We are a few weeks into the 2022-2023 Florida high school boys basketball season, which means a picture is beginning to take shape. Read on as we address the biggest questions, concerns, and general thoughts on the season so far.
Top Team in Florida: Columbus, Montverde, or IMG?
ESPN recently released their rankings of the top 25 boys high school basketball teams in the country, and these three from Florida made the list. ESPN ranked Montverde Academy at No. 3 overall, IMG academy at 13th, and the Columbus Explorers 19th. One of the big questions is which is the best in Florida; I believe the disparity between them is much closer, and Columbus may be criminally underrated.
All three of these teams either have played, or will play, national opponents. Montverde plays the most, with 15 of the 19 games on their schedule against teams from outside of Florida. That schedule makes sense, considering they are an independent program and do not compete in the FHSAA, but regularly play for high school national championships. IMG plays the most in-state opponents, with only a handful of games being to non-Florida teams.
Each of these teams has only one loss so far this season, with IMG’s lone defeat coming by way of an 80-55 blowout at the hands of Montverde. Columbus’ only loss was to ESPN’s No. 1-ranked Duncanville (TX), and Montverde’s loss came to second- ranked AZ Chandler Prep.
Where will these teams end up, and just which one is the best? Unfortunately none of these teams will play each other again this year, so it’s hard to tell, but they will play some common opponents. The Montverde win over IMG probably puts them on top, but I think Columbus is a close second.
Will Anyone Challenge Columbus for the 7A Title?
Of the three teams mentioned above, the Columbus Explorers are the only team eligible to win a state championship within the Florida High School Athletic Association, as both Montverde Academy and IMG opt to compete as independents. With that said, Columbus seems far and away the best team in any FHSAA classification this year, and finding someone who is going to challenge them for that title may prove to be difficult.
Last year, there was a worthy opponent in Orlando’s Dr. Phillips High School. The Panthers captured the number one overall seed in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state playoffs in class 7A, even over the Explorers, and the two teams met in the state title game. Dr. Phillips took the Explorers down to the wire before narrowly losing in a tight contest, 45-44.
This year, however, is proving to be different, as a threat from Dr. Phillips to dethrone Columbus appears unlikely. The Panthers are currently winless and do not seem nearly as talented as they were a year ago.
Who, then, can challenge Columbus? That’s another one of the biggest questions to consider regarding Florida high school boys basketball at this point. One possible contender may be the Winter Haven Blue Devils. They were a Class 6A state semifinalist last year after a regular season record of 23-8, and they are consistently a top-rated team in the state.
The Blue Devils have gotten off to an undefeated start in 2022 and have looked dominant in some games against national opponents. Whether they will be a threat to Columbus is yet to be seen, but we will get a good idea of how talented they are when they square off against Montverde and IMG later this season.
Who Is The Best Team in Florida Outside the Top 3?
Winter Haven may be the answer to the last of our big questions about Florida high school boys basketball in 2022-23. With a handful of talented out-of-state opponents on their schedule and having dominated all opponents so far, the Blue Devils will likely continue to be a Florida favorite throughout the season. We could be looking at a playoff showdown between Winter Haven and Columbus in the playoffs.
One team that hasn’t quite gotten a lot of recognition are the Providence Stallions. This may be because they compete in Class 3A, but the Stallions are currently undefeated and have only been challenged in one game so far this season. They will be a real contender in 3A this year.
Another team that has had a strong showing so far is the Ponte Vedra Sharks. Coming off a state title game appearance in which they fell short, they may be the best team in 6A Florida high school basketball right now.
