Rey Velez and Ayotunde Oyeniyi Accept Scholarship Offers
July 8, 2010

Two recent graduates of The Rock School have accepted scholarship offers to attend college on athletic scholarships.

Rey Velez, a captain in 2009-2010 and starter for the 2009 Final Four team, has earned the opportunity to attend and play at Inter American University in San German, Puerto Rico. Velez averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Lions his senior season and was named Defensive Player of the Year by the coaching staff. "Rey was a good team player. He is an unselfish player who does the small things that coaches need."

Ayotunde Oyeniyi, who came to The Rock from Nigeria for his senior season, signed to attend and play for Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey (20 minutes from NYC). At 6'9 Oyeniyi started at center for the Lions during the handful of games he was eligible to play in. Oyeniyi also battled through plantar fascitis in both of his feet throughout the entire school year. "The thing with AY is that he just didn't get enough exposure. He has a great upside in basketball and already possesses some of the tools needed to be effective at the next level. The thing I appreciate the most about AY is that he never doubted if God was going to come through for him with a scholarship. He has great character and faith for young man," said Coach Harden.

With two more players signing, the Lions now have 4 players from their 2009-2010 roster expected to play college basketball next year. The Rock boys basketball program has now produced 14 collegiate student-athletes at the NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA Division I levels.

Much attention has been focused on The Rock School's Scottie Wilbekin lately. The 6'2 guard and leading scorer for the basketball team has been in contact with Billy Donovan and the University of Florida Men's Basketball coaching staff to discuss becoming a Gator in the future. Only instead of the future being in 2011 when Wilbekin is scheduled to graduate the future may be 2010.

Discussions between Wilbekin, his parents Svend and Katy, and the Gator coaching staff have been going on for some time now as both sides consider the possibility of Scottie reclassifying to the 2010 class and graduating from high school a year early. "We’re still working everything out," said Wilbekin recently. "I’ve got to get okayed by the NCAA and I’ve got to get an SAT score so I really can’t say anything much for now.”

Many student-athletes have been known to reclassify so as to ensure they are more physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for the college game and life. But few choose to graduate early to start their college career when they could otherwise be a high school senior. but Wilbekin has always done things ahead schedule and the norm. Wilbekin started playing on the varsity team as a 6th grader and has been a starter since the 8th grade at point guard for a program that has gain much notoriety around the state of Florida and southeast region. "People outside of Florida know about our program. Much of that credit is due in part to the development of Scottie," said Coach Justin Harden who has coached Scottie since he was int he 7th grade. "If anyone is ready to make such a decision and jump, he is."

Wilbekin's development over the past 10 months is the main reason why an early commitment to Florida is possible. Last year many articles from scouts around the country praised Wilbekin's decision making, ability to run a team, ability to knock down mid-range jumpers, and provide leadership. In August, Wilbekin returned from a grueling summer AAU schedule in which he helped his team to a final four finish at the prestigious Peach Jam , and championships at the Wallace Prather Memorial Classic, Las Vegas Main Event and Dessert Duel in Phoenix, where he was named MVP of the event.

He decided to spend more time and effort in the weight room and working on his three-point shot which many of the scouts questioned. Most predicted he would be a solid mid-major recruit and possibly could elevate to a lower high major school. Despite interest from many SEC and ACC schools, Wilbekin got serious and took his game to a whole new level. "I knew Scottie was special and had great potential, but that only he could unleash it and take his game to the next level. And the only way to do that is through hard work," said Coach Harden. "When the season started, he was playing with confidence, but it continued to grow because he continued to lift throughout the season and kept getting stronger and better. And now he is able to do all of the things the scouts were questioning him on last year."

Recently Wilbekin and his Nike Team Florida team competed at the Boo Williams Tournament in Virgina in which they competed against other teams in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. His team completed the trip going 4-1 behind the leadership and scoring prowess of Wilbekin. In his final game of the event Wilbekin was perfect from the field going 12-12 from the field including 4 three-pointers and 4-4 from the line. "It a testament to the amount of work and time he has put in to getting better and not being satisfied with where he was. It's a great lesson for all high school players to learn."

For more articles on Scottie Wilbekin and his recruitment, visit GatorCountry.com.

Senior guard Dennis Mavin has committed to attend Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton next year. The 6'2 guard who is one the best guards in the state will play for Coach Mike Jarvis who is in the process of building a competitive program in South Florida.

Last year Gainesville High guard and 5A player of the year Greg Gantt went to FAU and became on the leading scorers on a young but talented team. This year, Coach Matt McCall came back to Gainesville looking for another explosive scoring guard. But unlike Gantt, Mavin will be able to put pressure on the perimeter and interior defense with his ability to attack the basket with dribble penetration. "We already have a pretty good back court with Ray (Taylor) and Greg (Gantt). But Dennis will be able to add another dimension and complement those two guys very well," said Coach McCall who has been watching Mavin since McCall was a undergraduate assistant with the University of Florida 8 years ago. "Dennis has a great opportunity to come in here and earn a starting spot or at least significant minutes with hard work, which we expect he will do."

Mavin chose FAU amidst a number of other offers and interest from schools such as Marshall, Fairfield, Northeastern, Fresno State, and Troy. "It basically came down to me being able to stay in Florida and play basketball at a good school for a good coach," Mavin said. "Coach Jarvis came to visit with me and my dad and was very honest with me about what he expected of his players and in particular me next year. I respect what he has done in his coaching career and feel like he could help make me a better player and person."

Gantt and Mavin are good friends and have remained in contact over the course of the year while Gannt was at FAU and got to convene in Boca Raton while The Rock boys basketball team was competing in the Kreul Classic in late December. "He told me he really enjoyed playing for Coach Jarvis and that I should come here next year. He told me the beach was only 10 minutes away. That  got my attention fast. But he also said that they (coaches) were interested in making you a better player and were willing to give you the opportunity to prove what you could do on the court. That is really important to me because I feel like I can play with anybody and want to have the chance to do that at the next level."

Mavin transferred to The Rock for his senior season and was a vital part to the the success of the team this year ehlping the Lions go 22-7. Mavin had big games scoring the rock including 29 against nationally known Quality Education (Winston-Salem) and 25 against Orlando Jones, 21 against Dwyer, and 18 against Providence. "I think Dennis had a good year considering the adversity he faced with the big expectations heading into his senior season and the major injury he suffered in December. That ankle sprain was bad and he was hobbled for several weeks and was never really the same as he was before it happened," said Coach Justin Harden. "before he got hurt, he was averaging over 20 points and after he only averaged about 15. But Dennis' 80% is most people's 100%. He is special player and person and I wish him the best moving forward."

