Playoff snub? How Jupiter boys basketball missed the state tournament after a 23-3 season
Players, coaches, and parents around the state huddled around computer screens on Sunday eager to see which teams made the cut for the high school basketball state championship playoff series.
One of the biggest, postseason surprises was the absence of Jupiter boys basketball.
The Warriors were left out of the FHSAA state tournament despite finishing the season 23-3 and spending the majority of the season in the FHSAA's Top 50. Jupiter finished district runner-up to champion Ft. Pierce-Central on Saturday night, falling 51-47 in the championship game.
In a post to X on Monday morning, Jupiter coach JD DePasquale called Sunday "one of the toughest days" he's had in coaching.
"Saying goodbye to such a special group of Seniors in the manner that was required was devastating," DePasquale said, shouting out Kenny Greenling, Trevor Gillis, Max Kocha, Talan Caudell, Drew Williams, Nikash Mehrotra, and Nikki Rodriguez.
"Thank you for all you gave us the last 4 years," he wrote. "You will be remembered!"
Disaster after crushing district championship loss
Jupiter's loss to Fort Pierce Central in the district final cost the Warriors an automatic bid to the state playoffs. Much to their surprise, it also proved to be the group's final time on the court together.
Moving on instead was Palm Beach Lakes, which earned the No. 6 seed and at-large bid after exiting the district tournament in the second round with a 75-59 defeat against Central.
The FHSAA state tournament features four regions in each classifications. In each region, four automatic bids are given to district tournament champions while four at-large bids are given to the next highest-ranked teams per the FHSAA's ranking algorithm.
The Warriors took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning to lay out "the facts" after local coaches cited "strength of schedule" as the reason that Jupiter wasn't selected for the 7A playoff tournament.
Here are the facts…
We played 12 games against teams that made the playoffs.
We went 10-2 in those games. We beat 7 teams ranked inside the top 125 (20, 47, 61, 70, 77, 124 and 125).
There are 28 regions in the State. We would have received an at large bid in 27 of them. https://t.co/sxsvzhshxi— Jupiter Warriors Basketball (@1tribebball) February 12, 2024
"We played 12 games against teams that made the playoffs," the team account wrote.
Jupiter went 10-2 in those games. Seven of those teams were ranked inside the top 125 of the state (20, 47, 61, 70, 77, 124 and 125).
Jupiter defeated Lakes, 39-32, on Jan. 10 and also defeated 2023 6A state champion Dwyer, Palmetto Ridge (Naples), Treasure Coast, Archbishop McCarthy, Coral Glades, and St. Brendan. With the exception of a 14-13 record for Coral Glades, the remaining teams combine for a record of 99-29.
The Warriors' Twitter account also cited a "complete unbalance in regional strength," noting they "would have received an at large bid in 27 of" the state's 28 regions.
"We had the chance to secure a bid by winning Saturday and we were unable to do so," the X post acknowledged, wishing all Palm Beach County teams moving forward the "best of luck."
"We knew we were in the toughest region in the state and did all we could to give ourselves a chance to be selected."
How close were the Warriors?
Top 8 teams in Region 2
No. 1 Oak Ridge (23-3)
No. 2 Olympia (18-8)
No. 3 Windermere (19-8)
No. 4 Lake Worth (17-9)
No. 5 Wellington (22-5)
No. 6 Palm Beach Lakes (14-6)
No. 7 Jupiter (23-3)
No. 8 Treasure Coast (18-7)
Ft. Pierce-Central came in at 10th in the rankings, but secured a spot in the playoff over Jupiter, Treasure Coast, and No. 9 Centennial with the district title.
How did Jupiter pan out in 7A?
While teams in less grueling regions like Region 1 have more opportunities for district championship rematches, such as Lake Brantley vs. Ocoee, crews like Jupiter in Region 2 weren’t so fortunate.
Of Florida’s top 115 squads, regardless of classification, the Warriors and fellow Region 2 members Treasure Coast, Centennial, Harmony, and Dr. Phillips were the only teams not to advance.
Of Class 7A’s top 40 teams listed in the FHSAA’s latest rankings that reflect playoff seeding, Jupiter is one of 10 teams who weren’t selected to move forward in the postseason.
Including Harmony (21-6), ranked No. 93 overall and No. 23 in 7A, and Winter Park (16-11), ranked No. 126 overall and No. 35 in 7A, the Warriors were among three district runner-ups in the top 40 for 7A to miss qualifying.
Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Jupiter boys basketball missed the state playoffs after a 23-3 season
