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Archive for January, 2009

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Shore Wrap Up

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

This time of year tells you so much about your team. You get to answer some important questions! For example: how has your team dealt with injuries? What is your team’s chemistry?Is your team getting better? Have the players on your team accepted their roles?Finally,what is your team’s identity? Players must know that when the chips are down they have something they can count on. SJVs’ identity is pressing and trapping, RFHs’ identity is defense and Colts Neck is guard play. These teams never lose sight of who they are or what their bread and butter is. This gets me to where I want to start today. Each week I learn more and more about the best teams and better players in Ocean County. Sharkey in my mind is a First team All Shore Player because she is doing something few players can do. Put a team on her back and make them a real threat. I still say her performance against Rumson was breath taking. Her season high game of 42 points tells you how dominant she can be at times. Another team I want to talk about from Ocean County is Jackson Memorial! If you have not seen them play, go do so ASAP. They are an interesting group lead by a dynamic young coach, Rachel Goodale. Her team has an Identity and they play with purpose. I went to this game hoping to get a good look at Caitlyn Testa and Christa Evans. Instead I found myself saying I have found a new star in the coaching ranks. This woman is special. Why do you ask? She has a presence that you can see the moment she hits the floor. She is a motivator. Her team plays with total discipline and she is an effective communicator. How do I know this? It’s simple. Watch how her players respond to her when she is barking at them. No negative body language. Then watch their faces when she is approving of what they are doing. They simply point to her and smile. This woman is the total package. I wonder if she has given any thought to college coaching. I really believe her coaching style translates to the next level. Her team is prepared; plays hard, and most importantly her team can read her passion. They clearly trust her and want to follow her lead. She is developing a nice program. This woman can flat out coach. Goodale has the two most important positions squared away for any program to be successful. Pt Guard and Center, Evans and Testa make a good inside outside tandem. When Jackson is shooting well, they can play with most anyone. Evans draws a lot of attention and is very hard to play straight up. She has not touched the surface of her talent. Christa is blessed with a strong body and  is not afraid to use it. Then she has what every good post player possess…those wonderful hands! She catches anything thrown in her direction. Next, she is an unselfish team player. She will kick the ball out to her teammates when doubled. This is coaching my friends. Only coaches with strong personalities can get great post players to kick the ball out. How many post players do you know that are black holes? The ball goes inside never to be seen again. Evans will clearly be the target of many Div 1 schools. How good can she be? The Skies the limit due to the size of her body, her toughness, and her feel for the game. Now throw in the quality coaching, because remember she is blessed to have a warrior as a coach who won’t allow her to take short cuts. You have to love this kid!  Evans is very lucky to have a smooth tough total Pt Guard playing with her. Catlin Testa is a pure Pt Guard. She runs her team’s offense and fast break with an eye always on Evans and her shooters like Kelly Rose who had six threes last time out for Jackson. If you enjoy basketball, then go watch Testa play. She gets everyone involved in the game. She knocks down threes, and then breaks down your defense with savvy dribble penetration. She is a coach on the floor and is competitive all the time. Now all young Pt Guards pay attention. She is one of the best I have seen at defending the other teams Pt Guard both on and off the ball. She is mad sneaky quick. These things don’t show up in the box score. Catlin may be the most improved player in the Shore Conference. Why do I say that? She went from being a role player to where the coach has given her the ball and basically said, “It’s your show”. Name another player in the SC that has been put in that situation this year. Not an easy thing to do. When you think of Pt Guards in the Shore Conference what names pop into your head? Let me guess! Hampton, Richardson and Kates. Well people add Catlin Testa to that group. She can hold her own against anyone. It will be very interesting to see her against some of the elite guards. She most resembles Kates, because unless you are at the game, it’s very hard to understand her value. Catlin gives Jackson a dangerous one two punch with Christa Evans. Throw in the Shooters like Kelly Rose, who Testa seems to find over and over. Then add a young exciting coach and you get something special brewing in Jackson!

Now lets talk about what been going on in the Shore Conference. SJV vs. RBC. This was not the tired SJV team coming off 5 games in 7 days. This was the well rested focused SJV team. RBC is just not ready to play this type of team. They are still trying to find themselves. Trust me; RBC will be very different when they find a style of play and chemistry. These two things take time. RBC has the tools to be very dangerous team. SJV just seems unbeatable right now. They seem to crush everyone. There scores are also more lopsided because of their bench strength. Somebody has to play in these blow outs. Dawn is sure to take some hits surrounding this. In order to stay sharp she will need to play her style for at least 3 quarters in these blow outs. If she shuts her team down in the first or second quarter, it could be very dangerous in the long run to her team’s chemistry. There is a month of basketball left to be played! Dawn does not have an easy balancing act in front of her. Remember, when you are at the top of the mountain, outsiders will look for anything to disrupt your team and take away your focus. We will see how she handles the criticism that is sure to come.

Neptune, did you hear the roar out of Trenton? This team is for real my friends. Try to go play on the road at Trenton Central. Unless you’ve been to Trenton Central, you can’t possibly understand. Any win there is special. Richardson, Allen and Davis we all know about. It’s Mauvais who is all but forgotten. Like many players on good teams, she is an after thought. Without Mauvais, Neptune lacks rebounding for Richardson and Davis to get out running. She also is their main defensive post player.  Mauvais is giving up the spotlight for her teammates to shine. How dare I leave her off my All Shore Mid Season Team? Coach Brown’s team is the real deal. People stop talking about the schedule. All we heard about last year was Colts Neck weak schedule. In the end, it worked out pretty good for JTs’ crew who finished with a Shore Conference Championship. The Neptune girls play as team, like each other and mostly importantly play to win. They are not concerned with stats…. just results!

 Middletown North upset Middletown South. Congrats to Danielle Pankey on her 1000th point. Pankey may be the most least talked about Div 1 player of all time. I never have been sure why this kid gets no love. She may be the only Div 1 senior left on the recruiting board from the Shore Conference. It would be interesting if she were to choose FDU. They already have 3 shore conference players on their roster. Pankey would make it four! The FDU coaching staff, no doubt, are doing there homework as Head Coach Pete Cenelia himself made the trip to watch Danielle. Much like Pankeys’ recruiting, these games are wars. The energy in this game was awesome. No different than a Rumson/RBC game or Shabazz/University. Both teams played hard and the difference was shot making. North made open looks and South did not. South seems to have lost that thing we have been talking about called chemistry and North seems to be finding it.

Things You May Have Missed

St. Rose continues to crush opponents within the B Central division. They are beating teams by an average of 30pts. They also are also closing the gap with the elite teams. They lost a barn burner to Rumson by 4 and was much more competitive against SJV the second time around. Their freshman duo of Chambers and Clark are setting St Rose up for a very exciting future.

.

Alexis Ryan Had 46 points on 17 for 24 shooting for a career high.

Sarah Olsen of Howell is quietly  putting together a nice season, hitting a game winning shot for her club and scoring when they need it. Howell losing its point guard has put pressure on Sarah to do more this season.

Campell at Wall continues to shine and is having a breakout season.

RUMSON continues to win close games. I have never in my life seen a team win so many tough games. If you don’t think it’s coaching, you know nothing about basketball. Julie Kelly has been the missing link needed this year. Wilbur and Cooper are quietly stepping into their roles brilliantly. They have a combined avg of 15pts over the last 4 games. This is a big number for Rumson. It takes pressure off Miller and Kelly. Yacamino may be the unsung hero of the group. Once again Rumson is getting better late.  

SOUTHERN is moving along nicely with a big win over Jackson and finding new role players every night.

