2021 Players to Watch: South Florida

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainty made things interesting this summer for basketball prospects. The lack of circuit exposure has hurt some more than others. In addition, I can’t even imagine the strain it has put on parents who are looking to navigate avenues for their kids to get the best opportunity.  We all got dealt a bad hand in one way or another. With that being said, I would like to highlight some players in the upcoming senior class. The 2021 group has been adversely affected as their opportunity to receive exposure is marginalized by our current state. I hope I can shine a light on some players to help them continue on their college journey. Let’s get into this list... <strong>Normeisha Williams</strong> - <em>Everglades</em> The Gators are a highly talented group led by head coach <strong>Alberto Jemperrie</strong>. One of those players is 5-foot-10 Normeisha Williams. Williams averaged 7.0 points and 7.3 rebounds at the Gators power forward spot as a junior.  While being a powerful front-court player, Williams is capable to stretch a defense and hit from outside. Against <strong>South Plantation</strong>, Williams scored a season-high 16 points and knocked down three 3-pointers. Reverting back to her natural area, the rising senior is a capable rebounder on the offensive and defensive end. Against <strong>Sebastian</strong> <strong>River</strong>, Williams grabbed ten rebounds (five offensive) in a 38-28 victory. It is no wonder that her on-court versatility has drawn interest from D1 and D2 programs. <strong>Amber Souffrant</strong> -  <em>Everglades</em> Sticking in <strong>Miramar</strong>, Souffrant brings another level of versatility to the Gators lineup. The 5-foot-9 wing averaged 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior. Souffrant should step into a bigger role as Everglades lost their two top scorers last season to graduation. Against <strong>Hialeah Gardens</strong>, Souffrant scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Everglades went 16-9 last season before dropping a pair of losses in the district and state tournament. The rising senior has been generating interest from D2, NAIA and JUCO programs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91529" first="Alana" last="Sharpe"]</strong> - <em>Western</em> Sharpe will look to carry momentum into her final season after receiving her first college offer from <strong>Daytona State</strong> in late June. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 blocks as a junior. Sharpe is an excellent rim protector with eight games of ten or more rebounds. Against <strong>Piper</strong>, Sharpe dominated with 15 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Playing alongside a talented player like 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153108" first="Taja" last="Stephens"]</strong> should open her up for opportunities. Sharpe should be a consistent double-double threat as a senior leader. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91494" first="Andrea" last="Daley"]</strong> - <em>Miami Country Day</em> One of the top programs in South Florida, Daley returns as the Lady Spartans leading scorer (12.8 PPG) and rebounder (8.1 RPG) as a junior. Miami Country Day went 21-10 last season before falling to the <strong>Master’s Academy</strong> in the 3A final four. The 6-foot forward will look to return the Lady Spartans to the big stage as a senior.  Previously, Miami Country Day won six-straight championships and were national champions in 2015 and 2017. The Lady Spartans are led by one of the best coaches in the country in <strong>Ochiel Swaby</strong>. Daley runs with the <strong>Miami Suns/Team Fowles </strong>and is one of the top players in the region. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91498" first="Zaida" last="Gonzalez"]</strong> - <em>Palm Beach Lakes</em> With two players lost to graduation, Gonzalez returns as the Rams returning scorer (13.6 PPG) and rebounder (6.1 RPG) as a junior. The 5-foot-8 guard helped Palm Beach Lakes to a 21-10 record and a district championship over <strong>Jupiter</strong>. In that contest, Gonzalez scored 17 points and knocked down four 3-pointers. The rising senior is an excellent rebounder for her size, posting a season-high 15 rebounds against <strong>Seminole Ridge</strong>. Gonzalez just has the awareness to make plays anywhere on the floor. She received a scholarship offer from <strong>Florida International</strong> <strong>University</strong> back in June. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91535" first="Kayla" last="DeHerrera"]</strong> - St. Andrew’s The Scots have something of a basketball factory brewing in their boys and girls programs. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="91535" first="Kayla" last="DeHerrera"] leads the charge on the women’s side after averaging 17.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals as a junior. The lightning quick floor leader exploded for 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a win over <strong>St. John Paul II</strong> <strong>Academy</strong>. On the defensive end, DeHerrera is an excellent on-ball defender with 63 steals last season. DeHerrera is a 2X First-Team All County selection and is a member of the <strong>Boca Thunder</strong>. She received an offer from <strong>Oglethorpe</strong> (GA) in late July and <strong>Berry University</strong> in June. <strong><em>For any South Florida Girls Prep Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 of follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</em></strong> &nbsp; &nbsp;