Michael Lipman, the legal guardian for University of Connecticut men’s basketball recruit Zach Brown, said the high school junior left Miami High for academic as well as athletic reasons.
Brown, a 7-1, 265-pound center, flew to Connecticut on Tuesday night and has enrolled at Putnam Science Academy, a prep school roughly 20 minutes from the UConn campus in Storrs.
“This is a great opportunity for Zach,” Lipman said. “My concern is to get him the best education possible to get him ready for college.”
It will be the fourth high school for Brown, who started his basketball career at Archbishop Curley (eighth grade), followed by Miami Beach (freshman and sophomore) and then Miami High.
He left Miami High just as the team is preparing to make a playoff run, but Brown has not played since Dec. 30 because of an indefinite suspension.
Brown and other players were suspended after a fight between Miami High and Gainesville (Georgia) on Dec. 21 at the King of the Bluegrass tournament in Fairdale, Kentucky.
Lipman said “Zach was provoked” in the fight but declined to discuss it further.
As for the transfer, Lipman said this was the best decision for Brown.
“From a basketball standpoint, we don’t know when the [Florida High School Athletic Association] will rule on the suspension [being lifted],” LIpman said.
“It was a very difficult decision for Zach. He loved Miami High. But we can’t let a five-star recruit and a potential NBA lottery pick waste away. His [espn.com national] ranking has already fallen from 17 to 25 because of this.”
MORE BOYS’ BASKETBALL
▪ Ransom Everglades 68, Marathon 43: RE: C. Bartley 16, J. Howard 2, J. Pardo 12, S. Bolduc 2, A. Andris 21, G. Cohen 3, N. Cobb 10, R.J. Kayal 2. MAR: J. McDonald 3, J. Torna 3, B. Estevez 16, C. Chaplin 6, C. Freemen 3, T. Goodwin 3, R. Wells 1, J. Qualls 8. Rebounds: C. Bartley 7, N. Cobb 7. Assists: C. Bartley 6. Steals: C. Bartley 4, N. Cobb 4.
▪ Archbishop Curley 81, International Studies 50: AC (17-8): Deshommes 4, Anilus 33, Antoine 4, Walker 2, Bodie 4, Acosta 8, Agustin 2, Cajuste 7, Alfonso 12, Fields 6. IS: Javier 2, Delossante 9, Chamizo 9, Tejeda 19, Martinolli 5, Martinez 2. Rebounds: Alfonso 8. Steals: Fields 4, Anilus 4, Deshommes 4. Assists: Anilus 8. HT: 46-24 AC. Three-pointers: Anilus 3.
▪ Archbishop Carroll 63, Coral Park 41: AC: Anglada 18, Villamil 15, Silva 10, Deribeaux 7, Aarestrup 6, Cordero 3, Garcia 2, Marin 2. CP: Hernandez 14, Eastman 7, Tatis 7, Sanchez 3, Jara 2, Rivero 2, Leyton 2, Fiore 2, Ramon 2. Rebounds: Garcia 6. Assists: Cordero 10. Steals: Anglada 4. Three pointers: Villamil 5.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
▪ District 15-8A semifinal — Lourdes 76, South Miami 60: The Bobcats (21-6) hit 10 three-pointers and overcame a 33-point performance by Khadijan Brown to rally past the Cobras (19-8).
Brown, a 6-3 senior forward who is being recruited by Texas A&M, Alabama and Jacksonville, scored 18 of the Cobras’ 19 second-half points.
“We knew our strength was inside,” Cobras coach Unethia Fox said. “But our guards got lax.”
Lourdes, which will play Ferguson for the district title on Friday at Coral Park, earned its first lead of the game with 2:25 left in the game.
The score was tied with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter before the Bobcats closed the game on a 20-4 run.
Erica Moralejo, who led Lourdes with 18 points, had nine in the fourth quarter, including a pair of three-pointers.
“Our pressure defense finally wore them down,” Lourdes coach Chris McKeon said. “We were able to create offense off our defense.”
With the win, the Bobcats are assured of reaching the regional playoffs for the 19th time in the past 21 years.
LOU (21-6): Maristany 11, Minervino 12, Vidal 7, Couto 13, Midolo 9, Lopez 6, Moralejo 18. SM (18-5): Thomas 10, Herbert 5, Doctor 2, Brown 33, Delgado 10. HT: 41-35 SM. Steals: Midolo 6. Assists: Minervino 5. Rebounds: Brown 16. Three-pointers: Maristany, Minervino, Vidal, Couto, 2, Lopez 2, Moralejo 3, Delgado 2.
MORE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
▪ District 15-8A — Ferguson 66, Coral Gables 25: FER (20-7): Pineda 16, Diaz 13, Laureano 9, Perez 8, Rodriguez 7, Buitrago 6, Daniels 4, Riley 2, Gonzalez 1. CG: Lansberg 8, Rodriguez 4, Johnson 4, Walton 4, TaGrant 3,Luis 2. HT: FER 54-15. Three pointers: Diaz 4. Assists: Perez 6, Rodriguez 6. Rebounds: Daniels 12. Steals: Rodriguez 10, Gonzalez 10. Blocks: Daniels 5.
▪ District 15-2A — Hebrew Academy 26, Divine Savior 24: HA (7-7): Dobin 14, Reich 3, Sugar 2, Chami 2, Sedighim 3, Levin 2. DS: Pena 2, Quinores 2, Porter 5, Mueller 4, Mortenu 8, Park 3. HT: 14-5 HA. Rebounds: Dobin 13. Assist: Reich 4.