Mavin's commitment to attend FAU marks the 5th NCAA Division I signee from The Rock and the 10th boys basketball player to attend college on a basketball scholarship since 2000. Mavin will sign his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, May 5th at a ceremony in the school's gymnasium at 2:30p.

The Rock School announced today in a meeting with FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing that is withdrawing from membership effective immediately. Read the full news release at: www.tinyurl.com/therockschool.

TRS Seniors Selected for All-Star Event
March 9, 2010

Seniors Dennis Mavin and Rey Velez will play in the Alachua-Marion Counties All-Star competition on Tuesday, March 16, at 7:00 p.m. The event will be hosted by Vanguard High School in Ocala. ESPN 1230 will broadcast The Sports Fix live on site from 4 - 6 p.m.

Scorers:Dennis Mavin - 18, Scottie Wilbekin - 18, Alain Chigha - 7, Mitchell Wilbekin - 5, AY Oyeniyi - 4, Glenn Feidanga - 2, Rey Velez - 1
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3, Dennis Mavin, Mitchell Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 6
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 5
Steals: Alain Chigha - 2

Game Recap: The Rock Lions 2009-2010 season came to an abrupt end on Tuesday night after a demoralizing loss to Arlington Country Day, the 5 time defending state champion that moved down to 1A this year from 2A. The Apaches took control of the game early and never relented the pressure. The Lions struggled to make shots all night shooting only 17-59 from the field (29%) and 16-32 from the free throw stripe. Much of the bad shooting could be attributed to the Apaches shot blocking potential which swatted 10 Lion shot attempts. "They were flying all over the gym tonight. We had no answer for their shot blocking. Even if you got by one, the next guy was flying through the air at you," said Coach Justin Harden whose Lions finished the season 22-7. The Lions two leading scorers for the season struggled all night to convert shots into points combining to score 36 of the Lions' 55 points but only shooting 11-40 from the field. "The pressure defense caused Dennis (Mavin) and Scottie (Wilbekin) to speed up everything they did, thus taking them out of their normal rhythm and ability to make shots.We needed them to have great games like they did against Quality Ed (Winston-Salem, NC) in order to beat ACD tonight." The Lions finished the season as District Champions and Regional Semifinalists. With big expectations heading in to the season, this Lions squad fell short to a very talented ACD team. Despite not achieving their ultimate goal of a state championship, this team accomplished new milestones for the program becoming the first team to be ranked in the top 10 (as high as 6) in the state for all classifications, they were finalists at the prestigious Kreul Classic in Coral Springs, and they earned 3rd place at the Kingdom of the Sun in Ocala. The Lions will graduate 5 seniors and will have 7 players return to the squad next year.

Scorers:Dennis Mavin - 28, Scottie Wilbekin - 11, AY Oyeniyi - 8, Rey Velez - 4, Kenny Anderson - 4, Lamar Williams - 4, Alain Chigha - 2, Jeremy Williams - 2, Domen Zevnik - 2, Glenn Feidanga - 1
3-PTS: Dennis Mavin - 4, Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 6
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 5
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin, Rey Velez, J. Williams - 6

Game Recap: The Rock Lions won Thursday night against Melody Christian (Live Oak) to advance to the Regional Semifinals where they will face the number 1 team in the state in 1A Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville). The Lions were led by senior guard Dennis Mavin who came of the bench to score 28 points and lead all scorers. Mavin missed the previous two days of school and practice because of the flu and Coach Justin Harden decided to bring him off the bench. "Missing two practices is big and I wanted to make sure he was strong and healthy enough to play, so I waited to see how he did in warm-ups." Mavin broke a season-long cold streak from behind the arc by shooting 4 of 7. On the season he had been shooting under 15% from long distance. "The rest of our guys were not hitting shots so it was good to see him knock down his." The Lions will advance to the much anticipated showdown with ACD next Tuesday in Jacksonville at 7p. Some say it should be the state championship, but unfortunately the winner still will need to win three more games to claim the title.

Date: February 13, 2010
Opponent: Seven Rivers Christian
Location: District Championship (Oak Hall)

Scorers:Glenn Feidanga - 12, Alain Chigha - 11,Scottie Wilbekin - 11, Dennis Mavin - 10, Rey Velez - 10, AY Oyeniyi - 9, Jeremy Williams - 4, Domen Zevnik - 2, Kenny Anderson - 2, Z Kairys - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 11
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 5
Steals: Glenn Feidanga - 3

Game Recap: The Rock Lions are the 2010 District 4-1A Champions with their dominating win over outmatched Seven Rivers Warriors from Lecanto. Not only were the Warriors smaller and seemingly less athletic than the Lions, but on this night, the Lions played tremendous team basketball, especially in the first half. "I was so pleased with our play the first half. I thought we played very unselfish on offense and hard on defense," said Coach Justin Harden. I wish our second team could have kept the same intesity and level of play up in the second half, but the guys played great in the first half." The Lions scored a season high 58 points in the first half. The Lions were averaging only 58.7 points per game entering the contest. All five starters for the Lions scored in double digits led by sophomore forward Glenn Feidanga. "He has played well both games in the starting five. I have been a little reluctant to put him there and him and AY battle each day for the spot, but Glenn has certainly impressed me." Dennis Mavin helped everyone get involved dishing out 5 assists in the half including several that caused the crowd to gasp in amazement. The Lions will take on District 3-1A runner-up Melody Christian (Live Oak) on Thursday at 7p at The Rock. Melody Christian lost to Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville) who are the 5 time 2A State Champions before they moved back down to 1A this year.

Scorers:AY Oyeniyi - 17, Dennis Mavin - 10, Scottie Wilbekin - 10, Jeremy Williams - 10, Glenn Feidanga - 9, Alain Chigha - 8, Rey Velez - 6, Z Kairys - 3
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 2, AY Oyeniyi, Jeremy Williams - 1
Rebound Leader: AY Oyeniyi - 12
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 5
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 5

Game Recap: The Rock Lions advanced to the FHSAA State Playoffs and the the District 4-1A Finals with a convincing 73-21 win over Meadowbrook Academy form Ocala Friday night. The game was highlighted by a dominant performance of senior AY Oyeniyi off the bench. After being replaced by sophomore forward Glenn Feidanga in the starting line-up this week, Oyeniyi responded well coming off the bench contributing 17 points and 12 rebounds. "I thought it (coming off the bench) probably helped him calm down and relieve some of the pressure of playing with the first team," said Coach Justin Harden. "He finally used the great height advantage he has to dominate another team. I hope he can keep it up." The Lions dominated the smaller Mustangs on the glass pulling down 19 offensive rebounds, 39 total rebounds.