COLTS NECK they just keep winning and letting people underestimate them. People, when you have two of the best players in the Shore on your roster, you can beat anyone. I mean anyone…hope you are listening SJV…The Shore Championship is in the Colts Neck Trophy case and trust me Clarke and Hampton are not letting anyone have it without a fight. We also better start giving JT some credit. The man down plays everything he accomplishes. He’s always saying,” It’s the players!” That’s nice, but he sure as hell knows what to do with them. I can name a few coaches with good players who haven’t done anything!

+

RANKING

PLAYER OF THE WEEK- RYAN OF RIRITAN

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1.      MILLER/CLARK

2.      DAVIS

3.      LINNEY

4.      SHARKEY

5.      MAYROSE

TEAM RANKING

1. SJV

2. COLTS NECKS

3. NEPTUNE

4. RUMSON

5. ST ROSE

TOP FRESHMAN

1. MAYBREY

2. CLARK

3. CHAMBERS

ROLE PLAYER OF THE WEEK- KELLY ROSE OF JACKSON.

ON DECK- KATE MILLER FEATURE

 

Posted in Hoop Group Headquarters | 10 Comments »

Facts & Bracks: 1-27-09

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

This past week was another great week of college basketball. We learned a lot about some teams. The team that impressed me the most this week without question was Virginia Tech. They have turned themselves into a true player for an NCAA bid and have climbed the ladder towards the top of the ACC. Winning road games in the ACC is tough enough, but winning at two really good teams on the road is tremendous. 

Interesting scores of note this last week:

Northwestern 70   Michigan State 63

Just a shocking loss for the Spartans.  Completely unacceptable to lose a game like this.  Granted, the Wildcats were knocking down 3’s from Kalamazoo, but still, this was a bad one.  On the other end of it, this may be Northwestern’s biggest victory under Bill Carmody.  The Big Ten has a bunch of evenly matched teams and is looking very tight and competitive.  The Spartans followed up this loss,  however, with a nice bounce back win at Ohio State.

Virginia Tech 78  Wake Forest 71

This is a win that the Hokies truly needed to put them back in the mix and back on the map.  I guess I must say that the ACC is pretty deep too.

South Carolina 70  Florida 69

A very nice win for the Gamecocks to keep them in contention as a team to watch for an at-large bid.

Northeasten 58  George Mason 57

Northeastern proved in this game that they are for real and will compete with the normal every year big dogs of the CAA, Mason & VCU, for capturing the CAA title. 

VMI 87  Radford 72

These two teams each had 6-1 conference records heading into this game.  VMI won this game pretty handlely and have established themselves as the team to beat in the Big South. They’ve always been regarded as one of the most prolific offensive teams in the nation, and I’m thinking the only other team that can spoil their chances are  Seth Curry and the Liberty Flames.  By the way, the Keydets of VMI are 16-3(13-3 vs D1 opp).

Richmond 78  Rhode Island 75

A very damaging loss for the Rams.

NJIT 61  Bryant University 51

The Highlanders snapped their 51 game losing streak and I couldn’t be any happier for them.  The only way this program can go from here is up.  They must now build on this victory, gain more confidence and begin to change the culture of the program.

Missouri 97  Oklahoma State 95

Any time you can get a road victory in conference is a good thing.  Getting a road victory over a legit squad in conference?  A great thing that will boost your resume.  The Tigers blew a double digit lead in the 2nd half in this one, but still managed to come away victorious.

West Virginia 75  Georgetown 58

A very nice win for the Mountaineers.  Georgetown rarely loses games in which they are “supposed” to win, so this is a great one for West Virginia.  When it’s all said and done, I believe Pittsburgh, Louisville & UConn will be the 3 top seeds (in some order) in the Big East with the 4th seed still up in the air.  Syracuse, Notre Dame, Marquette, Georgetown & West Virginia will all be fighting for the final coveted #4 seed for the Big East tourney, which will mean you’ll only have to win 3 games to win the tournament as opposed to 4.

Purdue 70  Minnesota 62

Huge road win for the Boilermakers.  They had been a bit sluggish of late and haven’t really lived up to expectations thus far this year.  They nearly lost at Northwestern, but survived.  Now, especially after Michigan State’s loss to Northwestern, Purdue finds themselves back in the hunt for competing for a conference title.

Dayton 63  George Washington 61

A loss to GW would have been detrimental to the Flyers chances of getting an at-large bid.  However, a win is a win.

St. Mary’s (CA) 65  San Diego 42

This game was a joke.  The Gaels are very good.  Patty Mills is one of the best point guards in the nation.  Barring a major setback, the WCC is looking like a league that will get 2 at-large bids in St. Mary’s & Gonzaga.  Which means, like last year, if one of these teams doesn’t win the league, we could have 3 bids.  It’s still rather early, but keep that in mind.

Utah State 67  Hawaii 51

Don’t look now, but the Aggies are 18-1 overall.

Oregon State 69  California 65/Oregon State 77  Stanford 62

No, these scores are not typos.  Cal and Stanford clearly did not take the Beavers seriously.  Either that, or President Obama dropped some major knowledge on his brother-in-law at the inauguration last week.  Oregon State now has 3 wins in the Pac-10.  More than Oregon & Arizona combined.  And, as many as Stanford & Washington State.  Crazy.

Washington 86  UCLA 75

Who’s in 1st place in the Pac-10? It’s not UCLA, or California, or Arizona State, or Stanford, or USC, or Arizona, or Washington State…it’s Washington.  At 6-1 in the league, they are in 1st place by themselves.  However, we will find out over the next 2 weeks how good these Huskies really are.  They go on the road the next 4 games.  They play at Arizona, at Arizona State, at California & at Stanford.  A split over the next four would be tremendous for Washington.

Duke 85  Maryland 44

The state of Maryland cannot be happy with this one.  Way to show up, Terps.

Siena 82  Niagara 65

Looks like Siena has all but wrapped up the MAAC title.  But, they still have plenty to play for.  If they can run the table, but lose in the MAAC title game, then they may have a shot at still getting in to the Big Dance.  They followed up that W with a 1 point squeaker over Iona.  A loss to the Gaels would have ended any chance for an at-large bid.  Their RPI went from 15 to 20 after their win over Iona.

Auburn 73  Arkansas 51

Hey Razorbacks, those wins over Oklahoma & Texas seem like ages ago.  You’re now 0-4 in the 6th best conference in the country.  You’re losing games at home to bottom tier SEC teams.  Well, guess what, it looks like you’re part of that bottom tier pack now.

Kentucky 61  Alabama 51

The SEC is not that great, we know that.  But, it’s really looking like these Wildcats are becoming the class of the conference.  Winning at ‘Bama is no easy task no matter how good they are.  Kentucky remains undefeated in conference play.

Memphis 54  Tennesssee 52

Huge win for Memphis.  They don’t have many chances to get big wins once they start conference play, but they got this one.  Tennessee, on the other hand, has failed to impress of late.  They’re hanging their hats on wins against Georgetown & Marquette, which is really good, but they don’t appear very scary.

Buffalo 76  Miami (OH) 64

Very nice win on the road for Buffalo against a tough Miami(OH) squad.  This puts the Bison in 1st place in the MAC East Division.  The team we are used to seeing at the top, Kent State, is 1-4 in league play.

UNLV 75  Utah 65

Couple this win with a win earlier in the week at BYU, these Runnin’ Rebels are emerging as the major player from the Mountain West.  Let’s remember too, they won at Louisville earlier in the season.

UConn 69  Notre Dame 61

Goodbye longest current home winning streak in the country.  It was 45 straight by the Fightin’ Irish.  The Kansas Jayhawks now have the longest current streak at 35 consecutive home victories.

Louisville 67  Syracuse 57

Louisville just may be the best team in the Big East.  It’s at least very close between them, UConn & Pitt.  Marquette is undefeated in league play, but the meat of their schedule is forthcoming.  Great road win for the Cardinals.

