District Tournaments Preview (5A-7A)
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January 22nd was the last game day for district tournament seeding, and this Saturday (1/29) is the last day of the regular season. District Tournaments start up the week of 1/31 and all of the seeding has been announced. Some…
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Continue ReadingJanuary 22nd was the last game day for district tournament seeding, and this Saturday (1/29) is the last day of the regular season. District Tournaments start up the week of 1/31 and all of the seeding has been announced. Some of these districts are loaded, and some are lighter than others.
There are 16 districts per class (only 8 in 1A), each district winner will be seeded 1-4 in their Region based on FHSAA ranking. The next four highest ranked teams will receive at-large bids and receive their 5-8 seeding. That means there are four Regions with 8 teams in each regional (32 total teams in classes 2A-7A). Seed 1 will play 8, 2 will play 7, 3 will play 6, and 4 will play 5. The only exception is 1A who only has 8 districts, so only 16 teams make it to Regionals. Here is a proper link to look at district tournament schedules: https://www.maxpreps.com/fl/basketball/girls/playoffs/
Let’s break it down by class here:
7A
Who has the toughest district?
I’d say District 8 and District 10 are the two toughest in 7A. District 5 is deep, too.
District 8 has two of the top four teams with undefeated Riverview Sarasota and Gulf Coast who is on a roll. Whoever gets the 4 seed in their region will be in for a rude awakening with having to face whichever one of these teams loses their district.
District 10 has three of the top 15 teams with Vero Beach (7), Palm Beach Lakes (14), and Centennial (15).
Here is my prediction for what 7A will shape out to be following the District Tournaments:
Region 1
- Colonial (D3)
- Spruce Creek (D2)
- Apopka (D4)
- Oakleaf (D1)
- Oak Ridge (D4)
- Mandarin (D1)
- Hagerty (D3)
- Ocoee (D4)
I think Timber Creek may get snubbed by the ranking system of FHSAA even with how difficult their schedule was.
Region 2
- Dr. Phillips (D5)
- Plant (D6)
- Gulf Coast (D8)
- Durant (D7)
- Riverview Sarasota (D8)
- Haines City (D5)
- West Orange (D5)
- Venice (D8)
Districts 5 and 8 could have three teams in the regional.
Region 3
- Vero Beach (D10)
- Spanish River (D12)
- Wellington (D11)
- Freedom (D9)
- Palm Beach Lakes (D10)
- Centennial (D10)
- Coral Springs (D12)
- Palm Beach Gardens (D10)
District 10 could have four teams in the regional.
Region 4
- Miami (D15)
- Western (D13)
- South Broward (D14)
- Palmetto (D16)
- Flanagan (D14)
- Doral Academy (D15)
- Cooper City (D14)
- South Dade (D16)
District 14 could have three teams in the regional.
Overall, I think Regions 2 and 1 are the toughest followed by 3 and 4.
7A Top Players to Watch – Trinity Turner Trinity Turner 5'7" | CG Dr. Phillips | 2024 State FL , Kalea Rainey Kalea Rainey 5'7" | CG Eustis | 2022 State FL , Carmen Richardson Carmen Richardson 5'8" | CG Colonial | 2024 State FL , Milan Santos Milan Santos 5'3" | PG Colonial HS | 2023 State FL , Reese Tremitiere Reese Tremitiere 6'1" | PF Gulf Coast | 2022 State FL , Madelyn Leslie Madelyn Leslie 5'10" | SG Gulf Coast | 2023 State FL , Katie Ambrose Katie Ambrose 5'5" | PG Gulf Coast | 2022 State FL , Janay Quinn Janay Quinn 5'2" | PG Miami Sr. HS | 2022 State FL , Daimelys Morena, Jaida Civil Jaida Civil 5'11" | PG Palm Bay | 2025 State FL , Yanija Lawson, Tyja Beans Tyja Beans 6'0" | PF Spruce Creek | 2023 State FL , Samaire Slusarek, Krystal Montas, Tanner Strickland Tanner Strickland 5'5" | PG HB Plant | 2023 State FL , Morgan Sieper Morgan Sieper 6'0" | PG Plant | 2023 State FL , Aly Avrach Aly Avrach 5'8" | CG Spanish River | 2022 State FL , Taja Stephens Taja Stephens 5'8" | CG Western | 2022 State FL , Jamesha Card Jamesha Card 5'10" | PF South Broward | 2024 State FL , Mariah Mckenzie Mariah Mckenzie 5'8" | CG American Heritage Plantation | 2023 State FL , Fantasia James Fantasia James 5'10" | SF Oakleaf | 2023 State FL , Kaylah Turner Kaylah Turner 5'5" | PG Oakleaf | 2023 State FL , Amya Patterson Amya Patterson 6'0" | SF Apopka | 2022 State FL
6A
Who has the toughest district?
