Columbus’ Boozer shines on international stage with Team USA; Riviera’s Allen transfers
Over the past three years, Cameron Boozer has dominated at the state and national levels.
This past week, the Columbus High basketball star shined on the global stage.
On a team of prep stars, Boozer stood out last week while leading Team USA to the championship of the FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.
Boozer scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the final - a 129-88 victory over Italy - to earn Tissot MVP honors for the tournament.
Boozer, a three-time Miami Herald Basketball Player of the Year who has led Columbus to three consecutive state titles during his prep career, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the tournament.
Boozer, who is ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports, was joined on the roster by his brother Cayden, ranked No. 19, as well as several other top prospects including Arizona’s Koa Peat and Utah Prep’s AJ Dybantsa - the top overall prospect. Cayden Boozer averaged 6.4 assists and 4.9 points for the tournament.
In four knockout rounds, USA beat the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand and Italy by an average margin of 67 points. The United States’ closest game was a 104-81 win in pool play against France.
Cameron Boozer, a 5-star prospect who is being recruited by numerous college programs such as Duke, Kentucky, Miami, Florida and FSU, won Florida’s Mr. Basketball honors as well as Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year honors.
After leading Columbus to a No. 2 national ranking last season and a third consecutive state title, Boozer led the Explorers to a runner-up finish at The Throne national tournament and later to the semifinals of the Chipotle Nationals before losing to national champion Montverde Academy.
Next season, Cameron and Cayden Boozer are would-be favorites to lead Columbus to a fourth consecutive state title. Should they achieve this goal, the Explorers would become only the second Miami-Dade County school and third in South Florida to do so, joining Miami Norland and Fort Lauderdale Dillard.
STAR TRANSFERS
One Dade star that will not be returning to try to extend his team’s state championship streak is Dante Allen. After leading Riviera Prep to back-to-back state titles, Allen recently transferred to Montverde Academy.
Allen, a 6-3, 210-pound shooting guard who has multiple Division-I offers including Michigan and Villanova, is ranked No. 80 overall in the nation by 247 Sports and was the Miami Herald’s Class 4A-2A Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. He averaged 21 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3 assists per game.
The Bulldogs, who still return sibling guards Mason and Myles Fuentes as well as 6-10 center Gustavo Guimaraes, will now compete in Class 2A starting next season after the FHSAA recently announced its new classifications for basketball. Riviera Prep will still be in the same region as Broward County powerhouse Westminster Academy in a bracket that will now also include True North Classical Academy. Defending 2A champ Sagemont, however, moved to Class 1A and Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian moved up to Class 3A.
FOOTBALL COMMITS
A couple of South Florida’s top wide receiver recruits recently committed to FBS schools.
West Broward senior Joshua Moore committed to the University of Florida while Homestead senior Cortez Mills committed to Oklahoma.
Moore, a 6-4, 205-pound three-star prospect, is rated the No. 48 overall receiver in the nation by 247 Sports.
Mills (6-1, 165), who has helped Homestead reach the Class 3M state final each of the past two seasons, is a four-star prospect rated No. 21 in the country among wide receivers by 247.
