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Tampa Bay Times’ all-Tampa Bay boys basketball team

 
Published June 28, 2018

Hillsborough County Player of the Year: G Matt Simpson, Sr., Plant City

The numbers: Simpson averaged 19.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game and played a key role in helping the Raiders make the playoffs for the second straight season and winning their first district title in more than 20 years.

Something about Simpson: Four years ago, Simpson not only made the varsity team as a freshman but also was a productive player. He averaged 8.0 points in his debut season. Trouble was, the Raiders did not win many games. They finished 2-17 in 2014-15. Former East Bay coach Billy Teeden was hired the following season.

The program has made steady progress, going from 11 wins in Teeden's first season at Plant City to 23 this past season. Simpson has improved, too. The past two seasons, he has averaged double figures in scoring. As a senior, Simpson put it all together. He was named the Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year and received the Hillsborough County Public Schools Mac McGahagin Academic Athletic Basketball award. He also made the Florida Athletic Coaches Association all-star team.

Season highlight: Playing against rival Tampa Bay Tech seems to bring out the best in Simpson. In December, he led all scorers with 30 points in a win over the Titans. That victory helped Plant City earn the No. 1 seed in the Class 8A, District 9 tournament. Still, the Raiders knew another rematch with TBT was likely. In the final, Plant City was clinging to a two-point lead when Simpson stepped to the line to hit a crucial free throw, giving the Raiders enough of a cushion to hold on to win 56-54. With the district title, Plant City was able to host a playoff game for the first time since 1993.

What's next: Simpson has signed with Florida College and has been using the summer to help run camps at Plant City and get ready for his freshman season in college.

RELATED: Tampa Bay Times' all-Hillsborough County boys basketball team

Pinellas Player of the Year: G Serrel Smith, Sr., St. Petersburg

The numbers: Smith averaged 29.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a senior and led the Green Devils to the state semifinals for the third time in his high school career.

Something about Smith: A long-range specialist, Smith has been the Green Devils' go-to guy for the past two years. His status as the area's premier jump shooter comes from his basketball blood lines, notably from the females in his family.

His mother, Tamika Coley, starred at Pinellas Park and went on to play at UCF and coached the Green Devils' girls basketball program.His sister, Kamika Idom, played for her mother at St. Petersburg before going on to FIU. His cousin, Jerica Coley, was a star at St. Petersburg Catholic who led the nation in scoring (29.4 points) during her senior season at FIU. She played briefly with the WNBA's New York Liberty.

With that kind of lineage, it seemed only natural that Smith would gravitate toward basketball.

He did just that, and the bigger the game, the better the performance.
In February, he scored 36 points in a loss to eventual Class 8A champion Pompano Beach Blanche Ely in the state semifinals. Smith was named the 8A state player by the Florida Dairy Farmers.

Season highlight: As a junior Smith got national attention after scoring 39 points against powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. In January, the teams met again in a rematch at Berkeley Prep's National Hoopfest. Smith again showed his scoring acumen, leading all scorers with 42 points, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range. He also added five steals. Smith's performance came against an Oak Hall team that had a pair of McDonald's All-Americans. The tournament organizers were so impressed they named Smith the MVP, the first time the award has been handed to a player from the losing team.

What's next: Smith originally committed to Mississippi but asked for his release after the coach stepped down. The four-star recruit was coveted by many schools. In April, he signed with Maryland and will spend the rest of the summer preparing for his freshman season.

St. Petersburg’s Serrel Smith lunges forward to take a shot vs. Plant City. (ZACH WITTMAN | Special to the Times)

RELATED: Tampa Bay Times' all-Pinellas County boys basketball team

North Suncoast Player of the Year: G Ty Quiroz, Sr., Ridgewood

The numbers: Quiroz averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists, and led the Rams to a district title and their first region final appearance.

