Boys hoops: District tournament preview

Class 8A-7 at Durant

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: (4) Newsome vs. (5) Bloomingdale, 6:30 p.m.; (3) Alonso vs. (6) Durant, 8 p.m. Wednesday: Alonso-Durant winner vs. (2) Plant, 6:30 p.m. (8 p.m. if Durant wins); Newsome-Bloomingdale winner vs. (1) Wharton, 8 p.m. (6:30 if Durant wins). Friday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: Plant might be the most dangerous team in this tournament. The Panthers split with Alonso and Wharton during the regular season and beat Wharton on its home court, which is rare. The Panthers have won 10 straight and lead the district in fewest points allowed at 46 per game. Though Wharton reached the region final last season, this year's squad is relatively young and players had to adapt to new roles. Despite their inexperience, the Wildcats are the most talented team in the tourney.

Class 7A-8 at East Bay

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: (4) Plant City vs. (5) Brandon, 5 p.m.; (3) Riverview vs. (6) Hillsborough, 7 p.m. Wednesday: (2) Tampa Bay Tech vs. Riverview-Hillsborough winner, 5 p.m.; (1) East Bay vs. Plant City-Brandon winner, 7 p.m. Friday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: One of the best stories of the season last year has only gotten better. East Bay, which is coming off a year in which it had its first winning season in 38 years and won its first playoff game since 1968, is having a record-setting season and can capture its first district title led by high-scoring senior forward Dario Duque. Veteran coach Adrian Johnson last guided Tampa Bay Tech to a district final in 2010 and this year's under-the-radar group appears on its way to a postseason berth.

Class 7A-9 at Chamberlain

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: (4) Freedom vs. (5) Gaither, 7 p.m. Wednesday: (2) Wiregrass Ranch vs. (3) Steinbrenner, 6 p.m.; (1) Chamberlain vs. Freedom-Gaither winner, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: No team is a lock in this district. The top three seeds have two district losses or more and Nos. 3 and 4 seeds Steinbrenner and Freedom can easily find themselves in the district final. Freedom, under first-year head coach and former USF star Cedric Smith, split against Chamberlain during the regular season, winning by a point and losing by a point. Steinbrenner went 5-19 last season but has improved to 9-9, partly due to having three players averaging double digits.

Class 6A-10 at Mitchell

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: Tarpon Springs (4) vs. River Ridge (5), 7 p.m. Wednesday: Mitchell (2) vs. Sunlake (3), 6 p.m.; Land O' Lakes (1) vs. Tarpon Springs-River Ridge winner, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: Land O' Lakes coach David Puhalski has guided a Gators team that does not have a player averaging more than 12 points a game to the No. 1 seed. Land O' Lakes and Mitchell, the No. 2 seed, are a combined 10-4 against the rest of the district teams. The Gators, though, may face Tarpon Springs in the semifinals and the Spongers are the lone district loss for Land O' Lakes, 54-39, on Dec. 6.

Class 6A-11 at Sickles

SCHEDULE: Today: (4) King vs. (5) Leto, 6 p.m.; (3) Armwood vs. (6) Jefferson, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday: (2) Strawberry Crest vs. Armwood-Jefferson, 6 p.m.; (1) Sickles vs. King-Leto, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: No other team in Hillsborough County has had the turnaround Armwood has achieved. The Hawks finished 0-23 last season but are 12-11 entering the tournament as the third seed, led by junior Marcus Hill, who is averaging 17.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Second-seeded Strawberry Crest will be short-handed after losing two players to six-week suspensions due to their roles in an altercation during a game against Freedom.

Class 5A-8 at Hudson

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: Wesley Chapel (1) vs. Zephyrhills (8), 6 p.m.; Hudson (2) vs. Fivay (7), 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday: Ridgewood (4) vs. Gulf (5), 6 p.m.; Anclote (3) vs. Pasco (6), 7:30 p.m.; Friday: Hudson-Fivay winner vs. Anclote-Pasco winner, 6 p.m.; Wesley Chapel-Zephyrhills winner vs. Ridgewood-Gulf winner, 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: This district is full of contenders from top-seeded Wesley Chapel all the way to No. 5 Gulf. Wesley Chapel is led by forward Erik Thomas, who is averaging 21 points and 14 rebounds per game. Hudson is paced by point guard Jamal Branco. Ridgewood may be playing its best basketball of the season. Anclote started off the season 7-0, but is 5-10 since and have lost several close district matchups. Gulf has played competitively with just about every team in the district and has received strong post play from Damion Hicks.

Class 5A-11 at Blake

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: (4) Blake vs. (5) Spoto, 6:30 p.m.; (3) Lennard vs. (6) Middleton, 8 p.m. Friday: (1) Jesuit vs. Blake-Spoto, 6:30 p.m.; (2) Robinson vs. Lennard-Middleton winner, 8 p.m. Saturday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: Jesuit, the No. 3-ranked team in the FloridaHoops.com 5A state poll, is averaging 67 points per game and limiting opponents to 40. Senior center Tre Leonard, who recently surpassed 1,000 career points, is leading Robinson in its best season in more than a decade. The Knights have won eight consecutive games and barring an upset by a scrappy Lennard squad in a possible semifinal matchup, will see themselves playing for the title against Jesuit.

Class 4A-9 at Berkeley Prep

SCHEDULE: Wednesday: (3) Sarasota Booker vs. (2) Tampa Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday: Booker-Tampa Catholic winner vs. (1) Berkeley Prep, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: For the second time in three years, a coin flip was required to decide a tiebreaker between Berkeley Prep and Tampa Catholic. Each time, Berkeley won the toss. Assuming Tampa Catholic gets by Sarasota Booker, which it beat by an average score of 14 points in the regular season, the Crusaders will meet the Buccaneers for a third time this year. Last season, the programs played four times, with TC getting the final word en route to a state final four appearance.

Class 3A-8 at Tampa Prep

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: Brooks-DeBartolo (4) vs. Bishop McLaughlin (5), 7 p.m. Friday: Carrollwood Day (2) vs. Seffner Christian (3), 4 p.m.; Tampa Prep (1) vs. Brooks-DeBartolo-Bishop McLaughlin winner, 5:30 p.m.; Saturday: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: A coin toss was needed to decide the second and third seed, which Carrollwood Day won over Seffner Christian. In the end, however, either team will have to try to get past Tampa Prep, the No. 1 ranked team in the 3A state poll and No. 9 team in the state's top 25.

Class 2A-8 at Academy at the Lakes

SCHEDULE: Tuesday: Citrus Park Christian (4) vs. Tampa Bay Christian (5) , 7:30 p.m. Friday: Academy at the Lakes (2) vs. Bayshore Christian (3), 6 p.m.; Cambridge (1) vs. Tampa Bay Christian-Citrus Park Christian winner, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

NEED TO KNOW: Academy at the Lakes and Bayshore Christian split during the regular season but AATL could have the edge in this third meeting by playing on its home court. Cambridge Christian junior guard Brandon Park, at 5-foot-8, is easily one of the most menacing defenders in the county in helping the Lancers to an 18-3 record.

Nick Williams, Andy Villamarzo