JAN. 29
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Gtn. Academy 67, Penn Charter 54
   There were several compelling reasons to attend this one -- to see how GA would respond after losing to Gratz, and to see these teams plain go at it after a first meeting filled with feistiness. PC played hard, but couldn't contend with GA's height advantage. Sr. G Matt Walsh (Florida) overall was spectacular, pouring in 38 points despite the aggressive defense of frosh G Zack Zeglinski, who was giving away 7 inches. Walsh scored in most every fashion -- long jumpers, short jumpers, drives, put-backs, post-ups. He shot 13-for-25, 2-for-7 on treys and 10-for-11 at the line. Sr. C Ted Skuchas (Vanderbilt) was able to take, for him, a bushelful of shots -- eight. He made six for 12 points while adding 13 rebounds and four blocks. Sr. F Lee Melchionni (Duke) had 10 points, 7 boards, 4 assists. Soph WG Larry Sharp took just three shots en route to five points while sr. PG Jeff Curtin hustled for 10 boards and four assists. Coach Jim Fenerty told the four seniors beforehand that they'd play pretty much straight through, barring foul trouble, and that was what happened. Fresh F Brian Grimes made a very brief appearance, but otherwise the starting lineup remained in tact until 0:42 remained. If PC had shot better on three-balls (5-for-25), it would have made things much more interesting. Zeglinski, who had to be exhausted after chasing Walsh around all game, had 15 points and five steals. Sr. PG Mike McGarvey struggled with his jumper, but did a nice job finishing drives in traffic by switching at the last moment to his off (right) hand for little flip shots. He finished with 11 points. Jr. F Matt Ryan had 11 points, nine boards. Sr. F Mike McKenna made some nice passes en route to five assists and, just as in the first game, happened to be involved in plays where GA guys went tumbling to the floor. The Patriots think he's dirty. But Mike has an innocent-looking face. Who knows? (smile) Meanwhile, I received many e-mails from students and parents alleging that inappropriate comments were made by PC coach Jim "Flipper" Phillips about and/or to GA's players immediately after the game. I did not see/hear any of the unpleasantness, if it happened, because I was sitting in a corner of the gym after GA's 74 female managers (smile) took over the scorer's table. If Phillips wants to e-mail or call and provide an explanation, I'll listen. I don't know whether GA people intend to press the issue with league officials. I DO know they're hissed.

JAN. 28
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 70, Kensington 59
   I could have watched these teams go at it for another two hours, at least. The guards, especially, were very entertaining. My DN story focused on Bok's 5-11 sr. PG/WG Leroy Byrd. He is qualified and wants to play D-I ball. He has good court sense and gets into the lane at will. He showed good touch on true jump shots and wasn't hesitant to get hammered to the floor, dust himself off and make the free throws. He missed roughly a quarter due to foul trouble, but finished with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists. He could have had twice as many assists if the big men had done a better job of catching the ball. I'm not saying Byrd can't play D-I ball, but he would likely be a better fit for the D-II state schools or even a top-notch D-III program. He just turned 17 today, so he will get better. He is very well spoken, too. There's much to like about him. D-IIIs should evaluate 6-4 sr. F Sean Brinson. He's still feeling his way to some degree and Kensington's frontcourt players are very raw, but still, he did post a triple double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. Mostly on hustle and desire, sr. G-F Maurice Hunter collected 14 rebounds, 5 steals and 8 assists. Jr. F Farris Robertson also played with heart. He had nine points and relished the assignment of trying to stick Kensington's waterbug guards. Now for those guards . . . What a great show they put on! Baltazar Feliciano, a 5-6, 138-pound jr., played the point. For me he's a spittin' image, playingwise, of Donnel Feaster, a former star at West Philly and Overbrook. He is extremely quick and never, ever gets tired. His shot was slightly off (5-for-16, three treys) on the heels of his 50-point outburst last Thursday vs. Strawberry Mansion, but he had three assists and four steals. Often, he had no trouble dribbling through two and three men when Bok applied pressure. Amauro was in the house (as was Duck). Amauro said Northeast soph Kyle Lowry, also a budding star, has MUCH respect for Feliciano and lists him as the only guy who can consistently give him trouble. 5-11 sr. WG Miguel Mendez is also a windup toy. He had 22 points, three assists and three steals. As Amauro noted more than once, Mendez just competes and competes. Very true! For the moment, the Tigers are very limited up front. Sr. SF Izeem Whitaker (14 points, 8 boards, 5 steals, 4 blocks) is really a WG, but does his best to try to provide an inside presence. In time, soph F Lamont Berrian might be a player.

JAN. 26
SHOWCASE EVENT
Gratz 55, Gtn. Academy 53
   Well, GA had a chance to make a major local statement and couldn't quite do it. Gratz might not be its usual top-dog self, but it is still GRATZ and sometimes that's enough. Honestly, until the stretch run, which turned out to be fantasic, the game was uneven and did little to stir the crowd at Temple's McGonigle Hall (maybe 2,000). With 1:23 left and the score tied at 53-53, GA sr. WG Matt Walsh, a Florida signee, did the unthinkable for him -- he missed both ends of a double bonus. Sr. F Maurice "Marty" Collins grabbed the rebound for Gratz and the Bulldogs wound up holding all the way until the end. The final sequence went like this: Gratz ran a right-side, clear-out for Collins, who lost the ball while trying to shake-and-bake a defender. On the left side, just inside the arc, sr. WG Augie Woodlin recovered the ball and launched what turned out to be an air-ball. Sr. C Micheal Blackshear caught the ball to the left of the basket and, while leaning backward, banked in a layup just before the buzzer to win it. Collins, a VERY deep sub last year, shot 10-for-17 and 5-for-5 for 25 points. He also grabbed 14 rebounds and made three steals. He is definitely drawing favorable comparisons with last year's out-of-nowhere star, Michael Cuffee. Collins showed good instincts in the 12-to-15 foot range. He kept dribbling hard into seams and did a nice job finishing. He appears to be 6-6, maybe 6-7. Blackshear, a Temple signee, settled for 10 points, nine boards. Woodlin and two jr. guards, Omar Johnson and Tariq Wharton, all had three assists apiece. Woodlin added five steals. GA will long lament the developments in this one. Walsh didn't score his first points until 1:40 remained in the first half. Sr. F Lee Melchionni (Duke) didn't score his first points until 3:43 remained in the third quarter. Walsh finished 6-for-14 total and 0-for-3 on treys while going 6-for-9 at the line. He was hounded all game long and rarely, if ever, took a comfortable shot. He did hustle for 10 rebounds. Melchionni had nine points, eight boards. He was limited to 23 minutes by foul trouble. Sr. C Ted Skuchas (Vanderbilt) shot 4-for-6 for eight points; he added just three rebounds. Soph WG Larry Sharp went 3-for-5 on treys en route to 11 points.

