 |
Amauro's Corner Amauro "Amar" Austin is
another of our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro,
the Phillies' assistant general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer,
Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will file reports on the MANY games he sees.
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MARCH 10
Coming soon -- Amauro's Season recap with its breakout
players....
FEB. 27
CATHOLIC LEAGUE NORTH Quarters
Dougherty 66, Wood 63 (2OT)
This one almost turned out to be one of the most shocking
upsets in city history as the gritty Vikes were inches away from coming away
with a W over the mighty Cardinals. In fact, had it not been for the heroics of
sr. PG Timmy Smith, it wouldn't have happened. Smith was the only
Cardinal who had game long focus. Let's backtrack. CD was down 54-49 with 27.4
tics left in regulation. A follow by 6-8 jr. SF Shane Clark (12P, 7R, 5B)
made it 54-51. Then as Wood inbounded Smith forced a tie-up giving the ball back
to the Cards with just over 8 seconds remaining. The Cards then took the ball
out, passed it to 6-7 sr. PF DeSean White (9P, 9R, 2B) who nailed a
contested left wing trey from at least 2 feet behind the 3-point line which tied
it at 54 and sent it to OT. Somehow in OT, both teams each scored 4 points and
tried for holds (both unsuccessful) which forced a 2nd OT. In the 2nd OT, it
looked as if the cards would take control after deep sub 6-4 sr. SF Darrien
Graham nailed his 2nd trey, but Wood came right back as sr. G Blair
Klumpp (14P, 4R, 5A) nailed his 2nd trey to tie it at 63-63. Then after CD
held with about 11 tics, Smith drove the lane and found jr. G Kyle Sample
(7P, 4A) open in the right corner where he nailed the shot with 2.1 left
enabling the Cards to breathe. Smith (17P, 3A, 3S) had to do what he did as his
teammates just weren't themselves. White & Clark Battled foul trouble as did
super-guard Kyle Lowry (10 points). Kyle's aggressiveness got the best of
him today as his last three fouls were called at least 25-feet away from the
basket and fouls 2-3-4 were within a 2-minute span at the beginning of the 3rd.
For Wood, I left EXTREMELY impressed with 6-5 jr. CG Matt Spadafora. This
was my first look at he and his squad this season and boy was he good. he went
for 16 points, 14 boards & 4 blocks. Often times he pulled up from the mid range
and nailed his sweet, athletic J even over the Dougherty trees. He was also
ironically extra gritty, but also extra fluid. The two aren't always a tandem.
He didn't have much trouble with the CD pressure while at the point either. He's
a very intriguing prospect as he's tall (legit 6-5) and athletic and knows how
to play. Lower & Mid D-Is need to begin tracking his progress. 6-8 235-lb jr. C
Rob Pearson may have had his best performance with 15 points & 6 boards.
I hope this springboards him to greater success. He has the build of an
enforcer/team cop but hasn't made that kind of progress yet. maybe playing at
this level against this kind of competition will help. I also liked 6-2 sr. G-F
Tim Walters (14 points & 9 boards). He, too was quick and athletic & made
plays all night long. I like him for a D-III.
AA's Notes: If you missed this one, shame on you because it was
worth it all. Wood coach Joe Sette deserves to be commended for doing a
masterful job... Spadafora has truly peaked my interest especially because of
the fact that the class of 2005 thus far hasn't proved to be setting the world
on fire. This guy has D-I stuff including that sweet, athletic stroke that
separates the studs from the lames. He also has size, skill & smarts which go a
long way in this game. He'll be an interesting one to keep watching... Too bad
for whoever the Cards face next that I don't think they will sleep walk again
this season. It happens to the best of teams and now it should be out of their
system as the rounds just get tougher...
FEB. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE Quarters
Bartram 66, FLC 59
Well folks for the 4th time in 4 years, the Braves are headed
to the semi-final round of the Pub playoffs and this season they may have had
their toughest route of passage as they had to go to the always festive
Cunningham Community Center to do such which compounded on their season-long
inconsistency (different group 1 day to the next). In this one they got it done
for the most part in workmanlike manner. Besides going 21-of-41 (51.2%,
including 12 4th quarter misses) from 15-feet (nee -- the foul line), they were
pretty much sharp. The Brave leader was sr. WG Tywain McKee (20 points --
3-for-9 on treys, 12 rebounds, 4 assists & 4 steals.) His sweet shot was a bit
off, but you still had to be impressed with his hard play especially on defense
(especially in man situations on slick PG Michael Scott) & working around
screens to get open. He also had his hands on every loose ball many times
securing them. Temple assistant Dan Liebovitz was in attendance and I
think he liked what he saw. I was proud to see 6-5 210-lb jr. F Daziah Miller
(11 points, 14 boards) work hard for give a decent performance. He made 3 nice
catch and finishes in traffic and was juiced from the outset. It was GREAT to
see. Often times, he let things he had no control over get the best of him this
season, but he's rising to the occasion now and there's no time like the
present. Sr. PG Maurice Wood scored 14 points, snatched 11 boards &
dished 3 assists. He, too was juiced from beginning to end. You could see in his
eyes that he really wanted this one bad. Jr. PG Marquise Carrington mixed
9P, 5R, 3A & 2S including a huge late game trey and 5-of-6 from the line down
the stretch. The key may have been the Brave bench. Coach Cedric Powell
thought so. He felt that those guys were the difference. Seniors: PG Charles
Cutts, F Justin Lawus & G-F Rhafique Price each lent their
hand to the W. Cutts came in cold off the bench and nailed a huge trey to break
a 42 all tie that Braves never looked back on. Price played great defense on sr.
