Boys basketball undergoing a rebirth in Manatee County
When freshman basketball was eliminated 13 years ago, there was a fear boys basketball in Manatee County was going to spiral downward.
The sport was already struggling with nearly all the elite male athletes in the county opting to play football, which had become a year-round sport.
But some preferred to dream down a barren road that few wanted to travel.
And after some lean years, we are trending in the opposite direction, thanks to the popularity of basketball travel teams and Florida High School Athletic Association rules that now allow high school coaches to spend more time with players coaching during the offseason.
It gave those late bloomers a chance and opened the door to success for those willing to become a year-round coach, albeit for part-time wages.
Now we are starting to see what could be described as a boys basketball renaissance in the county.
The proof was evident Tuesday night when for the first time, three Manatee County boys basketball teams were playing in the region semifinals in the same season.
It was the first region semifinal for Lakewood Ranch, the first since 2004 for Southeast and the first since 2011 for Bradenton Christian.
It was also the first region semifinal for their respective coaches; Jeremy Schiller, Floyd Watkins and Scott Townsend,
Each carved out his success in different ways, but the bottom line was hard work and dedication.
Townsend was one and done in three straight years in the postseason. He also had to replace Dave Magley, who took the Panthers to four state final fours and was an iconic figure at the school.
Lakewood Ranch had minimal success but couldn't sustain it, and the Mustangs had never won a postseason boys basketball game in four attempts until this season. Schiller brought hope and delivered this season.
The state final four has proven to be an elusive destination though the more you get past that region quarterfinal the better your chances.
Manatee went to the region final in 2002 and hasn't been to the final four since 1976. Palmetto went to the regional final in 2012 and 2014 but couldn't take that next step.
Southeast has been to the final four four times and won it all in 1995 in becoming the only Manatee County boys basketball team to win a state title.
Good old days
Boys basketball in the county does have a tradition that can provide inspiration.
Southeast is one of three schools in the state to have three Mr. Basketball award winners and the only one to have three different players selected. Lake Highland Prep's Joel Berry won it three times, and Steve Edwards of Miami High won it twice.
For Southeast, Clifford Rozier won it in 1990, LeRon Williams in 1994 and Adrian McPherson in 2001, the same year he was named Mr. Football.
Peter Warrick, known for his prowess on the football field, established himself in many eyes as the best clutch basketball player this area ever produced in leading the Seminoles to a 35-0 record and boys state basketball title.
In winning five games to capture the crown, Southeast had to beat some notable players such as Tracy McGrady and Cape Coral Mariner's Teddy Dupay, the state's all-time career scoring leader.
In the region semifinal Warrick scored 19 fourth-quarter points in a 101-94 victory over Mariner and, in the state semifinal, scored 18 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter in a 62-55 win over Milton.
It prompted Dean Smith, North Carolina's legendary coach who died in 2015, to tell then-Southeast coach Bob Carroll that Warrick had a scholarship to play for the Tar Heels if he ever wanted to change sports.
All five starters averaged double figures that championship year for Southeast. The team included the 6-foot-9 Hazell Stoudemire, late brother of current NBA Miami Heat forward Amare Stoudemire.
The 1989-90 Southeast team featured Rozier, Manatee County's only NBA first-round pick, who led the state in scoring (34.5 ppg), rebounding (16 rpg) and blocked shots (six rpg). One of the key players on that team was Floyd Watkins, the Seminoles current head coach.
The tradition of great players goes back to the days of segregation when all-black Lincoln High produced some of the best. Here are two that stick out:
Waite Bellamy, 33d pick in the 1963 NBA Draft, averaged 27.9 points at Florida A&M. He won three scoring titles in the Eastern Basketball League, which was founded the same year as the NBA and was considered the second-best pro basketball league in the country for decades.
Neil "Chip" Nelson, who averaged 26 points per game, scored 61 in a state championship game over Dillard. Both have been inducted into the National Basketball Negro High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
Alan Dell, Herald sports columnist/writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports.
This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 9:09 PM with the headline "Boys basketball undergoing a rebirth in Manatee County ."