JAN. 26
SHOWCASE EVENT
King 54, Paterson Cath. (NJ) 43
   Sr. F Darron Bradley might remember this game for the rest of his life. With numerous college coaches/scouts in attendance, Bradley, who has a qualifying SAT score, shot 8-for-11 and 3-for-5 for 19 points. He also had 11 boards and three steals. The thing was, Bradley was nursing a leg injury and did not start the game! A few times I noticed him limping, but the pain did not keep him from scoring twice on dunks. He was especially impressive in the third quarter, making five straight shots. 6-10 jr. C Wayne Marshall scored nine first quarter points, but took just two shots the rest of the game en route to 10 points. Part of his problem was foul trouble. Part of it was that Bradley was doing well and there was no need for Marshall to force things. Sr. combo G Raheem Scott had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals. Jr. PG Quincy Marshall had three assists. I hope some of the scouts also took a long look at sr. SF Akeem Wright. "Daddy Long Limbs" got tangled a few times while trying to make moves, but once his coordination catches up to his frame, watch out! I have a feeling he's right on the verge of understanding all that is possible for him.

JAN. 25
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Kennedy-Kenrick 52, O'Hara 42
   Who would have thought? Who would have thought the Wolverines could get just seven points from top scorer Ryan Rich, a sr. WG, and still win by 10 points? If this win doesn't give this team confidence going into the second half of league play, nothing will. Covered nicely in a box-and-one by sr. G Ryan Cleary, Rich took just eight shots, making three. He went 1-for-5 on treys and didn't get to the line. Rich is no doubt a D-II prospect and could be a I because he's aggressive and quick and explodes up into his shot very quickly. When he wants to, he can also get into a stance and put on the defensive clamps. When he's being covered the way he was by Cleary, I'd like to see him use his smarts and body control to get to the line more often. Much of the slack was taken up by soph G-F Amarildo Matos, an athlete with developing skills as well. Matos shot 10-for-18 overall, 3-for-5 on treys and 1-for-2 at the line. This kid will have LOTS of fun over the next two seasons. It looks like he's making a conscious effort to add a little more arc to his long shots; maybe two were still line drives. He also made six steals, mostly by flashing into passing lanes. The Rafferty twins, Dan and Mike, also did well. Dan contributed two assists, three steals and much grit. Mike, who can't be taller than 6-foot, claimed eight rebounds. Sr. C Brian Beacham claimed five rebounds (and his mom, as always, was the Wolverines' most vocal, supportive fan -- smile). Sr. F Dan Samarin, recently returned from a injury, had eight points and as many boards off the bench. Jr. F Quincy Goggins made his only two shots, but in the really important news, he missed the pregame photo for the website because he was somewhere having his ankle taped. Get your priorities straight, son! (smile). For O'Hara, an inside presence is often a problem. But sr. F-C Pat Baylor shot 7-for-10 and 4-for-4 for 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a VERY nice effort. But the three veteran guards, srs. Chris Grandieri and Harry Dougherty and jr. Craig Haywood, combined to shoot 7-for-28 from the floor. Also, Cleary missed his only four attempts. O'Hara coach Bud Gardler, who began his career at Kenrick in the 1968-69 season, still needs one win for 500. After I came upstairs from interviewing Rich, Gardler was walking across the gym toward what had been O'Hara's bench area. He reached down and picked up his dusty coat. He'd left it there and the person who rolled up the stands . . . Said Gardler, smiling faintly: "Not only do they beat me, but they throw my coat on the floor, too."

JAN. 24
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 58, Central 56
   The Braves went to 17-0 in wild fashion, getting a late trey from sr. F Richard Francis and then holding their collective breath as Central's Khary Kenyatta missed a trey at the buzzer. Francis, who simply oooooozes offensive talent, had an all-or-nothing day. He went 0-for-5 in the first quarter and then picked up his second and third fouls on the same play (a tech was added on) with 1:49 left in the session. He didn't return until the third quarter and took just five shots thereafter; all went in and three were treys. Perfect swishes, too. As we've noted before, "Franchise" will need prep school as he'll be several credits short of graduation. But what a talent. I just hope he stays focused and maximizes his opportunities. He someday has a chance to earn fistfuls of money playing basketball. No lie. While Francis was out, and even after he returned, jr. WG Bryant Leach was wonderful. He mixed hustle with savvy while making big play after big play. Truthfully, he deserved the write-up, but Francis' late-game show had been SO good, and since he's a senior . . . Leach didn't seem to mind. He stood nearby as I interviewed Francis and was thrilled when Richard mentioned his name. That's a good teammate, folks. (I apologize, but I left the stat sheets in the office and I'm writing this at home. The stats are in my DN story.) PG Charles Jones made two big drives through traffic late in the game. Jrs. Jason Cain and Khalil Abdus-Salaam did somewhat well inside. I hate to think what these guys will be like next year after adding more weight and seasoning. Bartram has a chance to become Gratz Southwest, if you get my drift. To some degree, I felt bad for Central. The undersized Lancers worked so hard while throwing a major scare into a team that had stomped them, 61-42, in the Olney Christmas Tournament. Sr. G Sharif Bray was the prime reason. He shot 7-for-12 (one trey) and 8-for-8 for 23 points and dished six assists (if I remember correctly). He showed heady/calm play throughout and didn't force on the final possession, instead finding the open Kenyatta. Sr. WG Khalif Leek dug in hard on Francis. Bray made a beautiful pass to sr. SF Richard Campbell for an alley-oop dunk, thus causing the fans to go nuts. The legendary Tom "Hockey Puck" McKenna was on hand to help with stats. A great finish and Puck for a sidekick. Does it get any better? Don't answer that.

