What better time to celebrate the contributions of Palm Beach County's best boys basketball figures than a historic anniversary for the United States.
USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time in conjunction with the United States' 250th anniversary.
Additionally, the USA TODAY Network will highlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states. This will include trailblazers and trendsetters whose influence reaches beyond championships and statistics. First, we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
This week, we're honoring the stars of the hardwood. It was no easy task to narrow this list down with so many legendary figures hailing from Palm Beach County.
Listed in alphabetical order, these players were all standouts at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights in college and the pros.
Floyd Andrews pictured in the Palm Beach Lakes gymnasium in November 1996.Former Pahokee basketball head coach Eddie Lee Rhodes poses in a 1983 photo with state championship trophies won by the Blue Devils under his leadership.Jackie Manuel #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks at the scoreboard during the ACC Conference basketball game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2002.Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) drives to the net against Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry (7) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena in 2023.Head coach Fred Ross poses for photos before the William T. Dwyer High School Panthers hosted the Palm Beach Gardens Community High School Gators in Florida High School Athletic Association varsity boys basketball in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on November 19, 2024.King's Academy head coach Murray Smith breaking the huddle during against Santa Fe Catholic in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 16, 2023.Derek Harper with the Dallas Mavericks in 1997Saint Andrews School head coach John O'Connell makes an offense call against Blanche Ely during the first game of the Derek Harper Tournament at Palm Beach Lakes High School in 2004.2015 Boys Basketball Small Schools Player of the Year: John Collins, Cardinal NewmanDerek Harper pops in two of his 26 points over Ervin Bennett's outstreched hand in 1980 win.Denver Nuggets' player Anthony Goldwire presented Johnny Long, seated, and Brian Seward with autographed basketballs for their accomplishments as YMCA's "Most Improved Behavior" in 1998.Joe Ceravolo Jr., right, shown with father Joe Ceravolo, left, at the former Twin Lakes High School gym, now the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach in 2009.Eddie Lee Rhodes, shown with his wife Dorothy, was recently named Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year for the Palm Beach County School District. His main focus is students and schools in the western communities.Otis Thorpe concentrates on his shot for Lake Worth High School in 1980.2005 Boys Basketball Large Schools Player of the Year: Alonzo Gee, Dwyer1 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballFloyd Andrews pictured in the Palm Beach Lakes gymnasium in November 1996.1 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballFloyd Andrews pictured in the Palm Beach Lakes gymnasium in November 1996.2 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballFormer Pahokee basketball head coach Eddie Lee Rhodes poses in a 1983 photo with state championship trophies won by the Blue Devils under his leadership.3 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballJackie Manuel #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks at the scoreboard during the ACC Conference basketball game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2002.4 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballToronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) drives to the net against Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry (7) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena in 2023.5 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballHead coach Fred Ross poses for photos before the William T. Dwyer High School Panthers hosted the Palm Beach Gardens Community High School Gators in Florida High School Athletic Association varsity boys basketball in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on November 19, 2024.6 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballKing's Academy head coach Murray Smith breaking the huddle during against Santa Fe Catholic in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 16, 2023.7 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballDerek Harper with the Dallas Mavericks in 19978 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballSaint Andrews School head coach John O'Connell makes an offense call against Blanche Ely during the first game of the Derek Harper Tournament at Palm Beach Lakes High School in 2004.9 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketball2015 Boys Basketball Small Schools Player of the Year: John Collins, Cardinal Newman10 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballDerek Harper pops in two of his 26 points over Ervin Bennett's outstreched hand in 1980 win.11 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballDenver Nuggets' player Anthony Goldwire presented Johnny Long, seated, and Brian Seward with autographed basketballs for their accomplishments as YMCA's "Most Improved Behavior" in 1998.12 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballJoe Ceravolo Jr., right, shown with father Joe Ceravolo, left, at the former Twin Lakes High School gym, now the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach in 2009.13 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballEddie Lee Rhodes, shown with his wife Dorothy, was recently named Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year for the Palm Beach County School District. His main focus is students and schools in the western communities.14 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketballOtis Thorpe concentrates on his shot for Lake Worth High School in 1980.15 / 15Best photos: Palm Beach County's all-time best from boys basketball2005 Boys Basketball Large Schools Player of the Year: Alonzo Gee, DwyerPalm Beach state champions: Best boys basketball teams of last 25 years
Player of the Year winners: Palm Beach's best players of the last 25 years
Here are our selections for the boys basketball who have defined Palm Beach County:
Andrews was one of the most influential figures in Palm Beach County high school basketball history as a coach and cultural figure. An alum of Roosevelt High School, Andrews returned to his alma mater and led the 1968 team to a 27-0 season and Florida's first fully integrated state championship. He later led North Shore High to state titles in 1974 and 1980. Andrews is a Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame inductee and he served as a father figure to generations of student-athletes.