Scorers:Dennis Mavin - 20, Scottie Wilbekin - 18, Rey Velez - 6, Alain Chigha - 2, AY Oyeniyi - 2, Glenn Feidanga - 2, Jeremy Williams - 1
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 2
Rebound Leader: Rey Velez - 5
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 6

Game Recap: In game that was much closer than the experts thought, The Rock Lions escaped the Santa Fe Raiders' best effort to pull off a big upset of the number one area team. Behind the play of Junior point guard CJ Wakeley and his 27 points, the Raiders had a chance to tie the game as time expired but Wakeley's running bank shot rattled out to preserve the Lions' two point win. The Raiders held a halftime lead of 29-28. The Lions came out and scored 18 points in the third quarter to take the lead 46-39 going into the fourth quarter. The Lions' consistent scoring came on 7-11 shooting from the field and 3-4 shooting from the line. But the Lions were much less efficient in the fourth quarter scoring only 5 points on 2-6 shooting from the field and going 1 for 4 from the foul line. Two of the free throws were missed by Dennis Mavin on 1-1 opportunities that left the door open for the Raiders. "Dennis has been working on free throws and the last two games he did a great job of making them. Tonight he was just a little off but I'm sure he will be working on them next week because we need him to make those if we want to make a run in the playoffs," said Coach Justin Harden whose team finished 19-6 in the regular season in his first year as head coach of The Rock boys basketball team. "I was telling my guys that Wakeley was good and could score the ball, but I think they were shocked at how efficiently he did that. We had some great stops and caused some turnovers, I am just unsure why we were so bad in the fourth quarter on offense." The Lions will have a bye the first round of the District 4-1A playoffs that start Tuesday at Oak Hall. The Lions will play Friday at 6 pm in the district semi-finals for a chance to win their third district championship in four years and their fifth overall.

Scorers:Scottie Wilbekin - 22, Dennis Mavin - 10, Alain Chigha - 6, AY Oyeniyi - 4, Rey Velez - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Rebound Leader: Dennis Mavin, AY Oyeniyi - 4
Assists Leader: Rey Velez - 2
Steals: Rey Velez - 3

Game Recap: The Rock Lions started off hot against the Florida Air Falcons leading 12-5 after one quarter. But the Lions went cold after that as the Falcons caught fire behind the shooting of Kuamaine Osborne. "That kid can shoot the rock. We did a better job of preparing for him this time around, but still had some mental lapses that allowed him to get shots off and ultimately he will make some of them," said Coach Justin Harden. Scottie Wilbekin, who has played consistently well throughout the entire season helped keep the Lions in the game the first half as Dennis Mavin sat with foul trouble. The Lions and Falcons went back an forth in the third quarter exchange the lead 10 times with the Falcons ending the quarter on a 5-0 run to lead 34-31 heading into the fourth. Again the Lions answered back with a 3 pointer from Wilbekin to open the quarter and scored two more times to lead 37-36 in the fourth. But that was the last time the Lions would see the lead as the Falcons went on a 11-0 run behind the play of Senior Will Yeguette who finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds in the game. "Will was great tonight. He looked like a DI player against high school players out there. I thought Scottie did a great job of slowing Kuamaine during the second half, but Will was just too much for us." Wilbekin finished the game with 4 pointers and 22 points and Mavin was the only other Lion in double figures. "It was a difficult game tonight as Rey (Velez) was sluggish because of a stomach flu and Dennis getting in early foul trouble put a ton of pressure on Scottie to handle the ball and score. We just need to see what we did and did not do in this game and see if we can learn from it." The Lions will take on Santa Fe on the road Friday night in the last game of their regular season.

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 17, Dennis Mavin - 12, Rey Velez - 8, AY Oyeniyi - 8, Alain Chigha - 6, Glenn Feidanga - 6, Lamar Williams - 4
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 6
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 6
Steals: Dennis Mavin - 3

Game Recap: In the battle for The Gainesville Sun's John Patton's top area boys basketball team, The Rock Lions pulled out a big win against a very good Williston team. The game was close throughout with both teams making some great plays offensively and defensively and both teams struggling at times to find their rhythm on both ends. The Lions were able to open up a 6 point lead against the Red Devils as the Lions connected on 8 of 13 shots from the field. But in the second quarter, the game slowed up as both teams committed some turnovers and were not able to get much going on the offensive end combining to score 16 points. The sloppy offensive play continued in the third quarter, but quickly vanished in the forth quarter as both teams scored at least 23 points. "I like that we scored 23 points in the quarter, but I don't like that they scored 24. Our defense needs to be better," said Coach Justin Harden. "Scottie (Wilbekin) and Dennis (Mavin) got going late in the third and early in the forth to help us get a rhythm on offense. And then we hit free throws going down the stretch to provide enough of a cushion to hold on." The Lions lost to defending 4A State Champion Cocoa High on Saturday at The Rock after shooting only 50% from the free throw line. The Lions shot 67% from the charity stripe against Williston and 55% from the field. "We had a purpose-driven practice on Monday to get better at free throw shooting because we have not paid enough attention to that this year. Partly it is my fault, but we hope that Saturday's game was enough of a wake-up call to get us to focus when we are at the line, like we did tonight, and make our shots." The Lions will play in the Nike Vince Murray Memorial Shootout at Vanguard High School in Ocala against Florida Air Academy on Thursday at 6:30p. The Lions defeated Florida Air Friday on the road 58-53.