Seton Hall 65  Georgetown 60

Bad week to be a Hoyas fan.  But, this is the reality.  They are a middle of the pack Big East team.  Nothing to be ashamed of.  Their win @ UConn still looks great on their resume and always will.  You gotta beat the teams you’re “supposed” to beat.  The Hoyas better start knocking down perimeter shots more consistently or else they are very beatable.  And, obviously, Greg Monroe needs to continue to be the main focus.

Virginia Tech 88  Miami (FL) 83  (ot)

While Georgetown may have had the worst week of any team, the Hokies of Virginia Tech took the gold in this week.  Some thought they’d have a let down after winning at Wake Forest (i.e., Boston College & Arkansas), but oh no, they didn’t.  Malcolm Delaney scored 29 points and looked like the real deal.  I don’t think many people expected much from Virginia Tech this year.  I mean, UNC, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest…but the Hokies are 4-1 in the ACC, a great feat.  Virginia Tech really looks like a team that has the eye of the tiger, and after watching them win at Miami(FL), I expect these Hokies to be around and in the mix of things come March.  I rewarded them with an 8 seed.

Marquette 71  Notre Dame 64

That’s two straight losses at home for Notre Dame after winning 45 in a row.  The Golden Eagles moved to 7-0 in the Big East.  They have a bunch of experienced players on their squad in Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, Lazar Haywood & Wesley Matthews.  All four guys average double figures and anyone of them can beat you on any given night.  Good guards, experienced players and now a solid defensive effort against the #2 scoring team in the Big East (Marquette is #1), leads to large amounts of success on the hardwood.   These guys are so good at getting the ball in the paint and finding ways to score.  I’m sure Tom Crean is wishing he was still there.  Marquette faces a struggling Georgetown Hoya team next.

*Currently, my #1 seeds are:  Duke, Pittsburgh, UConn & Oklahoma

*My #2’s are:  North Carolina, Wake Forest, Louisville & Michigan State

*My last 4 teams in are:  BYU, Oklahoma State, Utah & Dayton

*My first 4 teams out are:  Boston College, USC, South Carolina & Stanford

*The team with the #1 overall Schwach Indicator = Oklahoma

*My top 4 seeds also happen to be the top 4 in the Schwach Indicator

*I have updated Schwach Indicator #’s listed in my Facts & Bracks–let me know what you think

*Now, on to the wonderful world known as FACTS & BRACKS (CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GRID)

Posted in Brad Wachtel | 1 Comment »

Mid-Season Grades

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Wow! That’s all I have to say! The Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase was worth the price of admission. We are talking about four great games. The Colts Neck victory over Christ the King was full of exciting plays from start to finish. SJV and Murray Bergtraum was a battle of heavyweights that was not decided until the final 5 seconds. Pt. Boro shocked everyone as a last second replacement for Francis Lewis of NYC and played the Peddie School with no fear. The last game may have been the game of the day.  Freehold defeated RBC in the final seconds of a great match up. The story of the day was clearly Shannon Mayrose.  Let me give you a few thoughts about her.

 

Fire! That’s how I would describe Shannon Mayrose. This girl is a total warrior. She backs down from no one. If she is on your team, you love her because she always has your back. Coaches all pray for a kid like her because she doesn’t need anything special done for her to be effective. You don’t have to run plays for her. She will get points on her own. You don’t have to motivate her, she is naturally competitive. What separates her from everyone else is her ability to play harder for a longer period of time. I don’t remember her taking one play off Sunday. Shannon has been chasing that big win all year. She got it Sunday! With this win, Freehold becomes a dangerous team. They now know they can battle the traditional power schools. Any win over RBC means something. Let me tell you how good Mayrose was. The entire RBC front line was in foul trouble the entire night. She was monster on the boards. As any player in the Shore knows, this is not an easy task when you consider RBC has two girls over 6ft tall. Her late game offensive rebound was pure Mayrose. Three chances before she got the result she wanted. The final box score said she had 11 rebounds. She may have done that on one possession!  They must have gotten the second half stats mixed up with the final game stats. It seems to me she got every rebound in this game. I sat with the Asst. Coaches from Stony Brook and Ohio University. They were both disappointed to hear Mayrose will go on to play big time soccer and not basketball after graduation. One last thing about Mayrose, if there is an Athlete of the Year Award in the Shore, she has to be a top contender. She very well might be First-Team All-Shore in two major sports.  Mayrose is a coach’s dream come true. Don’t be surprised to hear her name over and over when the awards are given out this spring.

 

 

MID SEASON REPORT CARDS:

 

Let’s talk a little about where we are at, at this point in the season. Remember there is a long way to go! I really believe all this will change before the season ends

 

 

ALL SHORE TEAMS:

 

Let’s face it. Choosing an All-Shore team is never easy. You never see all the teams play. A good player on a bad team can be easily dismissed. Stats rarely tell the true value of player. And, you may see a good player on a bad night and not get a full appreciation of her talent. So I came up with four guidelines for choosing my Mid Season All-Shore Team.

            1) WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A PLAYER TO HER TEAM? - How good is her team without her? More importantly, would the team record be different? For example, does Rumson beat Southern at WOBM without Miller? I don’t think so!

            2) HOW DID THE PLAYER PERFORM IN MEANINGFUL GAMES? Does her performance drop off against quality opponents? In other words, did the player average 20 pts against weaker competition and only 10 against quality opponents?

            3) HOW GOOD IS THAT PLAYER’S TEAM? I believe this speaks for itself.

            4) INTANGIABLES. Is the player’s entire game in the box score? Can they make the big shot? Do they make the right pass at the right time? Do they play hard? Are they a leader and most importantly, is this player a “game-changer” that other teams must prepare for? These things do not appear in a box score.

 

Before I pick my Mid Season All-Shore Team, there are a few players that fall into a special category: they are as follows. Ryan, (Raritan), Valmon, (Manchester), Maybrey, (SJV), Clark (St Rose) and Hobbie (RBC).  These players throw a monkey wrench into my four guidelines. Ryan, for example, may be more valuable to her team than any player on my Mid Season All-Shore Team. She seems to perform best in the meaningful games and few players in the Shore get more attention in scouting reports. Yet her team is not among the top teams in the Shore. I have not seen Valmon play. A local Division I Head Coach called me Monday asking my thoughts on her. Having not seen her play, I couldn’t answer. The fact that a Division I Coach thinks she may be good enough to play at the Division I level, leads me to believe she is somewhere on my list of 20 players. Hobbie no doubt is one of the best guards in the Shore but she has not played enough games to date. Lastly I am old school and would never put a freshman on an All-Shore Team. So Maybrey and Clark get no consideration, they will have to wait their turn. I am sure many will disagree with my theory. Before we get to my Mid-Season All Shore teams let me tell you a great story about Maybrey. I was watching her play recently and was talking to a school that is ranked in the top 10 in the country. The coach said something to me all young players should learn from. She commented on how Maybrey was on the bench cheering for her teammates and how this showed great character. She said this makes her an attractive recruiting target. She talked about how sometimes a great young player can ruin a good team. I couldn’t agree more.  Remember SJV made it to the TOC without Maybrey last year. Maybrey with her great attitude has given Dawn the wiggle room needed not to disrupt the chemistry of her team and yet, add a great player to her rotation that may get SJV over the top this year. Old-timers think of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe of the ‘72-‘73 Knicks. Thumbs up to Maybrey.. Young players take note and Learn!!

 

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

 

We have a dead heat here!

 

Clarke (Colts Neck), Linney (SJV), and Miller (RFH) - No way you can have a clear choice at this time. The Shore Conference Championship may decide this matter!

