2018-19 New York City boys basketball (through Jan. 5)
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) Bishop Loughlin (11-0)- As perfect as a week as any team could have, the Lions
went down to New Orleans to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Classic and will
be coming home with the title defeating three of Louisiana's best in Walker,
Madison Prep, and Dunham, plus a good Lakewood Ranch team from Florida, en route
to the championship. Justin Champagnie '19 averaged just over 20 points per game
throughout the Lions run to be named Tournament MVP as the wins down south pushes
Bishop Loughlin to 11-0 and puts them in the top spot of the rankings for now.
The Lions will next take the court back in NYC on Tuesday when they host Mount
St. Michael before a tough game to conclude the week comes on Friday night when
Loughlin plays host to a talented and improved Msgr. Scanlan squad.
2) Thomas Jefferson (12-3)- Coming back from a great showing out in Arizona where
they went unbeaten, the Orange Wave played host to South Shore on Thursday evening
in Brooklyn. It was a game to remember in a solid out Jefferson gym as Jaquan
Carlos '21 had 25 points to help the Orange Wave to an 80-79 win. It was a nip and
tuck battle for most of the way in a game that also saw Kareem Welch '19 put up a
double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. Sunday will see a
marquee non-league matchup as Thomas Jefferson goes to Christ the King in the
nightcap of the Apparel Challenge before league games on Tuesday and Thursday
against Robeson and Eagle Academy II, both on the road, close out the week.
3) South Shore (12-2)- It was a game that could've gone either way as Femi Odukale
'19 hit a three at the end of the third quarter to tie things up going into the
fourth where the lead would then get traded back and forth on a number of
occasions. In the end thought South Shore fell just short in what would be an 80-
79 defeat to Thomas Jefferson on Thursday in one of the games of the year to date.
Kadary Richmond '19 had a game high 27 points for the Vikings who will be on the
court again on Sunday at the Apparel Challenge in Queens against Long Island power
Chaminade before two league games finish off their week against Eagle Academy II
on Tuesday, and a big one on the road at Brooklyn Collegiate on Thursday conclude
a busy upcoming week.
4) Brooklyn Collegiate (8-4)- Getting back into league play for the first time
after the holidays saw the Lions take on George Westinghouse on the road this
past Thursday. It was a good opportunity for them to get a fairly easy win as
Amahrie Simpkins '20 had one of his best performances of the season in scoring 19
points, while senior leader Glen Anderson '19 would add 17 in a 69-50 victory for
Brooklyn Collegiate. It will be a two league game week for the Lions over the
next seven days as on Tuesday they will go on the road to play Boys & Girls before
one of the biggest games of their season on Thursday when Brooklyn Collegiate
hosts South Shore in a game that will give the Lions the chance to show that they
are among the best in NYC.
5) St. Raymond (7-4)- Going up against their biggest rivals in Cardinal Hayes at
home on Friday afternoon the Ravens made a statement for the rest of the CHSAA to
take notice of as they were able to grab a 64-63 overtime victory over the Card-
inals. A three pointer at the end of regulation by Hayes forced this one into the
extra session, and though it looked as if momentum was all on their oppositions
side Gary Grant '20 came up with a pair of big buckets late in his 20 point effort
to help St. Ray's to the victory that is now their 7th in their past 8 games. A
home game against St. Peter's is next up for the Ravens on Sunday afternoon before
a non-league game against The Knox School on Tuesday, and then another major
league clash ends the week when the Ravens play host to Stepinac.
6) Cardinal Hayes (8-2)- Having been off since prior to Christmas when they lost
in 3 OT's to Christ the King, it was another heartbreaking OT loss for the Card-
inals on Friday evening, losing to St. Raymond's 64-63. Joe Toussaint '19 hit a
three ball at the buzzer for Cardinal Hayes to send the game into the extra ses-
sion, but even with momentum on their side it wasn't enough as the Ravens did just
enough to squeak out the victory. It was the Cardinals only game of the week
though things pick up over the next seven days when on Sunday they will face off
with Class A power Brooklyn Law and Tech at the Apparel Challenge in Queens, then
it's a home league date on Tuesday with Msgr. Scanlan before going to Iona Prep on
Friday night in what will be a strong testing week for Cardinal Hayes.