Scorers: Glenn Feidanga - 19, Kenny Anderson - 14, Domen Zevnik - 12, Rey Velez - 10, Mitchell Wilbekin - 7,  Alain Chigha - 4,  Jeremy Williams - 4, Z Kairys - 6
3-PTS: Domen Zevnik - 2, Kenny Anderson - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 10
Assists Leader: Domen Zevnik - 6
Steals: Alain Chigha, Domen Zevnik - 4

Game Recap: Despite three starters, Dennis Mavin, Scottie Wilbekin, and AY Oyeniyi not playing, the Lions were able to rout the Saints of St. John Lutheran 76-38. The Siants proved to be difficult to put away as they were able to score 18 points in the second frame against the Lions. "That is very disappointing to me. I don't care who is playing, we should not allow that many points in one quarter. We showed that by holding them to just 14 points in the whole second half. We just need to do a better job of playing 4 quarters - not two or three, but all four," said Coach Justin Harden. With three starters sitting, some bench players got to see more court time than usual. Sophomore forward Glenn Feidange scored 19 points, four of which came on two thunderous dunks. Senior guard Kenny Anderson scored 14 points in various fashion. And freshman guard Domen Zevnik added 12 points, 6 coming from behind the arc, 6 assists and 4 steals. "i thought all three guys played really well. I was very impressed with Glenn and Domen as I have not seen them do that yet. Kenny has scored in double digits a couple of times this year and can give us some good bench points when we need them. But Glenn and Domen showed a little of what The Rock fans can expected in the coming years."

The Rock will rest much of next week before traveling to take on Florida Air Academy in Melbourne and Cocoa High School on Saturday at Home. Saturday will be Senior Day for the Lions who will honor their five seniors: Rey Velez, Dennis Mavin, Kenny Anderson, Lamar Williams, and AY Oyeniyi.

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 18, Dennis Mavin - 14, AY Oyeniyi - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Rey Velez - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 5
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 4
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 2

Game Recap: The fourth of four games in 5 nights, the Lions wrapped up the stretch with a win over highly talented Oldsmar Christian Eagles. The Eagles came out with energy and passion and jumped to an early 10-3 lead on the Lions and maintained it to take a 15-8 1st quarter lead. Something in the Lions clicked at the quarter break because the Lions did not allow the Eagles to score in double digits for a quarter the rest of the game. "We (coaching staff) were very frustrated with our defensive energy and execution in the 1st quarter. We let them cut over top of us, post up on us, and rebound over us. It was a terrible way to respond from the Providence game. I thought we did, however, respond well the rest of the game and show that we have pride in playing well at home," said Coach Justin Harden. The Lions went on to outscored the Eagles in the final three quarters and held the Eagles to only 12 second half points. "I feel like we can do that to most teams if we are committed to it. We wanted them to talk more and louder and it seemed to help raise our energy and frustrate them a little." The Lions also were able to close the game out on free throw shooting by Scottie Wilbekin despite a poor shooting night from behind the arc. Dennis Mavin also added 14 points, most of the them coming in the first half on dribble penetration. The Lions will have a few days to rest before playing their final district game against St. John Lutheran on Friday.

When Scottie and Mitchell Wilbekin were little tykes who couldn’t yet come close to reaching the rim with a jump shot, they were fixtures at the early-morning practices their dad orchestrated as coach of Gainesville’s The Rock School.

The boys were only 4 and 2 years of age when their father first allowed them to run around the edges of the practice floor – chasing a rolling ball more than dribbling it – while he ran his practices at Santa Fe Community College.

“They loved it. I was holding practice at 6 a.m. at Santa Fe because we didn’t have a gym of our own then,” remembers Svend Wilbekin, who launched what is now one of Florida’s top small-school programs 14 years ago. “How many kids that age want to wake up for anything at that time in the morning? But they’d beg me to go every time.”

Early on all it took was a ball that bounced to captivate the Wilbekin boys. They soon learned the goal was to put the ball in the hole.

Read the full article...

Date: January 18, 2010
Opponent: Providence
Location: MLK Showcase, Florida State College (JAX)

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 20, Dennis Mavin - 18, Rey Velez - 7, Mitchell Wilbekin - 6
3-PTS: Mitchell Wilbekin, Scottie Wilbekin - 2
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 5
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 4
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Alain Chigha - 2

Game Recap: It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. That is how the two halves of basketball could be described for the way the Lions played against the #2 state-ranked Providence School. "I thought we played well on defense and that gave us the opportunity to get out into transition which is a strength of ours, especially against those big guys that they have," said Coach Justin Harden. "We helped one another, boxed out Patric (Young), Wayne (Martin), and Stacey (Poole). But we got away from that in the second half and just couldn't keep them out of the lane." Dennis Mavin led the way in the first half with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line. But in the second half, Providence was able to keep Mavin contained to only 4 points on 1-of-5 shooting and 2 free throws. "Dennis was 6-of-6 from the line and he just couldn't get there enough. We stopped attacking the basket because our guys couldn't get a call, but we also began to settle for contested, quick jump shots. The second half was miserable, but we will hopefully learn from it." This was the second game against a top ranked state team in 9 days. The Lions' 4 loses have all been to state ranked teams Montverde, Providence, Northeast, and East Ridge.

Congratulations to senior guard Dennis Mavin who was named by the Gainesville Sun as the Player of the Week for January 11-17.

Read the full article...

Game 6: The Rock 57, Jones 47

The finale of the event featured the host school Orlando Jones facing small school power The Rock out of Gainesville. This was another close game all the way until the final quarter. Jones was the team with more overall quickness and speed and but The Rock had a height advantage. Up by only four (39-35) at the start of the fourth quarter, The Rock was able to maintain that lead for the quarter until Jones had to foul. The Rock hit its free throws and Jones was unable to score in this situation. The Rock increased its lead at the line and went home to Gainesville with a ten point victory.

The Rock was led by the sterling play of 6’1 senior guard Dennis Mavin. Simply put, Jones could not stop him. Mavin dropped in 26 points and only shot (and drained) one three in the contest. His quick first step, crossover, and step back dribbles create space for him to get to the rim or get off a mid-range jumper that while flat goes down on a consistent basis. He’s a good enough athlete that the team runs lob plays for him. Mavin has yet to qualify but once he does, he will get serious looks from D-I colleges at all levels.

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 25, Mitchell Wilbekin - 13, Scottie Wilbekin - 12, Rey Velez - 5, AY Oyeniyi - 2
3-PTS: Mitchell Wilbekin - 3, Scottie Wilbekin - 2, Dennis Mavin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha, AY Oyeniyi, Glenn Feidanga - 6
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 4
Steals: Dennis Mavin - 2

Game Recap: In a very physical game, the Lions pulled away in the 4th quarter to secure the win scoring 18 pts in the final frame including 9 from the charity stripe. Dennis Mavin proved to be almost back to 100% as he gouged the Jones defense with his dribble penetration finishing with 25 points on 11-18 shooting from the floor including one three pointer off the glass. "He looked almost back to normal. He still is missing a little, but his 90% is better than most people's 100%," said Coach Justin Harden.

