5 storylines heading into the MLK Day High School Basketball Classic
Saturdays are reserved for basketball gyms. To celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Forest High School is giving Marion County high school basketball fans a chance to see four Ocala area schools live in one day.
Between the Ocala area teams are other teams from Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa and Polk County loaded with talent. Eleven state-ranked players will be in attendance, including five-star prospect Karter Knox, who has blue-blood schools begging for the Tampa Catholic standout's commitment.
Let’s break down five storylines that should convince you to buy a ticket to the MLK Day Classic for a day of competitive basketball games.
Forest keeps the Gainesville rivalry alive
Saturday night’s headliner - Forest vs. P.K. Yonge - is a signature event of the Ocala showcase. As we saw in the Kingdom of the Sun, Gainesville teams travel well. Forest has shown its gym is built for a raucous crowd after hosting a sellout MCIAC cheer tournament and packing the gym for home basketball games.
There’s nothing better than having a gym flooded with fans when two area teams battle for bragging rights. The Wildcats deliver in these venues, and so does P.K. Yonge. The point guard matchup of X’Zavion McCoy and Moses Horne should be enough to get you excited.
Add athletic players such as Tae Floyd and Isaiah Cooper really make it a party. Expect these two teams to compete with a loud crowd plastering every play with a new reaction.
Just how good does Sammie Yeanay make North Marion
The Colts have shown they can compete with the best in the county. Their losses have come from teams that need inspired performances or are the best in their area. They’ve scored by committee, preferring team ball over one player leading the way.
That may change a bit after adding high-major prospect Sammie Yeanay back into the fold. North Marion now has a player they can give the ball to in the clutch and let him work. His abilities raise the ceiling of a top-three team in the county to one that could win its district handily and make a deep run in the state playoffs.
The chemistry isn’t there for the Colts just yet. The team has practiced a few times, and Yeanay is still learning plays and his teammates. One thing is for sure - teams will game plan for the junior who holds SEC and ACC offers. The attention he draws will help his teammates find easy shots and provide more 1-on-1 opportunities.
Can West Port recover in the second half?
It’s been a rough season for the Wolf Pack. They’re 3-11 and haven’t won a game since December 20. The last few years haven’t been favorable either, with losing more games each season for the last four seasons.
Luckily, West Port is a relatively young team that can focus on development rather than a win-now mentality. The Wolf Pack lose one senior to graduation and return 14 of their 15-man roster next season.
West Port has winnable games on their schedule, including teams they’ve played earlier. The second half of the season could have a different feel if they can catch mistakes they’ve made in previous games.
The best 2024 shooting guards in the state
Set your watch for 4:30. That is when a flood of out-of-town fans will arrive at Forest High School from the Tampa Bay and Lakeland areas. Marion County fans should join them for a matchup of juniors with growing recruiting stocks.
Tampa Catholic’s Karter Knox is considered a top-flight recruit in the 2024 class. 247Sport’s fifth-ranked prospect comes off the heels of a gold medal at the U17 FIBA games during the summer.
Knox will be matched up against Victory Christian's Lorenzo "LJ: Cason, a top-15 recruit in Florida who has been on a tear. He scored 57 points, and also had 11 rebounds and 7 assists in a win against Auburndale on Jan. 5. He’s averaging 30 points per game on a near 50-40-90 (field goals-3-pointers-free-throws percentage) shooting split.
This is a must see matchup for basketball fans. Either way the game goes, there surely will be a show for spectators.
Knights on the big stage
Vanguard has a thing for big games. Any time the Knights have lined up against local rivals, they’ve overcome what seemed like a disadvantage on paper.
The Knights hung with Gainesville, who are led by 6-foot-9 Appalachian State basketball signee Josh Hayes and 18 points per game scorer Theo Stephens. Vanguard point guard D'mareon Manning exploded for 27 points and eight threes to keep Vanguard within nine of the 13-4 6A Hurricanes.
At the Kingdom of the Sun, Vanguard beat North Marion, and Manning nearly outscored North Marion’s top three scorers by himself with 24 points. Against Forest, it was a team effort that kept the one possession from creating an upset at home.
Since last week’s loss against Forest, Jemiah Jenkins has stepped up his game to push Vanguard to wins in a busy week. Saturday’s game against Santa Fe is a neighboring county rivalry that could see the rise of the Showtime Knights again.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: 5 star prospect Karter Knox headlines talented MLK Day Classic schedule