7) Xaverian (12-2)- With what is on paper a very young team the Clippers are put-
ting together a fantastic season to date behind the play of a pair of talented
floor generals in Shawn Fulcher '21 and Nick Folk '20. Fulcher was named MVP of
the Msgr. King Tournament last Sunday as he had 22 points in a 83-63 title game
victory over McKee/Staten Island Tech. CHSAA league play was next as Xaverian went
to the Bronx to take on Mt. St. Michael, and while the Clippers didn't play their
best game they found a way to pull it out in what was a 65-64 OT win that has
Xaverian among the best in the city right now. A home game is next on Sunday when
the Clippers host Msgr. Scanlan in what will be a very tough test, and then it's a
road game at Archbishop Molloy on Tuesday in a game that will end the week for
Xaverian.
8) Christ the King (5-5)- Finishing out their run at the Beach Ball Classic this
past Monday the Royals made quick work of the host team Myrtle Beach of South Car-
olina 80-65 as Ryan Myers '20 had 18 points in the winning effort that allowed
Christ the King to leave on a positive note. That was the Royals only game of the
week but things pick up in a big way starting on Sunday when they take on Thomas
Jefferson in the Christ the King Apparel Challenge. After that it will Iona Prep
coming to Middle Village on Tuesday for a league matchup before a home game with
Archbishop Molloy on Friday night closes the week out for the Royals who will look
to get things going and put themselves once again in the mix of the best in the
five boroughs.
9) Msgr. Scanlan (5-5)- A quiet week for the Crusaders who haven't played since
coming back from North Carolina over the Christmas break, but with Matt Mayers
'19 really beginning to come around and be one of the CHSAA's best, and a talented
backcourt led by Joe Munden '20 it's time to take this Scanlan group extremely
seriously. A lot will be learned about the Crusaders this week though as its a
three game week for them with tough game after tough game coming up. Sunday will
see them head to Brooklyn for a big one against Xaverian, then it's another road
test on Tuesday with Cardinal Hayes, before staying on the road on Friday for a
date at Bishop Loughlin in a seven day stretch where each game will be an enormous
test.
10) Wings Academy (8-3)- Having James Monroe on the road on the schedule this past
week, that game was postponed until later on in February meaning it was a week free
of games for Wings who still are among the best in the PSAL this season even after
the loss of guard Jose Cuello '20 to transfer. Tommy Thomas '19 has been the major
catalyst for the success of Wings Academy so far this season and it's his inside/
outside game that will dictate just how far the Bronx AA power will go this year.
Two league games will start the week for Wings as on Tuesday they host Harry Tru-
man, and then it will be a road game on Friday against Mott Haven. The week will
close out on Saturday with a game at the Empire Invitational where it will be a
true road game with Wings taking on a young but strong CHSAA power in Iona Prep.
Class A
1) Seward Park (12-0)- Remaining in the top spot for a second straight week are
the Bears who in their only game of the week, and first game of 2019, were able
to easily take care of business against Norman Thomas 86-64. It was a balanced
scoring attack for Seward Park as Julian Camacho '19 had 20 points in the win,
while Alphanso Creary '20 added 16 for the Bears who continue to show themselves
as a team worthy of being named among the best in New York City. Another one game
week is ahead for Seward Park as they will go on the road on Thursday looking to
stay perfect on the year when they take on Stuyvesant.
2) Msgr. Farrell (10-1)- For the teams on Staten Island it's never easy to leave
their borough and go on the road and pick up the win, and it's even tougher to
go to Xavier on a Friday night in January, but behind the play of Anthony Cle-
menza '19 who had 17 points the Lions were able to go to Manhattan and pick up
the 53-40 victory. Defensively it was Msgr. Farrell really making a major state-
ment on Friday and they will look to keep that kind of play going this week when
they go to the Bronx on Sunday to take on Cardinal Spellman before two home
games to finish out the week, Tuesday against Port Richmond, and a big one on
Friday night against Class AA power St. Peter's.