 

ALL SHORE TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Clarke (Colt’s Neck)       

Linney (SJV)

Mayrose (Freehold)

Miller (R-FH)

*Ryan (Raritan)- falls into a unique category

Sharkey (Southern)

Our first team has an additional player for now. They are listed alphabetically

       

SECOND TEAM
*every player on this second team could make a claim to be first team. There is no doubt in my mind at least seven players on the first two teams are interchangeable.

 

Kates (SJV)

Davis (Neptune)

Hampton (Colts Neck)

Richardson (Neptune)

Pankey(MS)

 

THRID TEAM

 

Repoli (SJV)

Campbell (Wall)

Valmon (Manchester)* falls into a unique category and can move up.

Evans (Jackson Memorial)

Allen (Neptune)

 

FOURTH TEAM

Faith Flannery (Keansburg)

Chyna Golden (RBC)

Stephanie Cardamone (Freehold Twp)

Arron Zimmerman (SJV)

Tiffany DeTulio(Colts neck)

 

THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS LIST WILL LOOK DIFFERENT WHEN THE SEASON ENDS!

 

TEAM GRADES/RANKINGS

 

1)      SJV(A) Dawn has this team playing great basketball on both sides of the ball. They have a deep bench and most important let a different player step up each night. They would get an A+ if not for a last second shot by Murray Bergtraum. They have let no outside distractions get in the way of their team goals while following Dawn leadership. They are as close to perfection as you can get right now.

 

2)      COLTS NECK (A-) JT has done a great job with this team. They have taken on some real heavyweight teams. They share the ball and more importantly, play hard. If not for the university lost they get an A. The Shabazz game was a war.

 

3)      NEPTUNE (A-) Gone are the blow outs and padding of personal stats. This team appears ready for the Shore Tourney. Allen may be the x-factor. She is playing lights out! They have not played a marquee game so it is hard to give them an A. This team may put an end to the Colts Neck vs. SJV dream game  many are looking forward too. This may be the best team in the Shore Conference before it’s all over.

 

 

4)      RUMSON (B+) this team is hard to grade because George Sourlis’ teams seem to get better each time you see them. Their performance against SJV was brilliant and his players seem to always execute his game plans. They seem to win so many close games.

 

5)      FREEHOLD (B+) they are doing something all good teams do. They seem to be getting better as the season moves forward. The win against RBC gives them a great measuring stick for the remainder of the way. RBC will beat some very good teams before this season ends. This is a team everyone should fear because on any given night they can beat you!

 

6)      ST. ROSE (B) they have beaten all the teams they should. The problem is, they are not just losing to the elite good teams, they are getting crushed. The good news is they played much better vs. SJV the second time around. Does this mean they are getting better? What about defense? Post offense and lastly shooting? These are all issues as they move forward.

 

7)      RBC (B) who has been in more wars’ than RBC with less experienced players? Hobbie has come back and is right away one of the top guards in the Shore. Chyna Golden is becoming a major force.  With Hobbie back defensives will not be able to sit in the paint and help. Sam Guastella is clearly a future Division I Player. By the end of the year, this team could go on a historic run. They will be up and down for a while. If they find the team chemistry, watch out. They will be able to beat anyone and everyone. Great size, shooters and most important playmakers

 

8)      SOUTHERN (B-) this team could be staring at a big year if not for two losses. One against Jackson Memorial, who they spanked this week and Toms River North. They now will be hard pressed to move up in the ranking because they don’t play any of the so called “elite” teams. They gave Rumson all they could handle, but still lost. Sharkey is just a hand full for any team.

 

9)      MANCHESTER (INC) - I have yet to see them play. Their record gives them the 9th spot

 

10)  MIDDLESTOWN SOUTH (INC) – ONCE AGAIN THEY GET THE 10TH SPOT BECAUSE OF THE RECORD.

 

 

ROLE PLAYERS THAT MAKE A DEFFERENCE
 THE ST JOHNS VIANNEY ENTIRE BENCH- many of these players can make a case for all shore
 THE ST JOHNS VIANNEY ENTIRE BENCH- many of these players can make a case for all shore HOWES AND LAURENCE OF COLTS NECK- these two players are vital to colt’s neck defending their crown.
 THE ST JOHNS VIANNEY ENTIRE BENCH- many of these players can make a case for all shore HOWES AND LAURENCE OF COLTS NECK- these two players are vital to colt’s neck defending their crown. MCGUINNESS (Middletown South) – Gives Pankey a big lift with her scoring and ball handling abilities
 THE ST JOHNS VIANNEY ENTIRE BENCH- many of these players can make a case for all shore HOWES AND LAURENCE OF COLTS NECK- these two players are vital to colt’s neck defending their crown. MCGUINNESS (Middletown South) – Gives Pankey a big lift with her scoring and ball handling abilities LENTINE (Raritan) - She has emerged as someone that can give Ryan a helping hand
 

THE ST JOHNS VIANNEY ENTIRE BENCH- many of these players can make a case for all shore HOWES AND LAURENCE OF COLTS NECK- these two players are vital to colt’s neck defending their crown. MCGUINNESS (Middletown South) – Gives Pankey a big lift with her scoring and ball handling abilities LENTINE (Raritan) - She has emerged as someone that can give Ryan a helping hand TESTA (Jackson Memorial) - One of the most underrated guards in the Shore conference.
 

GUASTELLA (RBC) -Chyna should be very thankful to have her. She can shoot threes and plays hard. This kid’s future is just downright scary.
 

KELLY (R-FH) - Julie Kelly is averaging over 10pts and can carry the offense when teams focus on Miller.
 

 

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

DAWN KARPELL - She has kept this team playing at a incredible high level. Just think about this week alone! SJV played #9 nationally ranked Oak Hill, #7 ranked in the state Rumson, St Rose at St. Rose and then Murray Bergtraum, who has not lost a game in 3 years. SJV came within 5 seconds of having perfect record for the week. This is an amazing feat based on the competition they faced. Dawn has pushed all the right buttonsShe has kept this team playing at a incredible high level. Just think about this week alone! SJV played #9 nationally ranked Oak Hill, #7 ranked in the state Rumson, St Rose at St. Rose and then Murray Bergtraum, who has not lost a game in 3 years. SJV came within 5 seconds of having perfect record for the week. This is an amazing feat based on the competition they faced. Dawn has pushed all the right buttons She has kept this team playing at a incredible high level. Just think about this week alone! SJV played #9 nationally ranked Oak Hill, #7 ranked in the state Rumson, St Rose at St. Rose and then Murray Bergtraum, who has not lost a game in 3 years. SJV came within 5 seconds of having perfect record for the week. This is an amazing feat based on the competition they faced. Dawn has pushed all the right buttons She has kept this team playing at a incredible high level. Just think about this week alone! SJV played #9 nationally ranked Oak Hill, #7 ranked in the state Rumson, St Rose at St. Rose and then Murray Bergtraum, who has not lost a game in 3 years. SJV came within 5 seconds of having perfect record for the week. This is an amazing feat based on the competition they faced. Dawn has pushed all the right buttons 

She has kept this team playing at a incredible high level. Just think about this week alone! SJV played #9 nationally ranked Oak Hill, #7 ranked in the state Rumson, St Rose at St. Rose and then Murray Bergtraum, who has not lost a game in 3 years. SJV came within 5 seconds of having perfect record for the week. This is an amazing feat based on the competition they faced. Dawn has pushed all the right buttons 

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Thoughts from a Weekend of Hoops

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Last Friday I traveled to Baltimore for the 13th annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State. Then on Saturday we hosted the Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase in Asbury Park, NJ. On Sunday, I made the trip up to Springfield, MA for the Hoophall Classic for two days of action there. Here are some thoughts from a great weekend of basketball action: 

 

-Parkville (MD) junior guard Durrand Johnson can really play.  He is a 6’4 wing guard that can fill it up from the outside.

