Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year As Two Local Stars Make their Season Debuts

Two Local Players Make Season Debuts I have grouped these two events together for editorial purposes but specifically one (former Hayes standout Angel Nunez) made his season debut  while the other (Kansas State guard Jevon Thomas) made his collegiate debut. Nunez, who also prepped at Winchedon  (MA) Academy and began his career at Louisville played for his new team, Gonzaga, in their West Coast Conference season opening win against Santa Clara. He had 4 points and 3 boards in 13 minutes of action. Though his time on the court was brief and marked by tentativeness, playing him at power forward gives coach Mark Few a different kind of player at that spot than he's had in the past. It remains to be seen whether Nunez will be able to stretch the floor with his shooting but he will almost certainly be able to drive the ball against power players who have to guard him on the perimeter. On defense he gives the Zags a  potentially terrific option against teams that play "4 out 1 in" offense. Injuries and depth in front of him kept him mostly off the floor in his two years at Louisville but once he gets acquainted with how to compete at the college level he will be a key player for them as the season enters its home stretch in February and March.
As for Jevon Thomas I could not help but smile a little at the irony of him playing his first college game in Brooklyn, for Kansas State which blew out Tulane in game two of the Brooklyn Winter Hoops festival at Barclay's Center. Anyone who has read my writing at other now defunct sites or talked to me at games knows that Jevon's ability to pressure the ball and his pass first approach to the game have made him a favorite of mine. What's ironic about him playing in Brooklyn is that the route he took to college can be described gently as circuitous. It included stops in Queens (Bayside High) Long Island (OSNA) North Carolina (Quality Education) and finally Delafield Wisconsin (St. John's Prep). It also included verbal commitments to St. John's and Dayton before he sat out spring semester last year and fall semester this year at KSU.     Thomas' story could have easily had the typically sad ending that you hear all too often these days when a kid gets pulled in several different directions and loses focus.   But the minute he stepped on the court for the Wildcats, a  subway ride away from his Queens home, it became a story of perseverance and staying the course. In his 19 minutes on the court he scored just two points but gave KSU fans a glimpse of how he can help them with 4 assists and 3 steals in those minutes. The consummate point guard will likely need some time for the game to slow down for him but once it does look out. He will be very good.    That said he's already accomplished something special getting to Manhattan... Kansas that is.  Congratulations and good luck Jevon.



                                                                                                                                       

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas Plus Notes and Observations.

Seton Hall Gets Good News on and off the Court: The good off the court news is that leading scorer and former Seton Hall Prep star Sterling Gibbs' knee injury appears to be considerably less serious than it looked when he hurt it driving for a basket in last Saturday's loss to St. Peter's College. According to informed sources and his twitter account the injury is "only" a hyperextension and he could be ready for the Pirates Big East opener on New Year's Eve. The good news on the court is that freshman Jaren Sina was terrific filling in for as the Pirates beat Eastern Washington. The former Gil St. Bernard star scored 17 points and had 8 assists without a turnover in 35 minutes of action.
Congratulations to D'angelo Harrison: The star guard from Missouri City Texas arrived in the Big Apple with lots of hype and save for a brief suspension at the end of last season he has more than lived up to it. On Saturday his 29 points led the Red Storm to an impressive win over Horizon League foe Youngstown State. His first three pointer of the game broke the school's career record for 3 point makes.
More on Nathan Ekwu: On Saturday I wrote about the 6'8" senior in my game story recapping Cardinal Hayes' victory over Christ the King and now I'd like to add a bit to what was a brief scouting report. Both Ekwu and 6'9" junior center Akintoye Ojo, his countryman from Nigeria and now his teammate in the Bronx, have been described  "raw" and "unpolished" but for those who  watch games at the high school level take a closer look before jumping to that conclusion. Several parts of Ekwu's game are  quite polished including his shooting touch and  his defensive footwork which, despite his height and girth allow him to defend both on the perimeter and under the basket. Combine those things with great timing as both a rebounder and shot blocker, and a willingness to pass the ball and you have a guy who looks like a high major prospect. He may not have a go-to scoring move just yet but everything else is right where it needs to be.

 Merry Christmas Everyone To all who may find their way to this entry I want to extend wishes for a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season.  Remember to cherish family  both immediate and extended. That's  what makes life, and not just the holidays, a wonderful gift.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Familiar Faces and a Newcomer Help Hayes Run Past CK 69-48

              With all the internet chatter these days about the two newly eligible big men on Cardinal Hayes' basketball team it may surprise some observers to learn that a trio of familiar faces lead the way for the Cardinal as they sped past Christ the King 69-48 last night.
              Both Nathan Ekwu, a 6'8" senior, and Akintoye Ojo, a 6'9" junior both showed terrific athleticism and quickness for their size.  And Ekwu  was terrific as he and senior holdover Chris Robinson picked up in the second half where Shavar Newkirk and Mustafa Jones left off in the first two quarters. The two seniors, who are headed to St. Joe's and Central Connecticut respectively, triggered an efficient transition game for Hayes. And while CTK was hurt by the absence of Andre Walker due to a suspension and committed many turnovers, Cardinal Hayes deserves great credit for taking advantage of nearly every mistake. Jones' emphatic transition slam as the second quarter ended gave Hayes a 34-24 halftime advantage and was indicative of how the whole  half had gone for his team.  When Robinson scored two quick baskets to open the second half, the Cardinal were never  challenged.
              Jones will likely turn out to be a terrific player in the Northeast Conference and a great get for Central  Connecticut. After a fine junior season that saw him as a skilled but reed thin forward he is now wiry strong and where he sometimes  had trouble finishing in transition last year everything in this game was a strong take to the rim, including that thunderous dunk.
              Ekwu showed a strong frame terrific hands and good footwork on the defensive end, including the ability to guard guys facing the basket or in the post. CK's center  Adonis Delarosa was held nearly completely in check thanks to Ekwu's good work. He tied Newkirk and Jones for team high scoring honors with 14 points. Rawlie Alkins led CK with 18
              In a game that featured two of the CHSAA's top teams Hayes won the first round decisively but the Royals will change once  Walker and soph  Jarred Rivers return to the lineup. The Cardinal, with their strong  core plus talented additions appear to be the team to beat. for now at least.


Thursday, December 19, 2013

Record Setters Help St. John's bounce back vs USF

              St. John's got two things they surely needed from last night's  81-57 win over San Francisco. First and foremost, as D'angelo Harrison said, "Obviously our key was to bounce back",  referring to a Sunday's tough loss to Syracuse. "We wanted to beat the number 2 team in the country.  After the game we flushed it and took care of business in this game."
              Their efforts to put that game aside began in the locker room, where coach Lavin eschewed his usual pregame speech and called on the players themselves to talk about the keys to the game. "It (the idea to do that) came to me at about  7pm I've done it as a way to encourage leadership and have the players take ownership of their team."
              One of the things the players emphasized and executed was what Lavin called "the key take away from the game". And that was the ability to start quickly which had eluded them this season.
              The Johnnies moved quickly to a double digit lead, took a 43-31 advantage to the intermission and quickly bumped that margin to 20 thanks to a spurt triggered by Rysheed Jordan whose play improves every time St. John's hits the court.  He stuffed the  stat sheet once again with 10 points 4 assists and a steal. JaKarr Sampson, the team's steadiest offensive player had 14 points on 7-11 shooting. But it was a pair of record setters who ruled the day for the Johnnies. Harrison made 2-3 three point baskets to tie former JFK High star Willie Shaw's career record for three point makes. He finished with a game high 18 points.
              Then there's Chris Obekpa, who obliterated Walter Berry's single season record for blocked shot s last year as a freshman. His 4 blocks last night put him just 3 shy of former  Molloy standout Robert Werdan's career mark.
              In a game the Johnnies needed as much for their confidence as they did to improve their record, they put together several key elements; they started quickly, forced 21 turnovers, saw players like Jordan and Orlando Sanchez continue to find their stride, and had two players on the verge of school records continue to play solid basketball as they approached them. With just two games before the conference season begins, they seem to be in a very good place.


