As NBA Draft approaches, Broward County looks back on its recent run of success
This is the golden era of Broward basketball.
At least in terms of the NBA Draft, that is unquestionably true as five former Broward County prep stars have been selected in the first round during the past three years.
That’s more first-rounders than in all previous years combined.
The 2024 NBA Draft starts on June 26, and it’s important to note that Broward’s current hot streak started in 2020 with University School’s Vernon Carey Jr., who was very nearly a first-rounder.
Carey – who was the second pick in that year’s second round -- was selected by the Hornets after he had established himself as a first-team All-ACC player at Duke.
The next year, Broward had two draftees as Scottie Barnes (University School) was selected fourth overall by Toronto. Barnes, set the Broward record for highest selection ever, and he went on to become the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for Toronto.
Also in 2021, RaiQuan Gray (Dillard) was the Nets’ second-round pick.
In 2023, Broward had an incredible run with four of the draft’s top 11 players.
Amen Thompson (Pine Crest) was picked fourth by Houston, tying Barnes’ record for highest selection of a Broward player.
Thompson’s twin brother, Ausar, was selected fifth by Detroit.
Taylor Hendricks (University School and Calvary Christian) was picked ninth by Utah, becoming the first one-and-done player in UCF history.
Jett Howard (University School) ended the run as he was selected 11th by Orlando.
University School won its first of two state titles in 2018. The next year, University School repeated as the Class 5A state champs on a team that was stacked with Barnes, Hendricks, Howard and Carey.
Coach Adrian Sosa, who started University School’s run with that 2018 state title, said that this is bigger than just Broward.
“The basketball talent in Florida is right up there with Georgia, Texas and California,” said Sosa, who is now the athletic director at Cypress Bay. “The kids we won with, for the most part, were home-grown.”
Prior to this streak, the next-best run of Broward success in the NBA Draft had to be stretched out over a quarter century (1988 to 2013) to include four first-rounders and some other noteworthy players.
To be fair, there were some extremely talented athletes in Broward during that era, including first-rounders Mitch Richmond (Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson); Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest); Eddie Jones (Pompano Beach Ely); and Keyon Dooling (Fort Lauderdale Dillard).
Richmond (fifth pick in 1988 by the Warriors) became NBA Rookie of the Year (1989); a six-time All-Star; an Olympic gold medalist (1996 Atlanta); and a Basketball Hall of Famer. He won an NBA title in 2002 with the Lakers in his final year as a player in the league, and he has had his number retired by Kansas State and the Sacramento Kings.
Knight (eighth pick in 2011 by the Pistons) made the NBA’s All-Rookie team in 2012. Incredibly, he was traded by five NBA teams, and, at age 32, he is still playing pro ball in Greece.
Jones (10th pick in 1994 by the Lakers) was a three-time NBA All-Star, and he led the league in steals in 2000. He also made the NBA’s All-Defense second team three times and played for the Heat.
Dooling (10th overall in 2000 by Orlando) played for seven NBA teams, including the Heat.
Three other Broward players of note during this era are Ryan Reid, Reggie Cross and Kenny Boynton.
Reid (Boyd Anderson) was a Pacers second-rounder in 2010.
Cross (South Plantation) was a 76ers second-rounder in 1989.
Boynton (American Heritage) went undrafted in 2013. However, he was so dominant in his prime that he deserves a mention.
First of all, he averaged 33.0 points in high school, making him at that time the third-highest scorer in Florida history.
At the University of Florida, he earned first-team All-SEC in 2012. Then, after failing to make the Lakers roster, he launched an overseas career that lasted for a decade.
Warren Gale, who has coached Hollywood McArthur High since 2012, is proud of Broward’s tradition of basketball greatness.
“Broward is getting more recognition now in terms of the draft,” Gale said. “But the talent pool in terms of producing college basketball players and pros overseas has always been there.”
It’s hard to say who the next NBA Draft pick from Broward will be, but Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy is a good place to start as the Lions boast two tremendous talents: Alex Lloyd and Alex Constanza.
Lloyd, a 6-4 guard who has committed to the University of Florida, is ranked the No. 39 player on ESPN’s Class of 2025 list.
Constanza, who is No. 3 on ESPN’s list for the Class of 2026, is a 6-9 wing who can handle the ball like a guard.
Another player to watch is Shon Abaev, a 6-7 wing at Calvary Christian. Abaev is ranked by ESPN as the No. 49 player for the Class of 2025.
Ehren Wallhoff, the coach at Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, credits Broward’s revival to a multitude of factors.
“For starters, this is a testament to all the youth programs who are getting our kids developed at young ages,” Wallhoff said. “We’re so much further along than other states.
“Our second- and third-graders are playing travel ball at an elite level. Our seventh- and eighth-graders are getting seen on a national stage.
“We also have trainers in Broward who have trained pro athletes, and the parents of these kids are involved all the way through, making sure their sons are on the right track.”
Wallhoff said Lloyd, Constanza and Abaev are examples of what’s to come from Broward basketball.
“Lloyd can jump out of the gym,” Wallhoff said. “Constanza can play like a Jayson Tatum [of the Celtics]. Shon [Abaev] can shoot lights out, and he’s not afraid to compete in our gym.
“I see that next generation starting to come. I think you will soon see at least one or two Broward kids drafted every year on a consistent basis.”