They were teammates on the summer circuit but never met during the high school season. They are a pair of players who are prolific scorers and two of the nation’s top players in their respective classes.
They have raised the awareness of Florida prep basketball, taking their games to highest levels. Finally senior Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest) and junior Austin Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.) will face off in the regular season Friday on ESPN2, tipping at 7 p.m. ET.
The Pine Crest-Winter Park matchup highlights Friday’s nationally televised doubleheader from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. In the opener, Montverde Academy plays Sagemont School (Weston) at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
“Florida is known as a football state but we like to there’s a lot of good basketball players here,” said Winter Park coach David Bailey, whose team is 20-4 heading into Tuesday’s Class 6A, District 4 quarterfinal game vs. Eastridge (Orlando). “People will see two of the nation’s best players are from Florida; we’re excited about the game.”
Bailey’s teams are no stranger to ESPN, having appeared twice, most recently in December during the finals of the City of Palms Classic from Fort Myers, Fla.
The Old Spice High School Showcase, a series of 14 regular season games, closes this weekend with a flurry. The ESPN family of networks will televise three games from Florida and Indiana, featuring top teams and players that will become household names.
Check out the rest here
