2018-19 New York City boys basketball (through March 9)
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) South Shore (26-4)- Doing what it takes as the No. 1 seed to get the job
done the Vikings won both their PSAL quarterfinal and semifinal matchups
against John Bowne and Wings Academy respectively by identical scores defeat-
ing both 54-43 this past week. Kadary Richmond '19 was also South Shore's
leading scorer in each game as well scoring 14 against Bowne and 17 against
Wings in the wins that now push the Vikings into next Saturday's PSAL title
game to be played at Madison Square Garden against their archrivals from
Thomas Jefferson.
2) Christ the King (19-10)- From starting out the year 4-5 after their first
nine games to now being CHSAA Champions, it's been quite the journey for the
Royals who on Sunday found themselves down 15 midway through the third quarter
only to see them hold Archbishop Stepinac without a FG in the final quarter as
the Crusaders went 0-17 from the field in the final stanza, allowing Christ
the King to come back for the 61-56 title game victory. Ryan Myers '19 was
named Tournament MVP with 19 points as the Royals will next play in two weeks
at the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions where they will take on the
winner of the NYSPHSAA Tournament.
3) Thomas Jefferson (23-7)- Playing without their coach Lawrence "Bud" Pollard
who was suspended by the PSAL for the alleged use of an ineligible player, the
Orange Wave have rallied around the motto of win it for Bud as they easily de-
feated Eagle Academy in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, there first game with-
out Pollard, by a 62-48 score. Kevin Tabb '20 had 20 points to lead Jefferson
to that win that was followed up by a dominating 81-61 semifinal victory over
Brooklyn Collegiate that now sends the Orange Wave into Saturday's championship
game against South Shore.
4) Cardinal Hayes (23-6)- With the Cardinals completely focused on bringing
home the CHSAA championship, Hayes got stung in the semifinals this past Thurs-
day as they ran into the buzzsaw that was Archbishop Stepinac as a healthy Cru-
saders team got out to a quick lead and never looked back as they led Cardinal
Hayes from start to finish in what was a 77-65 defeat for the Bronx power. Joe
Toussaint '19 scored 24 points in the loss and became Hayes' all-time leading
scorer in the game that would end the Cardinals season.
5) Bishop Loughlin (23-4)- Holding a pair of wins already this season over
Christ the King you had to believe that the Lions would come into Thursday's
CHSAA semifinal game against Christ the King full of confidence and believe that
they would be moving on to Sunday's title matchup. Confidence or not it wasn't
Loughlin's day as they fell behind 19-5 after one quarter and never truly got
back into the game as Julian Champagnie '19 had a double-double with 15 points
and 10 rebounds but the Lions season would come to an end with a 72-61 defeat.
6) Brooklyn Collegiate (19-9)- Led by the likes of Glen Anderson '19 and Majesty
Johnson '20 it was the Lions who were able to roar on Tuesday when they knocked
off Benjamin Cardozo in the PSAL quarterfinals 64-60 as the defense came up big
late, and with Anderson scoring 20 points it was Brooklyn Collegiate moving onto
the semifinals to play their Brooklyn rivals in Thomas Jefferson. The Lions
didn't have enough firepower for that one as they struggled out of the gate and
never rallied in what was an 81-61 loss to finish off Brooklyn Collegiate's year.
7) St. Raymond (20-7)- Having had their season end a week ago now when the
Ravens were shocked by Christ the King in the CHSAA quarterfinals it's a time
to acknowledge that the future is certainly bright for St. Ray's. They may not
be able to understand that now after a disappointing loss that came earlier
than the players and coaches of the Ravens expected but they started three
underclassmen, plus a lot of success on the younger levels which should trans-
late into big things to come for a talent St. Raymond team.
8) Xaverian (20-8)- Much like the Ravens there is a lot of optimism moving for-
ward about the Clippers as well. Clyde Chapman did a fantastic job leading a
young Xaverian group in just his second year in charge of the program, and with
both guards in the backcourt being sophomores you have to believe their growth
and maturity will only continue which should make the Clippers even more dan-
gerous in the years ahead. Add in a strong JV team that made a deep playoff run
and you know talent there will come aboard in a years time to make Xaverian that
much more potent moving forward.
9) Wings Academy (18-10)- One of the truly surprising teams to make a deep play-
off run was Wings as they closed out the regular season going 3-5 in their last
eight games to make what they did even more improbable. Knocking off the No. 5
seed Curtis on Staten Island in the Round of 16, Wings continued their excellent
play on Thursday by jumping out on Abraham Lincoln in the quarterfinals and tak-
ing an 11-0 lead early, coasting from there to a 62-51 win behind the 20 points
of Mahamadou Nimaga '19. Wings Academy would fall in the semifinals to No. 1 seed
South Shore 54-43 but not before proving themselves as a top team not just in the
PSAL, but in NYC overall.