- Frederick Douglas HS (MD) has a future star in sophomore Lamont Huggins.  He is a 6’8” shot blocker who is comfortable with the ball and can finish well around the rim.  I think he’s probably in the Top 100 players in his class nationally.

- Lake Clifton (MD) has a very good team and is being overlooked nationally right now.  They are led by the Barton brothers, Will and Antonio.  Will receives most of the national pub, but Antonio is very good as well.  On Friday he hit a variety of shots – 3’s, pull ups, nifty finishes around the rim.  On Saturday they defeated St. Frances (MD) for city bragging rights.

- Lake Clifton also features unsigned senior Jason Sharp, a 5’11” combo guard that can really make shots.  He hit a few big shots in their win over Laurel on Friday and was named MVP in Saturday’s game.  He is being overlooked right now and could help a lot of low D1 schools.

- Dunbar (MD) got a nice win over Riverdale Baptist (MD) on Friday.  Senior Sean Farr is a strong, athletic finisher that would be very good at the Division 2 level.  Dunbar also has a nice young nucleus led by point guard Corey Spence and forwards Darian Scott and Rashard Kelly.  Spence can really run a team.

-Friday’s finale featured City College (MD) and Veritas Sports Academy (NC) and it was the most exciting game of the day.  Veritas won on a lay-up with just over a second left in overtime.  They were led by one of my favorites, junior wing Leek Leek (former Hoop Group ELITE Top 20 All Star).  City College was without injured Syracuse commit CJ Fair, but still has a formidable squad including Xavier commit Jordan Lathan and unsigned senior Adam Johnson.

 

-Monmouth Regional is one of the better teams at the Jersey Shore this year.  They are led by Bucknell signee Joe Willman and junior guard Valentino “Neil” Thompson.  Willman was a force in their win over Lakewood.  He won MVP honors for the game and in doing so broke the school scoring record.  Thompson (Hoop Group ELITE Session #4 Underclass All Star) is a shifty point that finds a great balance between controlling the game and being able to get his own shot. Expect him to end up as a mid D1 player.

-Lakewood sophomore Jarrod Davis is starting to make 3’s – which could be a nightmare for his competition at the Jersey shore over the next few years.

-St. Pat’s vs. CBA was the best high school game I have seen all year, surpassing St. Mark’s (MA) vs. Findlay (NV) back in November.

-Brian Neller was really good against St. Pat’s and hit a number of huge shots in a double OT loss.  Not only did he make shots of the catch, but put the ball on the floor and created as well.  D1’s are sleeping on him right now.

-Michael Gilchrist is REALLY good.

-Very excited to see Kyrie Irving playing for St Pat’s this Sunday vs. Blair at the Lehigh Valley Hoop Group Showcase.

-Middletown South (NJ) junior Kyle Cancillieri is a “must-see” for Ivy and Patriot league schools.

 

-Credit Winchendon School (MA) coach Mike Byrnes on leading his team to a victory over previously undefeated Patterson School (NC).

-Cedrick Lindsay led the way with 24 points for Gonzaga (DC) in a 60-53 win over St. Mark’s.  And some people out there might not love Tyler Thornton, but I’ll take him any day of the week and my team will probably win because of him.

-DeMatha (DC) is loaded!  Their roster is filled with future Division 1 players – and their dominance won’t end any time soon.  Sophomores Quinn Cook (7 assists vs. 0 turnovers in a win over St. John Neumann-Maria Goretti) and Mikael Hopkins along with freshman James Robinson are a great young foundation for the WCAC power.

-There aren’t a lot of high major level point guards left in the senior class.  But anyone that is in need should take a long look at Hargrave (VA) point man Danny Nieman.  He had 9 points, 8 assists and 0 turnovers in a win over Champlain St.-Lambert.  Not the most athletic, not a great scorer but the kid is efficient, effective and is a great lead guard for the highly talented team.

-Hargrave’s Lee Martin also played really well (4-5 FG, 2-2 3FG) and he needs more attention from D1s.

-Kudos to Champlain St.-Lambert and coach John Dangelas for coming to the event on short notice from another tournament after an original participant bailed.  They were tired from a long weekend and walked into playing a high level team in Hargrave (VA), but give them credit for battling and looking to benefit from the experience of playing in a game like that.

-St. Andrew’s Nyheem Sanders played very well in the nightcap vs. Worcester Academy.  Sanders is unsigned and definitely needs more attention from scholarship level schools.

 

-St. Anthony’s addition of juniors Devon Collier, Derek Williams and Ashton Pankey has solidified them as one of the best teams in the country.  Collier is fantastic.  He had 19 points and 10 boards in his debut.  Quinnipiac signee Jamee Jackson (Hoop Group Elite Session #2 Senior All Star) also played well, chipping in with 10 points and 6 boards.

-Putnam City (OK) has one of the top unsigned point guards in the country in Tyler Earls.  Earls didn’t have a great shooting performance vs. St. Anthony, but ran his team well and made great decisions (7 assists vs. 1 turnover).

-Putnam City and coach AD Burtschi have a bright future after Earls, Xavier Henry (Memphis) and Kyle Hardrick (Oklahoma) graduate.  Sophomore Dominique Raney (Hoop Group ELITE Session #2 Underclassmen All Star) and freshman Tre Payne are both high level kids already playing big roles for a top team.

-St. Benedict’s (NJ) beat Wheeler (GA) and this was the best we have seen Lamar Patterson play this year.  In the first half, Patterson was the best player on the floor which included players committed to Texas, NC State, Wake Forest and Rice.

-Tristan Thompson is a joy to watch.  Great kid too.

- Wheeler junior point guard Phil Taylor is a high level player.  Speed to burn, can shoot it and finish around the basket.

-LeFlore (AL) big man Demarcus Cousins only shot 4-13 FG in a 67-54 win over Lincoln (NY), but still finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds.  He has the makings of a future NBA Lottery Pick.

-Mater Dei (CA) put together a great 3rd quarter to pull away from Whitney Young (IL).  They are ranked #1 in the country by most publications for good reason.  Any time you can start 5 kids committed to USC, UCLA, Stanford and 2 going to UNC, you have a pretty good squad right there.

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Steve Keller’s Deal or No Deal - Top Twenty-Six

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

HERE’S THE DEAL This week the top eight teams in the poll kept their winning streaks alive. Dematha had a big week as they handedly defeated Bishop McNamara, in a big DC Catholic League showdown and then went to the Hall of Fame Games in Springfield, MA and rolled over St John Neumann-Maria Goretti. The Stags are playing very well and are right with the top two in this poll.

            The newcomer to the poll this week is Jamesville Dewitt. They stunned Abraham
Lincoln and haven’t lost yet this season. We are a little skeptical of their upstate New York schedule but the “Jewel” of Lincoln validates a spot in “The Deal”. Speaking of Lincoln, they were one of five New York teams to lose this week. Lincoln also lost to LeFlore of Alabama in their game at The Hall Of Fame. All the New York schools have lost to teams rated above them or to each other so we are starting to cluster them at the bottom of the poll. One bad loss and they will fall into the “No Deal” pile for a while.

            As we suspected, Eastern/Lake Clifton defeated St Francis at the Mayor’s Cup in Baltimore and this, for the time being, proves they are No 1 in the Charm City.

Windsor, CT was the lone team to fall from the poll as they lost to Buckeley Hartford. Trinity Catholic is one of the “No Deal”teams just on the edge of making it into the poll. Central Catholic of Massachusetts suffered a loss during the week, but it was to Florida power American Heritage so they get to just hang on at the bottom.

            And now onto the teams in question…Deal… or No Deal?

