Here’s a look at the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s picks for the Fab Five boys basketball players in Broward County.
Wesley Cardet | G
Northeast junior
Cardet had a breakout year as a sophomore. Although the Hurricanes struggled, Cardet averaged 21 points, 10.6 rebounds and five assists. The junior standout is an up-and-coming prospect, with major college programs taking note. Cardet is rated a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ composite, and he is the No. 12 combo guard and No. 136 overall player in his class. He holds offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida and more.
Gregg Glenn II | F
Calvary Christian sophomore
Glenn has the potential to be Broward County’s next breakout star. Glenn averaged 14 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals as a freshman at Calvary Christian. He was part of the U.S. National Team, which won gold at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and was an All-County honorable mention last year. He is rated a five-star prospect by 247Sports’ composite ranking and is the No. 7 power forward and No. 33 overall player in his class. He holds offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami and more.
Dallas Graziani | G
Pembroke Pines Charter senior
Graziani had a dominant junior season with Cooper City last year. After being named a Fab Five selection, he went on to become one of the county’s most prolific scorers. He averaged 31.3 points as a junior. Now at Pembroke Pines Charter, Graziani is looking to build on his successes.
Inady Legiste | F
Stranahan senior
Legiste helped lead Stranahan to its first-ever state title as a junior. He was a second-team All-County selection last year and is looking to emerge as a leader as the Mighty Dragons seek to defend their Class 6A title. Legiste made his presence known in Lakeland last year, scoring 23 points and bringing in six rebounds in the state semifinal, then scoring 12 points with nine assists in the title game.
Ben Middlebrooks | F
Westminster Academy sophomore
Middlebrooks played a big role in the Lions winning their third straight state championship. Despite being a freshman on a team with several established standouts, Middlebrooks was a major factor in the post. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 10 rebounds a game as a freshman and will look to improve on his 5.6 points per game. He had 23 points and 22 rebounds in the state semifinals and title game. Middlebrooks has offers from FGCU, Florida, Florida State and more.
Broward Teams to Watch
Blanche Ely
After winning their second straight Class 8A title, the Tigers enter this season as the Broward County program with the most total state championships. But this year’s Ely team looks pretty different than last year’s championship team. Due to graduation and transfers, only one of the players who received significant minutes in last season’s title game returns: senior guard Lamont Evans. Whether long-time coach Melvin Randall can develop the returnees to take the places of seniors like Joshua Scott and transfers like Aderes Staton-McCray will determine how far the Tigers go this year.
Dillard
The Panthers fell just short of winning another state title last season, but Dillard is off to a hot start this season. The Panthers have already picked up big wins over Boyd Anderson, Calvary Christian and Stranahan in the opening weeks of the season. The Panthers lost key seniors Deshawn Bartley and Makerere Williams, but returnee Jalen Haynes leads the way as Dillard looks to make it back to Lakeland.
Stranahan
The Mighty Dragons made history in Lakeland last March, beating St. Petersburg Lakewood to win the program’s first-ever state basketball title. First-team All-County pick Brian Dugazon has graduated, but many of the key players from last season’s title run return. Forward Inady Legiste, a Fab Five pick, leads the way in the frontcourt, while two-sport star Dave Herard will look to finish his high school career strongly. A new wildcard for Stranahan is transfer Leonard Manuel, a football star who also looks to make a mark on the basketball court.
University School
A lot has changed at University School since the Sharks celebrated their second consecutive state title in Lakeland in March. Superstar Veron Carey Jr. graduated and is now starring at Duke. Star forward Scott Barnes, a five-star prospect and one of the top 10 seniors in the nation, transferred to powerhouse Montverde Academy. And coach Jim Carr was fired after winning a title in his first season as the Sharks’ head coach. But there is still plenty of reason to expect big things from U-School under new coach Ron Oliver. Talented returnees include seniors Jace Howard and Roger McFarlane and sophomores Taylor Hendricks and Jett Howard.
Westminster Academy
The Lions became only the second Broward County basketball team to win three straight state championships last season. But the Lions will have to find new leadership and point-scorers on the court this season. Top seniors Sam Griffin and Chase Johnston have graduated, leaving spots for returning players to step up. Fab Five pick Ben Middlebrooks finished the season strong and has received offers from major college programs, so this is a chance for him to break out.
Broward Next Five
Brent Davis, Miramar, senior, guard
Jett Howard, University School, sophomore, guard
Dave Herard, Stranahan, senior, guard
Jalen Haynes, Dillard, senior, forward
Roger McFarlane, University School, senior, guard
