Huck's Corner

Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal. Puck is not even close). He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com.

JAN. 23
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 53, Southern 51
A follow off a missed foul shot with 0:15 left by Sr. F 6-3 Tyrone Motley proved to be the difference for the Eagles (4-10). GW plays a helter skelter type of basketball. They unleashed a full court press the entire game. They are not the most talented team, but they play hard. Motley, besides providing the last-second heroics, also shot 7-for-7 for 14 points, and pulled down 9 rebounds. He along with sr. F 6-3 Jerry Johnson (10 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) dominated the offensive glass. GW won the
battle of the boards 47-34. Johnson handled the ball decently, played some strong defense, and showed some serious hops. He was also involved in the prettiest play of the day. Johnson, who was inbounding the ball underneath Southern's basket, found a streaking sr. WG Jamaal Collins (10 points), who rose and caught the ball before laying it in. What made the play so nice was that Collins who is only 6-0 had to rise extremely high to gather it in. Collins, GW's leading scorer had trouble getting on track. He was successful on some drives to the hole, where he hung in the air to avoid having his shot blocked before scoring. The Eagles got some good fourth quarter play from jr. F 6-3 Curt Hall. Hall pilfered three during the Eagles' comeback; he also got three offensive rebounds and two pivotal putbacks. Jr. F 6-4 Tyreece Harris (7 rebounds) had some moments for the Eagles. This was a devastating loss for the Rams (7-11) and for their quest to garner one of the eight playoff spots within their division. Southern led nearly the entire game. The Rams had only nine players in uniform. Of the nine, three are freshman. All three freshman were in the starting lineup. They were, PG 6-1 Antoine Brown (6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals), F 6-5 Shawn Sabb (9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals), and CG Keith Grimes (4 rebounds, 3 assist). Saab is a pretty steady force on the defensive end. All had good moments, but the lack of experience probably hurt them in the fourth quarter. Sr. WG Kyle Jones (19 points, 10-for-12 FT) has a nice stroke and knows how to score. However, he sat a good part of the fourth quarter when coach George Anderson became displeased with his lack of hustle. It wasn't a coincidence that the Rams only scored six points in the final stanza. Sr WG Curtis Easley (11 points, 5 rebounds) was more under control this time around compared to when I saw him early this season. After Motley's go-ahead basket the Rams neglected to call timeout. Easley dribbled hard up court and found Jones who launched an NBA distance three with two defenders in his face. The shot was not badly missed and shot out to the left wing where Brown retrieved it. He drove hard to the baseline and let go with an eight-foot jumper that just missed as the clock expired.

JAN. 19
CATHOLIC SOUTH
O'Hara 77, West Catholic 64
The Lions (13-3) were torrid all night long. In fact, things got so hot at one point, I thought the sprinklers were going to burst on. O'Hara shot 27-for-45 (60%) from the field. They resembled the Duke Blue Devils from beyond the arc, going 10-for-16 (62.5%). Leading scorer sr. F 6-5 Gene Willard was contained nicely by sr. F 6-4 Mike Bazemore (7 rebounds). Willard finished with just 6 points. He grabbed 7 rebounds, but none came off the offensive glass. This is where Gene has been quite effective over the last couple seasons. It's a sign of good team, that when their leading scorer is held in check, somebody else steps up to fill the void. The Lions had no problem in that department. The trio of jr. WG 6-2 Chris Grandieri (24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), jr CG Harry Dougherty (19 points, 7 assist), and soph PG Craig Haywood (18 points) combined to shoot 20-for-31 from the field, which included 9-for-14 from distance. Grandieri, who did a good bit of damage early, was also 7-for-7 from the line. Dougherty threes (4 in all) were extremely timely. Every time the Burrs would make a run, he was there to counter. Haywood, who has struggled with the ball at times this year, was pretty strong with the rock for the most part. You can see the confidence rising in this kid each time out. Sr. F 6-5 Mike Lomas (8 points, 6 rebounds) chipped in with some timely hoops. He suffered a scare during the fourth quarter. After chasing down a loose ball under his own basket he went crashing hard into the stands. At first, it looked like his arm was lodged in-between the stands awkwardly. Fortunately he missed just a few minutes and seemed all right. Mike is an excellent quarterback, so it was good to see him avoid what could have been a serious injury. West (8-7) hung around for a good part of the night. They had trouble finding the shooters all night and were burned constantly. Sr. PG Terrell Jackson was terrific. He shot 8-for-9, 4-for-4 on three's and scored 24 points. He also added 4 assists and 3 steals. He almost single-handedly kept West in the contest. He looks like he may be all the way back from the wrist injury he suffered at the start of the season. Sr. WG Nate Lewis (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assist) continues to struggle. Nate shot just 5-for-23 from the field, including a chilly 1-for-10 from the arc. He seems to be pressing right now. He had ample time on many of his three-point attempts, but ended up rushing his shot a little. Soph F Brandon Wicker (8 points) came off the bench to add a spark, connecting on three straight out of the gate. I've been to a lot of West/O'Hara games at O'Hara through the years -- most, if not all, have had a lot less points. This was an important game, that had playoff implications for both. It is very critical that each team protects their home court. Tonight, O'Hara did that. It is very conceivable that there could be a logjam for that fourth playoff spot. I wouldn't be surprised if the South had one, or possibly two play-in games. Stay tuned!!!

