Who is Florida’s Number One Team?
In this article:
Who is Florida’s Number One Team? Previewing Montverde Academy v Lake Highland Prep
By Michael Wholey 1/5/21 1:00 PM EST
Montverde Academy and Lake Highland Prep are Florida’s # 1 and # 2 ranked teams and are both ranked top 5 nationally. They square off Wednesday January 6 in a battle for the state’s top spot. We preview the matchup.
Previewing Montverde Academy
The Montverde Academy stand at 13-0 and hold both the state and the nations # 1 spot. They started the season with many question marks as they had a new head coach and a number of new players joining the core group returning from last year. The transition has been fairly smooth with the Eagles ripping off 13 straight wins to start the season.
In state, their top wins have been against # 6 Braden River in early November winning 75-66 where Montverde’s depth proved to be too much for the dynamic backcourt of the state’s top player O’Mariah Gordon O’Mariah Gordon 5'6" | PG Braden River | 2021 State #27 Nation FL and her backcourt mate Cheyenne Stubbs Cheyenne Stubbs 5'7" | CG Braden River | 2021 State FL . Two days later Montverde took down six-time state champ and the states # 12 team Miami Country Day in impressive fashion defeating MCDS 70-39. Montverde jumped on the young Miami Country Day team early jumping to a 20-9 lead after the 1st quarter and a 42-25 lead at half and never let up.
In early December, Montverde again took down one of the state’s top teams defeating # 7 American Heritage (Plantation) 59-46. The game was Montverde’s first matchup where the opponent could match their front court size as American Heritage roster features University of Florida signees 6’2 Taliyah Wyche Taliyah Wyche 6'2" | C American Heritage | 2021 State FL and twin sister 6’2 Tatyana Wyche Tatyana Wyche 6'2" | C American Heritage | 2021 State FL . Ultimately it was Montverde’s guard play that proved to be too much using a dominating 4th quarter to seal the win.
Taking it on the road, Montverde returned from Atlanta this past weekend facing two tough out-of-state opponents and returned with an unblemished record. Trailing Arizona Compass Prep 26-23 at half in the She Got Game Classic, Montverde outscored the tough Compass Prep team 30-18 in the second half to win 53-44. They followed that up with another come from behind win vs Forest Park out of Georgia and their star player South Carolina signee Saniya Feagin. Trailing 34-28 after 3 quarters, Montverde found their scoring ways, dropping 22 points in the 4th quarter and finishing regulation and OT on a 17-3 run to pull out the win defeating Forest Park 62-53.
Previewing Lake Highland Prep
Lake Highland Prep started the season as Maxpreps pre-season # 1 team in the country. Despite not losing a game, they have slid down the polls to # 5. All will be decided in this match up as the # 1 vs # 5 matchup with Montverde Academy has state and national implications. LHP is 10-0 and has also faced some of the state’s top teams defeating # 15 Wekiva 73-55, # 12 Miami Country Day 55-33, and # 10 Palm Bay Magnet 51-37.
The team has been off since December 22nd after traveling to Myrtle Beach and going 3-0 and taking home the United Bank Holiday Invitational Championship. In its first two games, LHP took down Cannon out of North Carolina 59-42 and Camden 73-60 out of South Carolina in dominating fashion and handing Hamden its first loss of the season. But perhaps Lake Highland Prep most impressive win came on December 22 in the championship game defeating New Hope Academy out of Maryland 36-33. The matchup was the marquee game of the event as New Hope came in ranked top 10 nationally and Maryland’s # 1 ranked team. The low scoring affair was a battle to the final buzzer with LHP pulling out the 3-point victory.
Guard Play
Lake Highland Prep features a solid trio of guards led by 2022 5’7 guard Stefanie Ingram Stefanie Ingram 5'7" | CG Lake Highland | 2022 State FL who is verbally committed to UCF. Fellow Junior Sierra Godbolt Sierra Godbolt 5'7" | PG Lake Highland | 2022 State FL , Sophomore Eleecia Carter Eleecia Carter 5'7" | CG Lake Highland Prep | 2023 State FL , and Freshman Lexi Blue Lexi Blue 6'1" | SF Lake Highland Prep | 2024 State FL and Bri Rivera give LHP some depth in the back court and Rivera has been on fire as of late and is capable of stretching out any defense.
Montverde is led by 2023 Mjracle Sheppard Mjracle Sheppard 5'8" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL who has been special this season. In the backcourt with her is fellow Sophomore Rusne Augustinaite Rusne Augustinaite 5'10" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL , along with 2022 sharpshooter Fernanda Ovalle Fernanda Ovalle 5'11" | SF Montverde Academy | 2022 State FL , and Furman signee Niveya Henley Niveya Henley 6'0" | SF Montverde Academy | 2021 State FL who can play both the guard and forward spots.
The Lake Highland Prep guards are talented, tough and competitive but I have to give the nod to Montverde. They are long, athletic, and versatile. Lake Highland Prep will be giving up 2-3 inches at minimum at each guard spot.
Front Court
Montverde features 6’2 Florida State signee Mariana Valenzuela Mariana Valenzuela 6'2" | PF Montverde Academy | 2021 State FL , 6’1 Maria Myklebust, 6’3 Fatima Diakhate Fatima Diakhate 6'6" | C Montverde Academy | 2022 State FL , and Ovalle, Augustinaite, and Henley can all slide over to the 4 spot if necessary. Valenzuela is a walking double-double and Diakhate is a major presence at the rim.
Lake Highland Prep front court is the dynamic duo of Alabama signee 6’1 Kayla Blackshear Kayla Blackshear 6'1" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2021 State #61 Nation FL and 2022 6’2 Nyla Harris Nyla Harris 6'2" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2022 State #34 Nation FL . Blackshear is extremely active and is constantly around the ball and one of the country’s top rebounders on both the offense and defensive glass. She is a high energy, versatile forward who runs the floor in transition and gets rewarded with a ton of easy baskets. Harris on the other hand is one of the country’s top prospects recently narrowing her recruiting down to 5 school (Florida State, NC State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Louisville). She is athletic, strong and skilled and can play both inside and out.
I give the nod to Lake Highland Prep in the front court. Blackshear and Harris are the country’s top front court from what I have seen and play exceptionally well together and are the heart and soul of the team.
Prediction
I am hoping for a great matchup and will be in the building to take in all the action. I predict Montverde Academy will win based on guard play and depth. I think it is going to be hard for Harris and Blackshear to stay out of foul trouble and Lake Highland Prep doesn’t have any other options when those two are off the floor at the post. If Harris and Blackshear can stay on the floor and Lake Highland Prep can neutralize Mjracle Sheppard Mjracle Sheppard 5'8" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL and get touches for Harris and Blackshear on the offensive end, then we will have a ball game. All and all it is exciting as too often these type of matchups don’t happen. The state’s top two teams battling it out with state and national implications. No matter what the outcome is, it is a win for Florida basketball.
Michael Wholey is the Senior Scout of Prep Girls Hoops Florida. You can reach him at WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com or on Twitter @WholeyPrepHoops and Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.