For fans of college basketball, as well as sports in general, there is arguably no more exciting time than March Madness. With the conference tournaments beginning, as well as the NCAA Tournament set to tipoff in the coming weeks, which former Florida high school basketball stars should you be watching for this March?
Keegan Murray – Iowa Hawkeyes
A three-star prospect out of DME Academy in the Class of 2020, Murray currently ranks fourth in the entire country in scoring at 23.3 points per game (PPG), as well as averaging 8.5 rebounds per game (RPG) and 2 blacks per game (BPG). Leading the Hawkeyes in both scoring and rebounding on 56.6% shooting from the field, the sophomore is also a candidate for the National Player of the Year.
Armando Bacot – North Carolina Tar Heels
Ranking fifth nationally with 12.5 RPG, the former five-star Class of 2019 IMG Academy product is also averaging a career-high 16.6 PPG on 59.5% shooting from the field. Bacot is also among the favorites for the 2021-22 ACC Player of the Year.
Zach Edey – Purdue Boilermakers
A three-star prospect out of IMG Academy in the Class of 2020, the 7-foot-3 center is one of the top frontcourt players in the Big Ten where Edey averages 14.7 PPG and 7.6 RPG.
Jalen Duren – Memphis Tigers
Florida high school basketball’s highest-ranked recruit a year ago, the five-star Montverde Academy star is averaging 12.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.3 BPG as one of the nation’s top freshmen.
Darius Days – LSU Tigers
A former four-star prospect and top 100 overall player in the Class of 2018 at The Rock, Days is having a career-year at LSU where the senior is averaging 13.6 PPG, as well as 7.7 RPG.
Mark Williams – Duke Blue Devils
Similar to Bacot previously, Williams is also a former five-star IMG Academy product from the Class of 2020 who is one of the top frontcourt players in the ACC. Williams is averaging 11 PPG so far this season for the Blue Devils on 71.5% shooting, along with 7.1 RPG and 2.8 BPG.
As for some other former Florida High School Basketball stars to watch for as we enter March Madness, each of these names listed below could play key roles toward their teams’ success.
Andrew Nembhard – Gonzaga Bulldogs
Caleb Houstan – Michigan Wolverines
Marcus Carr – Texas Longhorns
Terrence Shannon Jr – Texas Tech Red Raiders
Kris Murray – Iowa Hawkeyes
Moussa Diabate – Michigan Wolverines
Brandon Murray – LSU Tigers
Lester Quinones – Memphis Tigers
