Leading off today: If you think his name's a handful, try dealing with his game.
Long Island Lutheran sophomore Achraf Yacoubou, a rapidly rising star, scored 26 points last night to highlight a 67-42 victory over Staten Island Curtis in the boys Federation Class A semifinals at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Lutheran will play Jamesville-DeWitt tonight for the title in a rematch from a year ago, and college coaches are certain to be back in full force. Coaches from Wake Forest and Notre Dame were among those who saw Yacoubou go 3-for-5 on three pointers and 9-for-17 overall while also grabbing six rebounds and defending against Hofstra-bound Halil Kanacevic, a 6-8 center.
"Colleges have been in our gym since September," LIL coach Brian Carey told Newsday. "They see his work ethic. They see the way he glides. They see how he chases the ball. That's a gift. Everyone sees the great skill he has in making shots. But a coach sees he's unselfish, sees him guard people, sees him chase the ball — 50-50 balls become his."
Jamesville-DeWitt advanced with a 67-55 victory against Iona Prep as Syracuse-bound Brandon Triche scored a game-high 25 points and added five assists and three steals.
"I’m going to be real sad (Saturday), win or lose," J-D coach Bob McKenney told The Post-Star. "More because of the person Brandon is. It’s been four great years. Brandon will step in and be an impact player at Syracuse right away, I know it."
After the game, the Basketball Coaches Association of New York honored Triche and Abraham Lincoln’s Lance Stephenson as co-recipients of the New York Mr. Basketball Award.
Boys Class B: James Taylor scored 20 points, including four three-pointers in the first half, to carry Bishop Kearney past Lancaster St. Mary's. Taylor scored 18 points in first half.
The Kings, ranked No. 2 in Class B by the New York State Sportswriters Association, will meet No. 1 Collegiate