SF Josh Grier and Lawus was a defensive stalwart blocking 7 shots and
snatching 7 boards. Once he rose high over everyone and caught a world-rocking
tip dunk in traffic for his only basket. It seemed that he wanted to block
everything that came his way and he probably did. For FLC, it just seemed like
Scott had to do TOO much. He went for 23 points & 6 assists, but seemed
exhausted by game's end. I really hope he can garner a D-I scholarship because
he's a D-I prospect in my opinion and in the opinion of some others. He's also
qualified which surely helps. I want to help in any way that I can... Grier
scored 10 and snatched 11. He was really the only Bobcat that could hang
(athletically) with the Braves frontcourt, but had early game struggles mostly
due to Price. Sr. WG Meril Branch scored 17 points (3 treys), but didn't
start or finish well. 6-4 Junior PF Will Logan snagged 10 boards.
AA's Notes: This was the atmosphere I've been looking for all
season. This was the playoffs and both teams played that way. The Braves seemed
to contest EVERY shot and that's playoff basketball... You gotta love Price.
First off he has my family name (didn't know that did you) and second he wants
to guard people, be a presence & knows his role on the team. That's a great
teammate folks. Ditto for Lawus who had his BEST game to date... The Bobcats
have nothing to hang their heads about. They played as tough as they possibly
could and I mean everything that I said about Scott. Anyone in Low-I land that
needs a point, please give this guy a shot. Coach Powell says he has plenty of
tape on him. he truly deserves it...
FEB. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE Rd of 16
FLC 75, West Phila. 62
This one was not easy in the least for the Bobcats as the very
athletic Speedboys fought tooth and nail until the very end. If not for the
heroics of sr. PG Michael Scott (11-for-11 from the line in the 4th -- 21
points (16-of-17 at the line), 5 rebounds, 6 assists & 4 steals), well you never
know... Scott really controlled this game throughout from buzzer to buzzer.
Schools in the America East or Northeast Conferences would be nuts not to take a
kid of his caliber. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Seniors SF Josh
Grier (7R, 2S, 2B) & G-F Meril Branch (8R) both lent 14 points. Jr.
F-C Jahkal Curry scored 11 points and snatched 8 boards of his own. The
Speedboys were led by the dominant play of 6-3 195-lb sr. WG Ricardo Lovelace.
He went 10-for-17, 3-for-5 on treys & 2-of-4 for 25 points. He also grabbed 12
boards. He looked like a man possessed out there -- more vocal and assertive
than I've ever seen him. I agree with Ted in that two years of JC ball would
catapult him into a D-I somewhere. He'll just need to play off the rough edges.
Sr. PG Chris Williams struggled early, but showed up in the 4th scoring
15 of his 20 then. He also dished 6 assists & plucked 3 steals. Again many of
his misses were either way long or way short which is a sign of a guy needing
corrective lenses (goggles, contacts, ect). I know that better than anyone. Sr.
PF Maurice Polen corralled in 15 boards (it looked more like 25!). He
just controlled the glass all night. I'd bet if rebounds were kept by all, he'd
lead the league in that stat, especially offensive. D-IIIs should be all over
him. He was a little short on his first SAT attempt, but should have done a
whole lot better this time around. He is said to be one of the top students in
the building and also stands out in baseball.
AA's Notes: I must commend West aide/former star Gerald Jordan
for giving back to his alma mater this year. he did a great job on the
motivational end of things. He says he definitely has another two years in him,
but let's hope he stays longer. He also says he'll have them this summer so
let's see what happens... These FLC kids just flat out know how to win be it
pretty, ugly, by will or by luck. That's a key during playoff time especially in
close games -- making the right decisions in the right situations... Please for
future purposes let's not have games starting before 3 pm. These games should be
at night anyway, but that's another story. The FLC fans didn't even come out
because of early dismissal. The atmosphere was ok because of the West people,
but would have been a whole lot better if the date was just pushed back.
Frankly, its been a poor organizational year in the Pub and I hope it doesn't
happen again...
FEB. 15
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Roman 65, Bonner 50
Well it can't get any worse for
the Friars of Monsignor Bonner. I feel bad that its only my first time all year
seeing them, but things haven't exactly been smooth on Landsdowne Ave. The
Cahillites pretty much cruised to a senior day victory. Sr. F Charron Fisher
was his man-child self with 25 points, 14 pulls, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 3
vicious slams all in front of 2 assistants from his future destination, Niagara.
