Top 10: Region Semifinals To Watch
The region semifinal round tips off on Tuesday night here in the 2022-2023 high school boys’ basketball season.
There have been some terrific matchups and major upsets down the stretch. Here is a look at my Top 10 favorite region semifinal matchups with a bonus one as well.
Note: You can view all the playoff matchups and scores, here on MaxPreps.
7A-Region 2
Top Teams to Watch: Oak Ridge (17-9) at Lake Worth (22-1)
Top Players to Watch: Oak Ridge – 2024 6-5 F Tyler Johnson, 2024 6-5 G Jordan Tillery, 2024 6-6 F Cameron Simpson, 2024 6-3 G Elijah Elliott; Lake Worth – 2023 5-8 G Calvin Sirmans, 2024 6-5 Hedrens Barthelus, 2023 6-4 F Marvin Golf
Insight: 7A-Region 2 is awfully tough, hence the next two games listed are from there. Oak Ridge is young, long and peaking at the right time behind Johnson (17.6 PPG), Elliott, Tillery and others. Lake Worth has not lost a game since the season opener against Doral. Recently knocking off undefeated Dwyer, the Trojans are a tough out behind Sirmans, Barthelus and Golf. Lake Worth is not an easy place to play but Oak Ridge is scrappy and always well coached. Expect a physical tilt.
7A-Region 2
Matchup: Windermere (20-7) at Olympia (26-2)
Top Players to Watch: Olympia – 2023 6-2 G Jizzle James, 2024 6-3 G Kaiden White, 2023 6-5 F Kevins Charles; Windermere – 2024 5-7 G Ta’Veon Jones, 2024 6-4 G Chalier Torres, 2023 6-2 G Jalen Debose.
Insight: Late last month Olympia clipped Windermere 70-67. Olympia’s only losses have come in Polk County against top area teams Winter Haven and Victory Christian. Cincinnati commit James (23.0 PPG) is a workhorse and won’t let his side go down easy. Windermere is built to hang with anybody, losing by six points to Oak Ridge and by three points to Olympia earlier this season. Jones (16.6 PPG) sets the tone with his speed while Torres is a knockdown shooter. This will be highly watched.
6A-Region 4
Matchup: Southridge (21-6) at Dwyer (25-1)
Top Players to Watch: Southridge – 2023 6-6 G Koree Cotton, 2023 6-1 G Anthony Dozier, 2023 5-10 G Keyonte Green; Dwyer – 2023 6-3 G Kyle McNeal, 2023 6-4 F Mason Brown, 2023 6-6 F Blake Wilson.
Insight: Southridge has been building talent and this is the year its all paying off behind Cotton, a VMI commit who is averaging 21.8 PPG. Dozier and Green are quick twitch guards who can do plenty with or without the ball. Dwyer is a brutal place to play and the Panthers have only lost one game all year to Lake Worth, another team in the area who has only lost one game all year. McNeal, an FIU football commit is a high flyer while Brown is a physical forward and Wilson is a skilled shooter and rebounder. This is a great matchup.
5A-Region 4
Matchup: Norland (20-7) at Suncoast (22-5)
Top Players to Watch: Norland – 2024 6-6 G Triston Wilson, 2023 6-3 G Carl Parrish, 2024 6-4 G Jamal Ware; Suncoast – 2024 6-8 F Ian Smikle, 2023 6-5 G Nate Sasser, 2024 6-0 G Stone Bureau
Insight: These two South Florida squads have not played since the 2018-19, so it should be interesting to see them go at it in this region semifinal. Suncoast has been very good all season behind its trio of Smikle, Sasser and Bureau and its tough-nosed defense. Norland is no slouch with Wilson, a bonafide leader and bucket and Parrish and Ware very skilled pieces in place. Expect a big turnout for this one.
4A-Region 2
Matchup: North Marion (21-6) at The Villages (20-8)
Top Players to Watch: North Marion – 2024 6-8 F Sammie Yeanay, 2023 6-5 F Elija Walton, 2024 6-1 G/F Caleb Rollerson; The Villages – 2023 6-9 G/F Sam Walters, 2026 F Chris Washington Jr., 2026 F Kymani Weathers.
Insight: North Marion has been on a tear, winning 13 of its last 15 games. Yeanay has averaged 20.7 PPG and 12.7 RPG in 9 games since transferring back in early in January. Walters, an Alabama commit has averaged just under 24.0 PPG and has been the floor pusher and top scoring threat for The Villages. 2026 pair Washington Jr. and Weathers are emerging at the right time as two-way players. The whole town should be in the gym for this fun one.
3A-Region 4
Matchup: Miami Country Day (18-11) at Westminster (20-7)
Top Players to Watch: Miami Country Day – 2023 6-8 F Sami Elkamel, 2023 6-6 G Jasai Miles, 2024 6-4 Herbert Wilson; Westminster – 2025 6-4 G Alexander Lloyd, 2025 6-7 F Alex Constanza, 2025 6-6 F Dwayne Wimbley Jr, 2023 6-8 Jaylen Carey.
Insight: Westminster upended Miami Country Day 75-67 a few weeks ago in the district final. For the Lions, you might not find a deeper group of young talent in the state than Westminster, which is always a threat in Class 3A. Lloyd (18.1 PPG), Constanza, Wimbley, Carey and 2024 6-5 F Jeremiah Police and 2026 6-0 G Randy Livingston Jr. give the Lions perhaps their most gifted teams ever. Miami Country Day has a clear cut scoring leader in Miles (15.8 PPG) while Elkamel is a gifted inside presence and Wilson is a versatile piece. 2023 6-8 F Cole McCabe has been a top rebounder in Miami this year as well. This will be a scrappy game.