JAN. 22
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 60, King 57
   My DN story focused on the "Only in The Pub" nature of the day, with a 55-minute delay because no refs were on hand. Then, Mark Vinitzky, who came to watch the last quarter on the way home from reffing Central-Edison, did the last half of this one with Kevin Williams. It was hard to make any further evaluations on NE 6-7 sr. C Chaz Crawford because he kept leaving the game due to fouls. He had one rebound and four points. I still like him as a prospect (his father, David, is gigantic!) and now I like him as a kid because we had a small conservation during the delay and I could tell Chaz is sharp. 6-4 Jr. F Troy Roundtree also had trouble staying on the floor. He had 12 points and six boards. (His pop, Jim, is 6-10 and large.) I'd like to see Troy's body get a little livelier. He still lumbers a shade and doesn't show the quick burst to get around people. What he does, he does very well, though. The Vikes' star was 5-9 soph guard Kyle Lowry. I told Kyle I was going to name him Kyle "Goes a While" because he goes non-stop. This kid is so damn aggressive and has no fear! He still shoots the ball from the left side of his head and that WILL have to change at some point, but there is much to like about his game and even more about his demeanor. I'm told he works on his skills like a madman. I just hope he's also paying attention to schoolwork. 6-4 jr. F Shawn Taylor had nine points, seven boards and three steals and went 7-for-7 at the line. Two of the free throws put NE ahead for good, at 58-57. King, playing for the fourth time in five days, looked great in a 23-10 first quarter, but then became tired or unfocused or both. How strange is this? 6-10 jr. C Wayne "Gobby" Marshall had all 21 of his points in the first and third quarters and took NO shots in the second or fourth. He had four and-ones, seven rebounds and five steals. King did a great job of passing the ball around NE's zone, but then gave up good shots to take medium shots four to five passes later. The Cougars became disoriented after sr. G Raheem "Team Glue" Scott fouled out with 4:08 left. Sr. SFs Akeem Wright and Darron Bradley had a few good moments, but they also were non-factors down the stretch. In time, I have a feeling Bradley will be the guy to develop the eye-of-the-tiger personality this team needs in the frontcourt. He appears to "get" it.

JAN. 21
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 52, Roman 50
   Let's all take a deep breath. Ahhhhh. We needed that. It was one of those nights. The Roman people gave Speedy Morris a desk clock in recognition of his 400 high school wins, 347 of which came at Roman in 14 seasons ending in 1981. How fitting -- the scoreboard clock figured prominently in the highly controversial ending. Down by 50-49, Prep inbounded with 11 seconds left in front of its bench. After a few passes, jr. C Mark Zoller (24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals) drove the right side of the lane and fired a pass on the right wing to soph PG Chris Clark. He air-balled a trey and, in a mad scramble for the rebound underneath, Roman sr. SF Jon Duperon, while on the floor, pushed the ball with one hand to try to get it out of the area. It squirted toward halfcourt and was picked up by Prep jr. WG T.J. Valerio, who heaved about a 40-footer while absorbing contact. After a slight hesitation, and with Morris just beginning to scream at him, ref Pat Nolan blew his whistle. Here's what I think: in a tie game, Nolan likely would have found a way to ignore the contact and send the game to OT. In that situation, he probably said to himself, "Man, this sucks. That was a prayer with no chance of going, but he hit him and I gotta call it." The bigger controversy was whether time had run out. Whenever a game is coming down to a last shot, I do play-by-play into my tape recorder because I figure it's easier to see and talk than see and write. I was seated at midcourt and the shot was launched 10 to 15 feet away from me. Nolan was standing maybe 5 to 8 feet away. On the tape, the horn is NOT audible. I even played it for a few guys in the office. They agreed. No horn. If I didn't hear it, and my tape recorder didn't "hear" it, it's likely Nolan didn't hear it either (if it even sounded). As Valerio -- at first I thought it was jr. F Kyle Eisenmann; Amauro assured me it wasn't -- was getting the ball, I took a quick look at the clock to see whether he'd have enough time. It was flashing from 1.6 to 1.5 to 1.4 -- right in that area. So, he MIGHT have gotten the shot off in time. But there was no way 2.1 seconds were left when Nolan blew his whistle; that amount of time was put back on the clock after Nolan and the other ref, Mike Jackson, had a discussion with timer Dan Hoban. Maybe the feeling was, "Roman's getting screwed here to some degree. At least they'll have a chance to win after these free throws." Anyway, Valerio was clutch, nailing all three shots. Roman got the ball to midcourt and called a timeout at 1.2. Oddly, the inbounder was soph WG-SF Andre Sloan-El, the team's most dangerous long-range shooter. He got the ball to the right corner, where freshman G Bobby Jordan missed a trey that indeed would have won it. Zoller was excellent all night after an early slipup -- a traveling violation -- that got him yanked and dressed down, big-time, by Morris. He shot 10-for-16 and 4-for-5, made a series of tough, in-traffic catches and, like always, was light on his feet. He went right around defenders more than once. Clark gave the Hawks -- the Prep folks are dying to ditch Hawklets as the nickname -- an early boost by going 3-for-3 on treys in the first quarter (of 11 points total in the session). The other Preppers went 3-for-21. Amauro will handle the Roman end. I know one thing: the Cahillites have to find a way to get Charron Fisher more than six shots from the floor. He should get six a quarter.

