10-time state champ OCP leads 6 area teams to Lakeland
Orlando Christian Prep plays by the mantra that if the opponent can’t score they can’t win.
The Warriors will bank on defense in their bid to defend their record-setting state championship run in this week’s FHSAA boys basketball state tournament at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
OCP has won three consecutive state championships and an unprecedented 10 in the past 15 seasons.
Three more Orlando area state qualifiers — Jones (2006), Oak Ridge (2018) and Windermere Prep (2016) — also have won state championships in the sport. Wekiva was close as a runner-up in 2017.
Colonial is the one Orlando region winner that finds itself at a new level. Friday’s 7A semifinal for the 13th-ranked Grenadiers against powerhouse Miami Columbus is the first boys basketball state tournament appearance for a school that is 65 years old.
Columbus, which is ranked as high as No. 6 nationally, is led by the twin sons of former NBA player Carlos Boozer. Cameron Boozer is a 6-foot-9 junior forward averaging 21.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Cayden Boozer is a 6-5 guard averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
“Personally, I enjoy a challenge. That’s what led me to Colonial in the first place,” Colonial coach Gary McDaniel said on Monday. “I’m happy that we have time to prepare for a team that is that strong. Our goal is to try to win the whole thing. Since we’re not supposed to be here anyway, why not? Let’s see what happens.”
Columbus did lose its district final against Miami Palmetto before winning its three region games by large margins.
Colonial, Oak Ridge, Jones and Wekiva also lost district finals before bouncing back.
Here are the matchups for area teams:
Admission is $10 if purchased in advance (rpfundingcenter.com) or
$13 day of game. Parking is $10.
Wednesday
CLASS 3A SEMIFINAL
Windermere Prep (23-7) vs. Providence School (28-2), 10 a.m.
WPS top scorers: Brandon Bass Jr., 6-4, Fr. (17.9); Chandler Watts, 6-5, Jr. (13.1). Notable: Windermere Prep, a 2016 state champ, makes its second final-four appearance against the team ranked No. 1 in 3A all season. The No. 4 seed Lakers have scored 12 wins by 7 points or less and had four losses by 5 points or less. Providence beat 2022 state champ Florida High in overtime in the Region 1 final.
Quotable: “I think we’re comfortable in the underdog role,” said fifth-year Lakers coach Brian Hoff. “With the guys we lost and three freshmen in the top six, no one really picked us to be where we are now before the season. We’ve been the underdog all year.”
Next: Saturday 10 a.m. championship game against the winner of Wednesday’s Miami Riviera Prep (25-6) vs. Tampa Catholic (19-10) semifinal.
CLASS 2A SEMIFINAL
Orlando Christian Prep (24-3) vs. Tampa SLAM (20-10), 2 p.m.
OCP top scorers: Isaiah Brown, 6-4, Jr. (18.7); Ameer Ramadan, 6-0, Jr. (13.3). Notable: 10-time state champ OCP lost two top prospects — 6-9 Jayden Hastings and guard Mikel Brown — to academies prior to the season but is right back in familiar territory in Lakeland. Four of the Warriors’ top six players are juniors. This is the first state-tourney appearance for Sports Leadership and Management, a charter school. Both teams have shot 541 3-point attempts. OCP has made 195, SLAM 175. Quotable: “We’ve done a good job of eliminating unforced errors as the season has gone on,” said seventh-year OCP head coach Treig Burke. “We’re getting more from our bench. We trust those guys. They’ve earned it.”
Next: Friday 4:30 p.m. championship game against the winner of Wednesday’s Sagemont School (27-4) vs. North Florida Educational Institute (22-8) semifinal.
Thursday
CLASS 5A SEMIFINAL
Jones (16-11) vs. Miami Belen Jesuit (26-4), 2 p.m.
Jones top scorers: Omari Henry, 6-1, Jr.: Temario Pringle, 6-0, Jr..