10) Mount St. Michael (16-11)- Paced for the past three seasons by lead guard
Mike Green '19, it's going to be different moving forward to watch the Moun-
taineers without one of the best in the CHSAA running the show. He will be
moving onto the Division 1 level next year to play at Bryant, and while his loss
will sting for sure Mount does bring back most of their frontline, along with
having a couple of intriguing prospects in the pipeline as well meaning that
another CHSAA quarterfinal berth like this year isn't out of the question for an
always well coached group of Mountaineers.
11) John Bowne (20-8)- It was nearly the upset of the year as the Wildcats had
our No. 1 South Shore team on the ropes in the PSAL quarterfinals this past
Thursday as Bowne was leading 24-23 going into halftime. South Shore though be-
gan to apply more pressure on the Wildcat guards, and also started pushing the
tempo a bit more to take the lead and not look back in what was a 54-43 loss for
a young John Bowne team. The Wildcats though only had 1 senior on the entire
roster, with the core of the group coming back next season where an even deeper
postseason run could be in the cards.
12) Benjamin Cardozo (22-4)- After getting back the services of Taj Anderson
'19 who came back to Cardozo after a year and change at a high school in
Georgia it seemed like the Judges were a completely different team. Anderson's
potent offensive abilities made Cardozo one of the more dangerous teams enter-
ing postseason play, and in the quarterfinals it was the Judges who hung tough
and nearly knocked off Brooklyn Collegiate before ultimately falling 64-60 to
one of Brooklyn's best. Anderson and Errol White '20 each had 16 points for
Benjamin Cardozo who have long been the class of Queens, a moniker that should
continue still for years to come.
13) St. Peter's (19-8)- The winners of the SIHSL Tournament to make them the
best team this season on Staten Island, the fact that the Eagles weren't able
to get past Archbishop Stepinac in the CHSAA second round a couple weeks back
in a 91-80 game doesn't mean it wasn't an incredibly successful season for
Chris Clancy '19 and his St. Peter's team as they one again accomplished a ton
in terms of proving themselves on the city stage, nabbing a number of big non-
league wins and showing that they can absolutely compete with the very best.
14) Eagle Academy (17-11)- Entering the PSAL quarterfinals this past Thursday
with high expectations, Eagle came out ready to prove that they could not only
compete with some of the best in the PSAL but also win. It didn't go the way
that Eagle Academy wanted though as a physical and tough game down low played
right into Thomas Jefferson's hands as their opponents from Brooklyn were able
to control the game in the second and third quarters and come away with a 62-
48 victory. Joel Simpson '19 had 15 points to lead Eagle Academy who have been
one of Bronx's best for a number of years now, something that shouldn't change
now.
15) Abraham Lincoln (12-15)- If you just look at the Railsplitters record you
would think it wasn't a season to remember for first-year coach David Leon.
Though 12-15 is very un-Lincoln-like you have to give credit to Leon for hav-
ing his group of young Railsplitters get better and better as the season went
on, backed up by the 82-76 OT victory they secured just about 10 days ago now
in the PSAL second round on the road at Thurgood Marshall Academy. Lincoln
would fall to another upstart in WIngs Academy in the PSAL quarterfinals on
Thursday even though Junior Sutherland '19 had 17 points to finish off a
solid season for the Railsplitters.
Class A
1) Msgr. Farrell (22-6)- It wasn't an easy decision as to who would finish No.
1 this week in Class A but the slight edge goes to the Lions whose year was
closed out on Saturday afternoon with a heartbreaking 48-47 defeat to The Park
School in the CHSAA Class A State Championship. Chris Edwards '19 had 15 points
for Farrell, and he had a look at a runner at the buzzer to give the Lions the
win but it rolled off the rim to see Msgr. Farrell's season end just one game
short of a state title. It was still a season to remember for the Lions though
as they won a city championship and nearly knocked off a perennial state power
as well.
2) Frederick Douglass Academy (22-6)- Being led by Derek Mejia Hernandez '21
this week the Lions are now officially into the PSAL Semifinals after defeat-
ing Erasmus Hall on Sunday morning 80-66. Hernandez, a star sophomore for FDA,
had 24 points in the victory for the Lions who are back in a position where
they have gotten accustomed to over the years as a program, just one win away
from playing for a title. The semifinals will be Wednesday and FDA will square
off with Benjamin Banneker, with a victory there moving them to Saturday's
title game.
