2018-19 New York City boys basketball (through Dec. 22)
The weekly look at the New York City metro area's PSAL, CHSAA and AIS schools for the New York State Sportswriters Association is compiled by Mike Libert:
Class AA
1) Cardinal Hayes (8-0)- Playing in the CHSAA is never easy -- as the Card-
inals learned with a pair of what looked to be on paper easier home games.
Up on Tuesday was a game against Xaverian, and while Hayes led for most of
the way it was still a tight 75-70 victory with Joe Toussaint '19 pacing
the way with 25 points. Archbishop Molloy on a Friday afternoon was possibly
even tougher as the Cardinals trailed after one quarter, but were able to
pull away late for a 74-64 win. In Cardinal Hayes' last game of 2018 they
will go on the road for just the third time this season when they take on a
still always tough Christ the King team looking to stay unbeaten.
2) South Shore (11-1)- The Vikings have made the most of their time down in
Kentucky this week in the King of the Bluegrass Classic. South Shore has not
disappointed as they have won their first three games down there and will be
playing for the title on Sunday evening. Opening up with a 87-76 win over
Evanston Township of Illinois, the Vikings got a huge game from Kadary Rich-
mond '19, who had 33 points in the win. That was followed by a 66-59 victory
over Brentwood Academy of Tennessee in the quarterfinals, then it was an 82-
74 win over Ballard of Kentucky in the semis in a game that had South Shore
falling behind by 14 at the half only to rally for the victory. The champion-
ship will pit the Vikings against Collins of Kentucky with South Shore hoping
to come home with a title in hand in their last game of 2018.
3) Bishop Loughlin (5-0)- In an offensive showdown against Thomas Jefferson
last Sunday in the Lions Holiday Showcase, Bishop Loughlin came up with a huge
fourth quarter to run away from the Orange Wave late 87-74. Justin Champagnie
'19 had 25 points, while his twin brother Julian Champagnie '19 added 18 as
the dynamic 6-foot-7 duo inside dominated down the stretch for the victory.
For the holidays, Bishop Loughlin will head to Delaware to play in the Slam
Dunk to the Beach where they will play Liberty of Nevada on Thursday before
taking on Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania on Friday to finish out their
tournament.
4) Brooklyn Collegiate (7-2)- After losing a 65-64 heartbreaker last Sunday
to a nationally ranked St. Frances Academy of Maryland, the Lions were able
to rebound to defeat Eagle Academy II 70-62 in their only league game of the
week as Jaylin Anderson '20 had his best game of the year with 20 points and
15 rebounds. Charles Brown '19 once again put together a fantastic effort
with 19 points and eight rebounds. Brooklyn Collegiate will head down next to
the Governors Challenge in Maryland, where they will square off with a pair of
out-of-state opponents in Legacy Charter (DC) on Friday and Lincoln Academy
from Georgia on Saturday.
5) Thomas Jefferson (7-3)- It's been a hard-luck start to the season for the
Orange Wave, who went on the road last Sunday and fell to Bishop Loughlin 87-
74 in a game they led early in the fourth quarter before it all came apart.
Kareem Welch '19 had 27 in the loss, but Jefferson showed a ton of character
in rallying to easily defeat Boys and Girls 92-62 in league play and then in
the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic on Saturday were able to roll over Eagle
Academy Bronx 80-59 in a game that saw Welch lead with 31 points, while Jaquan
Carlos '21 added 19 points and eight assists. It will be a trip to sunny Ari-
zona after Christmas for Thomas Jefferson as they go to the VisitMesa Basket-
ball Challenge where some of the best from Arizona, California, Nevada, and
Utah will be on hand.
