Gainesville – This time, the best team in the Prep Zone Power Poll was decided on the hardwood floor in front of a packed house on Martin Luther King Day.
Providence (Jacksonville) had four players score in double figures as the Stallions (18-3) dominated The Villages (21-1), 83-47, in a match-up of the top two teams at the MLK Showcase at Ribault (Jacksonville) on Monday.
Duke signee Grayson Allen set the tone with four 3s in the opening quarter and Florida Gulf Coast signee Christian Terrell scored a game-high 22 points as the defending 3A state champions stayed on top of the poll while the Buffalo, ranked No. 2 in the 4A state poll, dropped three spots from second to fifth in this week’s rankings.
Lake Minneola, which has won eight in a row, moved up two spots to second. The Hawks’ (20-1) only loss was at Vanguard (Ocala), which moved up two spots to eighth following a 3-0 week.
Class 4A Ribault let a 15-point lead slip away at home in the final game of the MLK Showcase. The Trojans (20-2) lost to non-FHSAA member Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville), 71-65, but remained third after wins against 7A Martin County (Stuart) and 6A Miami Carol City over the weekend.
Unbeaten Bolles (Jacksonville) (18-0), one of two undefeated teams in the poll along with No. 11 Chiefland, moved up one spot to fourth.
Ed White (Jacksonville) (17-3) is ranked sixth, behind The Villages, followed by Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (14-3), Vanguard (Ocala) (15-4), Gainesville (15-5) and Palatka (15-4) in the top 10.
Forrest (Jacksonville) (15-5) is in the poll for the first time this season at No. 18, while previous No. 13 Atlantic (Port Orange) dropped out of the poll following a 2-2 week.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013-14 BASKETBALL POLL #5
(School, followed by first-place votes, classification, current record and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (7) (3A) (18-3) – 140
2. Lake Minneola (6A) (20-1) – 129
3. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (20-2) – 123
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (18-0) – 116
5. The Villages (4A) (21-1) – 115
6. Ed White (Jacksonville) (6A) (17-3) – 110
7. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (14-3) – 100
8. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (15-4) – 90
9. Gainesville (6A) (15-5) – 79
10. Palatka (5A) (15-4) – 73
11. Chiefland (1A) (18-0) – 68
12. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (16-2) – 65
13. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (15-5) – 50
14. Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (14-5) – 41
15. Fort White (4A) (14-2) – 38
T16 Hawthorne (1A) (16-3) – 28
T16 Citrus (Inverness) (5A) (18-2) – 28
T18 Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-5) – 21
T18 Forrest (Jacksonville) (6A) (15-5) – 21
20. Nature Coast (Brooksville) (5A) (14-6) – 17
Also receiving votes: Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (15-6) – 13; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (6A) (16-5) – 3; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (16-7) – 1; Trinity Catholic (4A) (11-9) – 1.