3) New Dorp (19-7)- Coming over the bridge to Brooklyn on Sunday to take on
Lehman in the PSAL Quarterfinals it was David Shkolniy '21 who had 19 points,
including 6 in overtime as the Cougars were able to squeak by the Lions in an
extra session 63-58. After losing in the quarterfinals a year ago, New Dorp
are now moving onto the semifinals where they will enter as favorites against
an upstart team in Far Rockaway. That game will be Wednesday back in Brooklyn
before a possible Saturday date where the Cougars would be playing for a PSAL
title.
4) Fordham Prep (21-6)- No question it was a great year for the Rams who
featured a pair of brothers in Kyle Filipowski '21 and Matt Filipowski '21
leading the charge down low. They were a young group as a team that started
four underclassmen meaning if everyone returns that in a years time there
will be no doubt that this Fordham Prep team won't just get back to the Class
A CHSAA title game, but more than likely be the favorite to get the job done
this time.
5) Nazareth (19-7)- Another young CHSAA team that had big hopes entering the
playoffs, the Kingsmen fell on a buzzer beater in the Class A semifinals to
Fordham Prep to end their season, but with the likes of T.J. Morris '21 and
Khalil Brantley '21 leading the way the future is extremely bright for Naz-
areth. Should everyone return for the Kingsmen they are another team much like
the Rams that will be among the favorites to finish atop not just the CHSAA,
but all of New York City as a whole.
6) Benjamin Banneker (23-4)- It was a huge week for Warriors big man Aboubacar
Wague '19 as he had 14 points and 18 rebounds in Banneker's 52-49 victory on
Wednesday in the PSAL Round of 16 over Bedford Academy, and then it was another
double-double for Wague as the Warriors again pulled out a close one in the
quarterfinals as Banneker defeated a very good Canarsie team 56-50. The victor-
ies now have the Warriors into the semifinals which take place on Wednesday
where they will take on Frederick Douglass Academy with the winner ultimately
playing for the title on Saturday.
7) Far Rockaway (20-7)- What a difference a couple months can make as the Sea
Horses got back star guard Allen Fordham '19 in January after returning from a
school in Seattle, Washington. His return has transformed Far Rockaway from
being just a good team to now a great team. They entered the PSAL playoffs as
the No. 17 seed but on Wednesday defeated No. 1 Brooklyn Law and Tech on the
road 58-50 as Kai Woods '20 had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Sea Horses then
defeated Transit Tech on Sunday and are now in a position to play in Wednes-
day's semifinals against New Dorp with a championship game berth on the line.
8) Brooklyn Law and Tech (22-5)- You can't deny that it was another fantastic
season for the Jets who came into the playoffs as the team to beat in the PSAL.
Unfortunately for them they ran into one of the more underrated teams in the
PSAL in Far Rockaway in the Round of 16 this past Wednesday, and even though
Davonta Cook '19 did all he could with 16 points and 8 assists it wasn't enough
as Law and Tech were shocked 58-50 to put an end to their year.
9) Lehman (25-4)- Going into Sunday's PSAL quarterfinal against New Dorp the
Lions had high hopes of moving on and getting just that much closer to a champ-
ionship. Justice Carrington '19 scored 13 for the Lions on Wednesday to have
them beat Port Richmond 45-35, but having to play a second straight Staten Is-
land team proved to be too much as Lehman took the game into OT but would fall
to New Dorp in Sunday's quarterfinals 63-58. It's an end to Lehman's season but
it was still a season full of tons of highs as the Lions have a very bright
future.
10) Canarsie (22-7)- Led by guard Khadafi Julio '19 and his 24 points the
Chiefs were easily able to push pace Louis Brandeis on Wednesday in the PSAL
Round of 16 94-62. It was a win that gave Canarsie a ton of confidence head-
ing into their quarterfinal against Banneker on Sunday, and while they held
their own against the #2 seed and were tied midway through the fourth quarter
the Chiefs couldn't hit the big shots late as the season would come to an end
for Canarsie as they fell a couple games short of a championship, 56-50 .
Class B
1) Uncommon Charter (23-2)- The show keeps going on for Uncommon Charter as
the Sabers were able to blow out Community Health Academy of the Heights in
the Round of 16 and Jane Addams in the quarterfinals both by 20+ points to
move themselves into Wednesday's PSAL semifinals. Ahzariah Douglas '20 has
scored over 22 points in both games this week as the junior guard has been a
major factor in Uncommon's success to date. The semi's will see the Sabers
take on perennial Class B power Fannie Lou Hamer on Wednesday with a possible
championship game to come on Saturday.
