Vote: Who should be the South Florida boys’ basketball Player of the Week (1/29/2024)?
It’s safe to say boys’ basketball players in South Florida are raising their games.
For proof, we had a player score a jaw-dropping 51 points during the week.
Now is the time for players to step up, with the regular season winding down and the playoffs around the corner.
As we’ve done all season, SBLive Sports Florida has recognized some of the top performers in our weekly polls.
It’s time once again to honor the top players of the week in our South Florida boys’ Player of the Week poll.
Reminder, our polls are intended to be fun, while providing exposure to as many players and schools as possible. We can’t be everywhere, which is why we ask players, coaches and schools to send their nominees to @JoeFrisaro on X. It’s also helpful if these schools and players posted their stats on their social media accounts as well as report them to MaxPreps.
Vote as often as you want, and spread the word! Voting closes February 4, 2024.
Congratulations to last week's winner: Clarence Westbrook of St. Thomas Aquinas.
The nominees are:
Marcus Allen, G, Miami Norland: A senior guard, Allen had a well-rounded game in the Vikings’ 73-62 win against Northwestern. Allen finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, two steals and three assists. In another game during the week, he had 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Shon Abaev, G, Calvary Christian Academy: The Eagles upset Riviera Prep, 66-64, in the Montverde Invitational, and Abaev came up with some key 3-point shots, finishing with 17 points. The junior added 16 points in another game in the tournament.
Zeke Battier, F, Ransom Everglades: Battier had some impressive individual performances in games that the Raiders ended up losing. Against Somerset Academy South Homestead, the sophomore had 34 points and 13 rebounds. And in a setback against Westminster Christian, he posted 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Anthony Ferrer, G, NSU University: Ferrer came up big with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 93-69 win against Martin County. Against North Broward Prep, he added 16 points in another victory.
Kaiden Francis, G, South Plantation: The 6-1 guard posted 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal against Stranahan.
Alexander Guerrero, Somerset Academy South Homestead: Guerrero had a couple of games this past week in which he scored 21 points.
Solomon Leinbock, G, Mater Academy Christian: Leinbock tossed in 17 points, while adding two rebounds, three assists and a steal against Westminster Christian.
Jacob Marquez, G, Gulliver Prep: Against Sagemont, Marquez had 17 points and six steals.
Jeremiah Police, F, Westminster Academy: You can’t draw a performance up much better than this. On senior night, Police – a senior – scored a whopping 51 points! Yes, you read that right: 51 points! The historical performance came in the Lions’ 104-55 win against Somerset Academy Key (Deerfield Beach).
Jase Richardson, G, Columbus: The Michigan State commit continues to show why he’s one of the top players in the country. On a powerhouse Explorers’ team, the senior had 17 points, five rebounds, an assist and two steals against Southridge. Richardson added 14 points in the Explores’ 81-51 win against Miami High to win the GMAC (Greater Miami Athletic Conference) championship tournament. Recently, Richardson topped the 1,000 points plateau in his prep career. Our congratulations to a special player!
Calvin Russell, F, Miami Northwestern: If it seems like Russell is regularly on these lists. It’s because the sophomore is. It’s hard to keep him off, when he’s scoring 34 points against Norland and 26 with 16 rebounds against South Plantation.
Justin Suarez, G, Miami Central: The 6-foot-3 junior had a team-high 18 points in the Rockets’ 65-63 thriller against Dade Christian. In another game, he added 13 points in a win.
Clarence Westbrook Jr., G, St. Thomas Aquinas: Westbrook has been on a roll in recent weeks, which is why the freshman is back on our weekly list. In a win against Deerfield Beach, the guard had 17 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. He added 10 points in a close loss to Cardinal Gibbons.