Boy did they steal one out of Philly. Coach Joe Mihalich and his staff
deserves to be commended. I spoke with an assistant from a Big East school last
week and they told me that they were mulling an offer to Mr. Fisher before they
found out he committed, stating they needed a strong 3 or 4 forward with a
presence. He SURELY fits that bill. It'll be interesting to watch him take an
assault on the MAAC. Sr. F Brett Johnson played a sensible game with 15
points & 5 boards. He's been playing well after some early season struggles. The
U of Sciences & Holy Family's of the world should be all over him. Even some
higher twos should take a look. He brings many intangibles. Sr. F Scott
Mascio hustled for 12 boards. Jr. F Malik Perry scored 7 & grabbed 7.
Soph. PG Ray "Doodles" Sims dished 5 assists. For Bonner, it wasn't an
all bad afternoon as reed-thin 6-9 jr. C Derrick Graff showed signs of
being a player. The big guy went for 16 points (showed soft touch from 10 to 12
feet & made some tough finishes in tight), 8 boards & 6 blocks (contested about
5 more). More importantly, he was aggressive all afternoon long. Low & Mid D-Is
need to start tracking his progress as he may not be done growing and is also
just beginning to fill out. Sr. PF Randy Reid had a tough afternoon
shooting 4-for-13 for 8 points, but he did grab 10 boards and had 2 of each
assists, steals & blocks. I like him a lot for a D-III. He's such a big strong
kid at 6-4 220. Finally, jr. F-C Kevin Ward (6-2 275) made a nice
contribution off the bench with 4 boards & 4 assists. The big fella has some
skill too.
AA's Notes: When I say its been a rough year for the Friars, I
mean it. For whatever reason, the best two prospects in the program are gone and
just overall things haven't gone right. Hopefully things will be better in the
near future... Here's a stat that's even more impressive about Fisher: He has
perfect attendance for 4 years of high school at Roman. That's amazing
considering he's coming all the way from over-the-bridge Pennsauken, NJ to
school every morning. These kinds of tedious things are all important. They are
what you call character builders. They shape who you are. This is a goal that
every kid should shoot for. It just means so much especially when it comes time
to go to college... Once again, two former Philly native/NBA players took in a
Roman game. One being early 80s Roman star 6-9 Dallas Comegys (DePaul).
He was accompanied by mid 80s star Paul "Snoop" Graham (Franklin/Olney,
Ohio U.). This time "Snoop" was accompanied by his dad, Paul Graham, sr.
who is now a referee in the public league, one that shows up on time (shows up
at all -- smile)...
FEB. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 75, Olney 64
This was a great game all-around and a sure indicator of what's
to come as the always exciting Pub playoffs are on the horizon beginning next
week. This was a passion-filled, spirited contest in which both teams wanted a W
badly. The Pioneers began the season 1-7 and are now a respectable 12-9 (11-2
and champs of div. A). They just simply wanted and needed this game more than
Olney and it showed. I remember saying to myself and the 2nd and 3rd quarters
that Frankford just won't go anywhere. Olney would get a bit of a lead, but the
tough Pioneers would just claw right back. The key stretch came at the start of
the 4th. Frankford went in with a 48-46 lead, Olney scored on a bucket by STUD
sr. F Erik "Ugs" Adams to tie it up. From then on, the Pioneers went on a
9-0 run (57-48) and never really looked back nailing 16-of-20 at the line in the
4th. The biggest hero on the day was stocky jr. PG Ryan Smith (12 points,
6 assists & 3 steals). I feel he got the best of his waterbug counterpart sr. PG
Andrew Jerry (11P, 5R, A, S). Both were hobbled by bum ankles, but I
think Smith's tough invade-your-space D caused 'Drew to go a bit out of his
element and make things personal at times instead of controlling the game which
he's done just about all year long. Smith is said to have scored close to 1000
on the PSAT and is a strong student. He plays with a serious edge and wants
badly to win. I LOVE him! 6-2 Super Soph. WG Lewis Leonard, an athletic
lefty, started fast with 14 of his 21 in the 1st quarter. The next three
quarters he was keyed on and went 0-for-8. He made 7-of-8 at the line in Qs 2-4.
I like the fact that he didn't force things and still made himself effective
without scoring. He had team highs of 8 boards, 4 steals & 2 blocks. He's really
beginning to become a complete player. Now I just hope he gets his act together
within because he has a D-I scholarship waiting for him if he does. Only time
will tell... Tough-as-nails jr. WG Maurice Miller, another lefty, closed
things out with 12 of his 20 in the 4th. He went 2-for-2 & 8-for-8 at the line.