3) All Hallows (9-3)- It was far from easy for the Gaels on Saturday when they
played host to a now healthy St. Edmund Prep team, but when you have Nick John-
son '19 on your side good things usually happen as he scored 19 points, including
9 in the fourth quarter alone to help All Hallows hold on and take a 54-50 home
victory. The only game that the Gaels played this past week, it will be three
games coming up over the next seven days for All Hallows starting out on Tuesday
when they go on the road to face a tough Fordham Prep team. Thursday will then
see the Gaels host Xavier before going to play McKee/Staten Island Tech in the
Crump Classic on Saturday afternoon at Wadleigh in Manhattan.
4) Brooklyn Law and Tech (11-1)- In their first game of 2019 the Jets went on the
road to take on a talented Erasmus Hall team on Friday evening, and with Joseph
Pena '19 coming alive for 24 points it was Law and Tech coming away with the 77-
58 victory. Davonta Cook '19 had another double-double for the Jets with 19
points and 12 assists leading the offense for Brooklyn Law and Tech who are still
among the favorites in the PSAL this season. Sunday will see a massive challenge
as the Jets will play in the Apparel Challenge at Christ the King in Queens where
they will take on CHSAA AA power Cardinal Hayes before a Friday road league
matchup with Tilden finishes out what should be a tough and challenging week
ahead.
5) Canarsie (10-2)- Getting a strong pair of games from guard Khadafi Julio '19
allowed the Chiefs to finish out a 2-0 week and maintain their spot in the Class
A rankings, and keep themselves among the top contenders in the PSAL. A Friday
home game with perennial power Bedford Academy looked to be a tough one on paper
but with Julio scoring 24 points it proved to be all Canarsie as they took an
early lead and ran away to an 81-45 win. Saturday then saw the Chiefs host Grady
in a non-league matchup that saw Julio again control things in what was a 54-43
victory for Canarsie. Next up for the Chiefs will be a Wednesday road game
against Midwood, and then it will be a home game on Friday with Boerum Hill as
Canarsie looks to stay unbeaten in league.
6) Nazareth (8-4)- For the first time in over two weeks it back to league play
for the Kingsmen on Thursday when they went on the road to take on St. Edmund
Prep. Playing shorthanded as well Nazareth still found a way to get the job
done as Dontae Prescott '21 had 20 points in what would be a 69-59 win for the
Kingsmen. Saturday was then a non-league home matchup with Abraham Lincoln,
the longtime PSAL power as current Nazareth coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton took on
his former team in a classic back and forth duel, but T.J. Morris '21 had 19
points to help the Kingsmen hold off the Railsplitters for a 70-68 victory.
Sunday will see Nazareth go on the road to take on LaSalle Academy in CHSAA
league action, and the league play will continue on Wednesday when the Kings-
men host St. Joseph by the Sea from Staten Island.
7) Transit Tech (14-1)- Opening up the new year on Thursday saw the Express
take on what proved to be an overmatched Sunset Park team on the road. From
the start though it was all Transit Tech as Jeremy Moranta '20 is making
quite the name for himself as the forward had 22 points and 12 rebounds in a
69-46 win for the Express in their only game of the week. Up ahead it will
be another one game week here for Transit Tech as the Express will once
again go on the road, this time on Friday night for a league matchup with
Fort Hamilton in a game that again should see Transit be heavy favorites
going in.
8) Adlai Stevenson (8-2)- We haven't been able to find a result for the Am-
bassadors game from this past Friday against Longwood Prep as it has not been
reported to the PSAL as of our deadline, and multiple attempts by us to get
the result have been unsuccessful. They played a team in Longwood Prep that
had Stevenson as heavy favorites and given that we will keep the Ambassadors
in our Top Ten this week. Led by Jayden Davis '19 who is having a fantastic
season to date for Adlai Stevenson it will be a two game week here for the Am-
bassadors as they will step out of league on Tuesday to take on top Class B
program South Bronx Prep at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and then on Fri-
day they will go on the road again in what should be a tougher matchup as they
will take on the PSAL Class A champions from a couple years back in Walton.
