Williston Red Devils Boys Basketball 2024-25 Season Preview: Key Players, Expectations, Key Games

Coming off back-to-back state championships, the Red Devils enter this season in search of a three-peat

Williston High School guard Deandre Harvey (5) gets pressure from Vanguard's Jandrian Smith (10) as Vanguard takes on Williston during the Kingdom of the Sun basketball tournament at Vanguard High School in Ocala on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. Williston won 42-30. / Alan Youngblood/For the Star-Banner | USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024-2025 High School Basketball season in the Sunshine State officially tips off in a few weeks. High School on SI will be doing team previews leading up to the opening week of the regular season.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2024-2025 Williston Red Devils.

2023-2024 Season Recap

Record: 29-2

District 1A-7 Champions (Defeated Chiefland, 61-21)

Class 1A, Region 2 Champions (Defeated Trenton, 95-37)

Class 1A Champions (Defeated Hilliard, 61-53)

Key Returners

6-3 junior guard Deandre Harvey is the lone returning starter from last season’s state title team where he averaged 12 points per game. Harvey shows explosive athleticism where he can be a problem near the front of the rim and can expand his game scoring on all three levels with confidence.

5-11 senior guard Giovanni Wright can create scoring opportunities off the dribble, which makes him a versatile offensive threat. Wright excels at identifying and attacking gaps in the defense, enabling him to find advantageous positions on the court. He is a strong finisher when playing above the rim on the offensive end and is unafraid when it comes to scoring through contact. Defensively, he uses his quickness to read the passing lanes where he can change the pace by running the floor exceptionally well in transition.

Key Additions

6-3 senior guard Xavier Kirkpatrick came from Forest during the summer plays with a ton of quickness and has a knack to score on all three levels. On the defensive end, Kirkpatrick has a strong skill set where he can guard on the ball as well as off the ball at a high level.

6-5 senior guard Joel Washington came from PK Yonge averaging 10 points per game last year and will be another senior that will be of impact for us. He is a high IQ player who knows how to use his length to defend and can shoot the ball and finish around the rim.

6-6 senior forward Adam Henderson came over from The Rock’s regional team and averaged nearly 16 points per game last year. He is a high-level shooter and plays with a motor on both sides of the ball. On the defensive end, he plays with energy and hits shots from different spots on the floor.

6-5 sophomore forward Jaden McGee is a bruiser with a motor that can rebound the ball and finishes well around the rim. McGee has huge upside heading into the season, despite averaging just five points and three rebounds per game in limited time as a freshman last season.

What Are Some Expectations This Season?

“After winning back-to-back state titles the past two seasons, the expectations are for us to make another deep run. That’s become the Williston standard, and this group of guys has understood that the success of the past 2 seasons was a result of hard work put in by the seniors who are gone. We have a younger group that is figuring out what it means to put that Red Devil jersey on and the expectations we have in our program every single day. We play a very challenging schedule and although younger this team is deeper than any team we have had in the past few years because there is not much of a drop-off from top to bottom on the roster. Expectations are to make it back to Lakeland and chase the three-peat.” Assistant Coach Adiener Feliciano said.

What Makes This Team Similar to Last Season?

“We have length and although not as much size, we are still athletic. We also have a very united group who really like each other on and off the court. We always talk about being a family and this group embodies that. This group is also starting to understand and grasp that our identity as a team starts on the defensive side of the ball. We tell them that our defense tells us if we won the game, while our offense tells us by how much and that’s just our mentality because we understand that we can bring our defense with us every single night” Feliciano added.

Who Are Some Key Matchups This Season?

Friday, November 22 vs Wiregrass Ranch

Tuesday, December 3 at The Villages Charter

Saturday, December 7 vs Hilliard (Breast Cancer Awareness Classic at Oak Ridge)

Friday, December 27 vs Eustis (Kingdom of the Sun)

Saturday, December 28 vs TBD (Kingdom of the Sun)

Monday, December 30 vs TBD (Kingdom of the Sun)

Friday, 1/3 at Andrew Jackson

Saturday, 1/11 vs The Rock National

Tuesday, 1/21 vs The Villages Charter