third to defending Class 7A state champion Pompano Beach-Ely. The Rockets have been solid defensively, but could be challenged by the Bobcats’ balanced stable of shooters. Austin Aubrey, Morgan Zook, Cade Long and Eli O’Connor all are averaging at least 10 points per game for Boca Raton.
No. 3 Dwyer (14-2) vs. Coral Springs (12-4) at Martin Luther King Tournament, Coral Springs, 4:30 p.m. Saturday: The Panthers have traveled to Broward County multiple times this season for tournament play, and will visit again Saturday to face a strong Colts team that has won nine of its past 12 games. Dwyer has won three straight since falling to unbeaten St. Andrew’s at the Kreul Classic last month, including a pair of wins against ranked teams. Forward Jordan Gonzalez has been a force on the boards for Dwyer since coming over from the football team, while the Panthers have gotten balanced production on offense. Sophomore guard Miles Coleman and junior guard Tommie Luke have had a solid stretch of games offensively for Dwyer.