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 12, AY Oyeniyi - 8, Scottie Wilbekin - 7, Mitchell Wilbekin - 7, Glenn Feidanga - 7, Alain Chigha - 6, Kenny Anderson - 5, Rey Velez - 4, Jeremy Williams - 3, Z Kairys - 1, Domen Zevnik - 1
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin, Kenny Anderson - 1
Rebound Leader: AY Oyeniyi - 4
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 5
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 3

Game Recap: The Lions entered a stretch of 4 games in 5 nights with a rather easy win over in town district opponent Oak Hall Eagles. The Eagles could not match the Lions' speed and athleticism despite running a Princeton-like offense against the Lions and getting some good looks. The bench of the Lions got valuable playing time scoring 24 of the 61 total points.

John Patton ranks the area’s top-5 boys basketball teams while providing a comment on each.

1. The Rock: Victory against North Carolina powerhouse Quality Education in the Kreul Classic was the biggest win any local program has recorded this season.

2. Williston: Hosts The Rock on Feb. 2, but must worry about national power Jacksonville Arlington Country Day this weekend. Has beaten No. 3 Eastside.

3. Eastside: Led almost the entire way in big victory against defending FHSAA Class 5A state champions Gainesville last Friday.

4. Gainesville: Has the ability to beat just about anyone in the state on any given day, despite big graduation losses from 2008-09 champs.

5. Palatka: Unbeaten at 14-0, but not ranked higher because recent history hasn’t been much. Upwardly mobile.

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 27, Rey Velez - 11, Dennis Mavin - 7, Alain Chigha - 6, Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Glenn Feidanga - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 5, Dennis Mavin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha, Rey Velez - 8
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 4

Game Recap: The Rock Lions traveled to take on the top team in the state Montverde Eagles on Saturday in a match-up of two top ten teams in the state. The Rock recently was ranked #8 overall, the first time the program has been ranked in the top ten in the state. The Rock battled a larger Montverde team throughout the first half pulling even with the Eagles on consecutive made 3 pointers by Scottie Wilbekin and Dennis Mavin to close the half. Tide at 26 to open the 2nd half, the Lions jumped out to a 30-26 lead before allowing the Eagles to score the next 7 points. Then it was back to back 3 pointers by Scottie Wilbekin that put the visiting Lions ahead 38-33 causing Montverde to call a time out. While the Lions had many opportunities to increase the lead due to mistakes by the Eagles, the Lions just seemed to have run out of luck following the timeout. "I thought we were ready to handle the moment and to keep playing well. I'm not sure what it was, but we just did not play well from that point on," said Coach Justin Harden. The Eagles ended the quarter on a 4-0 run and eventually scored 14 unanswered points by the Lions. "We took some bad shots. Whether they were rushed or just plain bad, we just were not able to get anything offensively to help get us over the edge" added Coach Harden. The Eagles went on the score 26 points in the fifth quarter and the Lions could not recover with only 17 points scored. "Scottie shot the ball well from deep (5-10 on 3s) and we certainly had our chances to make it closer or even possibly win. But we will take this game and break it down and learn how to win the next time around."

The Rock will play at in-town district opponent Oak Hall on Friday @ 7:30p. They then travel to play Jones in the MLK Classic at Jones HS in Orlando on Saturday at 8p. On Monday, the Lions travel to Jacksonville to take on #2 Providence at the MLK Showcase at FCCJ at 7:30p which can be heard in Gainesville on AM1230 and in Ocala on AM900 and 101FM. Then Tuesday, the Lions return home to play Oldsmar Christian at 7:30p.

Date: January 6, 2010
Opponent: Central Florida Christian (Orlando)
Location: Away

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 20, Rey Velez - 18, Alain Chigha - 6, Mitchell Wilbekin - 6, Glenn Feidanga - 6, Jeremy Williams - 5, Z Kairys - 2, Domen Zevnik - 1
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 12
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 9
Steals: Mitchell Wilbekin, Rey Velez - 4

Game Recap: The Lions traveled to face the Central Florida Christian Eagles Thursday night in what ended up being a route of the fellow 1A school. Even with a line-up of only 8 dressed players, the Lions were able to blow the game open in the third quarter holding the Eagles to 0 points while scoring 16 and eventually forcing a running clock once they reached the 35 point differential.

The Lions were able to beat the reigning state champion in class 1A from Kentucky, Shelby Valley, despite the limited services of Dennis Mavin who was out most of the game with a sprained ankle. "Scottie stepped up and so did a number of other guys who chipped in to pick up Dennis (Mavin). They (Shelby Valley) gave us all we could handle but I was glad to see the perseverance from our guys," said Coach Harden.

The Lions then faced fellow 1A state contender Summit Christian. It wasn't close as the Lions fought to a 12-point halftime lead before eventually winning by 18. "I thought Alain (Chigha) getting going early was the key as he was able to capitalize on some good penetration by our guards and Rey (Velez)," said Coach Harden. With the win over Summit Christian, it marked the first time in program history that the Lions had won two games in the Kingdom tournament. "The competition in the past has been really fierce as we always seem to run into Columbia from Georgia, but this year we were fortunate and able to get that monkey off our back," added Coach Harden.

In the semifinals, the Lions were not able to match the play of East Ridge from the opening tip. "It just wasn't our night. We had too many missed shots, lay-ups, and just couldn't seem to stop them from making lay-ups and running the clock. They are very well coached team," Coach Harden said. "Though we tied it to open the third and got to within 5 in the fourth quarter, I just never felt like we had it that night." The Lions were able to get Stetson commit Steve Forbes in foul trouble but did not have much of answer for Robert Brown and the rest of the Knights.

The consolation game with Vanguard was more of the same from Scottie Wilbekin. He had 25 points and led The Rock in rebounds, steals, and assists. "Scottie has played really well all tournament - shoot, all break. He has stepped up to fill the void of scoring left by Dennis (Mavin). He has rebounded well and, besides the East Ridge game, he has shot really well from the field," said Coach Harden. "He is also leading the team on the court vocally and with that I am very pleased." The final score was closer than it looked as Vanguard used a 20-point 3rd quarter when the Lions rested most of their starters to claw back to within 12. Eventually the Lions righted the ship and sailed to the 22-point win over Vanguard to claim 3rd place.