6) St. Raymond (5-4)- To have a team with the record that the Ravens have this
high in the rankings speaks volumes of just how St. Ray's haa played as of
late. They lost their first three games of the season and then reeled off five
straight, including wins over Wings Academy and Xaverian. This week they were
able to go easily push past Mount St. Michael 76-59 on Tuesday, and then in the
opener of the Slam Dunk Tournament on Friday got 31 points and 13 rebounds from
Gary Grant '20 as the Ravens came back after trailing most of the way for a 72-
69 OT victory. They then fell to Long Island Lutheran, a team that may be New
York State's best, 69-52 in the championship game. But make no mistake St. Ray-
mond is playing very good basketball right now. Next up for the Ravens will be
Marist (N.J.) on Saturday as apart of a showcase to be played at Xavier in
Manhattan.
7) Xaverian (8-2)- What the Clippers accomplished over three games in seven days
shows they are more than for real and a true contender in the CHSAA. It may have
been in a defeat last Sunday but Xaverian hung tough on the road from start to
finish in a 75-70 loss to No. 1 Cardinal Hayes. On Friday came a trip to Christ
the King, and while they trailed at halftime it was an impressive comeback and
rally for Xaverian. Led by the 18 points of Shawn Fulcher '21 the Clippers took
a 70-68, statement-making win. Saturday at the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic
may have been a bit of a letdown against Paul Robeson about 18 hours later but
Nick Folk '20 had 18 points in another come-from-behind win over the Eagles.
The Monsignor King Tournament in Brooklyn will be next as Xaverian opens up on
Thursday against Metropolitan in the first of three games.
8) Wings Academy (7-1)- A strong 2-0 week for the Wings as they first made quick
work of JFK 67-37 as Tommy Thomas '19 had 22 points while Mahamadou Nimaga '19
nearly had a triple-double -- finishing with seven points, 10 rebounds, and 11
assists. The week finished out for Wings down in Philadelphia where they took on
Simon Gratz (PA) in the All City Classic Showcase, and even after trailing at the
half Wings was able to rally back late for a 54-47 victory with Thomas again com-
ing up big and being named Game MVP. It's the Governors Challenge down in Maryland
coming up after Christmas as Wings will face off with Liberty Heights (NC) on Wed-
nesday, then on Thursday will get Abraham Lincoln (PA), before getting Archbishop
Carroll (DC) on Friday to finish out their 2018.
9) Msgr. Scanlan (4-3)- The Crusaders had a 3-0 week with wins over Christ the
King, Holy Cross, and Mount St. Michael as they started to turn the corner. Matt
Mayers '20 had 21 points and 12 rebounds in a come-from-behind win over the Royals
in a game that saw Scanlan fight back from a late fourth-quarter deficit to get
the 74-73 victory. Mayers would then come back with 34 points and 13 rebounds in
an 86-78 win over Holy Cross, with the week closing out with a 66-57 victory over
Mount on the road. This coming week will see Scanlan go to Charlotte, N.C., to
play in the Hoodie's House Hoops Classic, where they will open Thursday with Holly
Springs (N.C.).
10) Christ the King (3-3)- While the Royals were able to down St. Francis Prep in
the middle of the week, the rest of the way didn't exactly go the way of the CHSAA
power as the Royals lost on Sunday at Msgr. Scanlan 74-73, and then lost Friday at
home to Xaverian 70-68 to finish out the week. Sterling Jones '21 had 23 points and
five assists in the loss to Scanlan, with Ryan Myers '20 scoring 20 in the win over
the Terriers. The loss to Xaverian was a tough way to finish the week out as they
will now look to rebound on Sunday afternoon when they host No. 1 Cardinal Hayes
before heading to the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina to face a tough national
slate of competition.
Class A
1) Canarsie (7-0)- Just a one-game week for the Chiefs, who rise to No. 1 in the
Class A NYC rankings this week after taking down Erasmus Hall 62-55 on Wednesday.
Khadafi Judd '19 had 20 points to pace Canarsie with Adisa Isaac '19 adding 11
points and eight rebounds in the victory. Starting on Thursday the Chiefs will
take part in the Lee County Roundball Classic down in Leesburg, Ga., where they
will be tested by a number of out-of-state opponents starting with Carver Columbus
of Georgia. Tests after that could come from schools from states such as Florida
and Virginia, along with a number of good Georgia opponents in the field.
