Area alums receive Big Dance tickets

The Sentinel coverage area is represented by 18 high school players who made this year's men's NCAA Tournament.

Exactly half of those guys are from Montverde Academy, the Lake County boarding school widely regarded as the best high school basketball program in the U.S. But the list includes an impressive roster of homegrown products, including stalwart senior point guard

Joel Berry II of defending champion North Carolina.

Senior Joe Chealey and sophGrant Riller are the two top players for Charleston, and Kerry Blackshear is a sophomore starter for Virginia Tech, which played Alabama Thursday night.

Here's the complete list:

Joel Berry II, North

Carolina (Lake Highland Prep): Sr. guard was second on team at 17.1 points per game on 40-percent shooting. Tied for second in steals (37), second in assists (111).

Justin Bibbs, Virginia

Tech (Montverde): Sr. guard was second on team with 13.1 ppg. on 49-percent shooting. Connected on 63 3-pointers, second on team.

Kerry Blackshear Jr.,

Virginia Tech (Evans): Sophomore was third on team with 12.6 ppg. on 56-percent shooting. Led team with 29 blocked shots, second with 6.1 rebounds per game.

Jordan Caroline, Nevada (Montverde): Junior was second with 17.9 ppg., led in rebounds (8.8).

Joe Chealey, Charleston (Apopka): Senior guard connected on a team-high 62 3-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Davonta Jordan, Buffalo (Montverde): Soph guard led team in assists (142) and steals (40) while averaging 6.9 ppg.

Christ Koumadje, Florida State (Montverde): Jr. center was second on team in blocks (32), fourth in rebounds per game (4.7). Averaging 7.4 ppg. on 65-percent shooting.

Travis Light, Florida

State (Montverde): Freshman guard played six minutes and shot 2-of-5 for 6 points in three games. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall (Montverde): Freshman averaged 9.7 minutes per game in 32 appearances off bench.

Will Miles, Florida

State (Trinity Prep): Freshman played six minutes in three games.

Sidy N’Dir, New Mexico State (West Oaks): Junior guard was fifth on team with eight points per game on 42 percent shooting through 32 starts. Kouat Noi, TCU (Montverde): Freshman was fifth on team with 10.3 ppg. on 50-percent shooting. Eight starts in 32 games.

Tristan Owens, Radford (Orlando University): Junior played 55 minutes and shot 4-of-20 for 11 points in 15 games.

Micah Potter, Ohio

State (Montverde): Soph center averaged 10.4 minutes 34.3 ppg. in four starts and 27 appearances.

Grant Riller, Charleston (Ocoee): Soph guard averaged 18.7 ppg. on 55-percent shooting. Connected on 54 3-pointers and tallied a team-high 41 steals.

Howard Washington,

Syracuse (Montverde): Freshman shot 5-of-17 for 19 points in 18 games.

Wyatt Wilkes, Florida

State (Winter Park): Freshman has played 44 minutes, shot 2-of-9 for four points.

Malik William, Clemson (The First Academy): Fr. forward scored 22 points in 16 games played.