JAN. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Strawberry Mansion 101, Lamberton 72
This was my first look this season at Mansion (5-6) star soph WG-PG Maureece Rice. He did not disappoint. Rice poured in 34 points on 13-for-25 shooting. He also added 11 boards (8 offensive) to go along with 6 assists and 3 steals. He was extremely effective with hard drives to the basket, capped off by beautiful finger-rolls. Rice might be a tad overweight, but at least in this game it didn't seem to affect him. If he puts his mind to it, he could be a serious force in the Pub for his junior and senior seasons. Rice wasn't the only Knight who starred. I left VERY IMPRESSED with Frosh PF 6-5 DeSean White (19 points, 12 rebounds, 6 swats), who dominated inside throughout. This kid is only 14, but is already showing big-time skills. He has pretty good control of his feet and does an excellent job of keeping the ball high off rebounds. Though not as tall, yet, he reminds me of Temple PF Kevin Lyde, especially in the upper body. Keep an eye on this lad!!! JR PG Maurice Stennis was a perfect 4-for-4 from DOWNTOWN and chipped in with 15 points. Jr. WG Aaron Brown (5 rebounds, 4 assists) also hit three from distance and had 14 points. Brown was pretty athletic in the open court. Sr. F Demetruis Taylor hustled for 8 rebounds and did some of the dirty work. It's always fun when a team gets to break the century mark. This time the honors were done by jr. WG Wayne Harrington, who drilled a top of the key three with just over a minute left. This Mansion team could create some problems for a couple of teams come playoff time. Most likely they are a year away from serious contention. If the aforemention improve their play, and then you throw in Jr F 6-6 Leon Fulton (currently ineligible) the Knights could be a top contender next season. Mansion coach Gerald Hendricks is a super guy and does a nice job with his kids. I got to Memorial Hall a little early so I could catch up with Lamberton coach Mitchell Kurtz. I had the pleasure of working with Mitch at a kids sports camp for a couple of summers. My pre-game talks with him are always entertaining. As for his team, they play hard, but are young and lack experience in the backcourt. I was eager to see jr. F 6-3 Russell Walker, who coming in, was averaging 25 points a game. Walker had some moments by scoring 17 points (only 8-for-21 from the field) and scratched and clawed for 14 rebounds. Right now he has a tough time creating his own shot, but is a terror when he gets his hands on the ball around the hoop. He'll need to work on his ballhandling skills to become a more complete player. Jr. sniper Chris Tucker was a frigid 0-for-6 in the first half, but broke out by nailing five threes in the second. When he had time he showed nice form. Jr. Swingman Marcus Johnson (12 points, 10 rebounds) showed flashes. He has an unorthodox shot, especially on threes. He shoots the ball from underneath and sort of leans forward. However, he did nail one three. Jr F 6-5 Antoine Ruelas had 9 rebounds; all were offensive. In fact, as a team Lamberton had 52 total rebounds, and 39 were off the offensive glass. This may be a record. Another amazing number to come out of this game was that Lamberton attempted 89 shots. They'll be icing their shoulders and arms tomorrow. Lamberton soph PG Nafis Shamsud-Din (5 assists) had some good moments and could develop into a nice floor general in the years to come. If I wanted to put together a team to enter into a three-on-three tourney I would have been in good shape. Former Mansion star Omar Thomas was there to cheer his old team on. Former West Catholic and current Lafayette player Greg McCleary was in attendance. Greg, who is redshirting, was there to cheer on his brother, Lamberton sr. F David McCleary. Finally, former Lamberton standout Brandon "Pooh" Gary was also in attendance. Gary is currently at Drexel, though he is a Prop 48 casualty. He was happy to report that all went well in the fall semester as he passed all of his courses. Gary should be playing for the Dragons next season.

JAN. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 70, Bartram 59
Finally a marquee game in the pub. Both teams entered the game undefeated in league play. So I expected a goody!!! Didn't get the greatest of games, but got some good moments and some great individual performances. None was better than the Pioneers' sr. swingman 6-6 Nicholas King, who scored 20 points, hauled in 19 rebounds, dropped 4 dimes, swatted 3, and pilfered a couple. This was the BEST all-around performance I've seen this year. King, who plays unselfishly, attempted only eight shots, connecting on four. He showed exceptional form from the line going 10-for-11. He hit a pair from distance and showed good ballhandling skills. There aren't too many chinks in his armor, so he should have a decent shot at playing at a low D-1 school. Sr. PG Kevin Green (16 points, 5 assists) is quick as cat on the floor. He showed good defensive skills in limiting Bartram sr. WG Robert Bouknight (16 points) to just 6-for-17 shooting. Green also packed 10 of his points into a fourth quarter flurry that help the Pioneers (12-1) seize control. Frankford shot just 1-for-9, and trailed 12-3 after one. They erupted for 25 second quarter points gaining a six-point lead at the intermission. Sr. F 6-4 Imein Ellison came off the bench to contribute 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from both the floor and the line. It was his active play that got Frankford back in the game in the second quarter. Sr. F 6-5 Michael Branch (11 points, 4-for-6 FG) tossed in nine of those points early in the fourth to keep the Braves at arms length. Branch, who is built like a football player, is very strong down low. Branch, along with Ellison, sr. 6-3 Tyrone Reed (5 assists, 3 steals), and sr. F 6-3 Donte Wood (6 points) give Frankford a nice group of complementary players. If coach Bernie Handler can get consistent play from these guys, then the Pioneers should be right in the thick of it for the PUB crown. Frankford shot 22-for-25 from the line in the game, and was a scorching 12-for-13 in the final stanza. Bartram (12-3) offensively were out of sync all afternoon. The Braves seemed to be standing around and watching each other, and really had no cohesiveness in their offensive sets. Sr. PG Bobby Leach sparkled at times, but was also inconsistent. One thing he does not have problem with is filling up the stat sheet. Leach finished with 20 points, 7 assist, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, while only turning the ball over once. However, he struggled with his shot early, and by the time he caught fire it was too little, too late. Leach has the ability, with a certain flare to catch your attention during games. He's the type of player you definitely want on your side in the closing moments of a close game. Sr CG Shawn Roberts (8 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds) like Leach, showed flashes, but also found rough going during critical parts of the game. Sr. F 6-6 Daniel Joyner, who is playing in his first season of high school hoops, is a high-riser. He led his team with 8 rebounds. I would have liked to see him if he had experience as a sophomore and junior. Sr. Swingman 6-3 Anthony Boyer likes to shoot the trey from the corners and connected on a couple. Jr. F 6-4 Richard Francis nailed a couple of J's early, and looked nice in doing so. Unfortunately, he accumulated three early fouls and did not return to the final quarter. Something tells me, that when the three-headed monster of Leach, Bouknight, and Roberts are clicking, then the Braves can be extremely fun to watch and tough to beat. After four threes in four possessions for the Braves, the Frankford lead was trimmed to 59-55 with 2:11 to play. A more inexperienced team may have succumbed to the pressure. To the credit of Frankford, they ended the game on a 11-4 run and very impressively wilted Bartram's comeback bid. This may have been a playoff preview. Possibly a rematch in the Semis? Oh yeah, I almost forget. I rolled-in and rolled-out with part-time tedsilary.com crew member Keith Hines. He wanted me to let all of his people in the PUB know, "that he's back." I gave him a ride after the game. IMAGINE THAT!!! It did make for interesting conversation though. Gotta luv Keith, my man is full of intriguing info. Some of it is even true.