2) Seward Park (10-0)- Staying perfect on the season, the Bears held on to defeat
East Harlem Pride 76-72 in a tough one on Tuesday as Julian Camacho '19 had 20
points to lead four Seward Park scorers in double figures. Just as tough a game
was Bayard Rustin on the road as the Bears trailed by seven going into the fourth
quarter before Shakeem Reid '19 took over down low as he finished with 24 points
and 11 rebounds to help push Seward Park to a come from behind 76-73 victory. Over
the break the Bears will play one non-league game when they host Erasmus Hall next
Saturday.
3) Msgr. Farrell (6-1)- After losing earlier to CHSAA rival St. Peter's, a Class
AA team, the Lions have been perfect since. They shocked Nazareth 53-40 Monday as
they came back from down seven at the half to rally for the win as Anthony Clemenza
'19 had 18 points. Since Monday the Lions have taken down a pair of Staten Island
foes in blowout fashion as they beat Moore Catholic 70-45 on Thursday, and then on
Saturday it was a 65-43 win over Susan Wagner. A trip to Florida is next up as Msgr.
Farrell will be in Palm Beach for a strong tournament featuring teams from Florida,
North Carolina, New Jersey and more.
4) All Hallows (6-3)- We have talked in the past about teams with up and down weeks
but what the Gaels were able to accomplish really has way more ups than downs even
though they did fall once this past week. All Hallows lost to CHSAA Class AA foe
Archbishop Molloy 79-69. But when you look at what else they did over the past
seven days it's truly a big week for them. The Gaels shocked Brooklyn Law and Tech
71-68 behind the 32 points of Nick Johnson '19, who is headed next year to New Hamp-
shire. And then with Johnson out it was Chad Ewart '20 who poured in 30 in a big-time
comeback, 85-83 OT win over ranked Class B school Poly Prep. Next up will be Paul
Robeson of the PSAL Brooklyn AA at the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic on Sunday, and
then next Saturday it's a home date against another Class AA school, this time it will
be Holy Cross out of the CHSAA.
5) Brooklyn Law and Tech (9-1)- Falling from the No. 1 spot they have held for the
better part of the past two seasons, the Jets suffered a 71-68 loss to All Hallows
last Sunday as part of the Lions Holiday Classic in Brooklyn. Rebounding from that
well, Law and Tech made easy work on Millennium 71-43 as Davonta Cook '19 had 25
points with Joseph Pena '19 adding 20. The work for the Jets to get back to the top
spot will continue on Sunday in Brooklyn Law and Tech's last game of 2018 when they
play in the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic against a tough team out of Washington,
D.C., in Ron Brown College Prep.
6) Nazareth (4-2)- Far from the week that the Kingsmen wanted, they were without a
pair of starters in their trip to Staten Island on Monday evening and felt the
effect. After leading by seven going into halftime, Nazareth struggled offensively,
scoring just 10 points the rest of the way in a 53-40 loss to Msgr. Farrell. Then a
trip to New Jersey meant another loss though the Kingsmen were more competitive and
hung tough against a good The Patrick School team from the Garden State but Nazareth
couldn't get over the top and lost 63-60. More tough and challenging games are ahead
as Nazareth will play Class AA Eagle Academy of the Bronx on Sunday at the Brooklyn
Bridge Holiday Classic before going to North Carolina after Christmas for the
Hoodie's House Hoops Classic, where they will open Thursday against Northside Chris-
tian Academy (N.C.).
7) Beacon (10-0)- As good as the start to the year has been, this is back-to-back sea-
sons with a deep unbeaten beginning to the season for Beacon, clearly proving to be
one of the better defensive teams in New York City. Michael O'Brien '20 had 16 points
as the lone player in double figures as the Blue Demons took a 53-34 win over George
Washington to start the week, while a better offensive output came on Thursday when
Beacon defeated Philip Randolph 79-40 as Sam Pohlman '21 had 23 points. Just one more
game coming up in 2018 for the Blue Demons, who will go up with one of the best in
Class B in Fannie Lou Hamer on Sunday at the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic in what
looks to be a very strong matchup.