The latter basket was a back-breaker of a contested fade-away jumper with :47
left that caused coach John Rech to pack it in for good. Sr. F Malik
Dickerson contributed well with 10P & 5R. As did jr. F Lorenzo Byrd,
yet another lefty, with 5 & 7. For the Trojans, this has to be heartbreaker.
They now have a first round tilt with up-and-coming Central instead of the
down-spiraling Franklin and now will possibly have to face Southern with a win.
Adams was the only Trojan who had it all game long and he just didn't get enough
touches down the stretch and I'm saying this because he might be the team's best
passer. He went for another monster overall performance with 26 points
(10-for-17 (1 trey), 5-of-6), 18 boards, 4 steals & 6 blocks. This guy reminds
me SO-much of former Mansion star Omar "O.T" Thomas in that he can get it
in any way you want him to. He can score from the post (high or low), from the
baseline or even from the wing. In the running for Pub POY, he's a VERY close
2nd to Gratz' Mark Tyndale. "Ugs" could be a Low Major D-I star and a
very good contributor at a Mid Major D-I by his soph. year! I hope it all works
out for him be it Juco or whatever.
AA's Notes: Now this was the Pub! What an atmosphere though it
seemed that Frankford had more supporters than did Olney at home? That's
surprising because Olney has over 3000 kids in their building... Frankford's
Smith is one of 5 junior PGs that have caught my attention and that I feel the
D-IIs should be on right now. The others are: Lamberton's Rob Phillips,
Bartram's Marquise Carrington, Roman's Bob Jordan & Central's
Lamar Williams. All 5 of them are more than likely good students who will
probably help right away... Exchange of the game (year): Smith trapped Jerry
deep in the corner in the backcourt, Jerry made 2 freaky moves to go around him
and raced down floor, before you knew it Smith was right back in front of him
with a determined look on his face clapping his hands. It was great!... I'm more
excited about this year's playoffs than any other year because of the great
parity in the league, but of course this is the Pub so there is a snag. They
start on Tuesday 2/17, the day after a holiday and some schools will not be able
to get a practice gym. The Quarters would then be Thursday the 19th with the
semis not taking place until Sunday Feb. 29. This makes no sense. Why can't the
1st rd be Thursday the 19th and the Quarters Tues. the 24th. Wouldn't that make
much better sense. Oh yeah, I forgot once again, its the Pub (excuse me district
12)...
FEB. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
FLC 69, Fels 66
The Bobcats snuck away with a huge victory that will probably
give them the division C title in the meantime withstanding 36 point, 10 rebound
performance by 6-5 190-lb sr. G-F Dionte Christmas. The Bobcats were led
by the Big Three, the law firm of (Michael) Scott, (Meril) Branch
& (Josh) Grier. Branch (12P, 5R, 2S) got off early. Grier (24P, 10R, 2S,
2B) handled the middle. Scott (15P, 5R, 8A) carried them at the end. Scott is
arguably the best pure PG in the pub and just may be a D-I prospect. He knows
when to attack and when to relax, when to shoot and when to pass, etc. He also
locks down on D, sees the floor like a hawk & never seems to look anywhere, but
forward while dribbling. Ted mentioned in his story on Scott last week that he
grew 2-3 inches since last year, he also may have gained 15-20-lbs of strength
which may be more important in terms of recruitment. He's now a solidly built
5-11 165. Branch is a warrior and a winner who knows the value of hard play.
Some D-IIs & all IIIs should be chopping at the bit to take this kid. Grier is
strong/athletic with skill. IIs & IIIs should be all over him as well. His best
days could be ahead as a handyman (tough defender that gets 10P, 6R, 2A at the
next level). 6-5 jr. F-C Jahkal Curry lent his hand with 12 points & 5
boards. Back to Christmas, he shot 9-for-21 (2 treys) & 16-for-18 with 16 of his
36 coming in the 4th. He just kept coming and coming and coming. He's even added
a sweet pull-up from the mid range to his arsenal. I don't remember seeing that
in the past. It also seems that his shot's release has gotten even quicker
within the last month. Folks, this guy looks eerily similar to a kid I saw and
flipped over when I first came on the scene 4 years ago by the name of Steve
Smith. No their not exactly the same type of player (Smith had a larger
frame, was taller and was a much better athlete, but just like Smith, D.C played
every position for his high school team, played extremely hard, had a natural
sense of how to play & had nothing but room to grow at the next level. Smith was
6-7 210 in his senior year at Northeast. He goes about 6-9 225 now. I could see
Christmas making similar strides in growth 2-3 years from now. Many coaches are
intrigued by him and I see why. His development bares watching. His p.i.c sr. WG
Dawud Lyons (14P, 6R, 4A) could have been the key to this game. Had he
not fouled out midway through the 4th, you never know what may have happened.