JAN. 12
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
West Catholic 59, St. Joe's Prep 56
The Burrs (8-6) pulled off what was a must-win game. The game was close throughout with no team having more than a six-point lead. Sr. WG 6-2 Nate Lewis led the Burrs with 17 points, and also grabbed 9 rebounds. I'm still waiting for Lewis to have that breakout game. As a junior, on numerous occasions he showed the ability to take over games. Something tells me he could be on the verge of exploding. Sr F 6-4 Mike Bazemore (11 points, 14 rebounds) was a force on the glass. He took in 11 of his rebounds in the second half. The Burrs welcomed back the services of sr. PG Amos Joway (hamstring) who contributed 10 points, including 8-for 10 from the line. Soph F Brandon Wicker chipped in with eight timely points on 4-for-6 shooting. Sr. WG Shawn Butler hit a huge three at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Burrs overcame early foul trouble and turnovers (21 in all) to capture the win. The Prep (12-5) was led by sr. WG 6-2 Mike Barker (23 points, 5 assist). Barker erupted for 17 first half points on 6-for-10 shooting. The second half could not have gone worse for the team leader. He shot a bone-chilling 1-for-15 from the field. Most of his misses came from in the lane. Many only a few feet from the rim. Barker drove hard to the hole all night, for the most part he had his way in getting into the lane, but just could not finish. All and all, Barker looks to have improved his game. He is stronger and definitely more versatile than last year. What is wrong with sr. F 6-5 Ryan Tyson? I know he his coming off an injury that took away most of his non-league games, but he looks a little lost out there. He continues to find himself in early foul trouble and eventually spending a lot of time on the pine. If the Hawks are going to make any noise in a tough Southern Division, he's going to have to pull it together. The talent is definitely there. Prep got a strong performance from soph F 6-5 Mark Zoller, who was 5-for-6 from the floor for 10 points. He was also his team's leading rebounder with eight. He showed a nose for the ball and could develop into a nice player. He reminds of O'Hara's sr. F Gene Willard. Jr sniper 6-3 Ryan Lynch was a non-factor in the first half, but kept his team's hopes alive in the final stanza by scoring seven points in the quarter. He had a tough time getting free to do what he does best, which is shoot the trey. Part of the Prep's nine-man rotation are two freshman in WG John Griffin and PG Chris Clark. The youngsters struggled a bit by combining to shoot just 1-for-9. Nevertheless they should develop into a nice backcourt combination in the years to come. Lynch swished a three from the corner to pull the Hawks to within two, at 58-56 with 12 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Clark tied up Lewis to create a held ball situation which favored the Prep. Lynch then missed a driving 8-foot jumper. With 5 seconds remaining, Bazemore secured the rebound was fouled. After he sank 1-of-2 to give the Burrs a 59-56 lead, Prep quickly got the rebound into Lynch's hands. He drove upcourt and got off an NBA distance three from the top of the key. The shot was on, but just fell short. Barker, who fouled out in the final minute, was not around to create any late-game heroics.

JAN. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Edison 71, Bok 68
Stop the Madness!!! This game had a little of everything. Some good, some not so good. The teams combined for 51 turnovers and 44 personal fouls. The second half was an absolute track meet, as the teams combined for 84 points. OK, now that I have caught my breath, it's on to the game action. Edison (5-4) was led by sr. 6-4 F-C Kenneth Faison (18 pts, 8 rebs, 6 blocks), who was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field. Granted all of his baskets were from in close, but he showed nice balance and kept the ball up high on most of his putbacks. A lot of big men will give you that unneeded dribble before shooting. Faison's arms are extremely lonnnnggg. On one sequence, he blocked three consecutive shots, the last, sprung a teammate for a fastbreak layup. I was impressed by the composure that soph 5-8 CG Baltazar Feliciano (16 pts, 6-for-11 FG's) showed. For most of the day he was guarded by Bok football star Ed Brumskill (8 assists, 4 steals), who besides being a talker is extremely quick. It could very easily have been an intimidating experience for the soph, but to his credit he remained calm. I like the way he strokes it and he could be very promising in the years to come. Sr. F Willie Rios shot 5-for-6 en route to 12 points and 6 rebounds. Sr. PGs Lance Wilson (10 pts, 5 assists, 5 steals) and Jose Morales (4 assists, 4 rebs) had some key moments. The Owls shot a blistering 24-for-33 on 2's,(72.7%). For Bok (1-7), this game was lost at the charity stripe. The Wildcats were a DISMAL 12-for-32 (37.5%). Leading scorer, sr. WG 6-2 James Frager had 23 points and shot 11-for-21 from the field, but struggled MIGHTILY from the line, going an unbelievable 1-for-11. After nailing his first attempt, he misfired on ten straight. OUCH!!! Aside from his foul line miseries he played a nice game. He has a strong move to the hole and can finish with tricky moves around the basket. Sixth-man, jr. F 6-3 Richard Stephens was the Wildcats' most consistent player on the day. He poured in 19 points and garnered 9 rebounds. He looks to have a strong body and plays reasonably under control. Jr. PG Leroy Byrd (9 pts, 6 assist, 5 steals) did most of his damage late and aided Bok's comeback bid. Jr. F 6-4 Sean Brinson (9 pts, 7 rebs) showed some promise and was active around the basket. After Morales converted on one-of-two from the line to give Edison a 71-68 lead, Bok called a timeout with 6 seconds remaining. On their last possession, the Wildcats got the ball into Byrd, who dribbled hard up the right side and let fly with a desperation shot just over halfcourt. The ball hit harmlessly off the top of the backboard to preserve the win for Edison. According to my calculations, Bok received four extra points in the first half. This wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last that we have a score foul-up in the PUB. One
sidenote: My GOLDEN RULE of keeping stats. Whatever you do, at all costs DO NOT MISS A STAT. Midway through the third quarter I almost attempted a first. I was on the verge of running onto the court to stop play. OUT OF NOWHERE I was hit with a tremendous itch in my throat. The coughing was furious, the tears flowing from my eyes were uncontrollable; meanwhile the frantic pace on the court was nowhere near close to subsiding. PLEASE!!! Somebody get a tech, so I can gather myself. Then instantly it hit me. What would Ted do in this situation? I calmed myself and quietly walked over to a nearby water cooler. All a while taking in the stats, a shot, a rebound, another shot, another rebound, STOP I'm running out of space in my brain. Then finally relief, in the form of a whistle and some ice cold water.