JAN. 20
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Carroll 52, Bonner 45
   I'm not a fan of Sunday night games. They make things very hectic and I don't get to enjoy the day. Like you care, right? Carroll continued its climb back to respectability by getting a strong inside showing from 6-7 jr. C Jordan Ingram, who shot 6-for-8 and 5-for-5 for 17 points. He also had 12 rebounds and five blocks while outdueling 6-8 Vince Taraborrelli (five, six, one). Ingram is likely the city's best shot-blocker because he exhibits good patience. His long arms enable him to wait until the shooter commits. He has still has a year to improve his offensive footwork, but he's a good student and kid and should at least be able to play Patriot/Ivy ball. Jr. PG Kashif Payne had 14 points and four assists (along with SIX boards). I'd still like coach John Roe to let 'Shif go end to end a little more often. He's excellent in transition. The other headliner was soph F Mike Springman, who shot 5-for-10 and 5-for-5 for 15 points. He showed good aggression when given any kind of room to maneuver. He also did a nice defensive job on sr. G-F Matt Kearney. Kearney took just six shots through three quarters. He did heat it up a little in the fourth, nailing three consecutive shots (with a trey included), but the Carroll coaches had to be very happy overall with Springman's effort and results. Sr. F Anthony Bennett had 14 points for Bonner. He had two eye-popping moves -- a steal and three-quarter-court drive capped by a chin-up dunk and a spinning move through the lane for an easy layup. He also showed nice touch on some short baseline jumpers. Prospect alert! D-II schools should be jumping on him with both feet!! In crowd news, Koz and Brownie (and friends) didn't arrive until the second quarter, so points must be deducted. They showed good energy, though, and took off their shirts. File that under Sight to Behold. At halftime, Koz was running around one end launching shots from all over. He did hit a trey, but most of his attempts resulted in airballs. Good entertainment, though. Oh, almost forgot. Koz went with the shorts and no socks look. The boy is wacked.

JAN. 20
CATHOLIC NORTH
La Salle 65, Conwell-Egan 49
   I was pleasantly surprised by the 'Splorers. I thought this might be Rob Sullivan (the focus of my DN story; I covered his game in detail there) and a bunch of pretenders, but no, La Salle has some potential. Jr. PG Chris Reedman is small, yet energetic and brassy. When open, he showed no hesitation to launch. He had 11 points, four assists. His backup, jr. Matt "I Won't Get Served Until I'm 35" McGurkin had a big FG and three dishes. (Matt looks very young. He's a fan of the site. I'm just kidding with him. I liked how he carried himself!) Soph WG Kevin Moll drained two consecutive treys during a stretch when La Salle made third-quarter headway and went 5-for-8 total for 12 points. He also had four steals. Jrs. Doug Kelly and Will Furey were hardly world-beaters inside, but they had enough of a presence. F Sean Fedyna, the team's only senior aside from Sullivan, played tough defense on C-E star Andrew Holland, a sr. SF. Holland hit just one of his first six shots and went 6-for-16 total (4-for-10 on treys). Three of his FGs came in borderline garbage time. It's a shame this team doesn't have one more reliable scorer because Holland would have more room to operate. C-E's two main inside players were 6-5 soph Dan Gibney (eight points, seven boards) and 6-3 frosh Mark Kostic (eight, four). Coach Rich Schafer ran a few plays for Kostic and the kid delivered by showing poise, body control and strength, so I'm sure that boosted his confidence. The Eagles' downfall was turnovers. They made a lot of sloppy passes that had no chance of leading to something good. I watched the game with Mike Tos, an assistant AD at C-E (he also has about 12 other jobs). We both talk at low volume. I have almost no idea what he said. He probably has almost no idea what I said.  We're both better off, probably. At one point, a La Salle fan named Billy Loughrey came over to mention he'd stumbled on a Daily News from 1993 that had a vintage picture of the three Markward Award winners. Public (and overall Markward winner: Rasheed Wallace. Catholic: Marc Jackson. Inter-Ac: Alvin Williams. Not bad. All three are in the NBA. 

JAN. 18
CATHOLIC NORTH
McDevitt 45, North Catholic 44 (OT)
   More than a few people asked me, "Why are you HERE?" Well, we do try to spread around the coverage and I figured both teams would be hungry. The game went to OT and had some good performances, so how bad is that? My DN story focused on sr. PG Isaiah Pinckney, who zigged and zagged to 17 points. Despite his dimensions (5-10, 140), he's pretty successful at getting into the lane because he's smart and uses a good change of pace on his dribble. That's kind of a lost art, but Pinckney has it. He's hearing from IIs and IIIs and is said to be an outstanding young man. He boasts a 3.3 GPA and has an 890 SAT score. The other notable Lancers in this one were 6-5 jr. C Mike Ross and jr. WG Chris Hanes. Ross, a lefty, needs to take a deep breath and relax. He shows some decent skills, but he tries to do 12 things at once every time he gets the ball and often has his head down. He easily gets frustrated as well. As he matures and becomes more confident, I'm sure his rough edges will disappear. He shot 3-for-12 and 6-for-10 and grabbed 14 rebounds. Hanes, also a lefty, has one of those classic jump-shooter looks. He usually takes a dribble or two before shooting, but he did nail at least one stand-still trey. He has a Public League look; he'd be hard to contain in an up-and-down setting. He went 6-for-12 total and 3-for-6 on treys. Sr. WG Bill Holden went 0-for-9 and scored just one point, but did have three assists and two steals. Sr. SF Mark Finley grabbed five rebounds and overall did a respectable defensive job on a guy, sr. WG Donnie Welte, who's pretty tough to cover. Welte scored 14 points while shooting 7-for-18. (He never got to the line. North shot just three free throws and one of them was wiped out by a lane violation.) Welte has very quick hands and good feet, too. He's equally effective on the move or standing still and has terrific court sense as well (six assists). I understand why he's not the point guard on this team, but I feel he could be one in college. He'll make a solid D-III player. Maybe even approach star status. North's star in waiting, soph G-F Charlie Evans, had 11 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks. Sr. F Charlie Hook had 10 points and nine rebounds. Sr. PG Craig Lonergan, a lefty, missed his first five treys, all in the first half, and didn't shoot again until 0:42 remained in regulation. That trey tied the game at 42-42 (assist to Welte). Lonergan missed a medium-range jumper at the end of regulation and couldn't connect on an in-traffic layup at the end of OT. McDevitt had gone ahead with 5.2 seconds left on a free throw by Ross. At the other end, he'd deflected Hook's layup (another good pass by Welte), rebounded and drawn a foul. While doing my interview with Pinckney, I found I'd covered his father, Terry (Olney), and uncle, Steve (Northeast), back in the day. Both were big, strong guys. Maybe Isaiah will fill out, too.