Notable: This is the ninth final four for Jones, which went 10 years without getting to Lakeland until it made a surprise run in 2022. The Tigers returned eight players from last season, five of whom played in the excruciating 85-78 overtime state semifinal loss to St. Petersburg. No. 1-ranked Belen makes its first state-tourney appearance. The Wolverines won their region final 70-58 against Miami Norland and are on a 13-game winning streak.
Quotable: ”We’re jelling at the right time,” said secondyear Jones coach Travis Aiken. “That district loss at home was a wakeup call. They guys are locked in. They don’t want to have that feeling they had last year.”
Next: Saturday 3 p.m. championship game against the winner of Thursday’s St. Petersburg (23-6) vs. Daytona Beach Mainland (24-5) semifinal. CLASS 6A SEMIFINAL Wekiva (26-4) vs. Ponte Vedra (22-6), 8 p.m.
Wekiva top scorers: Malachi Hampton, 6-6, Sr. (12.6); Darius Livingston, 6-1, Soph. (9.5).
Notable: Wekiva is the No. 2 seed behind Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer but must go without leading scorer K.J. Robinson (15.2 ppg.), who missed most of the playoffs due to a knee issue. Ninthyear Mustangs coach Gersino Lubin said he remains confident with what is still the deepest team he has had. The Mustangs were state runner-ups to Kissimmee Osceola in 2016-17 when current NBA player Paul Reed was a senior.
Quotable: ”Ponte Vedra is very disciplined and we have to adapt our defense to what they do well,” Lubin said.“They take advantage of defenses that fall asleep. We have to be mentally engaged for 32 minutes.”
Next: Saturday 5:30 p.m. championship game against the winner of Thursday’s Dwyer (27-1) vs. Tampa Wharton (24-6) semifinal.
Friday
CLASS 7A SEMIFINAL
Colonial (24-6) vs. Miami Columbus (24-4), 12:30 p.m.
Colonial top scorers: Dominic Sanders, 6-0, Sr. (17.6); Stitch Timo, 6-6, Sr. (14.2); Emmanuel Rislin, 6-8, Sr. (11.8).
Notable: No. 4 seed Colonial has its hands full as a big underdog against reigning state champ Columbus, ranked No. 1 across all seven classifications. The Explorers played a national schedule, meeting 13 teams from out of state. They went 2-3 against teams currently in the top seven of the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings, including 3-point losses to No. 1 John Marshall (25-0) of Virginia and Duncanville (29-1) of Texas. Quotable: ”I think the hype is real. They start five legitimate Division 1 players,” secondyear Colonial coach Gary McDaniel said of Columbus. Next: Saturday 8 p.m. championship game against the winner of Friday’s Oak Ridge vs. Winter Haven semifinal.
CLASS 7A SEMIFINAL
Oak Ridge (19-9) vs. Winter Haven (26-4), 2:30 p.m.
Oak Ridge top scorers: Travis Johnson, 6-5, Jr. (17.4); Jordan Tillery, 6-5, Jr. (14.6); Jalen Reece, 6-0, Sr., Soph. (13.6).
Notable: Oak Ridge, playing only underclassmen, is in the state tournament for the fourth time in six years. The 3 seed Pioneers face a Winter Haven squad that is ranked No. 2 behind Columbus. Oak Ridge’s depth includes 6-6 junior Cam Simpson, a UCF commit, and 6-3 junior Elijah Elliott, who has come on strong in the postseason. Dylan James (12.8 ppg., 9.4 rpg.), a 6-9 Georgia signee, is the fourth leading scorer for the balanced Blue Devils. Quotable: ”This is a wellearned final four,” said sixth-year Pioneers coach Steve Reece. “Wellington, Lake Worth, Windermere [in region games]. …. That road wasn’t easy.”
Next: Saturday 8 p.m. championship game against the winner of Friday’s Colonial vs. Columbus semifinal.