JAN. 9
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 65, Penn 44
I expected this one to be much closer than it turned out to be. Gratz (7-2) spurted to a 21-8 first quarter lead and never looked back. Though the faces at Gratz may change, the results stay the same. The one constant you know you're going to get from the Bulldogs year in and year out, is DEFENSE. This group is very active. Michael Cuffee, Where did you come from? The 6-5 sr. swingman is highly athletic, and has NASTY HOPS. For those of you who may not have seen him, he reminds me of a cross, between former Roman player Mike Watson (early 90's) and more recently Franklin's Jason "Smooth" Dunham ('99). Cuffee was extremely active around the rim as he swept 17 rebounds (9 offensive) and led the Bulldogs with 16 points. He also showed nice form on some mid-range jumpers. Jr. 6-6 F Michael Blackshear (15 pts, 15 rebs) is continually improving. My man is a TERROR on the boards. While Cuffee uses his jumping ability and quickness to grab his, Mike uses strength and desire. He was born to rebound. Blackshear is one of the better juniors in the city. Sr. CG Anthony Abrams (11 pts, 4 steals) is the Bulldogs' leader in the
backcourt. He likes to shoot the mid-range jumper from the baseline. Sr. 6-5 F Brandon Millwood and jr 6-6 F Maurice Collins (7 rebs, in limited time) give Gratz depth up front. Sr. PG Messiah Reames (4 assist, 3 steals) directed the club nicely. Early in the first quarter, Gratz coach Bill Ellerbee inserted soph PGs Omar Johnson and Tariq Wharton after becoming upset with his
starters, Abrams and Reames. Both players connected on threes during their team's first quarter spurt. The future remains bright. The Bulldogs finished with 6 players with 2-or-more assists. Once again the Bulldogs should be in the thick of it for yet another Pub championship. Penn (5-2) just didn't have enough bodies to compete with the bigger Bulldogs. Jr. WG-PG 6-3 Mustafa Shakur (15 pts, 6 rebs) shot only 5-for-20. At times he try to do a little too much and ended up forcing shots. Make no mistake, despite an off shooting performance this kid can play. He has the ability to create room off his dribble and hit from distance. He's definitely a player to watch for the next two seasons. Sr. PG Robert Smith and sr. WG Jeffrey Jones had some moments, but not nearly enough to keep their team around for long. Sr. F 6-4 Gary Evans (8 rebs) is the Lions' only inside threat and consistent defensive rebounder. Despite the loss, the Lions can still make some noise in the Pub and have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Prior to the game, I asked Penn coach George Phillips if he has been keeping up with the Ted's website. He said, "No, but what's that address? In fact, come into my office and show me how to get on there. I'll put it under favorites." Within minutes, there I was, in
his office logging on to tedsilary.com. I said, check it out, you're visitor No. 32,412. He promised to read it daily.

JAN. 5
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Carroll 53, West Catholic 37
The Burrs (7-5) knew they had an uphill battle when they saw Dikembe Mutumbo walk into the gym. Wait!!! That's not Mutumbo, it's Carroll soph PF 6-7 Jordan Ingram. It was hard to tell the difference. Jordan barely missed a triple-double. He accumulated 17 points, 9 rebounds, 12 blocks. WOW!!! On two occasions he blocked three shots in a row. Carroll (8-2) sr. F Ted Piotrowicz was his typically relentless self on the defensive end. I've been going to CL games on a regular basis for about 15 years now, and for my money this kid is the best defensive stopper I seen. Piotrowicz held West star Nate Lewis (9 rebs) to 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting. Soph PG Kashif Payne (11 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asst) is your prototypical CL point guard. They way he controls the ball almost makes it impossible for the opposing teams to press or trap. He has the uncanny ability to get himself into the lane for floaters and pull-up jumpers. Sr. WG 6-2 Dave Hoopes will do most of the mad bombing for the Pats. Hoopes helped Carroll to an early lead by nailing three from distance in the first half. Soph F 6-4 Kyle Giresi mucked for 12 points and 8 rebounds. He looks to be a nice complimentary player. This Carroll team should be right in the thick of things in the Southern Division and will give perennial favorites Neumann and Roman all they can handle. This is a team that defends the entire court. They have a tremendous floor general in Payne, a perimeter threat in Hoopes, the league's best defensive stopper in Piotrowicz, and a shot-blocker in Ingram. The only thing I would question is their lack of depth and experience. The Burrs got a solid game from sr. PG Terrell Jackson who used his quickness to penetrate into the lane for runners. Jackson (15 points) was also effective in drawing contact and getting himself to the charity stripe, where he went 7-for-8. Sr. F Mike Bazemore and soph F Brandon Wicker rebounded well, but could not solve the inside presence of Jordan and went a combined 2-for-18. As a team the Burrs were a frigid 13-for-51, a mere 25.5%. After Carroll scored the first 10 points of the second half their lead ballooned to 36-18. To the Burrs' credit, they unleashed a 14-1 run, and only trailed 37-32 with just over 5 minutes remaining. They could have cut into the lead even more, but could not capitalize on two straight opportunities. Soon after, the Burrs' gas tank sputtered on empty and Carroll seized control for good. The Pats again were without the services of jr. F 6-5 Evan Dittler (ankle injury) and the Burrs were without sr. PG Amos Joway (groin pull). Sidenote # 1: Carroll assistant Tom "Puck" McKenna gets so caught up in the action that his stat keeping ability at times takes a back seat. Numerous times he looked up at me to see how many blocks Jordan had. Sidenote # 2: Prior to the game Tom asked me for the stats from the Prep/O'Hara game played earlier in the day. When I told him I left them at home he said, "Drive home and get them, we play O'Hara Sunday. I need to see what they do." Um, no Tom. I live three exits down the Blue Route, but if you call me, I'll be happy to read them to you tomorrow. This is why we love the Puckster.