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 25, Rey Velez - 14, Alain Chigha - 4, Mitchell Wilbekin - 4, Kenny Anderson - 3, Jeremy Williams - 3, Domen Zevnik - 3, Lamar Williams - 1
3-PTS: Kenny Anderson, Scottie Wilbekin, Domen Zevnik, Jeremy Williams - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 5
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 5

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 25, Rey Velez - 14, Alain Chigha - 4, Mitchell Wilbekin - 4, Kenny Anderson - 3, Jeremy Williams - 3, Domen Zevnik - 3, Lamar Williams - 1
3-PTS: Kenny Anderson, Scottie Wilbekin, Domen Zevnik, Jeremy Williams - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 5
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 5

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 25, Rey Velez - 6, Kenny Anderson - 3, Alain Chigha - 3, Mitchell Wilbekin - 3, Dennis Mavin - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3, Mitchell Wilbekin, Kenny Anderson - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 6
Assists Leader: Mitchell Wilbekin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Mitchell Wilbekin - 2

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 20, Kenny Anderson - 13, Alain Chigha - 12, Mitchell Wilbekin - 8, Rey Velez - 8, Z Kairys - 3, Lamar Williams - 2, Jeremy Williams - 2, Domen Zevnik - 2
3-PTS: Kenny Anderson, Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 9
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 4

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 27, Mitchell Wilbekin - 7, Rey Velez - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Domen Zevnik - 4, Lamar Williams - 2, Kenny Anderson - 2
3-PTS: Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Scottie Wilbekin, Domen Zevnik - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 10
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Mitchell Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 1

Scottie Wilbekin was also named to the All-Tournament team at Ocala's Kingdom of the Sun Tournament, December 28-31. Scottie had 97 points, 23 rebounds, 32-of-70 shooting, 27-of-34 free throws during the four-day tournament.

The Lions faced tournament favorite Quality Education from Winston-Salem, NC. With several division I prospects and commits on the team, the Lions were faced with a daunting task of trying to slow down the high-powered athletes of Quality. "When we saw them play, we noticed that they were very athletic and dominant in the post and at the guard position," said Coach Harden. "But I thought we could turn them over and with our guards we could play with them. I was surprised - we did better than that." The Lions went on to the upset of the tournament behind 29 points from Dennis Mavin and 26 points from Scottie Wilbekin.

In the semi-finals The Rock faced the 5A-power Dwyer Panthers. The last time the Lions played in the Kreul Classic (2006) they upset the Panthers. The results were the same this time around as the Lions jumped out to an early lead in the 1st quarter and held on to advance to the finals.

The finals of the 2009 Kreul Classic had the Lions battling the Northeast Hurricanes in what many thought would be a high-paced track meet of sorts. That was not the case as the Lions fell to Northeast behind the play of Jelani Hewitt (25 pts). "We didn't make shots and they forced us into some really bad turnovers and just bad play overall. I felt we had to beat their full court press and then get and make good shots in order to win. And when Dennis (Mavin) went down with the ankle injury, we were really in too deep," said Coach Harden. The Lions rallied back to within 5 points of the Hurricanes in the second half before Northeast eventually forged ahead for the win. "I am so very proud of our boys. They surprised a lot of people down here - including myself. I thought we had some talented players on this team, but was honestly surprised to get 3 wins down here against such fierce competition. The Quality Ed win was huge for us, but getting to the finals was the icing on the cake. We have been fortunate to have some success down here at the Kreul going 3-1 back in 2006, but I did not expect us to go 3-0 here before losing in the finals. I think this experience will certainly help us as we move forward this season," Coach Harden explained.

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 17, Dennis Mavin - 10, Rey Velez - 5, Lamar Williams - 4, Alain Chigha - 2, Kenny Anderson - 1
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 7
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 5

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 21, Scottie Wilbekin - 12, Mitchell Wilbekin - 6, Rey Velez - 5, Alain Chigha - 3, Glenn Feidanga - 2
3-PTS: Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 9
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin, Mitchell Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 3

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 29, Scottie Wilbekin - 26, Mitchell Wilbekin - 5, Rey Velez - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Lamar Williams - 2, Glenn Feidanga - 2
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 3, Mitchell Wilbekin, Kenny Anderson - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 10
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 4
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin, Alain Chigha - 2

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 13, Scottie Wilbekin - 13, Rey Velez - 5, Mitchell Wilbekin - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Domen Zevnik - 6, Kenny Anderson - 4
3-PTS: Kenny Anderson, Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 5
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 2
Steals: Alain Chigha - 3

Scorers: Scottie Wilbekin - 27, Mitchell Wilbekin - 7, Rey Velez - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Domen Zevnik - 4, Lamar Williams - 2, Kenny Anderson - 2
3-PTS: Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Scottie Wilbekin, Domen Zevnik - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 10
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 2
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin, Mitchell Wilbekin, Dennis Mavin - 1

Mitchell Wilbekin, an 8th grader, got a lot of burn for The Rock. He didn’t do anything sensational in their match up with KAMIT, but he didn’t look out of place and played a composed brand of ball for a kid so young.

Dennis Mavin, PG, The Rock – On day one at the Kreul he wasn’t at his best, on Saturday he stepped up against Quality Education. Mavin, a 6-foot lead guard, attacked at every opportunity and his aggressive style of play got him to the line a number of times. He handles the ball well with both hands and looks to score when he gets in the lane. He finished with 29 points, including 13 from the free throw stripe.

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 19, Scottie Wilbekin - 10, Mitchell Wilbekin - 9, Jeremy Williams - 7, Alain Chigha - 6, Domen Zevnik - 6, Z Kairys - 6, Lamar Williams - 5, Kenny Anderson - 4, Rey Velez - 4, Glenn Feidanga - 2
3-PTS: Z Kairys, Kenny Anderson, Lamar Williams, Domen Zevnik, Mitchell Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 6
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 4
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 7

Game Recap: The Lions came out with a vengeance and focus against district opponent Meadowbrook Academy as they set the tone with an emphatic alley-oop pass and dunk from Scottie Wilbekin to Dennis Mavin. The Lions played some fierce defense against the over-matched Mustangs as the Lions forced early turnovers that led to fastbreak lay-ups and dunks. "We wanted to play better on defense and focus on getting better and not just being a part of the game like we had the previous two games," said Coach Justin Harden. "Our goal was to hold them under 15 points for the half and our guys did much better than that. I was really impressed with their effort and execution in the first half." Scottie Wilbekin was the main enforcer on defense taking the ball from the Mustangs on 7 occasions. "When Scottie is locked in on the defensive end, he makes our team run efficiently," added Coach Harden. Once again, all of the Lions' players scored with only Mavin (19) and Wilbekin (10) scoring in double digits. The Lions will travel south for the winter break to the Hawk Kreul Classic in Coral Springs. There they will take on Kamit Institute from Washington, D.C. in their first game at 2:30p on Friday.