AA's Notes: A year of prep school would do wonders for a kid like
Christmas. He's still a baby physically and in terms of basketball. He could
really thrive and be a hot name in mid major-land with the extra year. Who
knows, maybe even better... FLC looks poised to make a strong run at the final
4. Along with Southern, Bartram, Olney & Gratz, they form the top of the Pub.
Teams like E&S, Central, G-Town & Frankford have been spoilers this year. It
should be an interesting playoffs. There could be 2 or more upsets in the first
round. Man I can't wait until next week...
FEB. 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Olney 73, Washington 45
Not much to say here folks except Olney looks to be running on
all cylinders towards the playoffs and G-Dub is talented, but an enigma and now
looks to be at the end of their line. There were 8 juniors & 2 sophs in uniform
today so maybe that will help for next year.
AA's Notes: G-Dub is always one of my favorite stops, but there
wasn't much to like about this trip. I did run into a few FB players including
star jr. runner Jerry Butler & sr. DB/return man Marcus Banks.
Banks deserves an award for his accomplishments. He travels from the farthest
West end of the city all the way to almost the farthest Northeast end of the
city to get to school every day and is one of the top students in the building
(over 1200 SATs). He told me that I-AAs: Holy Cross & Lafayette & D-II
Bloomsburg are involved in his recruitment. Butler seems excited to be able to
play for the states. What's a joke though is that I got a hold of a statewide
list of top juniors and he isn't even on it. That should give him fuel this
spring and summer to prove himself... The Trojans should make a serious run at
the Pub title. They have everything it takes, just need consistency from their
key pieces. They don't have to worry about that from star 6-5 sr. F Erik
"Ugs" Adams because if he's nothing else its that. Everyone else will need
to follow his lead if they want to get to the Promised Land...
FEB. 7
NON LEAGUE
Oak Hill Academy (VA) 62, Dougherty 57
It almost happened, the Cards very nearly upset the Nation's #1
team in the land. They had a 15-point spread (39-24) at halftime after 6-7 sr.
PF DeSean White nailed a trey at the buzzer. I loved every minute of it
too. Oak Hill is renown for recruiting the top players that need academic
strengthening (and of course some that do not) around the country then getting the credit for their success once
they star at the next level though most are never there for more than 2 years
(if that). I do respect them, but needless to say I'm no fan of the place or the way they operate and
have even had large arguments about them. This year's group has 4 high level
players in the starting line-up in 6-9 lefty SF Josh Smith of Atlanta, GA
-- committed to Indiana, but more likely to be a top-10 pick in the NBA draft
(He's been drawing comparisons to Dominique Wilkins, not quite but the
same kind of athlete), 6-9 245-lb F-C Brian Johnson of Arlington, VA
(Louisville), 6-6 235-lb PF Dayshawn Wright of Syracuse, NY (Syracuse) &
6-1 PG Rajon Rondo of Louisville, KY (Kentucky). They have at least 3-4
others who'll be D-Is in the future and even more that'll soon transfer in.
Forget them though as I'll simply focus on CD. The Cards seemed to run out of
gas plus some questionable officiating kind of took them out for the count
though they were still in it even in the latter stages. White (22 points & 10
boards) & 6-8 jr. SF Shane Clark (22 points) may have been the most
impressive two players on the floor, no lie. Both were masters of the mid range
(even off the dribble) and IMO outplayed their higher-rated counterparts inside.
White may have played himself into the National Top-50 with his national assault
on the competition this year. He's been ultra-consistent and a perfect gentleman
to boot -- smile. He's also in the best shape I've ever seen him in and does something
more impressive every time out. I'm throwing his name in the hat for city player
of the year along with Tyndale, Singletary & Lowry. Speaking of Kyle, he often
(at least 3-4 times) drove the lane and was hammered without it being called.
That may have been the difference. He normally gets those calls and visits the
line. He had a tough day shooting only 3-for-14 for 10 points. He did play a
nice floor game though with 7 boards & 7 assists. The game had a huge presence,
more then any of the other contests (except for Howard vs Telfair of course) at Trenton's Sovereign Bank arena. It had
that Pro aura about it. You just may see a few of these guys playing for dollars
in the future.
AA's Note: CD's national trail will end this Saturday at the Hoop
Group's CN8 Classic at Villanova when the Cards take on top 10 National prospect
high-flying U-Conn-bound 6-9 F Rudy Gay and his Archbishop Spaulding
squad from Severn, MD...
FEB. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 62, Bartram 59
Did what just happen really happen? The Bears of G-Town high
took it to the Braves and got a hard fought upset. 6-4 190-lb sr. SF Ivan
Evans starred to the course of 24 points & 10 boards. I loved the way
he worked off the dribble in this one. He also showed his athleticism with two
high rising slams (one a reverse) on the break. I'll tell you what folks, if
this guy played on the summer circuit or at one of the glory programs, lower
level D-Is would be recruiting him. He has all the tools: handle, size,
athleticism, skill, strength, ect. He'll make some D-II very happy as a steal.
I'm thinking of even mentioning him in my next D-I report for college coaches as
a sleeper. Otherwise, this Bear team is very athletic and very tough to guard.