Monday, December 16, 2013

Just Fair Enough Syracuse Holds of St. John's 68-63

              Finding success is sometimes about finding a level of comfort. C.J. Fair, who finished the game with 21 points made the last six doing what he does best, shooting lefty jumpers from the right side, and helped lift Syracuse to a 68-63 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden yesterday.
              For the first time since 1979 this was sadly not a Big East Conference game. But the sights and sounds of the game were familiar parts of the great rivalry; lots of orange and red in the crowd, the mixture of both cheers and boos whenever someone made a great play, and the attempts by one portion or the other of the crowd to rise up whenever their teams went on a good streak.
              As coach Steve Lavin pointed out yesterday's game had three such streaks.
"Syracuse played well for 24 minutes and we played well for 16", Lavin said.
Ultimately Syracuse won the game because their 24 minutes included the game's last four.
              The Orange built a 39-27 halftime advantage with the first of those streaks behind Fair and point guard Tyler Ennis, the Brampton Ontario native who prepped at St. Benedict's (NJ). He tied Fair and St. John's D'angelo Harrison for game high scoring honors with 21 points and, thanks to his speed, quickness and ability to get angles got to the rim and made things easy for his teammates when he wasn't scoring himself.
              Syracuse's advantage would have been even greater were it not for JaKarr Sampson, who scored the Johnnies first six points and was the first player for them to find scoring success in the area he likes best; in the key, ironically right in the middle of the long and active 'cuse defense. Harrison joined him as the  second half began with a short jumper a tip in basket and the Johnnies only three pointer of the day in 15 tries.
              The Johnnies would also rally from potential trouble when Sampson was forced out of the game thanks to his 4th personal with 12:15 left. But along with Harrison, St. John's own heralded freshman Rysheed Jordan attacked the zone for scoring opportunities. He finished with an early career high of 13 points but may have made his most significant contribution on defense.  As Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim  pointed  out the Johnnies did a much better job keeping Ennis out of the paint and relatively quiet until the game's closing moments.  His assist to Orlando Sanchez with 5:48 left gave St. John's a brief 60-58 lead. But Ennis would save his best work for the last of the game's streaks and it would ultimately proved decisive.  He assisted on Fair's last two baskets and made free throws that provided the game's winning margin. Jordan faltered just a bit perhaps because of stamina and Ennis who "doesn't play like a freshman" according to Boeheim took advantage of a small opening. That combined with St. John's poor execution and free throw shooting helped the cuse earn a great win. But the game may well have taught the Johnnies valuable lessons as they enter Big East play. They had several good moments but must get better at the start and at the finish in order to win in a league that will be difficult despite Syracuse's absence


Saturday, December 14, 2013

St. Francis Prep Grinds out a Tough 56-50 win at Xaverian

            In a game that swung back and forth for three quarters, St. Francis Prep, thanks to a  bit more experience, did a better job of taking care of the basics as they earned a tough win at Xaverian Friday night.
            Xaverian had some good moments, especially when they rallied from an 11 point deficit early in the second quarter to take a 27-25 halftime advantage.  Junior Sayon Charles, who finished with 13 points, provided the offensive spark while sophomore Dyonty Wisseh and freshman Zach Bruno provided the energy and quickness needed on the defensive end. Wisseh also had two terrific transition assists while finishing with 10 points.
            The Clippers held a one point margin as the game entered its final stanza. And that's when the Prep's senior leadership came up big. With the help of terrific execution down  the stretch they got the ball in the hands of their best shooters.  Senior Michael Fields game high 19 points included two clutch triples down the stretch. Fellow senior Shane Herrity provided a second offensive option while 6'5" Brian Haggerty, with his long arms and great motor earned extra possessions for the terries and kept the young Clippers from getting the stops they needed to grind out a win.

            St. Francis may not look as good as some teams on paper but with great coaching and a toughness that comes with seniors they already have two road wins in league play and will be a team none of the league favorites wants to see come playoff time.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Jason Brickman's Milestone and a Blast From hthe Past

Congratulations to LIU's Jason Brickman With an assist to fellow senior Troy with Joseph with 13:39 left in last night's 96-93 Blackbirds' win at N.J.I.T. Jason Brickman set a new Northeast Conference career assists record. In that game the speedy guard who's led the Blackbirds to 3 straight NCAA tournament appearances scored 21 points and hit a career high 5 three point shots. He helped the Blackbirds hold off an improving N.J.I.T. team for a big road win.
            Since former Blackbirds' coach Jim Ferry and current head coach Jack Perri brought the crafty and deceptively quick point guard to Flatbush from San Antonio Texas, he has provided an understated unselfish and underpublicized example of excellence to fans visiting the Wellness Recreation and Athletics Center. Brooklyn hoops fans should take the time to see a game in this his last season because both he and his team play some terrific basketball and are great fun to watch.

A Blast From the Past With Help From Jason It turns out that the guy whose record  Brickman broke is one of my favorite players from back in the day. I suspect not many folks remember that Marist College played in the Northeast Conference before joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. And point guard Drafton Davis, a crafty lefthander who played at John F. Kennedy High in the Bronx set the record for the Red Foxes in 1988. Many of those assists went to former Indiana Pacers center Rik Smits who starred at Marist before his long NBA career. Finally, one more piece of what some might call trivia but I call "historical context". When Davis graduated from JFK in 1984 he was one of two terrific but under recruited guards to come from the Bronx PSAL. The other was a 6'3" scorer deluxe from Adlai Stevenson High named Drederick Irving, who would move on to Boston University and a pro career that included a stop in Australia where his son was born. While only hard core New York hoops fanatics remember dad even the most casual basketball fans know his son, former St. Pat's (NJ) High and Duke star and current Cleveland Cavalier Kyrie Irving.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

St. John's Finds Perfection in Festival Romp over Fordham

              If St. John's players and coaches study the video of yesterday's smash hit debt at Madison Square Garden, a 104-58 win over Fordham. a pair of missed shots by their leading scorer D'angelo Harrison may be the source of some good natured teasing from his teammates. The first one came with 13:29 left in the first half and the Red Storm leading 13-11.  The second miss came with 1:05 left in the half with St. John's long having broken the game open with a 50-32 margin.
              In between those two misses Harrison and his teammates played perhaps as  perfect a stretch of basketball as has been played in NCAA annals. Their 22-28 shooting for the half was  reminiscent of the full game numbers put up by Villanova in their "perfect game" upset win over Georgetown for the 1985 national title. All their good work leaves coach Steve Lavin with a potentially tricky decision. Does he let his team see the video of that stretch to show them how good they can be when they "share the sugar" as he often says to the tune of 29 assists. Or does he hide the disc from the kids knowing that college basketball simply isn't supposed to be that easy.
              "We had everybody clicking today," said forward JaKarr Sampson. He along with fellow forward Orlando Sanchez successfully applied another one of the axioms that Coach Lavin quotes from the late John Wooden. Both guys repeatedly found "the nail" or the top of the key area for easy baskets or passing opportunities against  Fordham's leaky zone. Sanchez' big day included 8-10 shooting in route to a team high 19 points in what Sampson called his "coming out party". Sampson himself added 12 with perfect 6-6 marksmanship. Their efforts were augmented beautifully by Jamal Branch contributed 6 assists and along with freshman Rysheed Jordan continued the vital albeit statistically modest play that was vital to Saturday's win against Georgia Tech.
              On the defensive end, St. John's long and active zone proved  to be the perfect antidote for Fordham's 4 guard offense and in particular for Jon Severe. The freshman from Christ  the King helped the Rams briefly regain their footing when he broke a game opening 7-0 spurt by St. John's with a step back 3 pointer. From that point, St. John's defense on Severe was nearly as perfect as their execution on offense. Severe would not score another basket from the floor, finishing 1-21 with just 9 points. He entered the game averaging over 23 per game.
              "I feel for Jon he's a New York kid with a lot of hype and it was his first time at Madison Square Garden and he laid an egg," Fordham coach Tom Pecora said. But then, mindful of what a tough kid Severe is he quickly added, "I trust him. There'll be better days for him."
              St. John's scored 100 points in a game for the first time in 14 seasons as they raised their record to 6-2 heading into next Saturday's return engagement to MSG against Syracuse.




Friday, December 6, 2013

Have the Nets become "Knicks Redux"??

               I can still remember the conversations I had with my nephew and Godson Victor when the Nets' moves and coaching change came to fruition.  I, like most at the time liked them for the short term, and while I am normally skeptical of aging stars and short term fixes I liked this idea in part because I thought that the Nets could not wait to build through the draft since they needed to gain competitive footing quickly in this market. And even though I cringed when the trade for Gerald Wallace eventually cost them a chance to draft 6'10" uber athlete and Mount Vernon native Andre Drummond, it was still mostly if not all good to me. I did however leave the only one of my nephews who shares my love of hoops with one word of warning and I can only hope he'll vouch for me that I indeed sounded it  when he returns from visiting family in Africa. "Vic there's one thing about all these moves", I said.  "They will be quickness challenged teams that downsize and play fast or have quick guards will give them trouble."

