Spring Hill, Fla. -- Last season was one to forget for the Bishop McLaughlin boys basketball team. “We all know that last year they didn’t have a good record,” said Hurricanes forward Dillon Mitchell.

That’s putting it lightly. The Canes finished 2-22 last season with a majority of their losses coming by double digits. The school decided it was time for a coaching change and brought in former USF star Derrick Sharp to turn things around.

“Just the opportunity to be at a catholic school, a smaller school, I think that was very intriguing to have smaller classes during the pandemic and for my son to be in that situation as well,” said Sharp.

Sharp’s arrival ended up being a two-for-one special for the Hurricanes as they also landed Sharp’s son Emmanuel. A 4-star guard and the reigning Class 5A Player of the Year

Three days later, the Canes added another high profile player when 3-star forward Dillon Mitchell announced he’d be taking his talents to Spring Hill.

“I’ve known Emmanuel and coach Sharp since I was little. We used to play at the Skills Center back in middle school. We both in Tampa, we both top players in Tampa so I knew if we got together we could do some damage so I’m ready.”

The hurricanes’ dynamic duo soon became a “Big 3” with the addition of Anthony Davis Jr. An athletic, 6-foot- 4 guard who’s received a handful of Division I scholarship offers.

With that trio and a handful of quality role players, Bishop McLaughlin has arguably the most talented roster in the Bay Area. The question was could this influx of new talent mesh on the court?

The answer: a resounding yes.

The Hurricanes are off to a 7-2 start and despite having so many mouths to feed, they play an unselfish brand of basketball.

“We all know the bigger picture and that bigger picture is trying to win states,” said Davis Jr. “We’re a brotherhood, we don’t let our egos clash with each other.”

“Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to score but as long as they realize it’s not about how many points you score, its how efficient you are. If the team does well, everyone benefits,” said Sharp.

There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, but as of right now, Bishop McLaughlin looks like a team poised to make its first playoff appearance in school history.

“The more we practice, the better we get and I think we’re going to be unstoppable,” said Mitchell.