2) South Bronx Prep (26-3)- A team that offensively has proven to be able to
dominate and control any game they are in, the Cougars easily beat Bathgate
77-47 in the Round of 16 of the PSAL playoffs on Wednesday and then made just
as quick of work against Brooklyn College Academy in Sunday's quarterfinals as
Steven Turner '21 had 18 points and has proven to be a dominating force as
just a sophomore in their 70-49 win. The semifinals are next up for South Bronx
Prep as they will take on Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice on Wed-
nesday for the right to move onto Saturday's title game.
3) Fannie Lou Hamer (24-4)- With Anthony Rose '20 proving to be a force down
low, and Frankie Williams '19 running the show at the point the Panthers have
not only shown that when they need to come on big with the offense they can,
but defensively they are as good as they come as backed up by their 53-43 PSAL
quarterfinal victory on Sunday against one of the more potent offensive teams
in Summit Academy. It's semifinal time for Fannie Lou, a place they are most
certainly familiar with, where they will play Uncommon Charter with a title
game date for the winner on the line.
4) Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (21-2)- As the final PSAL semi-
final, things weren't as easy on Sunday for the Jaguars as they took on Achieve-
ment First with a semifinal berth on the line. It was a tie game in the closing
seconds before a putback at the buzzer from Azriel Almodovar '20 helped Law,
Government and Justice advance in thrilling fashion with a 52-50 victory. It's
the deepest playoff run now for the Jaguars who are in the semifinals on Wednes-
day where they will take on borough rivals South Bronx Prep with the winner go-
ing to play for the title.
5) Regis (20-6)- For long stretches on Saturday it looked as if the Raiders
were going to shock one of Buffalo's best in Cardinal O'Hara and head to the
NYS Federation Tournament of Champions as the CHSAA representative in Class B.
Regis led at the half by 5 before struggling to find a rhythm from the outside
and faltering late in a 45-35 defeat to the Hawks. Will Eastwick '19 had 13
points to pace the Raiders, and while they lose a decent amount to graduation,
bringing back League MVP Joe Manfredi '20 will keep them in the mix among the
CHSAA's best.
6) Achievement First (23-5)- Nearly the perfect end to the game, Achievement
First had a couple of late chances to take the lead in the PSAL quarterfinals
on Sunday against Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, but a late
putback did them in as Achievement's season came to an end with a heartbreak-
ing 52-50 loss even as Jamari Simmons '19 had 15 points to lead the way. It
was a season to no doubt remember for Achievement First who do look to be
starting something special in becoming a future Class B power.
7) Summit Academy (20-3)- Having averaged over 80 points per game this season
all of that offensive firepower seemed to go away on Sunday in the PSAL quar-
terfinals when the Eagles took on Fannie Lou Hamer. Against one of the best
defensive teams in New York City, Summit's star guard Jordan Council '20 was
limited to just 12 points as the Eagles fell 53-43 to the Panthers to put an
end to their season. Starting just one senior though it's clear to see that
the PSAL will be hearing a lot more from Summit Academy in the years to come.
8) Dalton (20-5)- It's been a couple weeks now since Dalton's season has come
to an end when they fell 51-39 to Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the NYSAIS
Class B title game. There is a lot to be excited for going forward with Dalton
though as they feature the Ivy League's leading scorer in Mark Engel '20 who
will return next season for his senior year, and with a good amount of young
talent surrounding him it's an exciting time to be a fan and supporter of the
Tigers.
9) Poly Prep (17-7)- Falling in the NYSAIS Class B semifinals this season to
the eventual champions in Lawrence Woodmere Academy, Poly Prep was carried
this season by one of the top Class of 2022 guards in New York in Max Ragusa
'22 who looks poised to be one of the must watch players for years to come in
the Empire State. Add in a talented interior group that all returns for the
Blue Devils and you can very much expect to see Poly Prep again next season
fighting it out for a Class B title.
10) Brooklyn College Academy (20-9)- For the first time this season we welcome
in the Bobcats to the Class B Top Ten as they made a statement with a 48-38 PSAL
Round of 16 victory this past Wednesday over Leon Goldstein as Deon McLaughlin
'20 had 18 points to lead the way for Brooklyn College Academy. They then had a
solid start against South Bronx Prep in Sunday's quarterfinals as McLaughlin did
have 16 points but a tough fourth quarter did the Bobcats in with a 70-49 loss
that now ends what was a strong overall season for a young and up and coming BCA
team.