8) Transit Tech (10-1)- Going on the road and trailing at halftime to a good Prospect
Heights Campus team, the Express got 17 second-half points from Kymani Williams '19 as
he would finish with 25 to lift Transit Tech to a 68-66 victory. That win gave the Ex-
press their 10th win in the 2018 portion of the season with a trip up to Maine for
three games upcoming next as they will face off with Waynflete (Maine) on Thursday,
Portland (Maine) on Friday and Portsmouth of New Hampshire as the Express bring a
little Brooklyn up to Maine's capital just prior to the new year.
9) Adlai Stevenson (8-2)- Proving themselves to be among the best in the Bronx A
this season in the PSAL, Stevenson was able to dispatch fairly easily of Evander
Childs 73-53 on Monday as Kaden Norton '21 had a game-high 21 points. That was
followed by a convincing 79-65 road victory over Alfred E. Smith in a game that had
Jayden Davis '19 score a career-high 29 points for the Ambassadors. A road game on
Thursday at CHSAA Class AA Holy Cross proved to be a little too much as even though
Davis had 22 points it was in a 68-58 loss -- though they were in the game from start
to finish in what was the Ambassadors last game of 2018.
10) Lehman (8-1)- Opening up the week Tuesday against Alfred E. Smith at home, the
Lions cruised in blowout fashion as Mekhi Purser '20 had 19 points while Ivan Alvarez
'19 had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a game that saw 11 Lehman players score in a
71-30 victory. The Lions then went out of league on Thursday and were missing three
starters, which ended up costing them in a 62-56 loss to MLK Jr. that while it
doesn't hurt them in their league standings does take them down a bit overall in the
state rankings. Lehman will next host a tournament over the Christmas break -- Friday
vs. Sacred Heart and Saturday vs. Valley Stream Central.
Class B
1) South Bronx Prep (9-0)- A pair of Bronx B3 league games meant a pair of lopsided
wins for the Cougars. Jordan Agyemang '19 had 41 points and 15 rebounds in a 94-46
blowout of Explorations Academy on Tuesday in a game that also saw Habrahan Ramos
'19 add 29 points. Hyde Leadership came next on Thursday, and again behind a big
effort from Agyemang it was an easy 83-48 win. Add in another victory over St. Ray-
mond's "B" team and South Bronx Prep is rolling heading into 2019.
2) Fannie Lou Hamer (10-1)- Great defense has long been a staple of the best Panthers
teams, and this season looks to be much along those lines again as Fannie Lou domin-
ated Bronx Early College Academy 99-43 on Tuesday and Jane Addams 70-47 on Thursday
in strong league wins. Anthony Rose '20 had 30 points in the Panthers' win Tuesday,
and then it was 26 points from Tyree Morris '19 on Thursday as Fannie Lou Hamer is
playing extremely well on both ends of the floor. A top Class A program in the PSAL
awaits on Sunday in Beacon in the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic, and that will be
followed by another PSAL Class A school on Friday in Thomas Edison as part of the
Queens Jam Christmas Classic.
3) Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (11-0)- In their familiar No. 3 spot
once again are the Jaguars. Getting 26 points and 15 rebounds from Frantz Jean-Pierre
'19 had Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice make quick work on Tuesday of
H.S. of American Studies 78-39, but that was just the start of a huge week for Jean-
Pierre. He followed up with a 31-point, 26-rebound performance against Bronx Studio
for Writers and Artists in a 107-37 win. Kevin Bimpey '19 had 31 points in the Jag-
uars' second win of the week as well in what was Law, Government, and Justice's last
game of 2018.