9) Lehman (12-1)- Still rolling are the Lions who are undefeated in PSAL Bronx
Class A play this season after they made quick work of DeWitt Clinton in their
lone game of the week, 70-41. Going up by double digits midway through the
opening quarter, it was big man Bismark Nsiah '20 who had his game of the sea-
son putting up 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win for Lehman who will look to
keep their perfect league play going this week when they host Christopher
Columbus on Monday before going on the road on Friday to face off against Grace
Dodge in a two game week for the Lions who continue to show themselves as a
team to beat this season.
10) Louis Brandeis (9-1)- The lone newcomer into the Class A rankings this week
are the Bulldogs who started out their 2019 with the biggest win in recent
school history as on Saturday evening they were able to defeat Class AA school
John F. Kennedy 64-62 in the New Year's Jamboree at George Westinghouse in
Brooklyn. Down by 1 in the closing seconds Omari Wyands '19 hit a corner three
to give Brandeis the win over the longtime Bronx power with Wyands scoring a
team high 25 points in the victory. Isaiah Duran '19 added 16 points in the win
for the Bulldogs who will get back to league play this week when they go to
Fiorello LaGuardia on Monday, before playing Harlem Village Academy on Tuesday
in a marquee showdown to be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Class B
(We wanted to note that we previously had ranked Evangel Christian, but after
further review it has been confirmed that the school is not a full NYSAIS mem-
ber meaning they aren't apart of a league recognized by the New York State Fed-
eration meaning they are disqualified from being ranked. They will be omitted
from the rankings from this point forward.)
1) Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (12-0)- It was a strong open-
ing to 2019 for the Jaguars who rise to the #1 spot in the Class B rankings
this week off a victory over Marie Curie School for Medicine, Nursing, and
Health Professionals. In what was a blowout win Law, Government, & Justice got
a major performance from Frantz Jean-Pierre '19 as he had 27 points and 21 re-
bounds in the win that pushes them to 12-0 on the season. Taking to the road
this week the Jaguars will travel to face off against Comprehensive Model
School on Wednesday before a game with H.S. of Info and Network Technology
finishes things off on Friday.
2) Fannie Lou Hamer (12-2)- Even though they have two losses it's another year
where the Panthers are a major threat to win not just a PSAL Class B title,
but a second straight Federation championship as well. Getting 33 points and 14
rebounds from Anthony Rose '20 on Thursday helped allow Fannie Lou to easily
defeat South Bronx on the road 91-49 as Tyree Morris '19 came back from an in-
jury and added 21 points and 7 assists as well for the Panthers. It was the
Fannie Lou Hamer's only game of the week, though this upcoming week will see
two games on the docket as they will host Health Opportunities Social Justice
on Tuesday, and then will go on the road to take on Explorations Academy to
close the week out on Thursday.
3) Summit Academy (11-1)- With three wins already this season in the non-
league over PSAL Class A opponents, Summit has proven to be a viable conten-
der for the Class B crown in the Public School league as they are a fast
paced run and gun team that likes to push the tempo and score in high num-
bers. Led by Donte Howard '20 and Jordan Council '20, the Eagles aren't just
talented but are young as well having a team that can compete for years to
come. They didn't have a game this past week but will be busy over the seven
days ahead as Summit Academy will host All City Leadership on Wednesday, and
then will square off on the road with Cobble Hill School of American Studies
on Friday to end their week.
4) Bathgate Educational Complex (9-1)- Coming into 2019 with only one loss to
their record, a loss that was a 6 point road defeat at out new #1 team in Law,
Government, and Justice, it's safe to say that Bathgate are a team that will
continue to make noise going forward the rest of the year. On Friday the Bull-
dogs got their new year going when they hosted H.S. of American Studies, con-
trolling the game from the second quarter on for a 61-47 victory. Hasan Harris
'21 had 16 points to lead Bathgate, wth Elijah Gonzalez '21 adding 15 as well
for the winners. For the Bulldogs it is a two game week coming up as on Wed-
nesday they will see Bronx Leadership come to them before closing the week out
on the road on Friday with a game at Albert Tuitt.
5) South Bronx Prep (12-1)- While it may have looked like the Cougars were
clicking on all cylinders they ended up closing out 2018 with a 62-59 loss in
the non-league last Sunday against Uncommon Charter on the road in Brooklyn.