JAN. 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Parkway 49 FLC 47
Back from a Florida getaway! Sorry to leave all you people starving for a Huck fix through the holidays. Unlike Ted, I have a life. The Hoyas (3-3) trailed by as many as 14 points, but rallied to capture an exciting win over the inexperienced Bobcats (4-3). Sr. CG Demarice Dobbins calmly hit a 9-foot jumper just outside the lane to win it as time expired. Dobbins contributed 15 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. He did not hesitate to launch from distance. He went only 3-for-10 on treys, but nevertheless showed nice form. A couple spilled in-and-out. Play of the game: With just over a minute remaining, Bobcat sr. WG Noll Black (15 pts, 6 rebs) had what seemed to be an uncontested layup. Like a blur, Hoya sr. WG Steven Vaughn caught up to Black and made a SPECTACULAR block to keep the game tied at 47-47. Parkway killed the remaining time and with eight seconds left called timeout, which set up Dobbins' heroics. In a 9-minute stretch during the first and second quarters, FLC unleashed a 22-0 run and took what seemed to be a comfortable lead. FLC, which only turned the ball over twice in the first half, fell apart after halftime, turning it over 14 times. This greatly contributed to the Hoya comeback. Parkway leading scorer sr. WG 6-2 Daniel Rumph (12 pts,
6 rebs) struggled with his shot, but showed some good offensive instincts, which should allow him to have some future scoring outbursts. Hoya soph CG Rashawn Dennis elevated his play during his team's comeback. He collected seven of his nine points, 3 assists, and 3 key steals in a pivotal third quarter. FLC only managed 7 points respectively in the third and fourth stanzas. It was during this time that their lack of leadership showed. Jr. PG John Owens has the look of a decent floor general, but was a little unsure of himself. Sr. F 6-3 Lawrence Watson (9 pts, 4 blocks) was aggressive on the defensive end. Jr. 6-5 F London Houston (8 rebs, 3 blocks) is thin, but has long arms. With a little more assertiveness he could develop into a decent shot-blocker. Black has nice range on his jumper and a showed an explosive first step on a move from the wing in the second quarter. Parkway
first-year coach Matt McGuire participates in his team's pregame drills. He stands in the corner and constantly passes the ball to his team for layups and then again for jump shots around the arc. At the start of the game there were only six people in the stands; just after halftime it swelled to 9. Just a week ago FLC bested Parkway by a 22-point margin. Only in the PUB: Twenty-nine seconds into the fourth and the ball in play, with FLC having possession, the horn sounded for no reason. After a brief conversation between the refs and the people at the scorer's table, the officials awarded the ball back to Parkway and started the quarter over. Those possession arrows in The Pub get tricky at times.

DEC. 22
NON-LEAGUE
Judge 53, West Catholic 52
This turned out to be a very entertaining game. Both teams played extremely hard and for the most part executed nicely. It had the feel of a late season game with playoff implications. For a non-league game, the crowd was strong and energetic throughout. Believe it or not, Judge (5-2) never led until sr. CG John Horcher put them in front, 53-52, with 0:23 left on a strong one-on-one baseline move to the cup. Ironically, Horcher was a frigid 0-for-8 to this point. The Crusaders were led by sr. PG 6-2 Kevin Wolf, who came off the bench to shoot 5-for-6 en route to a team-high 17 points. Wolf hit a couple of nice in-the-lane pull-ups off the glass. The team sniper, sr. WG 6-3 Brian Mooney (12 pts) had an off shooting night, but provided his team with a timely hoop and some clutch foul shooting in the final quarter. Sr. F Mark Dickson looks to be the Crusaders' emotional leader. He didn't pile up great stats, but did enough of the little things to make a significant contribution. Sr. PG Pat Burnett rained in two-first quarter threes that nearly scraped the ceiling. Sr. F 6-3 Mike McCauley hustled for six boards and played strong defense. Sr. WG Mike Massimiani hit a three to end the third quarter and give his team some much needed momentum going into the final stanza. The win was especially nice for Judge, for it played without key member sr. 6-3 F Rich Schmidt. Earlier in the day, Schmidt slipped on some ice and ended up getting 15 stitches to his head. The Burrs (7-2) were once again led by sr. WG Nate Lewis, who broke out of his shooting slump with a 19-point, 10-rebound effort. In an attempt to end his slump, Lewis was sporting a newly shaved head. For now it seems to have worked. Sr. PG Terrell Jackson finished with seven dimes. Many were off drives and dishes close to the basket. Sr. F 6-4 Mike Bazemore, who earlier in the day signed with Michigan St. for football, was berated by the Judge faithful all night with chants of, "Baze-more, Baze-more . . . " For three quarters it seemed to affect him, but to his credit he played a strong fourth by collecting nine of the Burrs' 12 points. On the Burrs' final possession, sr. PG Amos Joway drove hard into the lane, but was stripped by Dickson. The ball slammed off another Judge player and rolled harmlessly toward halfcourt as time expired.