              It's easy to see and say in hindsight now, but I was only touching on what's turned out to be a problem that is, for the foreseeable future at least, unsolvable because the draft choices given in trades with the Celtics, Hawks (for Joe Johnson) and the Blazers (for Gerald Wallace) will mean the Nets will not have a chance to draft the kind of young athletic guys needed to succeed at any time in basketball but especially these days when the game is officiated in a way that takes away many  of the tricks used by older players (arm bars, hand and hip checks etc) to guard younger quicker guys.  Most media types have already blamed the choice of Jason Kidd as coach for the problems. But Billy King's choices, and ultimately the choice of ownership to go for the bells and whistles of a quick fix are what will prove to be the team's downfall. Andre Drummond would look really nice as a shot-blocking, rebounding compliment to Brook Lopez under the basket at the Barclay's Center. Damian Lillard, whom Portland drafted with a pick garnered from the Nets would be a speedier less injury prone alternative to Deron Williams at point guard. The lesson to be learned, from ownership on down is simply to build as much as you can through the draft so that when opportunities come to add stars the team is ready to win. I know the hope in Brooklyn is that the worm will turn once players get healthy but for now it appears that they have made the same sort of mistakes the Knicks have made for years and left themselves in salary cap hell for at least two seasons. And oh by the way, that Carlesimo fella who got them into the playoffs last year despite a starting five that featured two non scorers doesn't look so bad either does he.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving Plus News and Notes

Local Stars Shine as Vermont Nearly Upsets Duke Before losing 91-90  Had they completed what was a brilliantly executed and selfless effort against the Blue Devils the Catamounts would have been the first non-conference team since St.John's in 2000 to win a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. People will remember the core of that St. John's team consisted of local stars such as Anthony Glover (Rice HS) Erick Barkley (Christ the King) and Reggie Jessie (Loughlin) along with Georgia native and New York Panthers standout Lavar Postell. The 2013-14 Catamounts feature a pair of local stars  both well prepared at Iona Prep by their outstanding coach Vic Quirolo.  Forward Brian Voelkel  and guard Sandro Carissimo each helped their team skillfully move the ball and score against Duke's defense. Volekel scored just six points but helped initiate offense with his familiar high post passing game. Carissimo finished with 16 points while both players had 9 assists while committing just one turnover between them.  The Catamounts will need to win the America East tournament for an NCAA invite but if they get their they will be a scary team for a top seed to play in the opening round of the NCAA.
St. John's Pulls Away From Longwood 65-47 St. John's continued what has been a bad trend for them starting slowly before pulling away. Longwood scored the game's first 7 points and trailed by just 27-23 at halftime. St. John's rallied behind D'angelo Harrison's 18 points in a game that coach Steve Lavin politely described as "disjointed" for both offenses. Longwood got nice contributions from a pair of local stars as Lucas Woodhouse (Harboorfields HS) who finished with 10 points and 3 assists. Jeylani Dublin, a Brooklyn native who played at Millbrook (NY) Prep finished with a team high 16 points. St. John's next plays Penn State on Friday at the Barclay Center classic in Brooklyn as the step up in competition begins. St.John's has tied its school record of 13 blocks in each of its last three games and they will need that to translate against a better level of athlete and team they'll see now and in conference play. I am one who thinks that the blocks are. to some extent eye wash for bad defense and these next few games will tell us if that's true.

Meanwhile in Riverdale...  Two local teams with rosters full of local players  waged a great "Battle of the Bronx" as Fordham won at Manhattan 79-75. The Rams' win was especially impressive against the MAAC Conference favorite Jaspers because they did it without junior Bryan Smith (Midwood HS) who sat out his second straight game with an ankle injury. In Tom Pecora's 4-guard offense Smith had evolved into the guy who hid many of the lineups warts with his ability to garner tough rebounds and defend. While big men Ryan Rhoomes (Cardozo HS) and Trey Leonard were stalwarts under the basket last night they will need Bryan's energy and toughness to continue to make progress because he compliments the explosive ability of basketball's answer to the Dallas Cowboys "triplets" of Jon Severe, Brandon Fraser and Mandell Thomas. Freshman Severe (CTK) scored a game high 30 points while Fraser  (Loughlin) added 21. For Manhattan senior George Beamon (Roslyn HS LI ) finished with 21 points and 11 boards.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone To all fellow self-appointed basketball experts, gym rats an anyone who just loves New York Hoops, Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Enjoy the food and the chance to visit with family both immediate and extended. You will be hearing from me soon and till then please take care and God Bless all of you.





Saturday, November 23, 2013

With Jordan Out Three of a Kind Just Enough for St. John's

              Almost despite all the analysis, statistical and otherwise , that seems to go into every game these days, sometimes games boil down to the notion most often found in baseball about being due.
              That may have happened to St. John's as they got just enough from three point land to stave off an upset bid by a young Monmouth squad 64-54. They did it despite missing highly touted freshman Rysheed Jordan, who served what was termed a "disciplinary suspension"
              To be sure one of the elements that made the Bucknell game a difficult and ultimately well earned win was missing; experience. Monmouth's roster, by contrast features 7 freshman and nearly exclusively young players. several of whom have local ties and several of them had good moments as they went toe-to toe with the area's most storied basketball program.  Upstate NY's Justin Robinson led Monmouth with 15 points and a nice floor game while former local standouts Tyrone O'Garro (St. Peter's Prep NJ) and Josh James (Stepinac) each continued to attack the basket even as St. John's set a school record by blocking 15 shots.
              "Hats off to Monmouth for competing and giving themselves a chance to win at the defensive end of the floor", St. John's coach Steve Lavin said. Monmouth's effort defensively was complimented by their coach King Rice's ability to change defenses and keep St. John's off stride just enough to help his team hang around and force the Red Storm to turn to an area where they've struggled all season; three point shooting.
              The Johnnies entered the game shooting just 15% from three point distance. Last night the percentage was more than double that at 38% but th4y came at key times, especially from D'angelo Harrison. His two triples in the last  4:07 provided St. John's with its first working margin of the game and a third trifecta with 1:04 left which capped off a great night for Phil Greene effectively iced the game for St. John's. "We don't win the game without those 3's." Lavin said.

              Greene finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Harrison and Jakar Sampson added 15 and 14 for St. John's which plays Longwood College at 7 pm on Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

St. John's Finds its Zone and Greene Finds the Range for a 67-63 Win Over Bucknell

              For a team like St. John's scheduling a team like Bucnell brings with it a stark set of pros and cons. On the one hand coach Steve Lavin would like to challenge his team against Dave Paulsen's Bison who are not only experienced but tournament tested as he three time Patriot League champions. The pitfall is s possible loss to a team from a one bid league that hoops insiders may know is very good but  the general public may not see that way.
              For much of the first half it looked as though St. John's was headed for that proverbial "bad loss" as Bucknell used its wide open but patient style to spread St. John's out and create driving lanes to the basket. Senior  guard Cameron Ayers started quickly on his way to a career high points 26 points while junior guard Steven Kaspar ran the show nearly flawlessly.  St. John's got enough done offensively, thanks in part to some good early work by freshman Rysheed Jordan so, that they trailed by  just 35-32 at the intermission.
              Bucknell quickly bumped that margin back to 9 points with a 6-0 burst out of the locker room and maintained a working  margin until the Red Storm employed the zone that they've used often and effectively through Lavin's first three seasons. It helped them all but shut down Bucknell's dribble penetration and, kept their big men in the paint where as coach Lavin said they were "like hockey goalies" protecting the rim. The Red Storm combined for 13 blocks while Chris Obekpa , the nation's leading shot blocker last year had 7.
              Once they found their zone on defense St. John's would then find the mark on offense.  Entering the game they had made just 2-23 triples. And while Jordan would make one early it was Phil Greene IV who would ultimately find the range and lift St. John's offensively. Greene who finished with a team high 16 points, hit consecutive 3 pointers on great feeds from Orlando Sanchez and D'angelo Harrison to give the Johnnies a 46-45 lead with just over 12 minutes left. Following a tip in by former Gil St. Bernard standout Dom Hoffman that gave Bucknell a brief lead Harrison hit a clutch trey to halt any momentum swing. St. John's took the lead for good at52-51 when Sanchez fed Obekpa for a dunk  with just under 9 minutes left.  The spurt that secured the win included another triple from Harrison and a dunk by Sir Dominic Pointer who contributed his usual energy and a team high 6 assists.
              St. John's faces newly minted MAAC foe Monmouth on Saturday at 9 pm and should do so filled with confidence thanks to a win against a veteran team that is tournament tested and tournament tough.