 

 

  1/20/09  
     
     
1 St. Benedict’s NJ  17-0
2 Oak Hill VA  21-0
3 Dematha MD 14-1
4 Montrose Christian MD  13-1
5 Rice NY  10-1
6 St. Patrick NJ  11-2
7 St. Anthony NJ  11-2
8 Christ the King NY  15-2
9 Eastern HS/Lake Clifton MD 11-0
10 Bishop O’Connell VA   15-3
11 Gonzaga DC 14-2
12 Niagara Falls NY 10-0
13 Neuman Goretti PA 11-2
14 Bishop McNamara MD 12-4
15 Chester PA  12-1
16 Penn Wood PA 13-1
17 Mount Vernon NY  8-2
18 Pennsbury PA  10-2
19 Jamesville Dewitt NY 14-0
20 Lincoln NY  10-6
21 Roman Catholic PA  9-5
22 Thomas Jefferson NY 14-4
23 Bishop Loughlin NY 10-4
24 St. Frances MD 16-4
25 Boys & Girls NY  13-5
26 Central Catholic MA 9-1
Close But “No Deal”
Windsor CT 8-1
Bishop Maginn NY 9-2
Springbrook MD 12-0
Petersburg VA 14-0
Paterson Catholic NJ 8-3
Hillhouse CT 9-0
Peekskill NY 13-0
  St. Raymond’s NY 9-5
Trinity Catholic CT 9-0
Mt. St. Joseph MD  18-4
Bethel VA 13-1
Imhotep Charter PA 14-1
     

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Facts, Bracks & the Schwach Indicator: 1-20-09

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

The performance of the week is clearly a no brainer. Jodie Meeks scored 54 points in Kentucky’s huge 90-72 win at Tennessee last Tuesday. This win elevated Kentucky from being the first team out of my Bracks to now adding a quality W to their resume and finding a place in this week’s field of 65.

Wake Forest is now the only remaining team left in the country who is undefeated.  As a result, they are now #1 in the country, and deservedly so.  The Demon Deacons have 5 wins they can hang their hats on this year so far.  They are:  Baylor, @BYU (ending the Cougars 53 game home winning streak), North Carolina, @ Boston College & @ Clemson.  They should remain #1 and undefeated after this week as their only game is home against Virginia Tech.  The next monster test comes on January 28th when they face the team that feels like they should be #1, the Duke Blue Devils.

After Michigan State’s embarrassing loss at home to North Carolina on December 3rd, the Spartans have responded with 11 straight wins.  As opposed to past years, the Spartans are finally hitting their stride in mid season.  They are the class of the Big Ten and are really starting to take form as a Final Four contendor.  The fact that the Final Four takes place in Detroit this year gives the Spartans that extra incentive, which makes them ever so dangerous.

Arkansas and Boston College both had monumental victories a couple of weeks ago.  BC (1-3 in ACC) won at Carolina and Arkansas (0-3 in SEC) beat Oklahoma & Texas.  Since then, both of these teams have failed to win a game.  Hangover?  Yes, sir.  These 2 teams better start figuring out how to get back on track fast or else their mammouth wins will soon be just an afterthought.

Again, the Big Ten is so difficult to differentiate teams so I have Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois & Ohio State all as 6 seeds.  Minnesota has the slight edge with their win at Wisconsin.  Although their loss at Northwestern almost offset that big W.

I have 6 Big East teams as a top 3 seed.  They are:  Pittsburgh (1), UConn (1), Louisville(2), Georgetown (3), Syracuse (3) & Marquette (3) 

Even though the Siena Saints do not have many impressive wins, (their best win is at St. Joe’s) they do continue to pile up victories.  They have 1 bad loss this year, which was to Wichita State out in Lake Buena Vista, FL in a Thanksgiving weekend tournament.  I currently have them as a 12 seed.  The Saints RPI is currently at 29 and their strength of schedule is at 32.  If Siena goes undefeated in the MAAC, do they have a shot at getting an at-large bid?  If their computer #’s can remain intact, then yes, I believe they will have a chance.  Right now, all they really have going for them are their computer #’s.  Not having a quality W will hurt them.

My last 4 teams in are:  Missouri, BYU, UNLV & Stanford

My first 4 teams out are:  Arkansas, Texas A&M, Boston College & Maryland

Finally, a new formula has been created.  It is called the Schwach Indicator.  It’s a formula I put together with a couple friends to give a more accurate justification of where teams stand.  For more on the Schwach Indicator please click here.

For updated Schwach Indicator standings click here

And, for my current up to the day FACTS & BRACKS click here.

Posted in Brad Wachtel | 2 Comments »

Weekly Update

Friday, January 16th, 2009

What a great week of basketball and it’s going to get better this weekend. The Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase should be exciting. Once again, its loaded with great players. There are many who believe SJV is the best team in the country. A win Sunday would make this a red hot debate. I hope that everyone will get out and support this event. Now, let’s talk hoops.

 

I want to get back to Lauren Clarke. She joined the 1000th point club this week. Anytime you get 1000 points it’s a big deal. You become part of history. I’d like to tell you a story about Lauren Clarke. I was driving home with my daughter after Rumson’s triple over-time loss to Colts Neck in the Shore Conference Tourney semi –final last year. Lauren Clarke had just finished off Rumson with a big 3 point shot late in the third over-time. We drove 15 minutes without conversation when Candice turned to me and said, “You like the way Lauren Clarke plays don’t you?” I had to be very careful here. Candice was disappointed after such a lost and I asked why she said that.  Then she replied, “Because she plays basketball the right way.”  I shook my head in agreement. That day Candice and I became huge Lauren Clarke fans together. When Lauren was a freshman, she almost was a second thought at Colts Neck. She didn’t have the hype that so many kids have going into high school. She did have a work ethic and the ability to stay focused. This is not always easy for young people. She has made herself into one of the most complete guards in the Shore Conference. She will have a big decision to make when it comes to college. She is a great student. The Ivy’s and academic schools will chase her all year. They will need to out recruit some traditional basketball powers to sign her. I for one know Lauren can play at the highest level of the sport. She just seems to play better when the big lights go on.  I have a sneaky feeling Lauren has some very big goals for her team this year. Lauren, for such a great player, at times can be forgotten. As a freshman she was in the shadow of Brooke Hampton. As a sophomore she made 1st team All Shore, but Danella stole the spotlight. This year, despite Colts Neck being defending Shore Conference Champs, all the talk is about SJV. She just moves on waiting for her moment. No self promoting or bragging. Just more hard work and focus. Remember, Lauren’s father grew up in Hudson County, where they give no quarter and take no quarter. I think he has passed this along to Lauren. When this season ends, she will be regarded as one of the best players in the state. She also is a candidate for Player of The Year in the Shore Conference. Like many of her past accomplishments, these may go unnoticed as well, just the way Lauren likes its!! Congrats on the 1000pts and more importantly, don’t change! We love you just the way you are!

 

 

The Games

SJV vs. Rumson- Great teams, finish games. SJV did this Tuesday night. Dawns’ battled tested team did what all great teams do. THEY FOUND A WAY TO WIN. Some interesting things came out of this game.  We discovered the legend of George Sourlis grew a little more. The man is a genius.  Kate Miller reminded people that superwoman does indeed exist and Linney put on one of the greatest shooting performances I have ever seen. In fact it was so good, a big East coach told it was the best shooting performance she has seen on the high school level in a long time. SJV reminded everyone their role players are scary. Mabreys’ three point shot was just cold blooded to put SJV ahead late in the 4th quarter. Aaron Zimmerman was solid all evening and won the game with a great play to win it for the Lancers. Dawn pushed all the right buttons for her team to survive. Not calling time out was simply brilliant after RFH’s Miller hit the go ahead three point shot. How many coaches against a George Sourlis team have called time out in that situation and fail to get a quality shot. One last thought regarding SJV. They beat #9 ranked Oak Hill on Sunday and then played RFH in a war on Tuesday. Not one player or Coach used this as an excuse for such a close game.  How good is SJV? Just winning is no longer enough.