Scorers: Alain Chigha - 18, Mitchell Wilbekin - 15, Dennis Mavin - 12, Jeremy Williams - 11, Kenny Anderson - 7, Domen Zevnik - 5, Rey Velez - 4, Glenn Feidanga - 4
3-PTS: Alain Chigha -2, Kenny Anderson - 1, Mitchell Wilbekin - 1, Jeremy Williams - 1, Domen Zevnik - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 10
Assists Leader: Lamar Williams, Mitchell Wilbekin, Rey Velez - 2
Steals: Dennis Mavin - 3

Game Recap: This was a rough game to watch - for both teams! The Cedar Key Sharks did not have a chance against the Lions as most of the players for the Sharks were shorter than 6 feet tall. The Lions played sloppy against an overmatched opponent, shooting only 48% on 2-point field goals of which only one was a mid-range shot made by Mitchell Wilbekin. The Lions struggled to keep focus and execute lay-ups all night long. "These types of games [lop-sided victories] are not good for anyone. We seem to play worse in them and develop some bad habits that will not help us reach our ultimate goal," said Coach Justin Harden following the game. The Lions had four players score in double digits, led by Alain Chigha who had a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, earning the first double-double for the Lions this year. The Lions' next game is against Meadowbrook (Ocala) at home on Friday, December 11th at 7:30p.

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 29, Scottie Wilbekin - 9, Kenny Anderson - 9, Rey Velez - 8, Lamar Williams - 6, Jeremy Williams - 6, Glenn Feidanga - 4, Alain Chigha - 4, Mitchell Wilbekin - 2, Domen Zevnik - 2, Z Kairys - 2
3-PTS: Kenny Anderson - 3, Dennis Mavin - 1, Scottie Wilbekin - 1
Rebound Leader: Rey Velez, Scottie Wilbekin - 9
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 5

Game Recap: In the midst of four home games in two weeks against district opponents, The Lions were complacent coming out of the blocks. The Lions took a 9-3 lead early in the 1st quarter but lost their edge and allowed the Warriors to fight back to end the quarter tied 13 all. The Lions got the message from Coach Justin Harden between quarters and came out in the 2nd ready to play. The Lions opened the 1st quarter with 12 straight points before the Warriors scored. The Lions' scoring load was carried mostly on the shoulders of Senior Dennis Mavin who consistently found his way to the rim on dribble penetration. Expecting he would take the ball to the basket for the last shot of the half, the Warriors dropped back and planned to help on the penetration only to see Mavin rise up on a 3-pointer that hit nothing but net. The bucket gave the Lions a 41-27 lead going into halftime. The third quarter was played similarly as the first with the Lions lacking focus and unable to pull away from the pesky Warriors. "We were not ready to play tonight and that is mostly my fault. I was not sure how good Seven Rivers was going to be. But they have talented players and made it really hard for us tonight," said Coach Harden following the game. With a 16-point lead to start the 4th quarter, the lions pulled away early with another 12-0 run that began late in the 3rd. The Lions won by 29 points, but committed a season high 21 turnovers and missed numerous shots in the paint all night. "We are going to try to learn from this situation. The guys need to understand that they need to approach every game as if the opponent is worthy of their utmost respect. We will clean some stuff up and look to come back tomorrow improved," Coach Harden added. The Lions improved to 3-0 on the season and will play district opponent Cedar Key at 7:30p Tuesday, December 8th at home.

Scorers: Jeremy Williams - 12, Kenny Anderson - 8, Glenn Feidanga - 8, Mitchell Wilbekin - 8, Dennis Mavin - 6, Scottie Wilbekin - 6, Rey Velez - 6, Alain Chigha - 6, Z Kairys - 6, Lamar Williams - 3
3-PTS: Scottie Wilbekin - 1, Kenny Anderson - 1, Lamar Williams - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 8
Assists Leader: Scottie Wilbekin - 3
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 2, Rey Velez - 2

Game Recap: The final score is not indicative of the actually disparity between the Lions and The First Academy Eagles. Starting 4 freshman, the Eagles had no chance against the bigger, stronger, better Lions. Coach Harden quickly went to his second team early in the game to keep the game from getting too far out of hand. Before doing that, Scottie Wilbekin assisted on a beautiful ally-oop to Dennis Mavin for two of the Lions' 23 first-quarter points. The Eagles managed to score 3 points in the quarter on a banked-in 3 pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining. All but one player scored for the Lions who moved to 2-0 on the season. The Lions will take on three more district opponents next week when they play Seven Rivers (Lecanto) Monday at 7:00p, Cedar Key Tuesday at 7:30p, and Meadowbrook (Ocala) Friday at 7:30p. All games will be played at home as the Lions prepare to travel to the Kreul Classic in Coral Springs later in the month.

Scorers: Dennis Mavin - 25, Scottie Wilbekin - 22, Rey Velez - 12, Kenny Anderson - 8, Glenn Feidanga - 5, Mitchell Wilbekin - 4, Lamar Williams - 4, Domen Zevnik - 3, Alain Chigha - 2
3-PTS: Scottie WIlbekin - 4, Kenny Anderson - 2, Domen Zevnik - 1
Rebound Leader: Alain Chigha - 7
Assists Leader: Dennis Mavin - 7
Steals: Scottie Wilbekin - 3, Alain Chigha - 3

Game Recap: After two pre-season warm-up games against Trinity Catholic and Meadowbrook, the Lions came out strong in the first quarter against Eustis. The Lions took a commanding 9-0 lead in the opening minutes while playing tough defense and converting on the offensive end. The Lions ended the 1st quarter with a 13 point lead which they would hang on to for the rest of the game. The Lions increased their lead to 17 at half time behind the dribble penetration of Dennis Mavin and the sharp shooting of Scottie Wilbekin. Mavin continuously found himself at the line in the first half making 4-6 free throws, including several and-1 opportunities. Wilbekin was 3-4 from deep in the first half and 4-6 for the game proving that his off-season training to become a better 3 point shooter has paid off. The Lions came out sluggish in the second half eventually allowing Eustis to get within 10 points but the Lions proved resilient and held on to win the game by 13, 85-72, and give Coach Justin Harden his first victory as head coach of the boys program at The Rock. The Rock will take on district opponent First Academy (Leesburg) on Tuesday at home @ 7:30p.