              

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Hoops Roundup: Nets Woes, And some college hoops news and notes

Nets Lose to Blazers 108-98 and drop to 3-7: Sure they played without the two guys who are supposed to be the core of their team, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.  And sure they are an aging team that is still rounding into collective shape but the signs are still troublesome. Once you sift through all the injuries matchups and other game specific  situations, the Trail Blazers were simply another team like Cleveland and Sacramento who may not be better than the Nets on paper but were able to beat them with speed and quickness.  All game long the Nets' defense could not defend  the penetration of rookie of the year Damian  Lillard who simply got anywhere he wanted to go any time he wanted and set up smooth shooting forward LeMarcus Aldridge and three point marksman Wes Matthews for 27 and 24 points respectively. The Nets should be at least concerned that the early losses are indicative of a larger problem than just injuries and key players missing large chunks of training camp.  Time and again fans heard that the team was built to be deep and protect against the age of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. So far at least, Net fans are finding out what Yankees' fans learned watching last year's team. When you replace old guys with other old guys you ask for trouble. Whether it's Kevin Youkilis being brought in to protect  A-Rod or Andrei Kirilenko being brought in to protect Pierce and Joe Johnson age makes all predictions tenuous. As a Nets fan I hope for the injuries to heal and for the Nets to find their footing but even though it's just 10 games in I wonder and worry if that's possible.
St. Francis of Brooklyn Takes two in Florida and Nearly Upsets Syracuse: One team in Brooklyn that's been a nice surprise is coach Glen Braica's St. Francis Terriers. They opened the season springing upset wins over ACC foe Miami and Conference USA rival Florida Atlantic, coached by former St. John's mentor Mike  Jarvis.  Following a tough loss at Dayton they nearly pulled off the season's biggest upset, leading for much of the game at the Carrier Dome before losing 56-50. Delaware native Jalen Cannon has led the way for the Terriers but a pair of ex-New York schoolboy stars have pitched in well. Anthony White, the sturdy 6'4" guard from William Floyd HS on Long Island has provided both a steady hand and good shooting while tough forward Wayne Martin, who starred at South Shore HS, has provided an inside presence the team has sorely needed. Against the 'cuse Martin repeatedly exploited the middle of their vaunted zone defense and provided the kind of scoring and playmaking option that an NEC team typically will just not have against a team from the ACC. If the Terriers can continue to improve while  LIU Brooklyn maintains its place at the top of the league, the Battle of Brooklyn could well be for much more than bragging rights. The two teams could be playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Fordham Starts Quickly as Well: Fordham has sandwiched wins over St. Francis (Pa) and Lehigh around a loss to Syracuse to begin the season and a pair of star New York guards have led the way. Senior Brandon  Fraser (Bishop Loughlin) and highly touted freshman Jon Severe (Christ the King) have provided much of the scoring punch along with sophomore, and Rochester NY  native Mandel Thomas. Former Cardozo star Ryan Rhoomes, appears to have settled into a nice role patrolling the paint for the Rams. The two wins combined with the signature of superb forward and Dobbs Ferry native Eric Paschal could signal that Tom Pecora's program has turned a proverbial corner. And just as he did at Hofstra, he has laid a foundation of tough New York kids. Progress is coming slowly but it's coming for sure.
Creighton Looks Like the Best of the New Big East Time will tell whether the Blue Jays quick start will hold up in the new league where very good teams will play each other home and home during the regular season.  That said they have all the ingredients to win this or any other league. National Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott is the unquestioned go-to-guy but he's surrounded by a group of tested and tough minded teammates that include perhaps the nation's best "glue guy" in forward Grant Gibbs and former St. Ray's star Devin Brooks. The 6'2" guard, who came to Creighton via Iowa Western Junior College has fit in well with a team that has played many games together while adding a dose of speed and quickness off the bench that they don't get from anyone else. He scored 16 points in the Jays impressive 83-78 win at St. Joseph's. Another local star freshman Deandre Bembry (The Patrick School) scored 20 for St. Joe's.







Saturday, November 16, 2013

Harrison and Sampson Lead St. John's 73-57

              Ultimately St. John's bounced back nicely from their season opening loss to Wisconsin. The 73-57 margin by which they beat Wagner out of the Northeast Conference is deceiving. The game saw the Red Storm sprint to an early lead thanks to their transition game as a team and the individual play of the guys who figure to be their top two scorers all season long; D'angelo Harrison and Jakar Sampson. They combined with some good early moments from Orlando Sanchez and a strong effort off the bench from Jamal Branch to give St. John's  to a seemingly comfortable 36-22 halftime advantage.  Head Coach Steve Lavin noted that his  team  did a better job defensively than they had in Friday's loss even as he acknowledged that said progress was incremental.
"....we were better on the defensive end of the floor tonight", Lavin said. The most telling statistical sign of that improved defense may have been in their limiting of the Seahawks to just 9 free throws, thus playing that good "D" without fouling. Even as Wagner rallied to cut the deficit to as few as six points behind their two small but sturdy senior guards Latief Rivers and Kenneth Ortiz the Red Storm was able to find answers. And even though their three point shooting abandoned them (0-10) they found efficient offense in the paint and especially at the free throw line where the Red Storm shot a combined 29-36 including 11-11 from Harrison.
              Harrison led the winners with 25 points while Sampson added 13. Rivers led Wagner with 18 points while Valparaiso transfer Jay Harris added 14.

     St. John's, which evened its record to 1-1 continues its home non conference schedule Tuesday November 19th against defending Patriot League champions Bucknell


              

Saturday, November 9, 2013

A Slow Start And Three Point Shooting Doom St.John's in Opener 86-75

o            In fairness to a St. John's team that will spend much of the early season sorting out roles and other issues around that elusive basketball ingredient called chemistry, Wisconsin. a team that's always hard to play is especially tough to face in your season opener. Playing in Sioux Falls South Dakota St. John's took a while to find its stride and the Badgers seemingly took advantage of every defensive error .While their pace may have been quicker than what fans are accustomed to from Bo Ryan's teams, the ball reversal spacing and shot making were as per usual for the Badgers, very good.
              St. john's would trail by as many as 18 points as they searched for rhythm, and cut the deficit to 35-23 at halftime. From there they made several attempts to climb out of the hole they dug and several players had good moments.  D'angelo Harrison and Jakar Sampson each found their scoring touch. Harrison finished with a game high 27 points while Sampson added 21.  Together with Orlando Sanchez, who looked comfortable offensively but had his minutes limited by foul problems, and Rysheed Jordan who did his best work in the second half, St. John's cut the deficit to as little as 4 with 7 minutes and change to go. Sanchez had one play in particular where he grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball up himself and fed Sampson for a dunk. Jordan, who settled in nicely during the second 20 minutes, provided consecutive old school three point plays; one where he scored himself and another where he fed Sampson on a cut to the middle of the lane for a short jumper.
              Each time St. John's tried to rally Wisconsin had an answer.  And primarily it was from beyond the arc, where they outscored the Red Storm 33-6.  After St. John's cut the deficit to 4 Badger forwards Sam  Dekker and Josh Gasser responded with consecutive triples to help keep a determined St. John's team at arm's length. Gasser finished with 19 points while Gasser added 26 to lead 5 Badgers in double figures.
              St. John's will look to bounce back when they  come home Friday Nov 15th to face Wagner.          






Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Local NBA Recap Nets Cruise; Chandler Hurt as local Stars Hang Tough Loss on Knicks

   
On the heels of difficult losses Sunday the Knicks and Nets looked to regain their footing on Tuesday.Playing at Barclay's the Nets succeeded famously as they rode Brook Lopez' 27 point effort to a 104-88 win over Utah. Meanwhile at the self proclaimed Mecca of basketball, you know the one that hasn't seen an NBA title in 40 years, the Knicks not only lost to the Bobcats 102-97, and gave Charlotte their first road win in 17 starts, but they had their effort to bounce back from Sunday thwarted by two local stars, Kemba Walker of Rice High in Manhattan and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of St. Patrick's High in Elizabeth New Jersey.
      . While scoring 25 points and tallying 6 assists and 5 boards, Walker was first able to help the Bobcats sprint out of the starting gate to a 64-54 halftime lead.  And then, after leaving the game in the third period following a collision where he hurt his shoulder, he provided a key basket to help stave off the Knicks; a tough fade away jumper over the outstretched Kenyon Martin. The play where Walker collided with Tyson Chandler brought potential devastating news for the Knicks this morning. Chandler suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula and could be out from 4-6 weeks. Prior to his exit Chandler was playing well while anchoring an otherwise porous Knicks' defense. Time and again Walker and the Hornets beat the Knicks off the dribble and when they weren't scoring or assisting that's when Charlotte's frontcourt, and Kidd-Gilchrist in particular, went to work.
              Putting together a stat line reminiscent of his NCAA title run at Kentucky Gilchrist finished with 16 points on 5-7 shooting from the floor, 8 boards a steal and three blocks. And while those stats indicate lots of good work on Michael's part they tell only a small part of his contribution to the win. His most important work was done guarding Carmelo Anthony, who scored 28 points but thanks to Gilchrist's diligent work needed 32 shots to get them. He made just 10 of those field goal tries. And at the game's end which is known in the NBA as "winning time" Gilchrest effectively took away Carmelo as the Knicks go to option while his team still had theirs. While Mike put the clamps on number 7 the Knicks had no answer for number 15 who kept the Knicks at bay with drives and clutch scoring as they rallied.
              Those of us who were lucky enough to see Mike and Kemba play as school boys know that even at a young age they were all about winning. For the Bobcats that means that they can be trusted to compete hard as they add pieces in the hope of building a winner. In this win, they exposed Knicks' flaws on defense with their quickness and perhaps the lack of a second option beyond Anthony.  But last night the biggest difference between the two teams was competitiveness. Charlotte simply wanted everything; loose balls, rebounds and ultimately the game a little bit more. And they no doubt drew that extra edge from their two local stars Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kemba Walker.





Sunday, November 3, 2013

Nets-Heat Postscript and a Brief Look Ahead

              If their season opening loss was to Cleveland  an example of what could go wrong for the Nets, Friday's win over the defending champs was an example of how it could be special. Paul Pierce for all the consternation about his age, looked like a go-to guy not only on offense with 19 points but on defense guarding LeBron in the game's key moments. The bench built by Billy King was a huge factor as well. Much was made in the post game discussion that six Nets had played nearly 20 minutes but the most important bench time may have been the 11 and change played by Andrei Kirilenko, who gave the Nets a greater opportunity to switch on LeBron and Wade playing power forward and gave the Nets offense a boost with his passing and movement without the ball. The defensive versatility provided by Kirilenkko and Allen Anderson, whose plus minus number (-14) might not look good but who made many heady plays and several key baskets, is what gives the Nets the ability to adjust when teams try and counter their size with a smaller and quicker lineup. More good news from the bench came in the person of Andray Blarche who overcame a difficult first five quarters of the season  to give the Nets the kind of production and mobility at center they will need from him throughout the season. Tonight against Orlando thy face a team that's very much like the Cleveland club that beat them to open the season. While they don't have a guy that can match Kyrie Irving's penetration and passing the Magic have a roster full of terrific young athletes and a heavy New York area presence that includes starting forward Moe Harkless (Forrest Hills HS and St. John's) along with reserves Kyle O'Quiinn (Campus Magnet) Tobias Harris (Half Hollow Hills West) and Doron Lamb (Bishop Loughlin). The Nets will find, as they did against the Cabs, a road test against a team that is improving steadily.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Youth Is Served as Cavs Beat Nets in Opener 98-94

s              Sure it was a season opening loss for a talented team that didn't play much together in pre-season. And the player they need most to close games, point guard Deron Williams, was absent in the last quarter as the Nets limit his minutes following an ankle sprain. Even with those caveats in mind the Nets showed one weakness, in several forms that could hurt them against certain teams that on paper it appears they should beat.  Cleveland, by all conventional wisdom is one of those teams and last night's 98-94 win by the Cavs exposed that weakness. It is quickness.
            There were some good things for sure. Brook Lopez' 21 point 5 rebound 4 block effort was an early indication that he will build on his outstanding last season. Paul Pierce's quick start, Allen Anderson's strong effort off the bench and even Shaun Livingston's strong defense against Kyrie Irving for a time are all good signs. But quickness hurt the Nets from start to finish. Irving and Dion Waiters overcame slow beginnings to combine for 26 points and 11 assists. The Cavs frontcourt standouts Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao used quickness around the basket to combine  for 29 points and 18 boards. Irving made a great drive to set up Varejao for a short jumper with less than 30 seconds remaining that would ultimately be the decisive basket for Cleveland. On a day when youth, or more specifically young legs, were served the Nets showed a weakness that may cause problems all season long. Sure it's early, and they'll be better when DWill is completely healthy but the road ahead for the Nets May be tougher than it looks on paper.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Convincing Wins For Loughlin and CK Set Up a Grand Finale Sunday


            
            The top teams in the Diocesan of Brooklyn and Queens each secured outstanding semi final wins in last night's "AA" intersectional final at Fordham University.  Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin have already played three amazing games; two during the regular season and one for the Diocesan title.  When they meet Sunday it will, appropriately be for the CHSAA's "AA" title and will be on a neutral site.  While tradition and contractual agreements say that the game will take place at Fordham in the Bronx, it's a game worthy of the new Barclay's Center in Brooklyn; a game that Brooklyn basketball fans and fans throughout the city of all ages and stripes would no doubt enjoy.  The passion and skill of two great teams combined with the championship at stake will make for a great ballgame.  Here are recaps of Thursday's action that set the stage for this great final on Sunday at 3pm at Fordham.

Bishop Loughlin 78 Archbishop Stepinac 56 The Lions completed their journey to the finals by breaking this game open early. Balanced offense highlighted their efforts but their defense provided the most important spark.  All season long the Crusaders had been able to beat teams by spreading the floor and using precise outside shooting. The Lions, perhaps better than any team Stepinac faced this season, were able to defend them on the perimeter at all 5 positions and when Stepinac began missing shots the transition opportunities were waiting for Loughlin. Jordan DelaCruz got them started with two early treys and Jordan Nanton was terrific pushing tempo. Mike Williams led Loughlin with  Mike Williams led the way with 17 points 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Kadeem Carrington and Jordan Nanton had 12 and 11 points respectively while each had 6 assists. Monmouth commit Josh James finished with 35 points and Niam THomas added 12 but Loughlin's suffocating defense and quick transition game proved decisive.

Christ the King 65 Cardinal Hayes 59 Christ the King did a terrific job grinding this game out and combating what was a great effort from the Cardinals. Sturdy senior forward Ramel Coleman combined with junior perimeter stars Shavar Newkirk and Chris Robinson to lift Hayes to an early advantage. But with early help from Andre Walker outside and Adonis Delarosa inside the Royals trailed by just one at the end of the first quarter. In the second a late rally triggered by continued good work in the paint from DeLarosa and a clutch triple from reserve Isaiah Cothbert lifted the Royals to a 32-27 halftime advantage.
            While the rest of the Royals had helped build that margin, player of the year Jon Severe was having moments both good and bad in the game. He scored 7 in the opening two quarters, including a tough contested trey from the top of the key, and two nice assists. But thanks in part to leg cramps and in part to a great bit of shadow defense from Tyler Wilson, the Royals needed to rely on players like Cothbert (11 off the bench) Delarosa (10 points 10 caroms) and Malik Harmon (13 point 6 assists and one great feed to Rawle Alkins for a basket) to give them key minutes and points. Harmon was exceptional as Severe was on the bench having those cramps tended to.
            Severe was able to give his team one last important play that was typically clutch for him. With his team leading by just 2 with just under 2 minutes left Sever inbounded the ball and perched himself in the familiar left wing spot where he has made so many of his 1,000 points for the Royals. The ball came his way and despite pain and a difficult night rose up with his familiar confidence and buried the trey. With a 5 point advantage the Royals held off Hayes despite a quick response from Chris Robinson who finished with a game high 23 for Hayes while Newkirk added 14. This game, though it was a semi-final was worthy of a championship game. Both teams made championship efforts and CK emerged victorious.  Take nothing away from the Cardinals, who played like champions in defeat and with nearly all of their core (save for Wilson and Coleman) returning they set the stage for a great 2013-14.
            