DEC. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Engineering and Science 65, University City 58
Barely 5 minutes into this contest UC built a 19-3 lead. They were a scalding 7-for-7 from the field, including three from long distance. I don't think the Jaguars (4-4) hit the rim on any of their baskets (all jump shots), that's how hot they were. Soon after, things began to unravel. E&S coach C.M. Brown threw his troops into an aggressive fullcourt trapping defense. The Engineers (3-2) reeled off 10 straight points to end the quarter. They opened the second stanza by scoring eight straight, to cap an impressive 18-0 run. From this point E&S never looked back and kept UC at arm's length. E&S was led by jr. WG-PG 6-2 Justin Scott (17 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asst), who showed leadership skills in running the offense. Three of his assists came in the fourth quarter on drives into the lane. He seems to play extremely heady. E&S has a trio of athletic forwards: sr. 6-4 Olufemi Fadeyibi (11 pts, 6 rebs, 4 steals), sr. 6-5 Tabari Seward (8 rebs), and jr. 6-5 Matthew Jefferson. Jefferson had four steals and six blocks; he altered countless others. These three players greatly influenced E&S' comeback, as they formed the backline in the trap. The trio's long arms and quickness, combined with the smallish surroundings, made it very difficult for UC to get the ball upcourt. Never mind run the offense. Sr. CG Caiseen Ward was a spark off the bench, scoring 13 of his 18 points during the first half comeback. Sr. WG 6-6 Hal "Bone" Housley struggled early, but came threw later on by sinking 6-of-8 free throws to seal the win. The Jaguars were led by sr. F 6-5 Maurice Maxwell (8-for-13 FG, 5-for-5 FT, 21 pts), who possesses a silky smooth baseline J. He also slashed his way to the hole for scores. Late in the game with his team trailing by six, Maxwell was hit with a tech by referee Tom Skellan for arguing a call. He needs to add weight and get a little stronger, but he could turn into a steal for a D-3 school. Sr. F 6-4 Robert Johnson showed some range by nailing three treys. Jr. F 6-5 Magan McNeil can run and jump. He had a tough time fitting into the offense, mainly because as a team UC could not run their offense other than their opening spurt. I'd like to get another look at him under different circumstances. I really enjoy watching games at E&S. Today, students were let out early, but nonetheless there was a solid and excited crowd as always. I love how the students pack along the main entrance baseline, grabbing and high-fiving E&S players as they try to inbound the ball. For those of you who are not familiar with the gym at E&S, it is extremely small. By comparison, it makes the gyms at Roman and West Catholic look like the First Union Center.

DEC. 20
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 46, Episcopal 45
Where has all the offense gone? That's what the Burrs must be asking themselves after some recent performances. West coach Bill Ludlow wondered out loud to himself, "How do we win shooting 28 percent?" I couldn't tell which was colder, Burr shooting (14-for-49 FG) or that strip of ice I almost fell on coming into the gym. At the end the first three quarters and for a good part of the
fourth, West went with a spread offense and held the ball out. Afterwards, Ludlow said to me, "People might be thinking we hold the ball too much, but we're just not shooting well right now. What we do have are players who can handle and pass when they're focused." Anyhow, West (7-1) was once again led by sr. WG Nate Lewis (21 pts), who reeled off seven straight midway through the fourth to give the Burrs their largest lead, 39-33. Sr. PG Amos Joway (11 pts, 5 steals) continues to play hard. Joway is constantly getting in the way of opposing offenses. Sr. F Mike Bazemore and soph F Brandon Wicker evenly split 16 boards for the Burrs. The Churchmen were led by jr. F 6-5 Terrence Mack (22 pts, 8 rebs), who used his definitive height advantage to score most of his points. Mack is quickly becoming one of the better juniors in the city. He started out a little slowly and at times seemed unsure of himself. By the second half he got more into the flow and went on to score nearly half of his team's points. Episcopal (4-5) on at least six occasions scored on lobs underneath the basket to Mack. Sr. F 6-7 Fran Person (8 pts) showed a nice touch around the basket, but was hampered by foul trouble. Sr. PG Ian Wallace (6 asst) made some nice entry passes that led to baskets. Jr. PG Ron Frazier (10 pts) had some good moments in the latter part of the tilt. On two possessions, he broke down his defender and scored on driving lay-ups. Lewis sank two free throws with :07 left to give the Burrs a 46-43 lead. After an Episcopal timeout, Frazier dribbled the length of the court, laying one in. Episcopal had no more timeouts, so the Burrs didn't even have to inbound
the ball and the game ended.

DEC. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 58 Southern 33
The Vikings (3-1) were in control throughout. This team has the potential to sneak up on some people. They have quickness at guard and are long and athletic up front. I'm not saying they will be one of the elite Pub teams, but if they play within themselves, they could turn some heads. NE was lead by sr. F 6-7 Steve Smith (20 pts, 17 rebs, 3 blocks), who was a force all over the court. Smith showed a nice ability to catch and score on the move. He didn't hesitate to launch from distance
either, connecting on a couple from the arc. He used his long arms and jumping ability to snatch what seemed like every rebound. This kid is definitely a prospect, with his best days probably still to come. Sr. 6-5 F Ty Teasley (16 pts) was quite nifty around the basket. He showed a nice touch on some mid-range jumpers as well. Football star sr. PG Brent Grimes (9 asst. & 3 steals) had a nice floor game with some beautiful looks. None was better than the one that ended the first half. He penetrated down the lane and hit a streaking Smith along the baseline. Smith then wolfed down a crowd-pleasing two-handed JAM. Yes, Grimes is as quick on the hardwood as he is on the gridiron. Frosh WG Tom Jakeman could develop into a mad bomber in the future, as he dialed long distance twice in the second quarter. Jr. F 6-6 Chaz Crawford (3 blocks), jr. F 6-5 Michael Schieber, soph F 6-4 Shawn Taylor, and soph F 6-4 Troy Roundtree all provide the Vikings with size and athletic ability to compete with the bigger frontcourts in the league. Despite winning by such a large margin, the Vikings only attempted only one free throw. NE also did a good job with spreading the ball, accumulating 21 assists on 27 field goals. Southern (1-6) was victimized by a horrid shooting performance. The Rams managed to connect on only 10-for-50 from the floor, including a miserable 5-for-27 from three-point range. Inexperience continues to be a problem. Sr. WG 6-3 Curtis Easley was a frigid 2-for-15 from the arc. Sr. WG 6-3 Kyle Jones (10 pts & 6 rebs) paced the Rams, but shot only 2-for-12. Frosh F 6-5 Shawn Sabb (8 pts & 8 rebs) once again showed flashes of ability. Something tells me this kid could develop into a nice player.

