Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Louisville coach set to watch U-School stars
Louisville coach Rick Pitino will pay a visit to Broward County this weekend.
University School coach Adrian Sosa confirmed Pitino will be at St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday to watch Sharks’ standouts Vernon Carey Jr. and Balsa Koprivica play McArthur. The 6-9 Carey and 7-1 Koprivica are two of the top prospects in the nation in the Class of 2019.
Louisville has already offered both Carey and Koprivica, along with Miami, Florida State and Florida, among others. University-McArthur tips off at 7 p.m., the night cap at St. Thomas, one of two sites hosting the 20-team Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. Cypress Bay also will host five matchups Saturday.
Carey, especially, has had a spectacular sophomore season. He averaged more than 30 points a game last week as the Sharks went 2-1 and won the consolation bracket of the John Wall Invitational in North Carolina.
“He played out of his mind,” Sosa said. “In 45 years of that tournament, Vernon ranks 37th all-time in points per game out of over 7,000 kids.”
Koprivica has been slowed the first half of the regular season by an ankle injury he suffered late in preseason practice.
Preston joins 1,000-point club
Da’Mya Preston was honored Wednesday night after reaching 1,000 career points on Dec. 17 in Benjamin’s 60-52 win over Grandview Prep.
“Preston is an amazing player, truly one of a kind,” Benjamin coach Willie Shelton said late Wednesday night.
The 6-foot junior forward, who last year scored 48 points versus district rival Westminster Academy, is averaging 25.3 points and just under 10 rebounds this season as the Bucs (10-3, 4-0) lead District 5-4A.
Following a pregame presentation Wednesday, Preston scored a gamehigh 19 points and grabbed seven boards as Benjamin topped Pine Crest 59-48.
Ely knocked toothless in Tenn.
Blanche Ely center Nick Stampley lost a front tooth in the Tigers’ trip to the Arby’s Classic in Tennessee.
The 6-6 Stampley was hit in the mouth during Ely’s 73-56 loss to McCallie School, of Chattanooga, Tenn.
McCallie would go on to finish as the runner-up in the tournament. Ely went 1-2.
The Tigers will host Dillard on Saturday night in a much-anticipated Broward County showdown.
More on Dillard stars
Dillard Fab 5 standout Jordan Wright scored 103 points in four games in the Panthers’ run to a thirdplace finish at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina.
The 6-5 Wright — a Kentucky commit — had 23 points in the third-place game versus Pace Academy of Georgia.
FSU signee RaiQuan Gray had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Pace.
Dwyer’s Evans getting noticed
Dwyer’s Austin Evans is getting noticed on two fronts.
The 6-5 center, who is a wide receiver for the Panthers’ football team, has a handful of football offers, including Northern Illinois, Toledo, Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic and Idaho.
In basketball, he is drawing interest from Stetson and South Dakota. Evans will be counted on heavily the second half of the year with junior Miles Coleman out with an injured elbow.