Monday, March 4, 2013

CHSAA "AA" Quarter Final Sunday at Fordham


            
            The annual quarter final Sunday for the CHSAA "AA" division is annually one of the best days of the year for New York's gym rats. It provides a chance to see some of the city's top teams and players mad do so in an audience that includes coaches from all levels of college basketball.  Save for Stepinac's win over a young St. Raymond's squad that experienced the intensity of post season basketball for the first time this year, the seeding held form. Molloy nearly sprung a second upset over New York #2 seed Cardinal Hayes in a game that featured a great individual battle between two of the area's top guards. Here is a recap of the day's action action with some observations.
Stepinac 68 St. Ray's 51 St. Ray's came into this game with the defending champion's tag but it should be noted that the Ravens had a brand new group and a coach both going through their first varsity season together. In the first quarter they gave fans a glimpse of how good they could be.  Sophomore point guard Jaequan McKennon and fellow soph center helped the Ravens sprint to a 20-10 first quarter advantage. McKennon was terrific penetrating for both assists and scores while Santos showed the soft hands and shooting touch around the basket that make him recruitable at the highest level for college. After that fast beginning Stepinac's talented and experienced guards slowly but surely gained control of the game with their 3 point shooting and skillful playmaking.. With assistant coaches and CHSAA alums Brian Reese and Derrick Phelps in the audience Monmouth College commit Josh James scored 17 points and helped junior star Niam Thomas to a game high 22 for the Crusaders.  Shawn James had a strong 17 points trying to help the Ravens battle back once they fell behind, but Stepinac had too much balance and too much three point shooting and salted the game away. Lo
Bishop Loughlin 72 Iona Prep 59 This game featured two of the area's top shooters in sophomore Matt Ryan of Iona and junior  Mike Williams of Loughlin and both players were outstanding. Ryan, a deceptively athletic 6'6" forward combined with junior guard Isaiah Ice and senior swingman Brandon Williams to help the Gaels regroup from a slow start in the second quarter. He was much more assertive than he had been in their opening round win and when he followed Ice's jumper with a deep pull up trey of his own the Gaels were right in the thick of things. Ryan finished with a game high 24 points for the Gaels but Loughlin's balance and a great all around effort from Williams was the difference. After Iona's second quarter burst Williams and fellow junior Kadeem Carrington helped trigger a 9-0 burst to help the Lions take a 37-28 lead into halftime.  From there Williams not only had a team high 22 points but had an outstanding game playmaking, getting big man Anthony Vernon involved and finding fellow junior Kadeem Carrington in great positions for his patented slashes and short jumpers. He finished with 21 points of his own. Loughlin's 3 guards Williams, Carrington and senior Jordan Nanton have gotten better and better as the season has progressed playing together and involving their teammates.  Their improvement could be what lifts Loughlin to a title run
Cardinal Hayes 67 Archbishop Molloy 66  Early in the game Hayes' defense and Shavar Newkirk's finishing ability helped the Cardinals to a fast start and ironically Molloy's first offensive push came from inside with Marco Kozul and junior energy guy Jason Cethoute scoring around the basket. Kozul's putback as the second quarter expired capped a late rally and put the Stanners behind by just 2 points (28-26)at halftime.  From there a great individual battle began between the two stellar junior guards Newkirk for Hayes and CJ Davis for Molloy and each player lifted their teams by playing to their strengths. For Newkirk, that meant attacking the basket relentlessly and finishing fearlessly through contact  For Davis, it meant making great decisions about when to shoot and when to drive, while showing his usual vision and passing skill. He and senior guard Chazz Watler, who had a couple of tough spinning drives gave Molloy a brief advantage as the third quarter ran down but Newkirk capped off what had been a terrific third quarter with a bit of magic, a three quarter court shot that swished perfectly through the hoop and tied the game at 52 as the fourth quarter began.
            From there as the two stars continued to perform exceptionally well, other players such as Watler for Molloy and junior Mustafa Jones for Hayes made key plays.  A Davis jumper and an inside basket by Jason Cethoute gave Molloy a 62-58 lead with just under 4 minutes left but a one hander by Jones and the subsequent free throw shaved that quickly to a one point deficit. After the teams traded misses Hayes took the lead on a follow basket at 65-64 Newkirk then drew a foul an extended the lead to 67-64. Watler's tough spinning basket cut the lead to one in the closing moments and Molloy gave themselves a chance when they forced turnovers on Hayes inbounding play not once but twice.  The first time the officials missed the call and the second time Christian Giles played terrific denial defense forcing a double tip and giving the Stanners possession. At that point Hayes played some great defense of their own, forcing Molloy to call time out with 4.8 seconds left and then forcing a tough three pointer from Isaiah Tucker as time expired. Newkirk lead all scorers with 28 points for Hayes while Jones added 16  C.J. Davis had 25 for Molloy while Watler, who was especially good after Davis had foul trouble added 15 points.
Christ the King 82 St. Peter's 66 Christ the King won this game as handily as most expected, but not before fans who stayed for the nightcap got a glimpse of one of the city's best and most unknown guards Glen Sanabria. Against a Royals' team full of top flight athletes that was keying on his penetration, he not only scored 23 points but showed terrific passing skill and a tight handle.  He will be one of the most interesting players to follow this summer because while his small stature might scare some coaches off he's strong skilled and tough and I will go on record now and say that he's a division one prospect.
            For the Royals, Jon Severe, with many of his suitors in attendance scored 14 points while junior Andre Walker added Rylie Aikins added 13 each.  CK got strong production off the bench not only from freshman Aikins but from sophomore Travis Allen to secure a semi final birth Thursday at Fordham against Hayes. Loughlin will face Stepinac in the other semi final at Fordham.                               





Friday, March 1, 2013

CHSAA "AA" Quarter Finals Set


              
          On Wednesday and Thursday four teams won second round games to advance to the quarter finals of the CHSAA's "AA" division. On Sunday these winners will take on the top seeds, St. Ray's and Hayes on the New York side along with Loughlin and Christ the King on the Brooklyn Queens side,to advance in the 2013 intersectional playoffs held Sunday at Fordham University. Here is a brief recap of the action.
Wedmesday at St. Francis Prep
Molloy 70 Fordham Prep 51 The Stanners never allowed Fordham Prep to establish the deliberate tempo that helped them spring some upsets during the season. Josh Brown, who finished with 9 points and 15 boards provided early energy with his running and rebounding. From there a balanced perimeter attack with Chazz Wattler leading the way with 21 points and CJ Davis and Marco Kozul adding 14 each helped Molloy move on to face New York # 2 seed Cardinal Hayes at 4:30 pm Sunday.

Stepinac 73 Holy Crpss 64 Thanks to a strong shooting start from sophomore guard Jermaine Bishop, Holy Cross trailed by just 3 at the intermission but the Crusaders' quick transition attack helped them pull away in the second half, Junior guard Nyam Thomas led the scoring with 21 points while Walter Kiing had 15 and 6 boards Josh James added 12 Stepinac will face New York top seed St. Ray's at ):00 pm

Thursday at Christ the King
Iona Prep 45 St. Francis Prep 36  The young Gaels are a team that plays exceptional team defense and they did a great job contesting shots and passes from the Terriers.  St. Francis played a box and 1 defense on Iona's talented 6'6" soph Matt Ryan and held him in check but the rest of their talented youngsters, junior Isaiah Ice, soph Tom Capuono and freshman Ty Jerome gave them just enough scoring for the win. They face B-Q #2 seed Loughlin at 2:45 pm.

St. Peter's 65 Xaverian 59  The Eagles' win is even more impressive than it seems on paper because they did it without senior guard Latrell Curtis who was out with an injuiry. Junior guard Glen Sanabria stepped up and played one of the best games we've seen from any guard tuis year, scoring both from deep and from middle distance and playing at a cmforta ble pace. The Eagles led by as many and 20 points before Joey Dello Russo helped lead a furious comback. They rallied to within 4 points before clutch baskets, including one from talented sophomore Reilly Walsh helped the Eagles secure the win.  They will meet B-Q top seed Christ the King in Sunday's finale at 6:15 pm.