Sr. WG Corey "Slim" Bethea brought his A-game with 21 points, 3 assists &
2 steals. He looks as if he modeled his game after NBA star Latrell Sprewell
-- very high energy, athletic, great finisher. He is said to need Juco and the
mid-level (Lackawanna, Gloucester, ect) ones need to take a look. This is his
first year of varsity, he has loads of offensive ability and he puts up big numbers. He's really still a work in
progress. Burly sr. F-C Mustafa Small may have been the difference maker.
His contributions were large: 8P, 5R, 4A, 3S & 2B. It doesn't get any better
than that for a role player. Sr. F Brian Carrol also helped with 8 points
on 4-of-5 & 3 blocks. The Braves did rebound with a win over Penn Wood over the
weekend, but no one totally had it in this one. Sr. WG Tywain McKee had a
WEIRD afternoon. He scored 20 points, grabbed 5 boards, dished 3 assists &
plucked 6 steals, but only shot 5-for-18 (3-for-13 on treys) & 7-of-8 at the
line and looked lost at times. He made his first two treys in the first quarter,
then missed 9 treys in a row before coming back alive early in the 4th. He has
to learn to deal with having struggles every now and then. EVERY good shooter
has them. He hung his head during some stretches and he can't do that. That only
makes pain worse. As a scorer, he should know that you must do other things when
its just not going in the hole. I guess he's learning on the job. Sr. G Maurice Wood scored 13 points & plucked 3 steals,
but IMO did not play to what he's capable of. When he does, the Braves don't
lose games like this and he knows that. He's the kind of kid that ALL his
teammates love & respect, so when he's going right everything goes right and
when he's not, well... I liked what I saw from 6-5 jr. PF Daziah Miller
(11P, 7R, 3B, 4S). His hard play was sustained for 32 minutes. Jr. PG
Marquise Carrington put up good numbers (6 assists), but for some reason
didn't play as well as they indicated. I still like him a lot, more than he even
knows and have a close eye on him. Sr. G-F Rhafique Price gave his normal
110%. He grabbed 9 rebounds and competed like crazy especially in trying to
cover Evans. I don't know if anyone could have checked him today though. He was
THAT good.
AA's Notes: Coach Lou Biester is gaining more and more
perplexed with this group. During the halftime huddle after their 10 point lead
dwindled to 6 in the blink of an eye, he yelled, "You guys accept this!? I don't want to be .500. I
DON'T coach .500 teams." He's absolutely right. In his 4 year career before
this, his teams are 93-20 (that's .823 (82.3%) with an average of 21 wins and 5
losses) and in the last 2 seasons his teams were a ridiculous 50-5 (that's .909
(91%) oh yeah and they've been nationally ranked for parts of both years and won
a PL title). That's domination folks... This was a great win for coach Otis
Hackney and his kids. He has really done things the right way over the last
three years and its finally rewarding. Its always good to see one of my old-heads
for around the neighborhood (around 56th & Baltimore, heavy Bartram, West,
Brook) do well. That's right we grew up about a block away from each other and
even attended the same school for a short period of time...
FEB. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Penn 64, Northeast 57
Sorry, I'm a few days late with this report, but its been a
very eventful weekend that started Thursday evening. I can't nix these guys
so... This was my first look at Penn and they continued the trend of multiple
lefty contributors with 4. The chief southpaw is 6-2 190-lb sr. swingman
Jason Hall (16 points, 6 boards, 2 steals). This was my first ever look at
him and I was impressed. He's rock strong, athletic, has a nice stroke and very
tricky off the bounce. D-IIIs should be salivating and IIs should take a look.
He may need Juco and the Mid Level ones should recruit him (Gloucester,
Lackawanna, ect). Jr. F Mikal Jennings hustled for 16 points & 10 boards.
Sr. F Josh Rivers, another lefty, had 10 & 11. Soph. PG Janardo Lucas,
yet another lefty, was impressive even though he never scored a point. He fouled
out in limited action, but his ball pressure is outstanding and he competes
hard. He, too has a great body (5-9 175 -- built like a RB). He's one to watch.
For NE, the problems are plentiful. They only have one win overall (against
Lowly Akiba Hebrew) and there's just no organization. I don't think 1st year
coach Dennis Engelman knew quite what he was getting into. Let's just
hope things change up at Cottman & Algon. Just 2 years ago they were
championship runner-ups and now this? Soph. F Tyrone Blassingame was
impressive with 13 points and 12 boards. He also plucked 3 and swatted 2. His
best days are truly ahead as he's grown since I last saw him in December. He may
now be close to 6-5 and he's a great athlete. Check this out -- last year he was
in a special academic program outside of school that had him take the SATs as a
Freshman. He scored a 940! that makes him even more intriguing. Sr. PG Dalian
"Reese" Fields (17P, 4A) is a very nice kid and even has some talent, but he
has no understanding of what's to be done. Sr. SF Will Peoples struggled
for 9 points, 13 boards & 3 steals, but I still like him. He rarely touches the
ball in prime scoring position. He runs hard, like a gazelle and is extremely
athletic so his best days are ahead.