4) Summit Academy (11-1)- When you think about strong offensive teams, Summit has to
be at the top of the list as the firepower they have across the board is among the
best, especially in Class B. They had just one game this past week when they hosted
Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance, but getting 37 points from Jordan Council '20 and
29 points from Donte Howard '20 helped the Eagles to a 110-78 victory. Summit Academy
is finished for the rest of 2018 and will be back on the court again when they take
on Science Skills Center on Jan. 4 in a Brooklyn B West league matchup.
5) Bathgate Educational Complex (8-1)- Even though Bathgate has a loss on the year,
it was only a six-point defeat a couple weeks back to a very talented Law, Government
and Justice team, and outside of that game it has been pure domination for the Bull-
dogs. This week saw Bathgate a bit more challenged, though they were able to get a
big road win over Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy 69-61 on Monday as Michael Boafo '20
had 17 points and 11 rebounds. On Wednesday it was a 71-56 win for Bathgate over FDA
III with Elijah Gonzalez '21 showing to be a promising young guard as he put in 20
points in Bathgate's final game until Jan. 4 vs. H.S. of American Studies.
6) Riverdale (7-0)- The dynamic duo of Sam Klores '20 and Noah Seeherman '19 had
helped propel the Falcons to not only an undefeated start to the season, but to their
debut into the Class B rankings this season. Seeherman had 23 points help push River-
dale to a 66-62 win over Fieldston to open the week, then it was Klores with 24 in a
70-59 victory out of league over Portledge School. Then it was the two together each
putting up big numbers in 60-56 win over Dalton as Klores had 18 points and 10 re-
bounds, while Seeherman added 13 points. It was a great start to the season for
Riverdale, which won't now take the court again until Jan. 9 when they go on the road
for a big league game against Poly Prep.
7) Dwight School (7-3)- Credit has to go to Dwight coach Dave Brown as he brought his
team down to Florida to play in the prestigious Kreul Classic. They were playing teams
loaded with future Division I talent and the Lions ended up more than holding their
own even though they went 1-2 for the tournament. They opened with a 58-46 OT loss to
Deerfield Beach (FL) in a game that Dwight did lead late in regulation before falling.
Next was a 67-64 win over North Broward Prep (FL) before falling on Saturday in the
fifth-place game to Rock Canyon, a team that made Colorado's 5A Final Four a year ago.
Now off until 2019, Dwight will be a team to reckon with vs. local Class B competition.
8) Dalton (8-2)- Rebounding and playing well after adversity, the Tigers went on the
road Wednesday and dropped their second game of the year when they fell to Riverdale
60-56. It was a disappointing result for Dalton, but they recovered well on Friday and
Saturday when they defeated Berkeley Carroll 75-54 and Loyola 63-41 to win the Loyola
Holiday Classic. It put the Tigers back squarely among the teams that will compete for
the Ivy League championship, but also among the teams vying for the NYSAIS Class B
title at the end of the year. Dalton will now be off until the new year when they will
play Dwight School in a battle of championship favorites Jan. 7.
9) Poly Prep (5-1)- Playing in the Brooklyn Bridge Holiday Classic on Saturday, the Blue
Devils took on a very good Class A All Hallows team. While they led by as many as 14
points in the second half, Poly would ultimately fall in OT 85-83 even though star fresh-
man Max Ragusa '22 had 30 points in the defeat. It was an eye-opening performance by the
Blue Devils, who showed they absolutely could compete with one of the CHSAA's best in
Class A, with another Catholic League test coming up for Poly Prep when they next take
the court Jan. 4 when they will go on the road into Manhattan to face Regis.
10) Academy of American Studies (7-0)- Undefeated this late in the season for the first
time in a number of years, the Eagles enter into the rankings off of an impressive 47-38
victory on the road at usual power Maspeth. It was a confidence and momentum building
win for American Studies as they got 14 points from Amit Singh '20 with Scott Geathers
'19 adding 11 points in the win that makes them as the favorites in the Queens B. That's
the end to Academy of American Studies' December, with their next game to come Jan. 7
when they go on the road against to square off against Energy Tech.