JAN. 18
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Carroll 51, SJ Prep 43
   I was expecting a great atmosphere. Alas, not too many Prep kids hung around after taking morning exams. This game sometimes gave off a scrimmage vibe because the gym was so quiet. Still, it wasn't bad. My DN story focused on sr. WG Ned Dougherty, who recently wrote a fight song to bring the team together. He hit four treys and his jump-shooting could turn out to be VERY important for a team that desperately needs an outside presence. He had 17 points total and a gigantic trey (pass from sr. F Evan Dittler) to make it 44-40 and send the Patriots on their way. The tiny PGs, Carroll jr. Kashif Payne and Prep soph Chris Clark, had a vintage battle. They counted each other's fillings all game long. Jr. C Jordan Ingram mixed 8 points, 15 boards, 7 blocks. He had four of those blocks in the first two minutes. Prep got few comfortable looks against Carroll's man-to-man defense. Soph WG John Griffin finished with 12 points, but he was 4-for-4 in the second quarter and otherwise 1-for-12. Once 6-6 jr. C Mark Zoller (15 points, 17 boards, 3 steals) fouled out with just under 4:00 left, Prep's chances of winning were greatly reduced. Interesting tidbit: Prep had just two treys. Both were by the sons of former Kenrick players. T.J. Valerio is Tom's son; Kyle Eisenmann is Rich's son. In a brief pregame ceremony, Speedy Morris was given a painted ball in recognition of recently collecting his 400th high school win.

JAN. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Mansion 93, Eng. and Science 73
   This is the best Maureece Rice has ever looked. The 6-foot jr. WG shot 16-for-23 overall (two treys) en route to 36 of the easiest points imaginable. He has really learned body control and when to go quick and when go to medium (or even slow) and how to get off his shot in the smallest possible space. So many players these days care not a bit about the mid-range game. Reece has it down pat. His body always looks the same to me, but he might be in better shape, too, because he almost never was short on his jumper and that's usually a telltale sign that a guy is dragging. E&S tried to match up on Rice out of a zone. Didn't matter. He abused everyone. I've feared for a long while that Rice will wind up as a playground legend. I get better vibes now, though. Somewhere in the Strawberry Mansion community, doesn't there have to be a business owner/leader/politician/somebody who could "adopt" this kid and truly show an interest, thus assuring that he'll maximize his potential? I hope so. Coach Gerald Hendricks can't do this alone. Rice had a balanced effort. He also had 4 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks, 2 assists. 6-2 sr. WG Aaron Brown was also impressive. He is quietly being eyed by La Salle; he just turned 17. He shot 6-for-14 and made all eight of his free throws for 22 points. He appears to be playing with great confidence. No wonder. His skills keep mushrooming. Jr. F-C Delton Morgan-Hines settled for eight points after incurring early foul trouble. Sr. F-C Dawud Morris had seven boards and four blocks. Sr. PG Maurice Stennis was his quietly efficient self (nine points, six assists). E&S again struggled in an important road game. Coach C.M. Brown tried various combinations, but few clicked. The Engineers rarely got comfortable shots and showed defensive deficiencies. Some were in garbage time, but sr. PG-WG Justin Scott had some VERY good moments. He was light on his feet and seized the baseline again and again. He didn't always finish (10-for-26, 26 points), but he was mostly polished and definitely aggressive. He also had six boards, four dishes. Sr. F-C Matthew Jefferson had 15 points, 11 boards, 4 blocks. Jr. Andrew Martin did not play in the first half (not that I remember, anyway), but he shot 3-for-3 in the second. He's about 6-5 and raw. Somehow or another, he'll probably be decent next year. E&S always has late-blooming frontcourt players. On the way into Mansion, I couldn't get over how bright and clean the place looked. No wall scrawls anywhere! I mentioned how impressed I was to AD Charles Sumter, the PL basketball chairman, and he laughingly demanded I mention it in the paper. This ain't the paper, but it's close. The Mansion folks are to be commended.

JAN. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Roxborough 51, Masterman 47
   Let's start with an "Only in the Pub" moment -- organized cursing by cheerleaders. In the first half, every time a Masterman kid would go to the line, Roxborough's cheerleaders would stomp their feet and yell as the kid shot. If the shot missed, they'd yell, "THANK you!" If the shot went in, they'd yell, "F--- you!" I kid you not. Also taking part were kids behind the cheerleaders. Masterman coach John Gannon was amazed. He said to me, "Are they saying what I think they're saying?" I told him, "Sure sounds like it." At halftime, I had a talk with Roxborough's athletic director, Cliff Hubbard. He sounded skeptical, but promised to listen closely. The first time a Masterman kid made a free throw, they did it again. Cliff walked over and forcefully told them to knock it off. It didn't happen again. The cheerleading coach was sitting right next to the girls the whole time and never said a word. She appeared to be marking papers. "Only in the Pub." As for the game, my DN story focused on 6-5 sr. F Dahliek Powell. 'Liek has a chance to be a D-I player. He's very athletic, can jump like crazy and has a good shooting touch. He was hampered in this one by an early thigh injury and had to sit down for a while, but he went 6-for-6 at the line in the last 2:00 to help win it. His best buddy, sr. WG Armond Saunders, had 18 points. He was a nice complement. Soph PG Tyrone Crawley took a series of treys from NBA-plus range, but made just one. The Elliott brothers, sr. Chris and jr. Jon, combined for 13 boards. Masterman's franchise is 5-10 sr. WG Labeeb Muhammad. This kid is perpetual motion. He goes hard and can get off a shot at any time. It was hard to tell how he would run an offense because he's really the team's only reliable scorer and he had to keep looking to the hoop. He finished 6-for-22 (many near-misses), 1-for-10 on treys and 11-for-13 at the line. He is being eyed by some D-IIs and IIIs. He is a B student with 1,050 on the SAT, according to coach Gannon. I loved his energy and will. The gym was hot and I have a feeling he got tired by the end. The other Challenger with some potential is 6-4 jr. C Brian Holsey, a lefty. He had 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Jr. WG Brenden Stoner, who created a tie at 41-41 by canning a trey on a pass from Muhammad, is the nephew of famed college women's coach Vivian Stringer. And people say I don't follow the women's game (smile). They're right, actually. Gannon told me about the relationship.

