2023 New Years Classic Top Matchups
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By Michael Wholey 1/2/23 11:00 PM EST The 2023 New Year’s Classic was recently released by SUTS Report. The 40-team event has consistently been one of the top high school events in Florida. The two-day event hosts four of last…
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Continue ReadingBy Michael Wholey 1/2/23 11:00 PM EST
The 2023 New Year’s Classic was recently released by SUTS Report. The 40-team event has consistently been one of the top high school events in Florida. The two-day event hosts four of last year’s state champions, ten teams that are ranked in the top twenty-five in the state. Here is a look at some of the top matchups.
Friday January 6th – Court 1 (St. Thomas Aquinas)
10:00 AM Somerset Prep North Lauderdale v Doral Academy
11:30 AM Holy Trinity v Miami Christian
1:00 PM Lourdes v Everglades
2:30 PM Palmer Trinity v Kings Academy
4:00 PM Miami Sr HS v Westminster Academy
5:30 PM Somerset Silver Palms v Batavia (IL)
7:00 PM Miami Country Day v Montverde Academy
8:30 PM St. Thomas Aquinas v Horeb Christian
Friday January 6th – Court 2 (Cardinal Gibbons)
10:00 AM Seminole Ridge v North Miami
11:30 AM SLAM! Miami Academy v Santaluces
1:00 PM Carrolton School v Nova
2:30 PM Archbishop McCarthy v Gulliver Prep
4:00 PM Palmetto v Cypress Bay
5:30 PM Flanagan v Cardinal Gibbons
8:30 PM St. Andrews v Western
Saturday January 7th – Court 1 (St. Thomas Aquinas)
10:00 AM Palmetto v Holy Trinity
11:30 AM Somerset Silver Palms v Seminole Ridge
1:00 PM Kings Academy v Miami Sr HS
2:30 PM Western v SLAM! Miami Academy
4:00 PM Palmer Trinity v Somerset Prep North Lauderdale
5:30 PM Horeb Christian v Miami Country Day
7:00 PM Batavia (IL) v Westminster Academy
8:30 PM Montverde Academy v St. Thomas Aquinas
Saturday January 7th – Court 2 (Cardinal Gibbons)
10:00 AM Gulliver Prep v North Miami
11:30 AM St. Andrews v Lourdes
4:00 PM Cardinal Gibbons v Miami Christian
5:30 PM Doral Academy v Everglades
7:00 PM Archbishop McCarthy v Carrolton School
8:30 PM Nova v Santaluces
Montverde Academy v St. Thomas Aquinas
This one has got to be circled as one of the top matchups with St. Thomas Aquinas hosting a Montverde Academy squad that is ranked as one of the top teams in the country. Both teams are loaded with talent with potentially 10+ D1 prospects between both teams. Montverde Academy Senior class has five D1 signees alone Cori Allen Cori Allen 5'10" | SG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL (University of Illinois), Mjracle Sheppard Mjracle Sheppard 5'8" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL (Mississippi State), Lety Vasconcelos (Baylor), Sahnya Jah Sahnya Jah 6'1" | SF Bishop McNamara | 2023 #50 Nation FL (South Carolina) and Jordy Griggs (Kentucky). While St. Thomas Aquinas is led by East Carolina signee Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL and a talented Junior class of Kamryn Corporan Kamryn Corporan 5'3" | PG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL , Khadee Hession Khadee Hession 5'10" | CG St Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL , Kalia Harrington Kalia Harrington 5'8" | SG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL , Ka’Zahria Johnson Ka’Zahria Johnson 6'2" | C St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL , and Mya Johnson along with unsigned Senior Reina Green Reina Green 5'10" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL and talented Sophomore Nyla McFadden Nyla McFadden 5'11" | SF St. Thomas Aquinas | 2025 State FL .
Holy Trinity v Miami Christian
Holy Trinity is 10-2 and Miami Christian is defending state champions. Holy Trinity travels to town from Melbourne seeking some competition out of county. The two teams are very talented and should bring opposing styles of play. Miami Christian has a big 3 of Samatha Vales, Madison Aguilera Madison Aguilera 5'3" | PG Gulliver Prep | 2023 State FL , and Ziul Gonzalez Ziul Gonzalez 5'6" | CG Miami Christian | 2024 State FL while Holy Trinity has a big 3 of their own with Lynn Rieth Lynn Rieth 5'7" | SG Holy Trinity | 2023 State FL , Alinah Sarratt Alinah Sarratt 5'7" | SG Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy | 2024 State FL , and Leila Bryant Leila Bryant 5'7" | SG Holy Trinity | 2029 FL . Circle this game on the schedule as it should be a good one!
Palmer Trinity v Kings Academy
This battle is matchup of two private schools from opposing counties that have a ton of skill, play a balanced offensive style and spread the floor knocking down open 3s. Emily Montes Emily Montes 5'9" | CG Palmer Trinity | 2023 State FL is the go-to player for Palmer Trinity while Jade Leon Jade Leon 5'11" | CG Palmer Trinity | 2024 State FL and Angelina Deleon Angelina Deleon 5'8" | PG Doral Academy | 2025 State FL gives the Falcons a balanced offensive attack. Kings Academy has three players averaging double digits in Janessa Williams Janessa Williams 5'10" | SF King’s Academy | 2023 State FL , Jade Jones Jade Jones 5'11" | SF King's Academy | 2025 State FL , and Jordan Race Jordan Race 5'11" | SF King's Academy | 2023 State FL . They don’t have a deep roster but play hard and together. Not sure who will pull this one out but it will be a competitive matchup of two teams that will leave it all on the court regardless of the outcome.