DEC. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 60, Southern 38
Southern sprinted out to a 20-5 first quarter lead, but was outscored, 55-18, the rest of the way. The Pioneers shook off a sluggish start, that saw star sr. 6-6 WG Nicholas King and coach Bernie Handler receive T's from referee Pat Shanahan. Frankford used a pressing defense in the second quarter to fight back, before regaining control in the second half. King (12 pts, 6 rebs, 5 steals) was steady, but struggled some with his outside shot. Sr. PG Kevin Green (14 pts, 4 steals, 3 asst), is don't-blink-for-a-second quick. Green also showed a TON of courage. Midway through the third quarter he was involved
in a scrum for a loose ball, in which a Southern player landed hard into the back of his head causing his face to slam against the floor. For some odd reason play was not stopped even though Frankford had the ball. The Pioneers went three quarters of the court and launched two shots before the whistle finally blew. At this point an extremely shaken-up Green was aided to his team's
locker room. Moments later he re-entered the game sporting a giant white mouthpiece; he'd been a starting safety in football. He had severely chipped his two front teeth. Green was nothing short of sensational and gutty in the fourth quarter. After the game with tears in his eyes he told me, "I chipped my two front teeth. I'm getting them fixed tomorrow." Sr. 6-4 F Imein Ellison (8 pts & 9 rebs) was very quick off his feet for the Pioneers. Southern played without one of its few experienced players in jr. 6-3 swingman Roosevelt Brown; he has a broken foot and could be sidelined for the rest of the season. The Rams are young and it showed as they turned the ball over 28 times. Sr. 6-3 WG Kyle Jones packed 12 of his 17 points into the opening quarter. He showed a nice rotation on some threes and was 7-for-8 on FTs. Frosh. 6-5 F Shawn Sabb (8 rebs) still has a way to go, but could turn into a pretty nice player down the road. Great job done by coach Handler for making his team's roster available. Filled with all kinds of juicy information such as: correct spelling of players names, numbers, heights, and grades. I thanked him afterward, and he replied with a slight smirk on his face, "we run a top notch program here".

DEC. 13
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 53, West Catholic 52
This one had about has much intensity as a wake. Both teams seemed a bit uninspired, especially the Burrs. On top of that, the fan turnout was minimal and the fans that were there did not make much noise. With that being said, there were some nice individual performances. La Salle (2-3) was led by jr. 6-3 PG Rob Sullivan (17pts, 6-8 FG, & 7 rebs). Sullivan was strong with the ball against a constant man-to-man defense. Sr. CG Gabe Marabella (14 pts, 7 rebs, 6 steals, 4 asst, & 0 to's) had a fantastic all-around game. He struggled only at the foul line, where he went 0-for-4. Put his charity stripe struggles aside, and he played a nearly perfect game. Sr. WG Tom Mattern chipped in with 13 points, including four 3's. Sr. CG Mike Parson (6 rebs & 5 asst.), did not attempt a shot, but played a nice floor game and did an excellent job on denying West star WG Nate Lewis (16 pts, 10 rebs, & 4 steals) quality looks at the basket. Parson was responsible for Lewis in the 2nd half when the Explorers went to a box-and-one defense. West (4-1) was led by sr. PG-WG Shawn Butler (17pts). Butler continues his consistent shooting from beyond the arc, nailing five trifectas. The Burrs regained the services of sr. PG Terrell Jackson and sr. CG Mike D'Elia. Both seemed out of sync and it may take a few games for them to gain some cohesiveness. D'Elia's toughness from the football field has carried over to the hardwood. He seemed to reaggravate his injury; on either a charge he took or by diving for a loose ball. It seemed to me that he may have returned a bit prematurely. La Salle's winning points came on a pair of Sullivan foul shots with :47 left. The Burrs held the ball without taking a timeout to under 10 seconds. On the play: sr. PG Amos Joway made an inside entry pass to sr. F Mike Bazemore whose turnaround 6-footer missed badly. Time ran out as the ball rolled around the floor. One sidenote: Football representatives from Notre Dame, Penn St. and Michigan St. were in attendance to see Bazemore, a top TE-LB prospect.

DEC. 8
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 73, Dougherty 68
This game started like it was shot out of a cannon. It seemed like whoever brought the ball over half court for the Cardinals either drove in for a shot or kicked it out for a three. No need for a shot clock in this baby!!! Unfortunately, due to injuries for both squads, the frantic pace simmered down and my pen (Ted's note: the rule for Daily News statkeepers is pencil only; Mr. Palmer will be disciplined), didn't run out of ink. West was led by sr. WG Nate Lewis (24 pts, 12 rebs, 6 steals), even though he had an off shooting night. Sr. PG Amos Joway (16 pts, 9 asst, 5 rebs) played a very steady game. Joway showed a feathery touch on some in-the-lane jumpers. The Burrs were without sr. 6-4 F Michael Bazemore, who was on a recruiting trip to Notre Dame. Soph 6-2 F Brendon Wicker picked up the slack by chipping in with 12 pts and 7 boards.Wicker also hit a desperation three from the wing to end the third quarter. Deep subs soph F Kyle Gunter and soph WG Kevin Williams gave coach Bill Ludlow some quality minutes. The Cardinals were paced by sr. WG Mark Seidenburg (17pts), jr. WG-PG Tim Smink (14pts) and soph SF Issac Greer (13pts). Seidenburg is a bomber and will launch 3's from anywhere. For my money Smink needs to shoot more; he only attempted 7 shots. He is too good a shooter not to be involved more. Sr. 6-6 F Bryan Green (8 rebs) had some nice moments. He is a bit raw and needs to add weight, but his best days should be ahead. It seems to me that Dougherty coach Mark Heimerdinger as given everyone on his team the green light to shoot from beyond the arc. One problem: The Cardinals were only 5-for-19 on threes, while shooting a scorching 20-for-31 on 2-pt shots. West seized control midway through the final stanza. With the score 60-57, West, Lewis stole the ball and went hard to the hole. As he attempted a dunk he was fouled hard by Smink. The ball catapulted off the back rim and went straight up before falling through. Smink was called for an intentional foul, Lewis sank two freebies to give the Burrs 64-57 lead. Heimerdinger is sporting the shaved head look. For those of you familiar with actor Edward Norton (American History X) the resemblance is near-identical.

