Boys basketball preview: Here are top players and top teams to watch in '22-'23

Roy Fuoco, The Ledger
·6 min read
Winter Haven High School's Dylan James (11) drives towards the basket against Ponte Vedra during the second half of their FHSAA Class 6A state semifinal game on Thursday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Winter Haven High School's Dylan James (11) drives towards the basket against Ponte Vedra during the second half of their FHSAA Class 6A state semifinal game on Thursday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

The 2022-23 boys basketball season is under way, and Polk County again boasts a lot of talent with Winter Haven leading the way.

The Blue Devils reached the final four last season and everyone returns. In fact, if you look at the list of top players, there are many familiar names. Of the 18 players that made first, second or third team last season, 12 players were underclassmen. All are back except Lakeland's Tyler Williams, a first-team selection who plans to graduate in December and enroll early at Georgia where he signed for football.

Here's a look at the top players entering the the season.

Polk County's Bakers Dozen

DYLAN JAMES, Winter Haven: The 6-foot-8 senior was The Ledger's player of the year last year. He has signed with Georgia. A defensive stopper who can block shots and rebound, James averaged 15.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals.

Winter Haven's Isaac Celiscar goes up for a shot against Olympia on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.
Winter Haven's Isaac Celiscar goes up for a shot against Olympia on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.

ISAAC CELISCAR, Winter Haven: The 6-6 junior is a dominant player inside the paint and driving to the basket. He shot 59 percent from the field and led the Blue Devils by averaging 18.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals.

Victory Christian's Lorenzo Cason goes up for a shot against Leesburg on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.
Victory Christian's Lorenzo Cason goes up for a shot against Leesburg on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.

LJ CASON, Victory Christian: Cason is perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in the county. A quick, slashing guard, the 6-2 junior averaged 27.6 points. He also led the Storm by averaging 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Lakeland's Rolijah Hardy (4) drives to the basket as he is defended by Winter Haven's Isaac Celiscar (4).
Lakeland's Rolijah Hardy (4) drives to the basket as he is defended by Winter Haven's Isaac Celiscar (4).

ROLIJAH HARDY, Lakeland: One of the top linebackers in the county who has had a dominating season, the 6-2 senior has been one of top basketball players in the county since his freshman season at Winter Haven. Last year in his first at Lakeland, he continued to be a top player. Hardy can impact both ends of the court. He averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals.

Winter Haven's Jamie Phillips goes up strong in a contest versus Edgewater in Class 6A regional quarterfinal. Phillips scored 20 in the contest, and the Blue Devils won 68-60 to advance.
Winter Haven's Jamie Phillips goes up strong in a contest versus Edgewater in Class 6A regional quarterfinal. Phillips scored 20 in the contest, and the Blue Devils won 68-60 to advance.

JAMIE PHILLIPS JR., Winter Haven: A 6-5 junior, Phillips is versatile swingman. He can play guard and handle the ball as well as post up and play in the paint. He shot 33 percent from 3-point range and averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Bartow's Kjei Parker looks to shoot against Lake Highland Prep on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.
Bartow's Kjei Parker looks to shoot against Lake Highland Prep on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.

KJEI PARKER, Winter Haven: The 6-1 Parker was a key scorer as a sophomore on Bartow's state championship team two years ago. He led the Yellow Jackets last season as a junior with 17.0 points per game. He also averaged 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals. He transferred to Winter Haven for his senior season.

MARSHALL O'HERN, Bartow: O'Hern is 6-3 wing player who transferred from Sebring. As a junior for the Blue Streaks, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He'll be a centerpiece for the reloading Yellow Jackets.

JESSE NIMMO JR., Haines City: A 6-5 junior shooting guard, Nimmo led the Hornets by averaging 15.1 points. he shot 49 percent from the field overall and 42 percent from 3-point range.

Auburndale's Kervin Knaggs goes up for a shot against Gateway on Wednesday night in the Class 5A, District 7 semifinals at Auburndale.
Auburndale's Kervin Knaggs goes up for a shot against Gateway on Wednesday night in the Class 5A, District 7 semifinals at Auburndale.

KERVIN KNAGGS, Auburndale: A 6-1 point guard, Knaggs is a talented scorer (16.0 points) and playmaker (5.0 assists). Knaggs also is a tough defender as he averaged 2.0 steals and will chip in on the boards as he averaged 4.0 rebounds.

Auburndale's Nehemiah Turner goes up for a shot against Winter Haven's Dylan James.
Auburndale's Nehemiah Turner goes up for a shot against Winter Haven's Dylan James.