  

Monday, February 25, 2013

Woodall Helps Pitt Past St. John's 63-47



          Brooklyn native and former St. Anthony's (NJ) star Trayvon Woodall scored 25 points to help Pittsburgh win its final Big East regular season game at Madison Square Garden 63-47 Sunday afternoon.
          Woodall, was nearly flawless as he helped Pittsburgh maintain a small advantage against a St. John's team that played well in the first 20 minutes.  They ;played Pitt even under the basket, rebounding effectively and matching them point for point in the paint (24 points each for the game) Jakarr Sampson finished with a team high 14 points for the Johnnies while they got more paint production from Phil Greene, who finished with 11 points as he took the ball in against the Panthers' aggressive front line.
          Their good work in the first half meant that they trailed by just 30-27 at the half despite leading scorer D'angelo Harrison's shooting struggles. They took the lead briefly twice in the second half the last time at 33-32 on two Sir ^Dominick Pointer free throws with 17:25 left. Woodall  responded moments later with a pull up jumper and Pitt quickly  extended the lead to 7 with baskets from another New Yorker J.J. Moore, and Lamar Patterson. Pittsburgh lead by as many as 7 points when Sampson, Sir*Dominic Pointer Pointer and Chris Obekpa  sparked a rally that trimmed the 42-30 with 12:11 left. Following two made free throws from Obekpa a rally that began when Woodall made a steal and fed Patterson for a basket, and ended when Woodall connected on a long three pointer that gave Pitt a double digit margin, the game was pretty much decided.  Steve Lavin said that the Panthers' trademark defense was the key to the rally but admitted his team  ".... could've been mare patient and had better shot selection."
          With the win Pittsburgh broke both a two game losing streak and a tie with St. John's for 7th place in the league. They also sent St. John's to their third straight loss.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Severe And CK Beat Loughlin for Diocesan Title 80-65


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            Player of the year Jon Severe scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half as he and his Christ the King Royals beat Bishop Loughlin for the third time this season and took the Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan title 80-65 at Christ the King last night.
            Don't be mislead by the margin of victory. For three quarters this game mirrored the previous two that saw Christ the King win by two points. In fact, Loughlin used a late rally that included a deep three pointer from Mike Williams and a tough off balance jumper from Kadeem Carrington to take a 41-37 lead into halftime. As he always does Williams provided great scoring (11 points in the first half) and intensity. And thanks partially to Williams good work on defense Severe was held to just 7 first half points.
            While Loughlin's defensive effort delayed Severe's big scoring night other Royals stepped up and played great. Junior guard Andre Walker finished with 16 points for the game and junior center Adonis Delarosa had 12 points 10 rebounds and one beautiful post pass assist to Walker for a key basket. The Royals also got a key contribution from freshman forward Rawle Atkins, who added six points and a needed physical presence inside.
            For Lions' star Kadeem Carrington the aforementioned tough jumper was an indication of a great game.  He finished with 21 points of his own while Loughlin's own improving junior center Anthony Vernon finished with 16. Severe made a terrific adjustment to begin the second half driving the ball to the basket. It's worth noting here that in addition to his 26 points he added 10 rebounds. Several of those were tough "in traffic" rebounds that demonstrated not only his great athleticism, but his determination as well.
            Even though Christ the King came out with better energy in the second half, the Lions still lead 47-45 with 2:18 left in the third quarter when Williams fell hard trying for an offensive rebound. He was down for a few minutes but luckily it was just a cramp.  With Williams out of the game Severe took advantage, curling off a screen for a deep three pointer that gave CK the lead for good. Williams re-entered the game to start the final quarter after Severe and the Royals extended their margin  The cramps flared up again with 4:48 left in the game and he'd finish with just two points in the second half. Carrington and the Lions kept fighting but the Royals were just a bit better and secured the top seed on the Brooklyn-Queens side of the bracket for the intersectional playoffs. Loughlin earned the 2nd seed and both teams will begin the intersectional playoffs in the quarter finals.
            Cardinal Hayes and St. Ray's who will meet today to determine the Archdiocese of New York champion will have the other two top seeds. These 4 teams along with teams like Molloy and Stepinac who are capable of  scoring upsets set the stage for what should be another great post season in the CHSAA "AA" Division.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Holy Cross and Loughlin Advance to Diocesan Semis



          Holy Cross and Bishop Loughlin each posted convincing wins in opening round Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan playoff games at Molloy last night.  Loughlin will take on second seeded Molloy while Holy Cross takes on top seeded Christ the King in semi final action Wednesday at Christ the King.  Here are recaps of the games.

          Bishop Loughlin 64 St. Francis Prep 48 With long time assistant Frank Fontanetta subbing as coach for Tim Leary, who was attending to a family matter, the Terriers did a terrific job hanging with Loughlin for a half.  Speedy junior guard Michael Fields led the Prep with 20 points as their patience and three point shooting kept them close.  Michael Williams, who finished with a game high 26 for Loughlin kept his team ahead slightly until his teammates picked things up in the second half. Kadeem Carrington added 15 points with St. John's assistant Tony Childs in the audience, while improving 6'8" junior Anthony Vernon was a factor on the boards as well
Holy Cross 60 Xaverian 40 Xaverian had a three point advantage at halftime but even as they took a lead there were ominous signs for the Clippers. Holy Cross' dominance on the boards eventually caught up with Xaverian as Ryan Wilson and Josh Wallace controlled the paint for the Clippers. Wallace finished with 14 points while Woods added a game high 18 for the Knights. Lamel Faison finished with 16 for the Clippers in a losing cause.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Marquise Moore Commits to Hofstra


          Marquise Moore, who whose smooth shooting and heady play helped Holy Cross High to a birth in the CHSAA "AA" finals last year has verbally committed to play at Hofstra University next season.
          The 6'2" combo guard  is currently finishing a post graduate year at St. Thomas Moore (CT) Prep where he played for former Molloy standout Jere Quinn.  It should be noted that Marquise's decision to enter prep school was motivated in part by the fact that he completed his high school education at 16 and while there was limited division one interest last season the post grad year gave him time to develop physically and paid off in the form of scholarship offers from Cleveland State, Fairfield, Rider and his school of choice Hofstra. Under Holy Cross coach Paul GIlvary Moore had become one of New York City's most versatile scorers and developed a terrific middle distance game. He took the post grad year even though he was already academically qualified to accept a division one scholarship.
          Moore is an important recruit for coach Mo Cassera and the Pride as they begin to rebuild following the sad episode that resulted in the dismissal of 4 players in December. Not only have they added a quality scorer and leader on the court but a great student and person off the court.  Congratulations to Marquise and his family and best wishes for continued success.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Bloodied But Not Bowed Molloy Upends CK 83-76


          It would have been easy to excuse a poor effort from Archbishop Molloy last night.  After all, legendary coach Jack Curran, the 82 year old coach who is finishing his 55th season on the sidelines for the Stanners was forced to miss the game after he slipped on ice at home and fractured his kneecap.
          Ironically, that announcement, moments before the start of last night's game against Christ the King was just the beginning of the Stanners' physical woes.  During the first quarter forwards Justin Brown and Marco Kozul both left the game after they were accidently hit in the face. Brown's nose was bloodied while it appeared Kozul's mouth was swollen thanks to an inadvertent elbow.
          Kozul combined with guards CJ Davis and Chazz Wattler to give the Stanners a hot shooting start and offset a similarly fast beginning for the Royals who got scoring outside from guard Jon Severe and inside from Adonis DeLaRosa and Jordan Fuchs. Christ the King led going into halftime and throughout much of the game but could never quite put distance between themselves and the Royals.
          Kozul, who may be Severe's only legitimate challenger for Player of the Year honors in the league, finished 21 points and 13 rebounds battled fearlessly against the Royals' front line, making himself such a pest that he drew a technical foul against DeLaRosa  just as Davis was fouled on a . the/three point shot. Between them they made 4 of 5 free throws to cut a 5 point deficit to one in the closing moments of the third period.
          From there it was up to Davis to help Molloy seize control of the game and get the Stanners a great win. Included in a great 4th quarter were a deep three ball, a perfectly timed hesitation dribble on the fast break that set up a pass to Wattler for two of his 18 points, and several other plays that demonstrated his ability to see one pass or play ahead of the game. He would finish with 27 points 6 boards and 7 assists. Several of the helpers came on what may be the best two-handed chest pass New York basketball has seen since Pearl Washington.
          Kozul and Davis were the mainstays of a great effort for the Stanners.  They had help from Jason Cethoute the improving junior who continued to give them energy rebounding and rim protection. The win moved Molloy past Loughlin into the 2nd seed in the Brooklyn Queens Diocesan playoffs that begin Monday. For the Royals Malik Harmon continued his ascendant play scoring 22 points and adding 6 assists while Severe added 19. The Royals had already secured the top seed in the Diocesan playoffs.  They played hard and well with an undefeated league season on the line but Molloy played and shot exceptionally well. Both teams appear ready for another great post season in the CHSAA "AA" league.