Miami Sr HS v Westminster Academy
This is a big class vs small class matchup vs two teams that were in Lakeland last year for the final 4. Miami Senior will rely on the inside game of Joelle Wilson Joelle Wilson 5'11" | PF Miami Senior | 2023 FL and the perimeter game of her sister Sydney Wilson Sydney Wilson 4'11" | SG Miami Senior HS | 2025 State FL and Alexie Sanchez. While Westminster will look for their Sophomore duo of Markeli Jones-Tynes Markeli Jones-Tynes 5'9" | PG Westminster Academy | 2025 State FL and Lena Girardi Lena Girardi 5'10" | SF IMG Academy | 2025 State FL to handle the Stingrays pressure and account for the bulk of the teams scoring.
Miami Country Day v Montverde Academy
Montverde Academy will face two of the state’s top programs, matching up against Miami Country Day in day one of the event. Miami Country Day will rely on their Senior backcourt of Florida Atlantic signee Kristina Godfrey Kristina Godfrey 5'7" | PG Miami Country Day | 2023 State FL at the point guard position and University of Oakland signee Naveyah Damon, Junior standout Kayla Nelms Kayla Nelms 6'1" | PF Miami Country Day | 2024 State FL holding down the interior, and 8th grade sensation Jalynn Belton Jalynn Belton 5'10" | SF Miami Country Day | 2027 State FL getting it down on both sides of the court. For Montverde, in addition to their five D1 signee’s in the class of 2023, they will rely heavily on uber athletic Vivian Iwuchukwu Vivian Iwuchukwu 6'3" | SF Montverde Academy | 2024 State FL in the class of 2024 and 6’3 Lourdes Da Silva Costa Lourdes Da Silva Costa 6'3" | PF Monteverde Academy | 2025 State FL in the class of 2025.
St. Thomas Aquinas v Horeb Christian
St. Thomas Aquinas has one of the most talented rosters in the state while Horeb Christian has one of the most talented players in the state in Emely Rodriguez. Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL and Khadee Hession Khadee Hession 5'10" | CG St Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL will have the task of slowing down Rodriguez while it will be interesting to see if Horeb Christian will have an answer in the paint for Ka’Zahria Johnson Ka’Zahria Johnson 6'2" | C St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State FL and Mya Johnson.
Flanagan v Cardinal Gibbons
Flanagan got off to a slow start but has won 5 of their last 6. Freshman forward D’naela Myers is establishing herself as one of the state’s top young talents for Flanagan while Cardinal Gibbons will rely on their Seniors Konstantina Mantziori Konstantina Mantziori 5'6" | PG Cardinal Gibbons | 2023 State FL , Brooke Buckman Brooke Buckman 5'10" | PF State FL , and Taylor Williams and a balanced offense attack from Junior Jordan Kosoy Jordan Kosoy 5'7" | PG Cardinal Gibbons | 2024 State FL and Sophomores Teagan Wakefield Teagan Wakefield 5'8" | SG Cardinal Gibbons | 2025 State FL and Savanna Nicholson Savanna Nicholson 5'6" | PG Cardinal Gibbons | 2025 State FL .
Western v SLAM! Miami Academy
Western vs SLAM! is a re-match from last year’s New Year’s Classic overtime thriller and a battle of youth vs experience. Both teams will rely heavily on guard play with Seniors Tamara Elliot and Kimora Lee Kimora Lee 5'4" | PG Western | 2023 State FL handling the bulk of ball handling and scoring duties for Western. On the other side, SLAM! relies heavily on Sophomores Samantha Bautista, Adaya Montalvo Adaya Montalvo 5'8" | CG SLAM! (Miami) | 2025 State FL , and Jim’Myah Branton Jim’Myah Branton 5'7" | SG SLAM! (Miami) | 2025 State FL .
St. Andrews v Lourdes Academy
Both teams play a similar style, spread the floor, share the ball, and launch a lot of 3s. In a battle of private schools from Palm Beach County and Dade County, this will be a good one. Emma Smith and Savanna Smith Savanna Smith 5'8" | SG Saint Andrews | 2025 State FL account for 50% of St. Andrews scoring, while Lourdes has a big 3 of Ana Sofia Sanchez, Luciana Picasso Luciana Picasso 6'0" | SF Lourdes Academy | 2024 State FL , and Sophia Sandoval.
Nova v Santaluces
Nova is undefeated through 13 games and Santaluces is 7-4 and have won 4 of their last 6. This matchup will be a battle between two of the state’s top unsigned Seniors in Kendra Bentley Kendra Bentley 5'8" | CG Santaluces | 2023 State FL for Santaluces and Nova High School’s Madisyn McLeod Madisyn McLeod 5'8" | SG Nova HS | 2023 State FL . Whoever can will their team to the win will come out on the right side of victory in this one!
Michael Wholey is the lead scout for Florida Prep Girls Hoop Florida and a former division one Assistant Coach at American University, University of Memphis, and Georgia Tech. Wholey and the rest of the Prep Girls Hoop staff, seek to cover the entire state of player, keeping subscribers up to date with player evaluations, recruiting info, and statewide news. Our audience often supplies us with some of our best information. If you have any information on players, teams, or statewide news in the state of Florida, emailing Michael Wholey at WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com or DM him through Twitter or Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.