DEC. 7
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 67, Ryan 47
The Burrs (3-0) ended the game on 21-7 run to pull away from the pesky Raiders (1-2). Sr. WG 6-2 Nate Lewis, a returning coaches' first team All-Catholic led the Burrs. Lewis poured in 25 points, while adding 11 boards and 4 steals. Lewis has compiled 77 points in the Burrs' first three tilts and possesses one of the sweetest jumpers in the city. The Burrs were without the services of returning starters, sr. PG Terrell Jackson (wrist) and sr. WG Mike D'Elia (shoulder), due to injuries. Both players are a week to 10 days away from returning. Sr. PG Amos Joway (6 asst, 4 steals) and sr. PG-WG Shawn Butler (15pts, 3-for-55 from distance) filled in nicely. When Jackson and D'Elia return the Burrs should be very deep at the guard position. Football star sr. F 6-4 Michael Bazemore (8 pts, 7 rebs, 4 steals) looks like he has improved enough to be a factor inside. West looks like it will once again be tough at the friendly confines of the Burrdome. Their constant pressure on the ball and the small court will make it difficult for visiting teams. Ryan was led by sr. WG 6-2 John Capella (20 pts, 7-for-12 FG). Capella can shoot the ball off the dribble from the wings. He certainly has a chance to be one of the better players in the North. First-year coach Bernie Rogers looks to have installed a Princeton type offense. The Raiders had their moments with it, but with the lack of spacing it became quite difficult to run. Sr. PG John Pelligrino (7asst) did some nice things, but constant pressure forced him into far too many turnovers. The Raiders squandered the ball 26 times, and this really impeded them on making a serious run. Rangy sr. F 6-3 Christian Distasio (9 pts, 8 rebs, 3 swats) had an active game. On one play he drove to the basket, taking two steps from the foul line, and finger-rolled one home a la Julius Errrvvviiinnnggg, as the late, great Zink would say it. Good friend and former West standout athlete Dave Bertoline is now part of coach Bill Ludlow's staff. Myself and all the boyz wish him luck.

DEC. 6
NON-LEAGUE
Penn 51, Olney 50
This turned out to be an entertaining early-season game. This was Penn's opener, while Olney had already played three. With this being the case I figured Olney would win comfortably. That was not the case. The Lions played with high energy throughout, but were under control (only 9 TO's, while forcing 19). I was extremely impressed by jr. 6-2 PG Mustafa Shukur (15 pts, 5 assists, 5 steals). He plays very heady, and showed a soft touch on in-the-lane floaters. Sr. WG Jeffrey Jones (15 pts) is ultra-quick. At first he looked awkward, but he was relentless on getting to the hole and did a fantastic job finishing. WP got an inside presence from sr. 6-3 F Garry Evans (5-for-6, 11 pts). Evans also made the shot of the day with a spinning, over-the-shoulder heave while being fouled; he converted the three point play. Olney was led by franchise sr. 6-6 PG David "Bone" Bell (22 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asst.). At times Bell is silky smooth, scores inside and can hit the trey. He played more wing than point in this one. He ended the first half with breakaway tomahawk slam. He may need to be a little more selfish, as he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter while only attempting one shot. Look for Bell to be one of the premier players in The Pub. The Trojans got a quality game out of soph. SF 6-4 Tyree Hankerson (14 pts, 11 boards), a transfer from Northeast. He was very active on the glass and showed a scorer's edge on putbacks. He could blossom into a very nice player down the road. With the score 50-49 Olney and :56 left on the clock, Shukur stole an errant Trojan pass and fed Jones, who in turn hit a streaking sr. WG 6-0 Robert Smith, who rose, and rose, and rose for a tremendous one-handed JAM. What had been a pretty subdued crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy. This turned out to be the winning basket. With :07 left and Only needing to travel the length of the court, it seemed like they drew up the perfect play, but
sr. G-F Vernon Robinson's 8-ft jumper fell off and Hankerson's tip, which would have counted, rimmed in and out. Let's hope rest of the games can be as good as this one.

DEC. 4
NON-LEAGUE
O'Hara 68 Academy Park 56
The Lions used a 14-4 spurt at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. With O'Hara's largest lead reaching 21, the Knights never got closer than the final score. At times it looked like O'Hara had been practicing for two months, while the Knights for only days. For much of the night the Lions were patient on offense and were rewarded with easy looks at the basket. The Lions were led by sr. 6-5 PF Gene Willard (25pts, nine rebs). He shot 11-18 from the floor with most of his hoops coming from in close. Jr. SG Chris Grandieri chipped in with (16pts, 6rebs, 5 steals). He dialed up long distance on 4 occasions. The Lions welcomed back four members from their Catholic Red championship football team -- sr. 6-5 SF Mike Lomas, jr. PG Harry Dougherty, soph PG Craig Haygood, and jr. SG Tom Convery. Haygood looks like he may add some athleticism. He contributed 10 pts. on
4-for-5 shooting. O'Hara shot 27-for-49 (55.1%) from the floor. At times things got sloppy; this was indicated by the combined 40 turnovers. Sr. 6-6 C Ken Grant, who should be a contributing factor for O'Hara, will be sidelined anywhere from two weeks to a month. He will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee tomorrow. Minnesota Twins pitching prospect and former O'Hara player
Jeff Randazzo was in attendance.