JAN. 14
CATHOLIC NORTH
Dougherty 69, Conwell-Egan 51
   Now this was a wonderful night. It was great to see Cuttino "Cat" Mobley have his No. 12 jersey retired and even better to see how well he handled the wave after wave of people who wanted to interact with him. Cat could not have been more accomodating. The ceremony was the focus of my DN story. As for the game, the Cardinals in time were able to slightly relax, but C-E played hard under energetic first-year coach Rich Schafer and sr. F Andrew Holland had some VERY good moments. The 6-3 Holland last Friday became just the second player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points -- Jerry Friedrich did it in 1961 before then-Egan even joined the Catholic League. He has a strong first step, decent side-to-side maneuverability and a quick release. His best skill in this one was being able to use the rim for protection on baseline drives, as at least three times he smoothly canned reverse layups. He shot 10-for-22, 4-for-10 on treys and 6-for-12 (ouch) at the line for 30 points. He went only 2-for-9 in the second half while shooting toward the Looney Bin. Maybe he was just off. Maybe he was distracted. Maybe he was tired. Amauro and I were sitting together. We both liked Holland. Our opinion: the D-II state schools aren't out of the question because he's much tougher to guard than you'd think. No one else scored more than six points for the Eagles. Soph WG Ryan O'Hara looked to have some potential, sr. PG Joe Lamina was feisty and sr. F Greg Klausa mixed 6 points, 7 boards, 4 steals. I liked that two freshmen, G Matt Burns and F-C Mark Kostic, did not seem to be the least bit overwhelmed. CD's leader was soph F Shane Clark, who shot 8-for-14 and 5-for-6 for 21 points and grabbed nine boards. Jr. WG Isaac Greer went for 11 points and appeared to be more comfortable than in recent outings. Soph F Bilal Benn had 14 points and 12 boards. He's becoming a valuable two-way player. Soph PG Timmy Smith, a backup, bombed home two treys en route to eight points, stirring the crowd all the while. Jr. PG Shawn Bolling, another backup PG, somehow grabbed 11 rebounds while also dishing six assists. The starter, sr. Mike McDonald, had kind of a lost night, but near the end made a couple of great passes and finished with four assists. Deep subs Andrew Matysik and Matt Martin hit a bucket apiece, thus sending the Looney Bin occupants into a frenzy. The Bin Boys were wild. Some of the beefier members stood right behind the basket and rubbed their exposed bellies while C-E guys were shooting free throws. It was quite a sight. QB Sean McGovern did not participate. He has not eaten nearly enough junk food (smile).

JAN. 13
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Bonner 54, O'Hara 51
   This was Bonner's second close win of the weekend, and O'Hara's second close loss. The atmosphere at O'Hara was strange. There was a decent crowd, but very little actual cheering/emotion/juice. Last things first: the final possession featured O'Hara looking to tie. Jr. PG Craig Haywood was slightly long with a straight-on trey. The rebound caromed long to the left wing where sr. WG Harry Dougherty made the catch and backed up beyond the arc. His one-handed heave hit the rim and bounced high. Just when I was thinking, "This still might have a chance," the ball hit the wire that supports the basket. Ballgame. My DN story was about 6-8, 240-pound sr. C Vince Taraborrelli, who is producing (13 points, 12 rebounds) now that he has found a way to avoid deep foul trouble. He is hearing from IIs and IIIs. He grabbed some in-traffic rebounds and did pretty well around the basket. Of course, he probably outweighed his main competitor, sr. C Pat Baylor, by 80 pounds. He was SUPPOSED to do well. Coach Jim "Goose" Welde said sr. G-F Matt Kearney has been playing on a sprained ankle and has been practicing just once a week. Kearney shot 3-for-7 (one trey) en route to nine points. He made nifty passes on Bonner's first three possessions, thus setting a nice early tone. Sr. F Anthony Bennett shot 6-for-8 and 4-for-6 for 16 points. He made a few mini-drives and converted. At least twice, he looked a shade unpolished but still managed to get the ball into the basket. Jr. Frank Nunan (starter) and sr. Kevin LeSage and jr. Mike Shalon did well sharing the point. Nunan had 13 points. LeSage made what turned out to be a brassy entry pass to Taraborrelli with 0:03 left in the first half. He lobbed the ball over Taraborrelli's head and O'Hara sr. WG Chris Grandieri was called for his third foul. That affected how Grandieri approached the game in the third quarter. (Grandieri still was impressive overall, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His teammates combined for just eight more boards). Baylor shot 5-for-5 while scoring 13 points. The teams combined to make their first 24 free throws. Before the game, one of O'Hara's assistants showed me a tape of the Roman-O'Hara finish from Friday. Roman's Tyree Wallace definitely walked on the final possession, which resulted in Charron Fisher's easy basket.

JAN. 11
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Gtn. Academy 64, Episcopal 45
    The hardest decision in sports writing, sometimes, is deciding who gets the write-up. GA had two strong candidates and the verdict was . . . Lee Melchionni. Sr. WG Matt Walsh (Florida) made his first seven shots (four treys included) and finished with 31 points. How, you're thinking, could Melchionni have topped that? Well, I don't know that he topped it, but his contributions on both ends were very important, and I figured he might like to have the chance to go on record and respond to all the folks who think he made a questionable decision by signing with Duke. Anyway, the 6-7 sr. F had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Probably more important, he forced 6-6 Rhdoe Island signee Terrence Mack (13 points, 13 boards) to shoot 3-for-18 from the floor. Had Mack enjoyed early success, the Churchmen would have fed off that and likely hung around deep into the game. "Melc" prevented that. Walsh finished 10-for-17 (5-for-8 on treys) and 6-for-7. He added nine boards, four assists, three steals. He's one of those rare shooters who can take a hurried look and release the ball in an instant, yet still shoot with confidence and, better yet, a soft touch. As a defender, nothing is more frustrating than thinking you're right there and doing a great job and then, boom, somebody gives you a facial in the form of a three. Walsh is GREAT at that. Six-11 Ted Skuchas (Vanderbilt) did little on offense, and didn't get a chance to do much. He settled for four points, six rebounds, six blocks. Another terrific defensive job was done by sr. PG Jeff Curtin. Episcopal jr. WG Matt Deasey is a dangerous shooter from distance. In this one he only had one attempt (a made trey) deep into the third quarter and Curtin's stickiness was the reason. An encouraging note for the Churchmen: jr. PG Ronnie Frazier had a decent game (10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals). I'd been fearful he was regressing and falling out of favor (maybe he was hurt for a while?). But he showed aggressiveness and played hard even as the game got out of hand.

