High school basketball: How each team at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament makes the final

The 48th annual Kingdom of the Sun basketball tournament is loaded in its second year back since COVID shut down sports events across the nation. Event director Donnie Wilkie and Vanguard boys head basketball coach Todd Davis invited teams from Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and all over Florida to pack Vanguard High School starting December 27 and running through December 30.

It even gives us the first Vanguard-North Marion matchup of the season at 7:30 on opening night.

As a primer for the event, we’ll break down what each of the 16 teams will need to do to reach the championship game. The field includes a ton of teams on different journeys this season. A double-elimination win-and-move-on tournament means it’s anyone’s game if a team can get hot at the right time.

We’ve looked through scouting reports and game trends to find a scenario where any team could make a run. Let’s see how dark horses and contenders can succeed in Ocala as plays starts Tuesday morning.

Winter Haven on the national stageCentennial holds off Winter Haven at City of Palms

Vanguard shoots way into gameHigh school basketball: Gainesville takes over in fourth quarter to defeat Vanguard

Hawthorne's athletic successCornelius Ingram's state championship win with Hawthorne football isn't by accident

Local teams from Ocala, Gainesville area

Vanguard (6-3): To capture the Kingdom of the Sun trophy, the Knights must play their best basketball of the year. They’ll need their shooting performance against Gainesville and the defensive pressure they used to beat West Port by 23. If they can blend the two and sustain it for the week, Vanguard could win its first tournament title since 1981.

North Marion (5-2): The Colts will be one of the local bracket’s most competitive and athletic teams. Their early success has come from playing team ball and riding the hot hand. They’ll need to beat teams with physicality to win the tournament. As a team with nine varsity football players, they’ll have that in spades. Finding the hot hand shouldn’t be much of an issue, either. They currently have four players averaging double digits.

Hawthorne (1-0): The Hornets will enter the tournament with one nail-biting game under their belt. It’s early in the season for a team with seven players riding a 1R state championship in football. Their chance to win lies in the presence of their sophomore leader, CJ Ingram. He’s ranked in the top 25 in the state for his class and already holds a Division I offer. Hawthorne’s road to the final opens up if Ingram performs at a high level and teammates step up in big moments.

P. K. Yonge (2-3): The Blue Wave’s season has been up and down. They’ve played a competitive schedule, and Elijah Harris is at the center of their attack plan in the wins. P. K. Yonge’s Kingdom of the Sun tournament run will depend on the athletic young guard’s play in critical games. If Harris can sustain a run, that proves he can compete with the talent as each round gets more challenging.

Florida high school basketball powers

Viera (9-1): The Hawks are on a seven-game winning streak after picking up their first loss of the season three weeks ago. To continue their roll, they’ll need production for the perimeter players. Viera doesn’t have much size, but it has talent and shooting on the wings. If the Hawks' senior leadership can keep their young players confident, they can get hot from deep and ride that wave into a prime-time Friday night matchup.

Olympia (Orlando, 7-0): Jizzle James comes to Ocala with his eyes set on hardware for his senior season. His control of the game will give the Titans an advantage over most of the teams in the bracket. James’ production is par for the course. It’s the talent behind him that will give Olympia a shot at glory. If his supporting cast can knock down shots and use their size on defense, they could win it all.

Winter Haven (8-2): There may not be a more talented team out of Florida among the field. The Blue Devils have four Division I prospects, including Dylan James, who is committed to Georgia, and Kjei Parker, who will play at Florida A&M University next season. Their core four may be the headliners, but there are a ton of collegiate prospects beyond the top-flight prospects on the roster. They’re fresh off an appearance at the City of Palms, where they went 1-2 against national competition.

Riviera Suncoast (7-3): Suncoast has an incredible big three in Stone Burea, Nathaniel Sasser, and Ian Smikle. All three players have skill sets that make them some of the top prospects in the state. Together, their games meld for a potent offensive punch. The Chargers will go as far as these three will take them.

Jacksonville Riverside (3-6): The Generals’ early season reads like a who’s who of state title contenders. Though they’re three games under .500, they have a player who can take over the game in Dominick Scott. He started the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds against Jacksonville Ribault and hasn’t looked back. For Riverside to make it to the championship bracket, he’ll need performances like that every game.

Jacksonville Providence (9-0): Providence boasts a big three who know how to perform on the big stage, led by Chris Arias as the offensive engine. His playmaking glues his team together. As one of the team’s leading scorers and playmakers, he’ll set the table for their run to the final.

Charlotte (4-6): The Tarpons have seen their fair share of tests this season. They’ll bring talented wings John Gamble, Chris Cornish, and a well-balanced scoring punch to the court. Their path to the championship game is predicated on how well they shoot the ball and rebound. They have the athletes to crash the boards but need help with the deep ball. If they can do both, expect them to go on a run.

Pensacola Washington (8-0): The Wildcats are a talented team from the panhandle with two 6-foot-5 wings, Jordyn Buchanan and Alex Jasquith, running the show. If they want to win the Kingdom of the Sun, both players must live up to their potential. They could leave Ocala as champions if they can take over the game at pivotal moments while receiving help from a balanced roster.

National Talent

Covington Catholic (Kentucky, 8-0): The Colonels boast an average margin of victory of 19 points. They’re led by Miami University commit Evan Ipsaro. His two-way play will be a prominent if his team reaches the final game. The senior plays well on both ends of the floor and they will need his production to get through their gauntlet of a bracket.

Pickerington Central (Ohio, 5-2): The Tigers return to the court licking their wounds after losing a state final rematch. The nationally ranked Tigers have one of the biggest rosters in the tournament with four players over 6-5, including Ohio State commit Devin Royal. If Pickerington Central wants to earn some hardware, it’ll be on Royal’s back. There’s talent up and down this roster, but no one drives their team like the top 100 ranked 6-7 forward from Ohio.

Valdosta (Georgia, 8-3): After going 2-0 in the Capital City Classic in Tallahassee, this southwest Georgia school will look to continue its success in Florida against the stiffest competition of the season. The production of 6-10 junior Israel Jenrette may influence the Wildcats’ march to the title game. His team’s path to the last game in the winner’s bracket holds high-level frontcourt talent at each stop. If they want to win, Jenrette will need to be the defensive force who averages three blocks per game.

Shady Spring (West Virginia, 1-1): Basketball in West Virginia started less than a month ago, yet Shady Springs is already topping many state polls. Last year’s state title runner-up is led by the backcourt of Braden and Cole Champion, who are committed to playing for West Virginia Tech when they graduate this spring. Cole stirs the drink for Shady Spring, making him the key player to watch this weekend. His ability to get his team involved will be critical to their success.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Breaking down each team's road to the title at the Kingdom of the Sun