Barnes, a West Palm Beach native, is arguably the most talented basketball player from Palm Beach County. He played his freshman year at Cardinal Newman before finishing his prep career at University School and Montverde Academy, earning McDonald's All-American honors. After earning ACC Freshman of the Year in his lone season at Florida State, he was selected No. 4 overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft. Barnes was the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year and is a two-time All-Star selection at the young age of 24.
Ceravolo's accomplished basketball coaching career spanned the high school, college and professional ranks. He became the first Florida basketball coach to win a state title in high school (1971, Twin Lakes) and junior college (1978, Palm Beach State), elevating the standards of both programs with discipline and leadership. Ceravolo later coached the West Palm Beach Stingrays in the United States Basketball League during the 1980s. He is a Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Collins emerged as a star at Cardinal Newman and earned Class 4A Player of the Year in 2015 for his performance during his senior season. He declared for the NBA Draft after two seasons at Wake Forest and was taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at No. 19 overall. Collins, 28, is in the ninth year of a productive NBA career. He averaged a double-double (21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds) in 2020 and currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Gee earned a legendary status at Dwyer after leading the Panthers to state championships in 2004 and 2005. He enjoyed a solid four-year run in college basketball with the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Gee went undrafted but fought his way onto NBA rosters, carving out an 11-year career in which he appeared in more than 400 games. Most notably, Gee joined the Cleveland Cavaliers the season after LeBron James left for the Miami Heat, often playing the same small forward position for the next four seasons.
Goldwire was one of the top players from Suncoast's golden age in the 1980s and early 90s. He led the Chargers to a 36-0 record and the Class 2A state championship in 1990. Goldwire began his college career at Pensacola State and finished at Houston, rising in stature to become a second-round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. He hung around in the NBA for nearly 12 seasons, appearing in 266 total games and averaging 6.3 points per game.
Harper is a local legend and was one of the first Palm Beach hoopers to receive national recruiting attention. He led North Shore High to the 1980 state championship and earned high school All-American status from every major selection outlet, including McDonald's and Parade. After three seasons of college ball at Illinois, Harper was selected No. 11 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1983 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a 17-year NBA career as a defensive point guard, averaging 13.3 points and 5.5 assists per game. The Dallas Mavericks retired Harper's jersey number in 2018.
Manuel, a two-time state champion at Cardinal Newman, was one of the nation's top recruits in 2001, eventually landing with the University of North Carolina. He was a defensive mainstay for the Tar Heels, starting 82 games across four seasons of college basketball. Manuel exited college basketball as a champion: He was a team captain on the Tar Heels' 2005 national championship team. He is currently a coach at the Division I level as an assistant at American University.
O'Connell is a staple of South Florida basketball after four decades as head coach at Saint Andrew's. He has piled up more than 750 career wins in building the Scots from a small program into a regular state contender. The Scots broke through to win a Class 3A state championship in 2020. O'Connell has developed dozens of players who went on to play college basketball while several have reached the professional level.
Rhodes, a Belle Glade native, is the Muck's most accomplished basketball coach, though his impact on the community extended beyond the hardwood. He led Pahokee to state titles in 1977, 1982 and 1983 and enjoyed a long career as an educator and administrator with the Palm Beach County School District. After his retirement, Rhodes spent time working with at-risk youth in the region. The City of Pahokee renamed its gymnasium after Rhodes after a renovation in 2021.
No Palm Beach County basketball coach can lay claim to more FHSAA state titles than Ross. The founding father of Dwyer High basketball, Ross began the program with the school's opening in 1991 and has since won 15 district titles, eight region titles and FHSAA state championships in 2004, 2005, 2011 and 2023. Ross' career as a community leader was celebrated in 2024 when Dwyer High School named its basketball court after the legendary coach.
Smith is one of Palm Beach County's most decorated high school basketball coaches and his career included stops at several local schools. He won state titles in 1999 and 2000 at Cardinal Newman and another in 2011 at Summit Christian (now Atlantic Christian). He also coached at Lake Worth High, Lake Worth Christian and King's Academy, earning his 700th career win at the latter in 2021.