3A-Region 3
Matchup: Gateway Charter (23-5) at Tampa Catholic (17-10)
Top Players to Watch: Gateway Charter – 2023 6-4 G Jahmari Johnson, 2025 6-7 F Pat Johnson, 2023 6-1 G Jaden Arzola; Tampa Catholic – 2024 6-6 G Karter Knox, 2023 6-3 G Eddrin Bronson, 2025 6-0 G Isaiah Campbell-Finch.
Insight: Gateway Charter has worked all season long to get to where it is at now and the historic season will continue on the road at Tampa Catholic. The Griffins have Jahmari Johnson (25.3) doing just about everything while Pat Johnson has been a ferocious rebounder and inside finisher. Arzola has been shooting at a high clip. For Tampa Catholic, Knox (19.6) is an aggressive and super gifted athlete while Bronson, a Furman commit has been superb as a shot creator and scorer. Campbell-Finch is a tough nosed two-way player who can hurt you quickly. This will be a fascinating matchup.
3A-Region 2
Matchup: King’s Academy (21-6) at Bell Creek (24-4)
Top Players to Watch: King’s Academy – 2024 6-2 G Jermaine Council, 2023 6-6 F Jack Chamberlain, 2024 6-5 G/F Ransom Soles, 2025 5-11 G Javian Jones; Bell Creek – 2026 6-4 G Jermal Jones, 2025 6-5 G Caleb Sanders, 2024 6-6 F Elijah Payne, 2023 6-2 G Ben Walker.
Insight: Both squads have a quartet of players averaging double digits this season. Bell Creek is led by Jones, who is averaging 17.9 PPG and is building off an impressive year as a freshman. Sanders is coming along as a two-way player while Payne is a bruiser on the boards and Walker is a gifted shooter. For King’s Academy, Council is averaging 17.3 PPG and just topped the 1,000 point mark in the region quarterfinal last week. Chamberlain and Soles are big bodies who can soak up a lot underneath while Jones is a skilled ballhanlder and scrappy defender.
3A-Region 1
Matchup: Maclay (24-3) at Florida State University High (26-2)
Top Players to Watch: Maclay – 2023 6-7 F Blaise Wallace, 2023 5-10 G Collin McAllister, 2023 6-5 G/F Sawyer Stone; Florida State University High – 2023 6-3 G Anthony Robinson, 2024 6-6 F Dakota Morris, 2023 6-0 G Thaddeus Burns
Insight: Matchup No. 3 between these two Tallahassee squads should be the best one. Maclay won the first meeting in early December, 64-62 and held off the Seminoles 76-68 in double overtime in the district final a fews ago. Wallace is averaging 21.4 PPG for Maclay and he has been very good all season long. He is a good shooter and finisher while McAllister and Stone have given solid minutes. Robinson is averaging just under 20 PPG and is looking to carry the load before heading off to Missouri in the fall. Morris and Burns get the job done for FSUS. This is going to be a packed house.
2A-Region 2
Matchup: Central Florida Christian (18-10) at Victory Christian (23-5)
Top Players to Watch: Central Florida Christian – 2023 6-5 G Eduardo Placer, 2023 6-5 G Ty Gustafson, 2023 6-3 G Jaidyn Breville; Victory Christian – 2024 6-3 G Lorenzo Cason, 2024 6-0 G Mike Andino, 2024 6-3 G Jordan Lanier
Insight: Victory Christian won the lone matchup against CFCA, 84-76 in late January. Cason has been on absolute tear this season after showing glimpses of high level talent last season and this summer. He’s averaged over 27 PPG and dropped 57 points in an early January win over Auburndale. Andino and Lanier are too talented two-way junior pieces. Placer, a USC Upstate has been the bonafide leader for CFCA with 20.8 PPG. Gustafson can flat out shoot it and Breville is a gifted athlete. This one should be fun.
1A-Region 4
Matchup: Williston (22-7) at Wildwood (20-7)
Top Players to Watch: Williston – 2023 6-3 G Greg Maxwell, 2024 6-6 F Kyler Lamb, 2024 6-6 F Javon Brown; Wildwood – 2025 5-10 G Adyn Corbin, 2023 6-2 G Zechariah Poyser, 2023 F Ben Bellamy.
Insight: Williston won both matchups during the regular season by an average of 10.5 points. Wildwood is not an easy place to play and with a 1A playoff pedigree over the years, Corbin, Poyser and Bellamy all lead the charge for this stable group. Maxwell has had a banner year since transferring in from Trinity Catholic with 18.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG. Lamb and Brown are lengthy and versatile forwards who won’t be easy to cover. Expect a packed gym with a state tournament trip on the line.
Must Attend: Spring Showcase
Looking to get your prospect to play against the top competition while also earning coverage from The Hoop Vibe scouts as well as media and college coaches in attendance evaluating? Make sure to attend the Spring Showcase on Saturday, March 18 at Bradenton Christian to further your game. Use the code JPerper10 to receive $10 off your purchase.
Jake Perper has been a sports writer since 2010 and a basketball scout since 2015. He was the Southeast Scouting Director for the Prep Hoops Circuit and the lead scout for Prep Hoops’ Florida site for seven years. You can follow him on Twitter @thehoopvibe.