NEHEMIAH TURNER, Auburndale: A 6-foot-9 senior center, Turner initially had transferred before deciding to return to the Bloodhounds. An athletic big man, he averaged 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots to lead the Bloodhounds.

ALEX SESSOMS JR., McKeel: A 6-1 junior point guard, Sessoms takes on a leading role this season. Last year, he was second on the Wildcats in scoring averaging 13.0 points. He also was seance with 2.9 steals and led with 4.3 assists.

Lake Wales' Sevastian Rosado drives to the basket as Frostproof's Ryle Tenido defends on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.
Lake Wales' Sevastian Rosado drives to the basket as Frostproof's Ryle Tenido defends on Saturday at the Mosaic 2022 Stinger Shootout at Bartow High School.

SEVASTIAN ROSADO, Lake Wales: Rosado, a super-quick, 5-7 guard, burst on the scene two years ago as a high-scoring freshman for the Highlanders, who averaged 17.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals. He was even better as a sophomore as all his numbers went up, 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.9 steals.

Lakeland High School's Derajah Hardy (11) drives under the basket as Bartow High School's Amarion Baker (0) tries to defend during the first half of their Class 6A, District 7 playoff game at Lakeland High School Friday night. Bartow won by a score of 62-56. February 11, 2022. MICHAEL WILSON | LEDGER CORRESPONDENT
Lakeland High School's Derajah Hardy (11) drives under the basket as Bartow High School's Amarion Baker (0) tries to defend during the first half of their Class 6A, District 7 playoff game at Lakeland High School Friday night. Bartow won by a score of 62-56. February 11, 2022. MICHAEL WILSON | LEDGER CORRESPONDENT

DERAJAH HARDY, Lakeland: Like his brother, Derajah is a two-sport star. In basketball, he averaged 13.6 and 2.5 steals. He'll team with his brother to give the Dreadnaughts a strong one-two punch.

Five Teams to Watch

WINTER HAVEN (23-8): The Blue Devils return the core of last year's final four team and are a heavy favorite to return to the state tournament. To the big three of James, Celiscar and Phillips, they add Parker, an FAMU-signee who transferred from Bartow. Tyrese Mayo and Terrel Redding are two more key returning players, and Matt Vaughn should be integrated better in the offense as he heads into the season healthy. With at least five players capable of going for 20 points at any time, they'll need to play unselfish basketball as they did last year. The big focus is on defense as the offense in the end should take care of itself.

LAKELAND (21-4): Were it not for Winter Haven, the Dreadnaughts might have been a final four team. The Dreadnaughts lose just two key players from last year's squad, but one is Tyler Williams, the leader of the team. He led Lakeland in scoring. He has opted to graduate early to enroll in college. Still, the Hardy brothers will provide a strong one-two punch. Returning players Ka'maurri McKinley, Javari Burtonand Daidren Zipperer are also back. With the bulk of the team coming from the football team, toughness and altheticsim will be make up for the lack of height.

VICTORY CHRISTIAN (18-10): The Storm lost three players from last year's squad with second-leading scorer Israel Ricketts being the biggest hit. However, Cason heads into his junior year with nine Division I offers and is a dominating scorer. Mike Andino is improved and should make a bigger impact on offense. He averaged 14.9 points last year as the third-leading scorer. With Andino likely becoming the No. 2 scorer, Jordan Lanier will provide a third consistent scorer. Andrej Milutinovic, a 6-5 junior, will provide inside presence. He should be a top rebounder and provide scoring in the paint, something the Storm lacked last season.

AUBURNDALE (14-13): The Bloodhounds became a team to watch again with the return of Turner. He can be a dominant presence inside. Knaggs will lead them as the point guard with his ballhandling, playmaking and scoring. Matt Lovett, Jakeim Collins and Tre Jackson will all be key players. Jameson Young coming off the football field will be a key part of the team's success along with Big Ben Beymer and Devon McCue inside

BARTOW (17-10): The Yellow Jackets took a big hit to graduation, losing all their top players to graduation along with the loss of Parker to Winter Haven. However, counting out a Terrence McGriff team would be a mistake. O'Hern, a transfer from Sebring, has all-county potential and should be one of the team's top scorers along with running the offense. Edward Wiggins is the top returning scorer and rebound as he averaged 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 13 games. O'Hern and Wiggins will be joined by Jay'son Williams and Daniel Thompson as being among the top players. Thompson is one of the top shooters in the county. Look for a slow start but expect Bartow to be tough defensively as the season progresses.

Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Boys basketball preview: Here are top players and top teams to watch