Southwest Florida boasts several boys hoops teams on the rebound
RJ Jones has a clear memory of Gateway Charter’s standing when he took over the basketball program four years ago.
They were ranked 632nd in the state.
Fast forward to the first FHSAA rankings of the 2022-23 season: That number was 17.
The Griffins are one of a number of Southwest Florida squads experiencing major turnarounds this season. However, as much as a high ranking felt like “a sense of vindication” for Jones, there’s a bigger picture in mind – to build postseason and lasting success.
Plenty of teams are taking big leaps forward this season.
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Gateway Charter was competitive last season but finished with an 11-15 record. This year, they are 18-4, which is a school record in wins.
East Lee County went 5-16 last year. In the Jaguars' first year under former SFCA head coach Mike Bonilla, they are 14-6.
LaBelle is 13-5 after winning just three games a season ago. The school hired Bill Hodges, the former Indiana State basketball coach who reached the NCAA championship game with Larry Bird.
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Cypress Lake, Island Coast, and Lely are also on the upswing.
However, there is no specific recipe for sudden success.
At Gateway Charter, this had been years in the making. The Griffins were coming off a 4-21 season when Jones was hired.
“My goal was to do it organically through culture and teaching guys to play the right way,” Jones said. “That takes time.”
Only four seniors graduated from last year’s team, and a couple of transfers have been significant difference-makers.
Senior Jahmari Johnson, a dynamic guard who can score on all three levels, returned to Southwest Florida after playing his sophomore season at Port Charlotte. He is averaging 26 points and 6 rebounds a game.
Senior Jaden Arzola, a transfer from Oasis, has made 49 3-pointers this season, including a 32-point performance where he hit 8 shots from beyond the arc.
Arzola is also providing a boost beyond the hardwood.
“He’s become a huge vocal leader for us in the locker room and holding guys accountable,” Jones said.
Trey Fogle, Gabe Timmons, Arronington Nau, and Patrick Johnson round out a group Jones refers to as his six starters. (Nau, technically the sixth man, made the biggest sacrifice by accepting that role, according to Jones.)
Patrick Johnson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, has developed into a major asset for the Griffins.
“He didn’t really know what his potential was,” Jones said.
Jones said that the 15-year-old “flipped a switch” last summer and began maturing on and off the court.
Johnson is averaging a double-double for the Griffins and is coming off a pair of 21-point performances – critical for the team as they were without Jahmari Johnson, out sick.
“It’s one of the most harmonic teams I’ve ever been around,” Jones said. “There’s no looking for credit – they just all want to win.”
The team recently battled past East Lee in a 60-48 win where Jones was facing his friend Bonilla.
Jones said it was no surprise that the Jaguars have started thriving so quickly under Bonilla’s leadership.
“I think he’s one of the best coaches in the area,” Jones said. “He does a really good job.”
Hodges’ takeover at LaBelle has also seen fast results.
Hodges, 79, explained that it took some “arm twisting” initially to get his players to go all-in on the defensive side of the ball.
“We played a game during the summer and everybody saw what we could do and how much what we were doing defensively changed the game, and I think, from that point on, they started to buy in on what we trying to do,” Hodges said.
The team is led by senior guard Isaiah Anderson’s 21 points a game. Senior Curtis Scruggs and junior Alan King are also averaging double digits in scoring.
The buy-in on defense is important for the Cowboys as they have to find ways to make up for their lack of size.
“They get the ball down the floor as fast as any team I’ve ever coached,” Hodges said.
One drawback to this kind of immediate success is the lack of experience compared to more established, consistent programs.
Jones has seen slow starts from his squad as a result but has been encouraged by the way the Griffins have learned to battle back.
"It takes us a second to realize we deserve to be on the court with these guys," he said.
That's a valuable lesson Jones hopes his team can carry with them into the postseason. And with the playoffs looming, these improved programs know it’s crunch time to make these gains count.
“The rankings don’t matter if you don’t win in February,” Jones said.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Boys hoops: Gateway Charter, East Lee, LaBelle among most improved