 

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

 

Neptune is really cranking it up.  Allen is proving that she is now ready to become a great player. After injuries and what many would call an average freshman and sophomore year, Allen has become a major force in the Shore Conference. She had 21 points vs. Middletown South and has been a blessing for Neptune. Neptune no doubt will be a tough team to knock out of The Shore Conference Tourney. Last thing about Neptune; follow their box scores and you will notice a sharing of the scoring duties. This makes them a well rounded and dangerous team.

 

Southern took a major hit by losing to Toms River North. They take on Jackson Memorial Monday. This will be a very important game for them. They lost to Jackson Memorial earlier in the season. The Evans/ Sharkey Match up may be the key to this game.

 

Mabreys’ run in the third quarter for SJV against nationally ranked Oak Hill was just darn right scary for such a young player. Then she had the big three pointer against RFH. All in three days. This kid is showing something that is rare in a young player.  The ability to handle pressure when the game is on the line.

 

St. Rose was blasted by North Babylon. St. Rose must learn to change speeds on offense and defend the lane better when playing the elite teams. What did come out of this game? The college coaches fell in love with Sam Clarke. All they wanted to talk about was the 6’2” freshman. She showed off her great passing skills and ability to score in the paint. What I found interesting was when I told coaches she can shoot the three, they were in shock. This kid is the real deal. The other part of this story was KC Chambers coming into the game and showing just how good this duo can be one day. She did a great job of running the team and had some great moves in the lane. Then she played with reckless abandonment. KC kept cool under pressure against two of the best guards in the country. Not bad for a freshman!

 

Middletown South- They had a chance to make a big move vs. Neptune but came up short. Their lack of a quality post player is hurting them right now. Pankey and McGuiness are forming a nice duo. They may be a team you don’t want to see late. Pankey is very capable of getting on a roll and knocking a top team out if McGuiness continues to score … Watch out! The McGuiness story has become a great one. This is a shy kid who tends to want to melt into the background, but now is stepping up. Her free throw earlier in the week won a very important game for MS. Lets hope she keeps its up.

 

 

Jackson Memorial- This team has been up and down. They could easily be the most talked about team in the Shore right now. They have hit a few bumps along the way. Yet they still are a team you don’t want to play. Evans and Testa are two gifted players who are capable of putting together great nights. Monday nights game vs. Southern will be a defining game. What team will show up!

 

 

Red Bank- CHYNA Golden and Sam Guastella are showing they may be the future of RBC’s basketball program. RBC has done a great job to date. They are getting better each night. Pay attention to all the close wins. Nothing toughens a team like a few hard fought wins. Neptune are you listening?  Guastella and Chyna may be the next Danella and Coppolino duo. Now the really good news. RBC gets Casey Hobbie back this weekend. Now you have a war vet who can kept defensives honest either off the dribble or with the jumper. RBC will be a team nobody wants any part of in the Shore Tourney. Don’t be surprised if one of the Shore Conference favorites falls to this team. This will be a very different team when the Shore Conference Tournament comes around.

 

 

THE RANKINGS:

 

Player of the week- LINNEY(SJV)

 

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

 

  1. LINNEY(SVJ)
  2. MILLER(RFH)/CLARKE(CN)

    4. SHARKEY (SOUTHERN)

   

     5. HAMPTON(CN)

TEAMS

 

1. SJV

2. COLTS NECK

3. NEPUTUNE

4. RUMSON

5. ST.ROSE

 

 

FRESHMAN

 

  1. CLARKE
  2. MAYBREY
  3. CHAMBERS

 

 

STATS LIE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ARRON ZIMMERMAN

 ON DECK- WE HOPE TO GET TO MIDDLESEX SOON! WE’LL GIVE OUT SOME REPORT CARDS NEXT WEEK!

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Thoughts on Recent High Major Commitments

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

There has been a flurry of high major commitments since the calendar changed to 2009. Here’s a recap and analysis of recent commitments:
Vincent Council, Post grad at The Patterson School (NC) commits to Providence
Council was a valuable, but probably overlooked part of Lincoln HS’ (NY) success over the past few years. He started to get more pub last spring while playing for Juice All Stars (NY). He was named MVP of the Providence Hoop Group Jam Fest while leading Juice to the championship. His strong play continued over the summer, when he made the Senior All Star game at Hoop Group Elite Session #4. Council stood out in the camp setting due to his play as a true point guard. He set his teammates up and made everyone else he played with better. He didn’t really look to score much, but didn’t have to and still solidified his status as a mid major recruit. Then it was off to Patterson. Council continued to make strides in his game and by the time I saw him at the Prep School Invitational in November, Council was much more of an offensive force. He showed his developed scoring prowess in big time games like vs Hargrave Military Academy (VA) last month.  His improvement along with the dearth of available point guards in the 2009 class moved Council into a target for high major programs including Providence and Rutgers. Providence was the call and you can expect him to be a good leader and floor general for the Friars.
 

 

Isaiah Epps, Junior at Plainfield HS (NJ) commits to Pitt
While Council didn’t have a lot of interest in his high school career, Epps has long been a high major target, since his early outstanding play on the AAU circuit with the Playaz Basketball Club (NJ). Epps has been very successful for the Playaz and has helped Plainfield become one of top HS teams in NJ this season.  They are one of the favorites to win the Group IV state championship. Some may label him a point guard; some may label him a two guard. I would label him as a guy that can really score. He is one of the top shooters in the junior class and when he catches fire - watch out. He is also outstanding with the ball in traffic and transition. He seems to glide with the ball and slip through defenders with ease. Most of his drives end in fantastic left handed finishes. He was a Top 20 All Star at Hoop Group Elite Session 4 this past summer along with being named the camp’s Most Outstanding Prospect.  The finalists for his services were Pitt and Maryland and it is hard to turn down the team that is currently ranked #1 in the nation. Coach Dixon is stock piling the talent with a great 2009 class and starting off his 2010 class with Epps.
 

 

 

Bryon Allen, Junior at Oak Hill Academy (VA) commits to West Virginia
I haven’t gotten to see Allen much, but the little I have seen of him was very impressive. This fall at Keith Stevens’ DMV vs. Philly Basketball Challenge, Allen may have been the most impressive player in the Junior game that included Roscoe Smith, Will Barton, Markel Starks (Georgetown) , Tony Chenault (Wake Forest) and Josh Selby (Tennessee).  He shot it well from the perimeter and also used his strong frame to get in the lane and finish.  He was comfortable handling the ball and had good explosiveness off the dribble.  Coach Bob Huggins scored a good one who will fit well into his system.
 

 

 

Myck Kabongo, Sophomore at St. Benedict’s (NJ) commits to Texas
I got a chance to see the talented Kabongo on Saturday at the Harrisburg Hoop Group Showcase.  He did not disappoint.  He is a floor general extraordinaire.  Runs his team like a college junior or senior, not a high school sophomore.  He makes great decisions and also does a terrific job spreading the wealth between his very talented teammates (St. Ben’s has more than a dozen future Division 1 players!).  His quickness is tremendous and he is equally comfortable driving to set up his teammates or to finish at the rim.  The ability to score at the basket will only improve as his strength improves.  His jump shot has improved as well.  While playing in AAU with Grassroots Canada and in his first year at St. Benedict’s, he didn’t need to showcase his jumper too often.  But he came out in Harrisburg and hit a few shots from behind the arc.  Add that to the fact that he harasses ball handlers defensively and has a knack for coming up with steals, and you have one tremendous player.  Coach Rick Barnes has done a great job getting commitments from the St. Ben’s/Grassroots Canada duo of junior Tristan Thompson and Kabongo.  Both look like they will be McDonald’s All Americans and are among the top players in their respective classes.
 

