Where did Palm Beach County basketball teams fall in first FHSAA rankings of 2023?

Emilee Smarr, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read

The Florida High School Athletics Association is back with its weekly rankings, releasing its first sets of 2023 for girls and boys basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Things have changed a bit since this time last year.

Seminole Ridge girls were perched at No. 5 in the state and third in Class 6A ahead of what would become an unlikely run to region finals sans its top senior starters against reigning state champion Saint Thomas Aquinas.

The boys of Lake Worth were still fighting for the top-billing in Class 7A over historic power Wellington, then having no idea they'd ultimately be Palm Beach County's last team standing, reaching the Final Four before falling to title-winner Columbus by 15 points.

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Time will tell where the area's top squads land before girls state championships in late February and boys championships in early March, but for now it's still January. When every game counts towards playoff seeding, which will be determined before Florida's preps hoops fans know it.

Take a look at where area teams fell in the FHSAA's inaugural rankings below.

Girls

Leader of the pack

King's Academy (9-3)

The King's Academy girls basketball team celebrates its district championship win over Cardinal Newman on Feb. 4, 2022 in West Palm Beach.
The King's Academy girls basketball team celebrates its district championship win over Cardinal Newman on Feb. 4, 2022 in West Palm Beach.

FHSAA rankings: No. 32 overall, No. 7 in Class 3A, No. 3 in Region 2, No. 1 in district

MaxPreps ranking: No. 33 overall

Lions to know

Janessa Williams, Sr., SG: Team leader with average 16.5 points per game − No. 14 in 3A, 11.4 rebounds per game − No. 5 in 3A, holds five double-doubles − No. 8 in 3A, also averaging three steals per game

Jade Jones, So., SF/SG: Team-high 3.3 steals per game, second on roster 11.1 rebounds per game − No. 8 in 3A − and points, averaging 14.8 per game to tout five double-doubles − No. 9 in 3A

Jordan Race, Sr., SG/SF: Charges team with average 3.4 assists per game, nears the top of the stat sheet in almost all categories, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game

King's Academy's Jade Jones (13) drives up the court against Cardinal Mooney during the first half of their FHSAA Girls 3-A semifinal at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 23, 2022.
King's Academy's Jade Jones (13) drives up the court against Cardinal Mooney during the first half of their FHSAA Girls 3-A semifinal at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 23, 2022.

Top 100

48. Somerset Academy - Canyons (10-3): No. 11 in Class 4A, No. 2 in Region 4 behind No. 31 overall Cardinal Gibbons (10-4), No. 1 in district

68. Seminole Ridge (8-3): No. 17 in Class 6A, No. 6 in Region 4, No. 2 in district behind No. 3 overall Blanche Ely (13-1)

76. Boca Raton (10-6): No. 17 in Class 7A, No. 2 in Region 4 behind No. 28 overall Miami (11-3), No. 1 in district

82. Benjamin (9-4): No. 15 in Class 3A, No. 4 in Region 2, No. 2 in district behind King's

On the fringe

108. Cardinal Newman (9-6)

111. Palm Beach Central (8-4)

121. Palm Beach Gardens (7-5)

125. Palm Beach Lakes (8-4)

Boys

In the battle for best

Lake Worth (9-1)

Lake Worth High School's Calvin Sirmans (0) goes up for a basket during the second half against Columbus High School during the FHSAA Boys 7A semifinal game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Friday afternoon. March 4, 2022. MICHAEL WILSON | LEDGER CORRESPONDENT
Lake Worth High School's Calvin Sirmans (0) goes up for a basket during the second half against Columbus High School during the FHSAA Boys 7A semifinal game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Friday afternoon. March 4, 2022. MICHAEL WILSON | LEDGER CORRESPONDENT

FHSAA rankings: No. 10 overall, No. 4 in Class 7A, No. 2 in Region 2 behind No. 3 overall Olympia (10-1), No. 1 in district

MaxPreps ranking: No. 11 in state

Trojans to take note of

Updated stats unavailable.

Hedrens Barthelus, Jr., F

Anthony Coby, Sr., G

Marvin Golf, Sr., F

Jeremy Innocent, Jr., F

Calvin Sirmans, Sr., PG

Dwyer (11-0)

Dwyer head coach Fred Ross draws up a play during a 4th-quarter timeout during the Class 6A District 13 final between host Dwyer and Martin County in Jupiter, FL, on Friday, February 11, 2022. Final score, Martin County, 49, Dwyer, 48.
Dwyer head coach Fred Ross draws up a play during a 4th-quarter timeout during the Class 6A District 13 final between host Dwyer and Martin County in Jupiter, FL, on Friday, February 11, 2022. Final score, Martin County, 49, Dwyer, 48.

FHSAA rankings: No. 12 overall, No. 2 in Class 6A behind No. 9 Saint Thomas Aquinas (12-1), No. 1 in district

MaxPreps rankings: No. 14 in state, No. 30 in nation

Panthers to pay attention to

Nelson Atilus, Sr., PG: Team leader in assists touting 34, averaging 9.5 points per game

Mason Brown, Sr., SG/SF: Roster-leading average of 13.3 points per game and total steal count of 26

Kyle McNeal, Sr., G/F/PF: Averaging a team-high 2.8 steals per game, 10 points per game through eight appearances on the mend from an ankle tweak

Amari Nealy, Jr., W: Three double-doubles − No. 15 in Class 6A, team's most accurate shooter netting 51 percent of field goal attempts, leader in rebounds averaging eight per game, splitting roster-leading nine steals with junior guard Hunter Biederwolf

Blake Wilson, Sr., SG/W/SF: Second biggest scoring contributor on roster averaging 12.8 points per game, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists, sharpest from the free throw line making 82 percent of shots

Dwyer's Blake Wilson dunks the ball against Southfork in the District 13-6A boys basketball tournament semifinals in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on February 9, 2022. Dwyer won 72-39.
Dwyer's Blake Wilson dunks the ball against Southfork in the District 13-6A boys basketball tournament semifinals in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on February 9, 2022. Dwyer won 72-39.

Top 100

29. Wellington (12-2): No. 11 in Class 7A, No. 5 in Region 2, No. 2 in district behind Lake Worth

40. Suncoast (10-4): No. 6 in Class 5A, No. 3 in Region 4, No. 1 in district

97. Jupiter Christian (7-2): No. 9 in Class 2A, No. 4 in Region with No. 2 overall Sagemont (13-1), No. 1 in district

On the fringe

103. Benjamin (6-4)

115. Park Vista (9-4)

132. Saint Andrew's (8-3)

Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County basketball teams climb in first 2023 FHSAA rankings