JAN. 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 61, Overbrook 54
   The Pioneers have no eyebrow-raisers, but all 11 guys -- yes, 11 -- in coach Bernie Handler's rotation appear to have heart and one-for-all, all-for-one qualities and there's a WHOLE lot to be said for that. The emotional leader is 6-3, 250-pound sr. F-C Donte Wood, the subect of my DN story. He takes up space and takes up the cause for togetherness, and his teammates respect the hell out of him. He went for 12 points and 11 boards. Sr. F Tyree Draft, skinnier but just as rugged, had 13 points, 10 boards and a thunder dunk to end the suspense. Overall, the most impressive Pioneer was soph G Mark Tyndale. He's not a pure point guard, but he spent some time at that position in the third quarter when sr. Isaiah "Zeke or Ike" Thomas sat down with foul trouble. Tyndale had five of his six assists in that stretch. He kept using his long legs to make big-boy moves around defenders and his GREAT vision to hit teammates with pinpoint passes. He could be a goodie. 'Brook was largely lethargic. Frankford players would keep getting baskets and the Hilltoppers would keep looking at each other with expressions that said, "Now, who should have been covering HIM?" Sr. WG Angelo Hernandez walked into the gym just a few minutes before tipoff (he was said to be taking a late exam). He shot 8-for-20 (1-for-7 on treys) and 4-for-8 for 21 points. I have a theory on why his jumpers are often off: He almost never lands even close to where he took off. That means he's off-balance as he's releasing the ball and, thus, his sighting is off. He added seven boards and four steals. Sr. SF Shawn Ikokwu, Angelo's first cousin, was steady with 10 and nine. Sr. C Kristian Clarkson tried his best, but appeared to have some trouble dealing with the aggressive Wood and Draft. (Kristian's best days are ahead. He'll be OK in time.) Jr. F Elijah Tolbert, who does have some bulk, grabbed 11 rebounds, but shot just 2-for-12. Sr. PG Murvin English had 10 points, three assists. I doubt he was happy with his performance. 'Brook's fans did little to help their team. They went off when Ikokwu had a first half, leap-through-the-basket dunk, but were mostly quiet otherwise, allowing Frankford to never get an uh-oh feeling. Handler kept muttering funny comments as goofy things happened. At one point he said he wanted to switch jobs, so he could cover games and not have the coaching headaches. I declined his offer. Ex-Franklin coach Ken Hamilton was in attendance. He's involved with operating a charter school not far from 'Brook. Because Hernandez was late getting to the gym, I did not take the team photo beforehand. Afterward, coach Ron Ford gathered everyone so we could take the photo. That was a classy move after a loss. The players even hung in there when the camera balked a little bit. Frustrated that the flash wasn't working, I brought the camera down in front of my chest and, boom, the flash went off. I took a photo of my sneaker! Afterward, Hernandez said to me dryly, "Are you going to have a picture of our floor on the website? It's the best in the league." Well, the floor and my sneaker. Here it is . . .

JAN. 8
PUBLIC LEAGUE
King 60, Dobbins 52
   I'd been hearing great things about King, collectively and individually, from Amauro and others and guess what -- everybody was correct. I like this squad very much. Thanks to crafty lefty combo G Raheem Scott, a sr. receiving low to mid I interest (Temple might even be sniffing), this team plays hard and unselfishly. At 6-2, 200, Scott has a good body. He'll play the point in college. He's not the fastest guy ever, but when you think about it, how many of John Chaney's truly good guards have been? Also, very many have been lefthanded; we'll see what happens. I sang Scott's praises rather thoroughly in the DN, so here we'll concentrate on others. Srs. first. The Cougars have three guys all in the 6-5 range, give or take, who can do similiar things. D-IIs should look hard at all of them and even low Is might see something they like. Darron Bradley is already qualified. He's strong with the ball and is one of those rare leapers who gets off his feet quick and can hang in the air as well. He had some foul trouble and didn't get to completely do his thing, but he was still impressive. I LOVE Akeem Wright's long-range possibilities. Buildwise, he resembles Syracuse frosh Hakim Warrick -- arms and legs forever. He's pretty skilled with the ball, too. I want to see him again on a larger floor, but even in the heavy traffic in Dobbins' cramped quarters he was able to maneuver through and around people; he also has a feathery shot. Rayheem Brown is in the same mold as Wright. Not as polished yet, but also worth a look. Now for 6-10 jr. Wayne "Gobby" Marshall -- WOW! He has changed completely from last season, when he gave a sleepyhead impression and was usually timid. Now he's energized and plays with authority and enjoys himself. He had even dropped off the map for a time while deciding whether he wanted to have a love affair with the sport, or drop it. Check this out: A few times King used a 1-3-1 fullcourt press and Marshall was the up-front guy. That meant he was chasing people like crazy. And he was doing it well! He also played out front in a halfcourt trap. Once, Marshall pinned a guy to the sideline, tipped a pass, jumped up and guided the ball back inbounds to a teammate. I was sitting with playground guru Littel Vaughn. I thought 'Tel was going to run out and slap Marshall five right in the middle of the action. Meanwhile, Wayne's first cousin, jr. PG Quincy Marshall, had 11 assists and three steals. (Their dads, Wayne and Quincy, played for G-town. Their uncle, Rick Reed, played for Abington and Temple). Dobbins recovered after falling into a 30-11 hole. But overall, these guys did too much 1-on-1. A telltale sign: sr. PG Ronald Davis had just one assist. (Much credit should go to King's defense, which usually shut off passing lanes). Jr. F Tyrell Mathis, a lefty, had 16 points. The beefy Patrick Grant, a sr. F-C, shot 10-for-12 at the line en route to 14 points. He also had eight rebounds.