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

A bit of Dodger Karma Helps the Nets Plus Magic on the Knicks



Oisk Plays the Anthem and Nets Win In the course of a long NBA season Karma can sometimes be useful. That may have happened for the Nets Monday night. Before the game that the Nets would eventually win 89-84 in overtime against the Pacers, Indiana native and former Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher Carl Erskine played The Star Spangled Banner on his harmonica. Moments later he was interviewed on the YES Network's telecast and spoke warmly, as he always has, about his days in Brooklyn, and about how happy he was that Brooklyn was "back in the big leagues". Rrskine was a one time 20 game winner a 1954 all-star and a member of the 1955 World Series champs. He was also one of two Dodger mainstays from the state of Indiana. Gil Hodgers, who would later make his home in Brooklyn and manage the Mets to their first world title was the other.
              There are several aspects of this game worth noting.  The Nets handed the Pacers just their fifth loss of the season. Brook Lopez led the way with 25 points and 8 boards. Reggie Evans had 22 rebounds, but the key player for the Nets may have been rookie and local product Tyshawn Taylor who scored 12 points and had just two turnovers in 34 minutes of action. Coach PJ Carlesimo played him ahead of veteran CJ Watson and Taylor responded beautifully with a steady hand, two huge baskets down the stretch and his trademark ability to keep the ball in front of him defensively.  That skill, more than anything can and should earn him more minutes down the stretch as he can be part of helping the Nets deal with speed and quickness, an area where they've struggled mightily all year.
Knicks "Going Backwards" According to Magic The quoted portion of this headline comes from Magic Johnson who said this Sunday on ESPN. With all due respect to one of basketball's greatest point guards and leaders I think the explanation for the Knicks recent struggles is not a question of going backwards but exposing weaknesses that were always present. The roster is old, see Jason Kidd's fast start and recent struggles, they rely too much on 'Melo for offense, see 42 points in a loss.  He scores best as a "stretch power forward" and the Knicks get pounded by physical teams, see the Clippers as the most recent example. While the Knicks regular season can already be called a success, don't be surprised if they suffer an early playoff exit. In addition to the problems mentioned above, the expectation that Iman Shumpert would return at full strength as soon as he was cleared to play is proving to be a foolish one. And backing up an aging Tyson Chandler with two other aging bigs, Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby is proving to be foolish as well.  All of this spells potential trouble for the playoffs, where defense and physical play reach levels they typically do not during the regular season.





Thursday, February 7, 2013

With the Game "On the Line" St. John's Recovers to Beat Uconn 71-65


St. John's. like most young teams has endured the inevitable inconsistency that happens as young players learn to compete at the highest level of college basketball. But in a league like the Big East, where teams learned long ago that games are not won on style points, the young Johnnies are doing just fine.

            Take a cursory glance at this game and you see a familiar scenario.  As they have several times this season St. John's sprinted to an early lead. Their top two scorers D'angelo Harrison and Jakarr Sampson scored 11 points each in the opening stanza, and they combined with Marco Bourgault's three point marksmanship to give them a 31-20 halftime advantage. The lead would have been much more were it not for former Christ the King star Omar Calhoun, who reminded local fans how he became the all time leading scorer at one of the city's best programs.
            He scored 13 of his game high 21 points in the first half but it wasn't until teammate Shabazz Napier joined Calhoun scoring that the Huskies got going. Jakarr Sampson scored with just over 16 minutes left to give the Johnnies their largest margin  at 39-24.
            At that point Napier and reserve R.J. Evans hit consecutive triples for UConn that sliced that began a 15-1. that trimmed the margin to just 40-39 with 10:49 left. Harrison sat for 9 minutes at the beginning of the second half and was out of the game for much of that UConn rally. While reports indicated that he was playing with a swollen ring finger on his shooting hand, watching the game it was clear that his extended time on the pine had more to do with discipline with than with any physical problems. When asked about it after the game Coach Steve Lavin tried to answer without saying too much. "The thinking is sometimes when a player goes through a tough stretch you can help them by sitting them on the bench,: Lavin said. "He gets to see the game from a different prism or lens It can be like smelling salts snap a kid's head back in and help him see what's needed at that point." Harrison was more to the point discussing the situation. "I wasn't making shots so I was a non-factor," he said. "But I came back in and we won the game."

            Following the 15-1 spurt for the Huskies St. John's maintained a small margin until UConn pulled ahead 53-51 on two free throws by Ryan Boatwright with 4.29 to go.  St. John's did a great job hanging tough during that stretch in large part because Sampson, who finished with 18 points continued to make his presence felt while going through a difficult freshman lesson, learning to play with foul problems. After Phil Greene tied the game at 53 he assisted on a Sampson jumper that gave the Johnnies a 55-53 margin. Harrison, now having rejoined the fray in mind as well as body took a pass from Sir^Dominic Pointer to give them a 5 point margin. While St. John's maintained the margin with nearly perfect free throw shooting (16 of 18 down the stretch UConn did close it to three on two free throws by Niles Giffey with 49 seconds left but another clutch jumper by Harrison gave took away the Huskies' last breath and gave St. John's its 7th league win and 15th on the season.
            The win followed a familiar script with the unique elements of Harrison's extended time on the bench and clutch free throw shooting. As he has in previous games Harrison came through following a slow start. No, it wasn't pretty but it looks great on the proverbial "left side" for St. John's

Thursday, January 31, 2013

St. John's Survives in OT Against DePaul 79-74


            Following last night's 79-74 win against DePaul in Queens late last night St. John's forward Jakarr Sampson, who combined with Sir^Dominic Pointer to score all 10 of the team's points in overtime, took a brief at what lay ahead for his team. He pointed to big games against Louisville and Syracuse as reasons why he came to St. John's, and was reminded gently but firmly that he had omitted the one coming first, Saturday against Georgetown.
            St. John's young players can be forgiven for looking ahead though, not just because they picked up their sixth league win and not just because they'd won their fifth straight.  Perhaps most significantly, even though they were playing at Carnesseca Arena, they won a game that had the "survive and advance" feeling of a march tournament game either at the Garden for the Big East or on the road for an NCAA tournament game.
            First and foremost St. John's survived a terrific effort by DePaul. Coach Steve Lavin said the Blue Deamons played "...as hard as any team we've faced this year including Georgetown which had us down by 26 at the Garden at one point". The Blue Deamons outrebounded St. John's 52-39 and were so aggressive in the game's opening moments that Lavin was compelled to call an early time out. The 1-5  Deamons came in with a chip on their shoulder following a loss to the Johnnies in Chicago 12 days ago and got strong individual performances from guard Brandon Young and swingman Jamie Crockett.
            The first half was tight until a late rally that included baskets by Harrison, Jamal Branch and Amir Garrett gave St. John's a  38-31 halftime lead. A Sampson dunk as the second half began extended that margin to 9 and appeared to give St. John's a comfortable margin.

            DePaul slowly but steadily chipped away at that margin over the next few minutes. Young who finished with a game high 21 points and Crockett  who finished with 15 provided much of the offense but DePaul also got key plays from Donovan Kirk inside and Charles McKinney driving to the basket. Young's triple tied the game for the 7th time at 65 with 4:30 left. Moments later, St. John's faced more trouble when Harrison fouled out with 3:45 left. The two free throws that followed gave DePaul a two point advantage.

            Pointer quickly erased that advantage with an offensive rebound and dunk  and after Crockett gave DePaul the lead again, Jamal Branch  made two free throws that tied the game at 69. St. John's nearly had a chance to win the game when Sampson was fouled apparently as the buzzer sounded. Lavin warned his team to be ready for overtime as the officials reviewed the video. His warnings proved prophetic but St. John's, save for Sampson did not seem ready for the extra 5 minutes.
            DePaul executed a perfect tip play to start the overtime and sent McKinney streaking to the basket for an apparent layup. But Sampson refused to give up on the play coming back "like Gotham City" as his coach said, to block the shot. When the ball deflected off McKinney and St. John's had possession, Branch missed two free throws and the game remained tied but on their next possession Pointer had another offensive board for a dunk to give St. John's a lead. Free throws by Cleveland Melvin tied it and a jumper by Young gave DePaul the lead again.  Baskets by Pointer and Sampson sandwiched around a Young free throw gave St. John's a 75-74 lead. Late free throws from Sampson who finished with 13 points combined with defensive stops to ice the game for the Johnnies.  Harrison had a team high 17 points and St. John's offset the rebounding margin by committing just 5 turnovers while DePaul had 18.
            In a league where things can change rapidly, St. John's appears to be on good footing as they get ready for the season's most difficult stretch. While, as Lavin suggests. "It's hard to take universal truths..." from good wins, it's also hard not to look ahead and wonder if a young St. John's team took its first steps toward March.