AA's Notes: Get this: Penn rookie coach Mulholland didn't
start 4 starters citing that he wanted to rest guys as they were on the 3rd leg
of a 3 game stretch in 3 days. Uh, coach, you still have a chance to make the
playoffs and 1 more loss puts you away for good and that's the goal here. I
think he'll know next time... Its sad to watch NE. There's talent on the team,
but they just don't have direction. I guess its the same story at half of the
Pub schools. Something must be done about this. Our kids aren't developing as
ball players or young men and in good programs this is the goal and more often
than not happens. At least 10 kids have told me once they got to college, they
weren't prepared for what they got, all the running and drills and hard work,
stuff they should have gotten before they even got there. Its starting to get on
my nerves. Maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but I couldn't help it after
watching this one and seeing what the kids had to cope with...
FEB. 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE
University City 69, Overbrook 51
This one was hard on the eyes! With a few games being made up
today because of the snow, I picked this one because I was in the vicinity and
boy I didn't expect this out of a neighborhood rivalry. UC pretty much coasted
to victory over the 2-16 Panthers (1 win was by forfeit). The Jags were led by
sr. G-F Jeff Andrepoint with 14 points, 13 boards & 4 steals. Sr. WG
Antoine Coaxum went hard and got 12 points, 10 boards & 3 steals. Jr. G-F
Anthony Morrison led all with 18 points, 9 boards & 2 assists. He looks to
be starting to feel the game better. He'll always be an awkward kid, but he gets
it done and that's all that matters. Aggressive soph. PG Aaron Stephens
(4 assists) struggled early, but came up big in the decisive 3rd quarter. He
gets whistled for many ticky-tac fouls that he shouldn't. He seems to have a
serious inner-fire and is one to watch. Reserve jr. G Terrell Ligon (2A,
2S) does a nice job with the handy-work. No one can claim to have really played
well for the Panthers. If I were keeping turnovers, I may have ran out of space
in my book. I estimate that the Panthers had around 30 of them! I did like 6-4
260-lb soph. F-C Naftalia "Tally" Ellis (9 pts on 4-of-6 & 1-of-1 and 7
boards). He has great hands and when he's composed, he finishes around the hoop.
He's the classic unassuming underdog and also a great kid.
AA's Notes: No disrespect to the Panthers or coach Sam Jacobs,
but this must me the worst 'Brook team I've ever seen. There's definitely a lot
wrong. Its HARD to watch and it pains me to even think about what the top of the
Hill used to be like even just a few years ago...Coach Ken Gritter is
doing a great job with this UC squad. He has no regular over 6-1. Three are
lefties, a 4th lefty is a deep sub. This is indeed the year of the southpaw...
FEB. 3
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok Tech 70, Audenried 66
This was fun to watch. Though it appeared to be more of a
pick-up game than league game both teams got after it and competed as if
something was on the line (neighborhood bragging rights). Plus the crowd was
into it... Bok was led by sr. PG Allen Major. He went for 10 points, 4
assists & 10 steals (19 as a team!). He was glued to his opponent all afternoon.
The sr. wing tandem of righty James Pope (21 points, 5 boards & 5 steals)
& lefty Jamal West (16 points, 5 boards, 4 assists) did their usual. Sr.
F-C Marsalluas Barnes grabbed 7 boards & dished 3 assists. Jr. G
Marquise Salley came off the bench and got 12 points including the play of the
day, a deep trey while being clobbered which caused coach Lloyd Jenkins
to do a little shimee on the court. Jenk' seems to have taken to a major liking
to this kid and rightfully so. He can get buckets in a hurry. 'Ried has some
legit players. Their best prospect/player is 6-5 210-lb jr. PF Andrew Hardy
(18P, 9R, 3B). If he were at Bartram or Southern, he'd already be known. Body &
even facially, he's almost the spitting image of former Gratz star Micheal
Blackshear, Jr. now at Temple. Obviously, he's no where near the player, but
he is a better athlete and looks to be naive (low-maintenance) which is almost a
good thing. His progress bears watching. Sr. SF Stanley Harris went hard
for 18 points & 10 boards off the bench, but for some reason didn't finish the
after being very impressive the first half of the 4th quarter, bizarre. With him
in the game, 'Ried may have stolen a W. Oh well... Sr. WG Barry Henry has
a nice feel, but just didn't have it today. He played maybe 12 minutes tops
though and sat for at least 15 minutes straight, more bizarre. Jr. SF Anthony
Hill (12P, 9R, 5A) is awkward, but effective. He got a lot done. Soph. PG
Alex Jones (6P, 6A), a lefty, is steely-eyed and aggressive. He's in the mold
of those old-school South Philly stalwart defenders. He has almost a permanent
frown on his face (smile -- maybe not). Nevertheless, he's a prospect as well.