CLASS 1A

1 – Jacksonville Arlington Country Day (25-7): After dominating 2A with five consecutive state titles, the Apaches drop down to 1A and shoot for a FHSAA record sixth championship in a row. Montverde Academy transfer Justin Jackson (6-7, Sr.) adds another beast on the boards to a lineup that has physical John Brown (6-6, Sr.) inside. Ozzy Dilik (6-2) runs the point.

2 – Orlando Christian Prep (30-2): Two-time defending 1A state champs have won 44 of 46 games over a season and a half and bring back point guard Josh Castellanos (6-1, Sr.), wing Isaac Cohen (6-3, Soph), and Orlando Parker (6-7, Sr.). And reinforcements Terral Merritt (6-1, Jr.) and Adonis Burbage (6-4, Jr.) transferred in.

3 - Gainesville The Rock (24-5): The Lions were overwhelmed by OCP 62-38 in a semifinal last season, but the arrival of former Gainesville Eastside star Dennis Mavin (6-1, Sr.) creates a rock-solid backcourt with outstanding junior point guard Scott Wilbekin (6-2).

4 - West Palm Beach Summit Christian (28-5): Last season’s 2A runner-ups return all five starters, including Jean Prophete (6-5, Sr.). But the truth is, this small-school classification may now be tougher than the division Summit left.

5 - Boca Raton Grandview Prep (28-1): Grandview was perfect until losing 46-43 to OCP in the state final last season. Some of the key pieces are gone, but Grandview gained a huge addition with Miami commit Ishmael Douda (6-10, Soph.) transferring in.

Backcourt: 6'1 Sr Dennis Mavin; 6'1 Jr Scott Wilbekin
Strengths: Ball-handling, mid-range scoring, defense
Question mark: Consistent three-point shooting

Comments: Mavin comes over from Gainesville Eastside. He and Wilbekin teamed up this summer for a very successful Nike Team Florida. They will put pressure on the defense with their ability to create baskets. Both Mavin and Wilbekin are solid defenders as well and each should play at a high-major D-I school. Of the two, Wilbekin is the better shooter from deep.

Mitchell Wilbekin, PG, Class of 2014, #11 National Ranking

"Mitchell is a fantastic shooter with a good step-back and handles the ball like a yo-yo. He is unselfish and can cross-over the defender and make a great dish. When Willbekin wants to, he is a lock-down defender."

Austin Harrell, Class of 2014, #41 National Ranking

NIKE Team Florida dropped down and won a cheap claim earlier this week by winning the championship in The Main Event (Las Vegas, NV). Remember, this a well-balanced and extremely well coached team that won the championship of the Wallace Prather Memorial Classic and finished in the final four of both the Rumble in the Bronx and the NIKE Peach Jam. Also, unlike a lot of the teams that were tried and wanted to go home, this bunch played like they were on a mission and it was a different player every night that stepped up and was the star of the team. The best player and MVP in the championship game was 6'2 Jr Scottie Wilbekin from Gainesville (The Rock School) FL, who finished with 18 points, controlled the game, and made most of the big plays down the stretch.

Nike Team Florida already had a good trip, going 8-0 in at a high school basketball showcase in Las Vegas over the weekend and making the final of the Duel in the Desert Memorial at Mesquite High School in Gilbert. Trailing 30-25 at halftime Tuesday night, coach Tom Topping urged his player not to settle. They didn’t. Team Florida stormed back to beat Petersburg Elite 64-57.

Guard Scottie Wilbekin scored 16 points, all in the second half, to lead Team Florida back. Keith McDougald scored a team-high 21 points. Petersburg dominated the first half, leading 30-21 before Florida managed to scrape together four free throws in the final 1:17. McDougald made two three-pointers with about 10 minutes left to give Florida 40-39 edge, its first lead of the game. Maxwell hit two buckets and made a free throw, and Terrell Owens made a three-point play to give Petersburg a 46-40 lead. Wilbekin hit two three-pointers to put Florida back in front 53-52 with 3:31 left, and Florida was able to pull away. The tournament is scheduled right after the big weekend in Las Vegas, so top teams can make a side trip.

Two members of The Rock's 2008-2009 Final Four basketball team were named as All-State selections by the Florida Basketball Coaches Association.

Sophomore Scottie Wilbekin was named to the 1st team and senior Patrick Konan, a Liberty signee, was named to the 2nd team.

Additionally, rising-senior Dennis Mavin, an Eastside transfer, was named to the 4th Team in Class 4A.

Senior Patrick Konan, a 6'5 swingman, has verbally committed to play for Liberty University in Washington, DC, after a home visit from new Head Coach Dale Layer.

Liberty University is a NCAA division I school that competes in the Big South Conference.

Konan made his final decision after weighing offers from Utah State, UNF, Stetson, and FIU.

Konan will sign a National Letter of Intent during a school ceremony on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in the gymnasium.

The Rock's Patrick Konan was selected as the North Central Florida 1A/2A Player of the Year by the NCF Coaches Association. It is the fourth year in a row that a player from The Rock School has won the award. Konan joins Scottie Wilbekin (2008), Vytas Sulskis (2007), and Moussa Camara (2006) as recipients of the award.

Scottie Wilbekin was named the Underclassman of the Year for all of Alachua County. Both players were presented their awards at halftime of the Alachua-Marion Senior All-Star Game at Vanguard High School.

Head Coach Svend Wilbekin was named the North Central Florida 1A/2A Coach of the Year by the NCF Coaches Association. It is the fourth time in ten seasons that he has earned the award. It was also announced at the final home game on February 28, that Coach Wilbekin will be stepping down as head coach. Athletic Director and current assistant coach Justin Harden will be taking over the coaching duties beginning next season.

Seniors Vlad Kondratyev and Patrick Konan were named to the Alachua County All-Star team that will face the Marion County team in an All-Star Game on Wednesday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. The event is being hosted at Vanguard High School in Ocala.