Something about Quiroz: With his shaggy hair and 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, Quiroz resembles a skateboarder more than a basketball player. But looks are deceiving. Quiroz wears his affection for basketball on his sleeve in the form of a tattoo. The ink recites Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball poem, which the former Laker wrote for the Players' Tribune in 2015.

Much like Bryant, Quiroz can put up points in bunches. As a junior, Quiroz scored 41 points in one and 37 in another. He finished his high school career with more than 1,500 points, second-most in school history. When Quiroz hit that milestone this season, the Rams stopped the game and presented him with a plaque.

Season highlight: In the region semifinals, Ridgewood was down more than 20 points to rival Nature Coast in the third quarter. But the Rams were not about to let the season slip away. Staging a furious comeback, Ridgewood came through in the clutch, pulling out a 66-60 victory on the road. That allowed the Rams to host the region final, the last game in the gym before the school officially shut down its athletic programs. Quiroz did his part to complete the comeback, scoring 11 of his 14 points in the second half.

"That game meant a lot to us," Quiroz said. "It's competitive with Nature Coast. I know a lot of their guys from AAU. I've beat them a few times. They've beat me. Everybody thought we lost, but we came back and won. That was really nice to see the team and the coach happy."

What's next: Quiroz signed with Presentation, an NAIA school in South Dakota. He will report Aug. 15 and should have a chance to play right away.

Ridgewood’s Ty Quiroz closed out the Rams’ final-ever season on a high note. (ALICE HERDEN | Special to the Times)

RELATED: Tampa Bay Times' all-North Suncoast boys basketball team

First team

G Darin Green, Jr., Wharton: The Division I-A prospect delivered in big games, leading the Wildcats to a district title and the region semifinals.

G CJ Williams, Sr., Countryside: Went toe-to-toe with St. Petersburg's Serrel Smith all season and helped the Cougars beat the Green Devils for the Class 7A, District 10 title.

F Alec Sherman, Sr., Ridgewood: Battled through injuries and averaged nearly a double double (14.6 points, 9.6 rebounds) per game to help the Rams reach the region final.

F Bryce Workman, Sr., Sickles: The Jacksonville signee had a monster season, averaging 19.8 points and 13.3 rebounds.

G Ronald Boyd, Sr., Plant: Playing in one of the toughest districts in the state (8A-8), Boyd averaged 13.8 points, 7.6 assists and 6.8 rebounds.

Second team

G Tai Strickland, Sr., St. Petersburg
G Malcolm Whitlow, Jr., Carrollwood Day
G Tre Gilliam, So., Gibbs
G Tyrick Brascom, Sr., Tampa Bay Tech
G Robert McAfee, Sr., Nature Coast

Third team

G Caleb Johnson, Sr., Central
G Mark Calleja, Sr., Hudson
F Matthew Berry, Sr., Countryside
G Tim Carter, Sr., Tampa Catholic
G Myles Cowart, Sr., Hillsborough

Honorable mention

Admiral Farragut: Andreas Fuller; Alonso: Sager Cavalier; Anclote: Jakob Hester; Berkeley Prep: Chase Barrs; Boca Ciega: Jerroda Briscoe, Dakota Moore; Brooks DeBartolo: Isaiah Thomas; Calvary Christian: Austin Meloche; Clearwater: Nirobi Peeler; East Lake: Dionte Blanch, Breon Hillmon; Freedom: Alek Rojas; Jesuit: Thierry Moliere; Keystone Prep: Myikel Wilson; Lakewood: Adrian White; Land O'Lakes: Mekhi Perry; Largo: Zhahidi Robinson; Lennard: Isaiah Hodge; Mitchell: JP Watt; Nature Coast: Robert Gomez; Newsome: Isiah Islam; Northeast: Alfonso Franklin; Pasco: Roney Webster; Ridgewood: Trey Reiser; Seminole: Duncan Demuth; Springstead: Sincere Torain; Tampa Prep: Jaren Phillips; Wesley Chapel: Isaiah Ramsey; Wiregrass Ranch: Elijah Howell; Zephyrhills: Kurt Robbins