It was a shock defeat for South Bronx Prep who were averaging over 90 points
per game going into the game but struggled to get anything going offensively
in the loss. Coming back in their 2019 opener the Cougars got back in their
rhythm with a dominating 93-49 league win over Metropolitan on Thursday as
Jordan Agyemang '19 led all scorers with 24 points while corralling 12 re-
bounds as well. The Cougars will play again on Monday on the road at Morris-
ania before trip to the Barclays Center is comes up for South Bronx Prep on
Tuesday where they will play ranked Class A school Adlai Stevenson in a Bronx
vs. Bronx battle in Brooklyn. The week will continue on Thursday with a league
road game at Bronx Early College Academy before going out of league again on
Saturday with a game against DeWitt Clinton in Manhattan at the Crump Classic.
6) Riverdale (7-0)- Fielding one of the better backcourts you will see across
New York City in Class B with Sam Klores '20 and Noah Seeherman '20, the Fal-
cons are poised for big things this season as they are a legitimate contender
for the NYSAIS title. Already holding wins over Dalton and Portledge this sea-
son, Riverdale will look to keep building on what is an already impressive re-
sume as they get their 2019 part of the schedule going this week when on Wed-
nesday they go on the road for a tough challenge in Brooklyn against Poly Prep
before going to Westchester on Friday evening to take on another tough foe in
Hackley in the Falcons two games of the week.
7) Dwight School (7-3)- After showing that they could compete with anyone just
before Christmas in a 1-2 performance at the Kreul Classic down in Florida
where Dwight were in both of their losses until the very end, competing and
thriving against teams in classifications much higher than them from the
state's of Florida and Colorado. With good size inside led by stud freshman
Richard Nweke '22, and a capable point guard in veteran DaJuan Piper '19, the
Lions are ready to prove they are a challenger once again for the NYSAIS
title, opening up this week on Monday with a big road showdown at Dalton in a
must see affair, then Dwight will stay on the road on Friday to take on Packer
before coming home on Saturday for a home date with Grace Church.
8) Dalton (8-2)- Entering 2019 with just a pair of defeats on the season, with
one coming on the road at Riverdale and the other coming against a strong Fan-
nie Lou Hamer team, and each coming by single digits, it shows the toughness
of this year's Tigers group. A number of challenging opponents are again soon
to pop up on Dalton's radar as the Ivy League is as balanced this season as its
been in recent memory which means each time out will be a true test for the
Lions. Off since December 22nd, Dalton will get tested right away this week
when on Monday they see a talented and young Dwight School team, and then with
road matchups on Friday and Saturday with Fieldston and Trinity things won't
get any easier for a Tigers team that does look ready for the task at hand.
9) Uncommon Charter (10-1)- In one of the biggest surprises of the season to
date Uncommon Charter was able to clamp down on the South Bronx Prep offens-
ive weapons and stifle them holding them over 30 points below their scoring
average last Sunday afternoon and defeat our previous #1 ranked Class B team
at home 62-59. It was a win that no doubt put the Sabers on the map this year
as Caleb Brown '20 had 16 points to lead the way in the victory that propels
Uncommon Charter back into the Top Ten. It was their only game of the week as
a planned game on the road at Medgar Evers for this past Thursday was post-
poned as the Sabers now won't take the court for the first time in 2019 until
this Tuesday when they host their main rivals in Achievement First, before
then going out of league again on Saturday to play Chelsea Career and Tech-
nical Education.
10) Horace Mann (3-1)- One of the tougher decisions of the week was who gets
the 10th and final spot in the Class B rankings for New York City. Poly Prep
lost on Friday night to Regis, and the Raiders were one of the strong con-
tenders to come in for the first time this year at #10, but with the Lions
having already defeated Regis earlier this season 68-56 it made the choice
fairly easy to put Horace Mann in here. With their only loss coming on the
road at Dalton in a 69-61 game it shows that against the best of the best in
the Ivy League the Lions can hang, it's a matter of can they keep that up to
stay in the Top Ten on a consistent basis. We will find out more about Horace
Mann this coming week when they go to Collegiate School on Wednesday, and
then stay on the road to take on the aforementioned Poly Prep in Brooklyn to
close out the Lions week on Friday evening.