I’d say District 14 is the toughest in 6A. They have three of the top six teams: STA (1), Blanche Ely (3), and Dillard (6).
Here is my prediction for what 6A will shape out to be following the District Tournaments:
Region 1
- Fort Walton Beach (D2)
- St. Augustine (D4)
- Navarre (D1)
- Gainesville (D3)
- Nease (D4)
- Crestview (D2)
- Ponte Vedra (D4)
- Fleming Island (D3)
District 4 is going to be a battle. District 3 as well.
Region 2
- Wekiva (D5)
- Winter Haven (D7)
- St. Cloud (D6)
- Heritage (D8)
- East River (D5)
- Edgewater (D5)
- Winter Springs (D5)
- Lake Howell (D5)
District 5 could have five teams in the regional which is the most possible.
Region 3
- Bloomingdale (D11)
- Land O’ Lakes (D9)
- Tampa Bay Tech (D10)
- Fort Myers (D12)
- Braden River (D11)
- East Bay (D11)
- Lennard (D11)
- Armwood (D10)
District 11 could have four teams in the regional.
Region 4
- St. Thomas Aquinas (D14)
- Seminole Ridge (D13)
- Lourdes Academy (D16)
- Everglades (D15)
- Blanche Ely (D14)
- Dillard (D14)
- Martin County (D13)
- North Miami (D15)
District 14 could have three teams in the regional.
Overall, I think Region 4 is the toughest followed by 2,1, and 3.
6A Top Players to Watch – Alancia Ramsey Alancia Ramsey 6'0" | PF St Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL , Breanna Gustave Breanna Gustave 5'7" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL , Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL , Nyla McFadden Nyla McFadden 5'11" | SF St. Thomas Aquinas | 2025 State FL , Kamryn Corporan Kamryn Corporan 5'3" | PG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL , Reina Green Reina Green 5'10" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL , Jada Green Jada Green 6'0" | PF St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL , Jada Eads Jada Eads 5'6" | PG Lake Highland Prep | 2024 State FL , Rylan Moffitt, K’Nari Holliday, Shaniyah McCarthy Shaniyah McCarthy 5'8" | CG Wekiva | 2022 State FL , Janessa Kelley Janessa Kelley 5'9" | SG Blanche Ely | 2024 State FL , Zaria Blake Zaria Blake 6'0" | SF Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL , Mya Kone Mya Kone 6'1" | SF Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL , Michiyah Simmons Michiyah Simmons 5'8" | PG Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL , Charisse Martin Charisse Martin 5'7" | CG Blanche Ely | 2024 State FL , Gianna Corbitt Gianna Corbitt 6'1" | SF Blanche Ely | 2024 State FL , Ashleigh Battle Ashleigh Battle 5'2" | PG Blanche Ely | 2023 State FL , Aspen Johnson Aspen Johnson 5'11" | SF Seminole Ridge | 2022 State FL , Ashley Thornton Ashley Thornton 5'6" | CG Seminole Ridge | 2022 State FL , Khyala Ngodu Khyala Ngodu 6'2" | PF Dillard | 2023 State FL , Ny’keria Flowers, Samantha Sherer Samantha Sherer 5'7" | PG Fort Walton Beach | 2022 State FL , Madison Snowden, Janiyah Jackson Janiyah Jackson 6'2" | C St Augustine | 2022 State FL , Sydney Gomes Sydney Gomes 5'9" | SG Nease | 2022 State FL , Kayla Smith Kayla Smith 5'10" | SF Winter Haven | 2022 State FL , Kamryn Bullock Kamryn Bullock 5'10" | SF East River | 2022 State FL , Keyara Bromley Keyara Bromley 5'9" | SG Armwood | 2023 State FL , Rachel Leggett, Na’Haviya Paxton Na’Haviya Paxton 5'8" | CG Columbia | 2022 State FL , Tyra Brown Tyra Brown 6'2" | SF Fort Myers | 2023 State FL , Jadah Toombs Jadah Toombs 5'7" | PG Fort Myers | 2024 State FL , Uniyah Franklin Uniyah Franklin 6'1" | SF Everglades | 2023 State FL , Nyla McKnight, Jazlyn Laguna Jazlyn Laguna 5'0" | CG Everglades | 2024 State FL
5A
Who has the toughest district?
