Five Takeaways: Locals in March Madness; NSU graduation losses and more
From Miami all the way to North Dakota, former Miami-Dade/Broward County prep stars have made their mark in this year’s men’s basketball NCAA Tournament.
In addition, what’s next for the Nova Southeastern University men’s basketball dynasty? And, we look at women’s golf at Barry University and baseball at Miami Dade College.
Here are 5 Takeaways:
1. MARCH MADNESS
Miami-Dade and Broward high schools have been well represented at the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament, most notably the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, from Miami Columbus to Duke.
Malik Reneau (Mater Academy) and Dante Allen (Riviera Prep) made the tournament with Miami.
Incredibly, Westminster Academy was represented by three players in the tournament: Alex Lloyd (Florida); Jaylen Carey (Tennessee); and Chase Johnston (High Point), who became a cult hero during the tournament due to his long-range shooting. Cooper Josefsberg (Riviera Prep) was also on the Florida roster.
In addition, Florida Christian’s Markhi Strickland played in the tournament this year for North Dakota State.
Of the nine players listed above, seven of them started at least eight games this season: the Boozer twins, Reneau; Allen; Johnston; Carey; and Strickland.
2. FAMILY TIES
The Boozers’ father is Carlos Boozer, a two-time NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist. Allen’s father is Malik Allen, who played 10 years in the NBA and is now a Heat assistant coach.
Carey’s father, Vernon, was an NFL first-round offensive tackle with the Dolphins who also won a national title with the Hurricanes. And Strickland’s father, Mark, played pro basketball for more than a decade, including with the Heat.
Markhi Strickland, by the way, is perhaps the most under-the-radar player on the list above. He’s a 6-6, 220-pound guard with a 42-inch vertical leap.
Jason Doan, the former Florida Christian coach, said Strickland was one of his favorite players ever, even though he played just one year at the school, as a sophomore.
“He was a late bloomer, but he had high energy,” Doan said. “He was long and lanky and a bit uncoordinated at that time, but you knew he was an (ascending talent).”
Strickland said he’s grateful to Doan, who gave him his first shot at varsity ball.
“He allowed me to make mistakes,” said Strickland, who has played at three other colleges, Saint Louis, Victoria and Western Michigan.
3. HARD TO REPLACE
Ross Reeves, Dallas Graziani, Jaxon Nap and Ryan Davis are going to be a hard act to follow.
That quartet led the NSU Sharks men’s basketball team to a No. 1 national ranking in NCAA Division II this season. Their run ended in the national semifinals, going 31-2. The four players listed above combined to average 66.9 points. Reeves was seventh in the nation in scoring (23.1).
Beyond scoring, Graziani was named an All-American, ranking sixth in the nation in assists (6.2). Nap was NSU’s top rebounder (8.8), and Davis provided relentless defense and secondary scoring.
“We’re looking for good players,” NSU coach Jim Crutchfield said when asked about recruiting. “But we’re also looking for our own guys who didn’t play that much this season to develop and pick it up a notch.”
Don’t doubt Crutchfield and the Sharks, who have made it to four straight Final Fours, winning two national titles during that span. In 2022-2023, the Sharks won it all with a 36-0 record, and they then lost all five starters, including four of them to transfers.
The next year, with a “depleted” roster, they went 32-3, losing at the buzzer in the national title game to Minnesota State Mankato.
4. BUCS ON THE RISE
Braydon Bennett, who is in his first year coaching Barry’s women’s golf team, has had some early success.
The Bucs are ranked 12th in the nation in NCAA Division II competition, and junior Tereza Zavrelova – who is from the Czech Republic – is the Sunshine State Conference’s reigning Player of the Week.
Bennett spent the past three years at Dallas Baptist, which won two national titles in women’s golf during that span.
5. TWO TO WATCH
Miami Dade College’s baseball team, long a haven for MLB draft picks, entered this week with a 19-14-1 record.
Coach Lazaro Llanes said Willy Mendez, who has committed to play Division I ball next season at Gardner Webb, is leading the way. Mendez is hitting .360 with seven homers.
On the mound, Samuel Alonso has been impressive with a 3.52 ERA, fourth in the state.