 

 

Danny Lawhorn, Junior at Hartford Public (CT) commits to Boston College
Lawhorn was the NBA West MVP during Hoop Group ELITE from July 28-31, 2007.  He was under the radar compared to the other high major commits, but no one can question BC head coach Al Skinner’s ability to find under the radar guys who go on to have great careers for the Eagles. 

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Rob’s Rambles

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Now that the NFL is down to its Final 4, college hoops take center stage. The next 12 weeks are what we college hoops junkies live for. As you look around the East here is where we are heading into the meat of the season, conference play:

The ACC is scary good at the top; The Big East is ridiculous 1 thru 10; The A-10 is Xavier and everybody else; Northeastern and George Mason are still undefeated with VCU right on their heels; Siena is what we thought they would be- the odds on favorite in the MAAC; Mike Rice and the Robert Morris Colonials are in the same place they were all last year in the NEC, 1st Place; Albany and Vermont look like the teams to beat in the America East after devastating injuries to BU and Hartford; VMI is running and gunning their way to the top of the Big South; Navy and Lehigh look like they have the best chance to keep American from repeating in the Patriot League; The MEAC looks like a 2 team race between Morgan St and Hampton after they have both posted impressive non conference wins; Davidson owns the Southern Conference; and when the Ivies stop studying (only 1 league game has been played so far) Cornell will look to repeat their 14-0 run of last season.

 

Rob’s Ramblings:
Sorry to see Billy Bayno resign at Loyola Marymount. He was at Hoop Group Elite for the first few days of the live period this summer and he looked great. He had secured a GREAT recruiting class before the pressures of coaching forced him to take a leave of absence. Just another example of how hard coaching can be both physically, mentally and emotionally. I wish Billy the best.

Pitt has started 15-0 for the 3rd time under Jamie Dixon!!

Speaking of Pitt, they got yet another NJ guard when Isaiah Epps, the talented Jr from Plainfield, committed to the Panthers this past week. Credit Brandin Knight for a lot of the legwork on this one. He and veteran Tom Herrion give Jamie Dixon a powerful 1-2 punch on the recruiting trail.

Texas ventured back into NJ for another St Benedict’s commitment. Sophomore sensation, Myck Kabongo, joins fellow Grey Bee and Grassroots Canada teammate, Tristan Thompson as future Longhorns. Interesting that Myck chose his 17th birthday to make the announcement.

I bet that Dennis Felton, Paul Hewitt and Sidney Lowe don’t sleep on Tuesday night. Derrick Favors will make his college decision known on Wednesday choosing from NC State, Georgia and Georgia Tech. Favors’ decision could be a job saver for Felton and a job changer for either Hewitt or Lowe.

In case it hasn’t sunk in yet, UNC is 0-2 in the ACC.

Kudos to Tommy Amaker and Harvard for their stunning win over BC just 3 days after the Eagles shocked UNC. Amaker will get it done at Harvard. The Crimson have amazingly enough NEVER won the Ivy League. That should change over the next couple of years, just probably not this year with all that Cornell returns.

Lost in all the deserving attention that Harvard received, was Morgan State’s upset of Maryland. Todd Bozeman waited a long time to get back in the business after being run out of Call and sanctioned by the NCAA. It looks like the wait was worth it, as the Bears look to be a MEAC favorite along with Hampton.

ND has won 20 straight home games- IN THE BIG EAST!!

Ahmad Nivins had 28 & 20 rebounds in 54 minutes in St Joe’s 3OT win over URI. Now that’s a day’s work.

What a tough loss for Villanova at home against Louisville. They missed 2 FT’s, 2 layups and a tip in the last 5 seconds of the game. Ouch, that hurts. It even hurts more when it drops you to 1-2 in the Big East, where there is no breather in sight.

Siena may have lost all 3 games at the Old Spice Classic, but they are still an excellent team. You wonder if that will kill any at large consideration if they go on an extended run in the MAAC. The shame is that they really let 1 of those games slip away, blowing a 10 point lead with 8 minutes left to go vs. Wichita State. They win that game and even if they lose in the next round, their 4 losses would be to Tenn, Michigan St, Pitt and Kansas.

Tyler Hansbrough has an outside chance to score 1,000 points – FROM THE FOUL LINE!!

If you haven’t seen it, check out Johnny Flynn’s dunk over Mike Rosario on You Tube. It’s nasty!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmgIPGy0zOE

Posted in Rob Kennedy | 1 Comment »

Steve Keller’s Deal or no Deal - Top Twenty-Six

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

HERE’S THE DEAL

This week our top two teams continued to fight it out for the top spot but No. 3 St Patrick fell to Life Center Academy. Life Center is a private prep school in New Jersey that has some players that have repeated a year. The program is well run and they always have talent. The Celtics tumbled three spots with the loss.

            The biggest jump in the poll was orchestrated by Chester as they beat District 1 rival Penn Wood 57-48. The young Clippers are led by Temple bound Rahlir Jefferson but Sophomore Maurice Nelson, younger brother of NBA Jameer Nelson, is playing great and the Clippers are growing up in a hurry.

            The other big story was Boys & Girls finally beating Lincoln in a big New York City Public League showdown. Last year, Boys & Girls lost three heartbreakers to the Railsplitters. We keep Lincoln ahead of Boys & Girls, for the time being, as they have a win over Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson defeated Boys & Girls earlier in the year.  In the New York City Catholic League Rice won their big match with Christ the King. Things are getting tight in New York City.

            The only team to fall from “The Deal” this week was Bishop Maginn as they lost to Newburgh Free Academy.

            The team that we believe everyone else is missing is Eastern/Lake Clifton. They had a very solid squad and then received a big bonus when the Barton brothers transferred into school over the summer. Will Barton is a 6’5 junior and is being recruited by Big East and ACC schools. His brother, Antonio, is a 6’2 junior point guard and when all is said and done, he won’t be far behind his brother. We are the only ones rating the Baltimore Public League School and believe they should be nationally ranked.

            And now onto the teams in question…Deal… or No Deal?

 

  1/13/09  
     
1 St. Benedict’s NJ  13-0
2 Oak Hill VA  19-0
3 Dematha MD 12-1
4 Montrose Christian MD  11-1
5 Rice NY  7-1
6 St. Patrick NJ  9-2
7 St. Anthony NJ  10-1
8 Christ the King NY  11-2
9 Bishop McNamara MD 11-2
10 Eastern HS/Lake Clifton 9-0
11 Neuman Goretti PA 9-1
12 Lincoln NY  8-4
13 Mount Vernon NY  6-1
14 Bishop O’Connell VA   11-3
15 Gonzaga DC 12-2
16 Niagara Falls NY 9-0
17 Windsor CT 7-0
18 Chester PA  8-1
19 Penn Wood PA 10-1
20 Thomas Jefferson NY 11-3
21 Boys & Girls NY  11-4
22 Bishop Loughlin NY 8-3
23 St. Frances MD 14-3
24 Central Catholic MA 7-0
25 Pennsbury PA  7-2
26 Roman Catholic PA  7-5
     
  Close But “No Deal”  
     
  Bishop Maginn NY 7-2
  Springbrook MD 11-0
  Petersburg VA 11-0
  Jamesville Dewitt NY 11-0
  Hillhouse CT 6-1
  Peekskill NY 10-0
  St. Raymond’s NY 8-4
  Trinity Catholic CT 7-0
  Mt. St. Joseph MD  17-3

Posted in Steve Keller | 4 Comments »

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