I’d say District 7 is the toughest in 5A followed by District 1. District 7 could get 5 of their teams in the regional which is the most possible and all 5 are ranked in the top 21 of 5A. District 1 could get 4 teams as they are all ranked within the top 27.
Here is my prediction for what 5A will shape out to be following the District Tournaments:
Region 1
- Orange Park (D3)
- Rickards (D1)
- Mainland (D4)
- Ribault (D2)
- Arnold (D1)
- Pine Forest (D1)
- Ridgeview (D3)
- Choctawhatchee (D1)
District 1 could have four teams in the regional.
Region 2
- Bishop Moore (D7)
- Wesley Chapel (D6)
- Vanguard (D5)
- Robinson (D8)
- Auburndale (D7)
- Lake Wales (D7)
- Gateway (D7)
- Jones (D7)
District 7 could have five teams in the regional which is the most possible.
Region 3
- Charlotte (D11)
- Boca Ciega (D10)
- Clearwater (D9)
- South Fort Myers (D12)
- Barron Collier (D12)
- St. Petersburg (D10)
- Mariner (D11)
- Cape Coral (D11)
District 11 could have three teams in the regional.
Region 4
- American Heritage (D14)
- Okeechobee (D13)
- Norland (D15)
- Northwestern (D16)
- Northeast (D14)
- Archbishop McCarthy (D15)
- Rockledge (D13)
- TERRA Environmental (D16)
There’s a chance no district could have more than two teams in the regional.
Overall, I think Region 4 is the most top heavy. The rest should all be battles to see who can dethrone American Heritage.
5A Top Players to Watch – Ta’Niya Latson Ta’Niya Latson 5'8" | CG American Heritage | 2022 State #47 Nation FL , Joey Delancy Joey Delancy 5'8" | CG American Heritage | 2022 State FL , Emani Theodule Emani Theodule 5'6" | CG American Heritage | 2022 State FL , D’Yanis Jimenez D’Yanis Jimenez 5'9" | PG Charlotte | 2023 State FL , Aryana Hicks Aryana Hicks 5'4" | PG Charlotte | 2022 State FL , Eris Lester Eris Lester 5'10" | SF Montverde Academy | 2024 State FL , Nia Brown Nia Brown 5'11" | PF Orange Park | 2022 State FL , McKenzie Neal McKenzie Neal 6'2" | C Okeechobee HS | 2025 NY , Olivia Delancy Olivia Delancy 6'0" | SF Bogie HS | 2022 State FL , Alexis Staton Alexis Staton 5'9" | CG Boca Ciega | 2022 State FL , Karimah Nix Karimah Nix 6'0" | SF Boca Ciega | 2022 State FL , Jameria Robinson, Liv Fuller Liv Fuller 5'10" | SF Clearwater | 2023 State FL , Ava Stoller Ava Stoller 5'6" | PG St. Petersburg | 2023 State FL , Addison Potts Addison Potts 6'0" | CG South Fort Myers | 2022 State FL , Karen Jones, Marissa Brown Marissa Brown 6'0" | PF Choctawhatchee | 2022 State FL , Tahnyjia Purifoy Tahnyjia Purifoy 5'2" | PG Pine Forest HS | 2022 State FL , Gianna Gras, Ace Sturdivant Ace Sturdivant 5'10" | CG Clearwater | 2023 State FL
Outside of all of this opinion and speculation, there is a reason we play the game! Let’s see how it plays out.