▪ District 14-4A — Gulliver Prep 42, Westminster Christian 20: GP (23-3): Ra. Kaiser 4, Pyatt 2, Pinder 12, Kunkel 3, Joseph 4, Thomas 17. WC: Poveda 12, Hernandez 6, Coakley 3. Three-pointers: Pinder 2. Rebounds: Thomas 12. Assists: Kunkel 4. Steals: Pinder 6. HT: GP 20-10.
▪ District 16-3A — Palmer Trinity 48, Everglades Prep 18: PT (14-4): James 19, Dobrinsky 8, Esco 6, Herling 6, Iglesias 2, Lewis 4, Reynolds 3. EGP: Scott 8, Ballard 6, Bonilla 4. HT: PT 30-6. Three-pointers: James 3. Rebounds: Dobrinsky 7. Assists: Esco 6. Steals: Iglesias 4.
▪ District 16-6A — Doral Academy 66, Sunset 17: SUN: Jones 2, Almonte 4, Zuniga 3, Lopez 8. DA (21-5): Martinez 2, Osceola 4, Abdala 6, Suarez 2, Suarez 2, Machado 3, Arriete 6, Rondon 2, Vega 11, Molina 2, Rodriguez 6, Barrios 8, Guerrero 4, Torres 4. HT: 36-7 DA. Three-pointers: Arriete 2. Rebounds: Suarez 4. Assists: Barrios 6.
▪ District 15-3A — Florida Christian 37, Riviera Prep 13: FC: M. Irvine 8, M.Nunez 7, S.Milton 8, A.Castellano 9, R.Rico 5. Steals: M.Nunez 7. Rebounds: M.Irvine 15.
▪ District 16-5A — American Heritage 55, Coconut Creek 27.
▪ District 16-5A — Hallandale 54, Archbishop McCarthy 42.
▪ District 13-4A — Coral Springs Charter 54, American Heritage (Delray) 46.
▪ District 16-3A — Marathon 53, Palm Glades Prep 51.
▪ District 16-6A — Miami Springs 53, Jackson 39.
WRESTLING
Wednesday’s match between two-time defending state champion South Dade and host Columbus — billed as “Wrestling Under the Stars” — became a much more routine “Wrestling in the Gym” event after rain ruined the original promotion.
South Dade won 60-15.
Columbus coach Jim Husk, who has been directing wrestlers since the state started sanctioning the sport in 1965, got the idea to have what he believed would be the first outdoor/night-time wrestling match in Florida prep history.
But after the weather failed to cooperate, Husk will have to wait until next season for some other night to try the promotion.
Belen athletic director Carlos Barquin said his school used to have outdoor matches in the afternoon in the 1980s and 1990s. But that wasn’t by choice — that was before Belen built its gym in 1996.
FOOTBALL
The Gulf Coast high school Football Conference, a south Florida Independent league, is getting stronger next season.
In addition to the six teams in the league in 2015 — Archbishop McCarthy, Key West, Pembroke Pines Charter, Coral Glades, North Broward Prep and Riviera Beach’s Inlet Grove, the league has added four of the top teams from the Southeastern Football Conference.
SFC champion Coral Springs Charter, which went 11-0 this past season, and runner-up and 2014 champion Calvary Christian have moved to the GCFC.
They will be also be joined by two more of that conference’s top teams, Westminster Academy and Pompano Beach.
The four should bring depth to a league that had one of the area’s strongest independent teams in GCFC champion Archbishop McCarthy. The Mavericks went 11-0.
ANDRE FERNANDEZ
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
BCAA Big 8 quarterfinals at Fort Lauderdale: Taravella vs. McArthur, 6:30; Blanche Ely vs. Coral Springs, 8
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL FINALS
District 12-8A at Piper: 7
District 13-8A at Flanagan: 6
District 14-8A at Dr. Krop: 7
District 16-8A at Coral Reef: 7
District 15-7A at South Broward: 6:30
District 16-7A at Mourning: 7
District 15-6A at Norland: 6
District 14-4A semifinals at Cardinal Gibbons: Pine Crest vs. Cardinal Gibbons, 5; Uni.School-Chaminade winner vs. Calvary Christian, 7
District 15-4A at Monsignor Pace: 7
District 14-3A at SLAM Academy: 7
District 15-2A at Hebrew Academy: Miami Christian vs. Hebrew Academy, 7
BOYS’ SOCCER QUARTERFINALS
Region 4-5A: Varela at Columbus, 7
Region 4-5A at Tropical Park: M.Beach vs. Killian, 7
Region 4-5A: American at Cypress Bay, 7
Region 4-5A: Western at Cooper City, 7
Region 3-5A: Douglas at Ro.Palm Beach, 7
Region 4-4A: Aquinas at Belen Jesuit, 3:20
Region 4-4A: Reagan at South Broward, 7
Region 4-4A:F.Lauderdale at Palm Beach Lakes, 7
Region 4-3A: Hallandale at Jackson, 7
Region 4-3A: ATM at Ame.Heritage (PLA), 7
Region 4-2A: MAST at Gulliver, 3:30
Region 4-2A: Key West at Ransom Everglades, 6
Region 4-2A: Delray American Heritage at N.Broward Prep, 7
Region 4-2A: Cardinal Gibbons at Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin, 7
Region 4-1A: SLAM Academy at Palmer Trinity, 4
Region 4-1A at Kendall Soccer Park: Ar.Carroll vs. Archimedean, 4:30
Region 4-1A: Posnack at Scheck Hillel, 7
Region 4-1A: Miami Country Day at Westminster Academy, 7
Region 3-1A: Jupiter Christian at Highlands Christian, 7
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