AA's Notes: This was a fun one to watch especially coupled with
referee Ron Palmer's playground antics. Palmer is all showtime, very good
at his craft especially for a game like this... I was shocked to see 'Ried with
so much talent (size, skill, athleticism). I also liked when I heard that all
players have to pass with a C or better to play (Coach's rule). They had 6 guys
that could play somewhere in college so that could help down the road...
FEB. 1
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
West Catholic 73, Neumann 65
The Burrs finally got over the hump!!! After playing close ones
(probably should have won both) with the likes of Roman and the Prep, the Burrs
were not to be denied this time as they took the talented Pirates going away.
This squad is so tough to match-up with. The Burrs gave Neumann fits from buzzer
to buzzer and had the lead for more than 70% of the game. Today's leader was the
one (not the only) sr. 1/2/3G Marshall Taylor (6-4+ 200). Marsh' went for
29 points (20 coming after halftime), 11 boards & 7 assists. He really took this
one over in the stretch between the end 3rd & beginning of the 4th quarters.
Besides the Prep game, Taylor has REALLY shown his mettle in the big games which
makes him that much better than before. Compound that with his impressive skill
set, great size for position, deceptive quickness/athleticism & the fact that
he's still a baby (just turned 17 last week) and you quite possibly have a
Mid-Major D-I prospect. Sr. WG Rob Latimer was his hard to the hole self going
for 16 points with a few acrobatic finishes, also 3 plucks. The D-IIs are
beginning to pick up the scent and rightfully so. There's always a place for
smart (1150 SAT), athletic kids that play hard & tough. Sr. G-F Hakeem
Townsend (9P, 9R, 2S) made the game winning basket with just over 2 minutes
left in the fourth, a right wing trey off a pass from Taylor. D-IIIs in need of
a sniper need to get on him. Soph. G-F Chris Mayo hustled to steal 6 &
jr. F-C Derrell Hand mixed 6 points, 5 boards, 2 assists & 4 steals along
with always physical play. The Pirates just didn't have it in this one, but
still hung tough all the way through the latter stages. They are going through
some internal problems at the moment that will need to be fixed ASAP if they
hope to move on. Sr. PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham (just 3 pts, 6
assists, 9 turnovers) wasn't himself and that makes the biggest difference. When
he's Tabby, this squad can beat anyone in the area on a given night, but when
he's just plain Richard, well... 6-5 Sr. F Adon El scored 14 points,
snatched 13 boards & blocked 5 shots. As always he held it down in the paint on
D, but for some odd reason drifted in the 2nd half on O. 6-5 jr. G-F David
Burton scored 13 points & snatched 10 boards, but he'd even admit that he
could/should have played much better. He's the one Pirate besides Tabby that has
go-to guy potential (best athlete/scorer) at this point, but no one is that for
them. Burton spent large stretches on the bench after looking lost at times out
on the floor. He's much better than that. It'll be interesting to see how he
looks the next go-round. 6-5 soph. G-F Earl Pettis (13 points, 7 boards)
worked quietly, yet effectively. Sub guards soph. Derrick "D.J" (emphasis
on the D) Rivera & sr. Michael Payne lent game-long hustle as
always. They scored 9 & 10 points respectively. The high-strung Rivera dished 2
assists while sticky-defending Payne grabbed 4 boards & nailed both treys he
attempted.
AA's Notes: The Pirates as a team coughed it up 22 times which is
a lot even for the Burr-dome. LaSalle head-man Billy Hahn was in the
house checking out his future PG in Cunningham. I think he'll have much better
days on 20th & Olney than he did in this one. Coach Hahn was also taking a peak
at Taylor. Let's hope he left impressed... I have the utmost respect for
Neumann's Payne. He's a guy that worked his way through the program and earned
everything that he'll get kind of like Jeff Thomas (now a D-III star at
Gwynedd-Mercy) did a few years ago for the Pirates. This guy deserves widespread
D-III interest as well as he seems to improve game in and out. He has a
sweet-stroke and is a lock-down defender who plays very hard... I REALLY like
Rivera the player, but he must tone his act down a bit. He's a live-wire on the
court, but has to learn to leave the electric there. He did something today that
was unacceptable especially with college coaches in the gym. He MUST learn to
channel his emotions right or wrong... West has two raw big men that the IIIs
should check out. They are SUPER ATHLETIC 6-5 210-lb PF Andrew Denton (2
blocks) & 6-7 299-lb C "Big" Joe Marshall. Denton is the best athlete in
the gym most nights he's in it and doesn't even know it. He is said to be a star
in practice. With confidence/patience, he could thrive at some point. I'd like
to see him try track this spring as a high jumper and/or triple jumper. He may
be at home there. If he can quickly learn technique, ect., you never know...
Marshall, on the other hand, is more of a long-term project. The constant in the
equation is that he's very large, the question is can someone wait for him to be
in charge. Hey why not, what does a D-III have to lose?...