JAN. 6
CATHOLIC NORTH
Judge 67, North Catholic 50
   This will sound strange considering these schools are big-time rivals, but the most drama (and fan reaction) came when backup sr. C Joe Lorenti entered the game for Judge in the waning moments. Joe's most important job is to chest-bump Judge's starters as they run onto the court after being introduced. When Joe got the ball and was fouled, the buzz began. When he missed his first free throw, everybody groaned in unison. When he sank the second, the place erupted. As Joe ran back downcourt, Goose, Fat Ringo and the Abyss Boys began chanting, "M-V-P! M-V-P!" In my own career, such as it was, at Penn Charter, I was Joe Lorenti. I can relate. Maybe we need a Joe Lorenti Report of the Day (smile). Anyway, North killed itself in this one by shooting 3-for-23 on treys. In the first half, won by Judge, 25-17, North made no shot outside of 8 feet (pretty sure). Judge was led by 6-3 sr. CG Ryan Haigh, the subject of my DN story. He looked confident and calm while collecting 20 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He reminds me of the Whitworth brothers, Tom and Tim, former stars at Chestnut Hill. Tim is at Drexel, so I wouldn't rule out Ryan as a D-I player. He has made great improvement in one year and works his tail off. Put it this way: I can think of some other guys who received D-I scholarships and didn't have nearly as much potential. Sr. Kevin Pierce and jr. Bill Geiger did respectable jobs at the point. Both had five assists and made the ball hop. Jr. F Jim Glowienka didn't score and took just two shots, but clutched nine rebounds. Jr. F-C Tom Keenan shot 5-for-9 for 11 points. Soph Steve Wolf, who mostly set up in the post, had nine points and five boards. He looks taller every time I see him. My guess is that he's 6-4. For North, sr. WG Donnie Welte was impressive even though he was off (5-for-14) from the floor. He used his quick feet and swivel hips to go around anybody and everybody. I would like to see him develop his mid-range game. I'd imagine he has the skills to make a quick move, stop short and drain 10-footers all day instead of continuing all the way into traffic. For the moment, North's big guys are not enough of a threat that the defense has to respect them. Thus, the world comes to greet Welte in the basket area. The Charlies, sr. Hook and soph Evans, had off days. They went 1-for-6 and 1-for-8 on treys, respectively.

JAN. 5
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Gtn. Academy 71, Penn Charter 58
   Beforehand, I was thinking PC might try to hold the ball against the high (as in tall) and mighty (as in nationally ranked) Patriots. Not to be knuckleheads, make things boring and be able to brag afterward of a close loss, but because it might have afforded, literally, the best chance at a win. Two starters, soph G Rob Kurz and F-C Mike Boles, are ineligible for leagues games as transfers, so the lineup featured 6-5 jr. F Matt Ryan and four guys 6-foot and under. But coach Jim "Flipper" Phillips took GA head-on and still got a close loss and in the long run, I'm sure his approach will pay nicer dividends. There was a funny exchange around the moment the game changed: With maybe 40 seconds left in the third quarter, GA coach Jim Fenerty, with his team up 51-47, gave out hold-for-the-last-shot orders. As the clock wound down, Phillips stood up and yelled, "Tremendous! We'll take this! Tremendous! THEY don't want to play with US!" A steal ensued and fresh PG Zack Zeglinski went in for a layup. At the last second, sr. WG Matt Walsh (Florida) arrived to swat the shot and he was very animated afterward, yelling and gesturing, "Get that out of here! Get that out of here!" When the fourth quarter resumed, GA made a couple of nice plays in a row and Fenerty yelled, "Tremendous! Tremendous!" Phillips smirked and said, "He's a good puppet." PC and GA have been playing each other in various sporting endeavors since 1887, so you have to understand when those involved get a little testy. This was the best 6-11 sr. C Ted Skuchas (Vanderbilt) has ever looked. Yes, he was going against much smaller people. That doesn't phase me. I liked that he showed good footwork, coordination and aggressiveness. When he was in position to dunk the ball, he went up and did it! Four times, in fact. With Walsh (10 points, 11 rebounds) and 6-7 sr. F Lee Melchionni (Duke, 13 points, 1,004 for his career) being paid special attention in a junk defense, sr. PG Jeff Curtin and soph WG Larry Sharp had lots of room to operate. Curtin had 8 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds. Sharp shot 8-for-11 overall and 3-for-5 on treys for 19 points. PC's headliner was 8th grade WG Joe Zeglinski, who shot 7-for-13 overall and 6-for-10 on treys for 20 points. Most of his misses were right on target, too. I don't think another city 8th grader has scored 20 points in a varsity game and there's no way another has drilled six treys. (Eighth graders can't play in the CL and PL.) Ryan had 10 points, six boards. Z. Zeglinski had 11 points, seven assists. Hustler of the Game Award went to 6-foot sr. F-C Mike McKenna, who now starts after being a low-playing-time sub. He sacrificed his body again and again, and almost put a few GA guys on the disabled list. One time he low-bridged Skuchas and said immediately, "Oops. I didn't mean that." It did appear to be accidental.

JAN. 5
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Haverford School 58, Chestnut Hill 48
   In comparison to the tripleheader's other two games, this one had a JV look. But in its own way, it was enjoyable because everyone played hard. Perhaps both teams realized chances for league wins will be scant. The featured Ford was sr. G Cameron Youngblood. This guy was taking mail at the foul line. He attempted 21 free throws, making 16. He went 4-for-7 from the floor (one trey) for 25 points. I'm not sure what to make of 'Blood. He's very unorthodox, but he has obviously has good body control and smarts and there's much to be said for born scorers. Division I or II? I'm not sure. A coach would have to watch him a few times in assorted situations and see whether an attraction develops. At the least, he can go to a good D-III school and likely have a nice career. 6-2 sr. F Brandon Conrad shot 5-for-6 en route to 11 points. He was interesting. Just when it looked like he was in trouble and/or confused, he'd break around a defender and flip in a shot. Soph PG Pete Kathopoulis went 5-for-5 at the line en route to nine points and showed some late-game brass. Soph F Dan Coleman collected 9 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks. For CHA, perhaps the skinniest team I've ever seen (except for sr. F Justin "John Candy" Detwiler), sr. G Nick Levine shot 4-for-15 (one trey) and 5-for-6 for 14 points. He also had seven rebounds. Jr. F Joe Watkins had the best overall performance, shooting 6-for-12 and 3-for-4 for 15 points and getting three steals. He showed good mid-range skills and made the game's most athletic drive to the basket, twice slighty altering his course to get around defenders.