2018-19 New York City boys basketball (Final)
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 (27-5)- Coming into the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions
as winners of the PSAL after a dramatic 71-70 victory over Thomas Jefferson
it was a trip up to Glens Falls for the Vikings for the second straight year.
They drew the eventual champions in Long Island Lutheran in Friday night's
semifinals, and even though Kadary Richmond '19 and the rest of the South
Shore guards did all they could to push the tempo and attack it proved to be
too tough as the size of the Crusaders wore them down in what was a 77-53
loss to finish off what was another very strong season for a good Vikings
team.
2) Christ the King (20-11)- After an up and down CHSAA regular season that
saw them deal with injuries for most of the way the Royals made a long playoff
run to win yet another league title to get them up to the Federation Tourna-
ment of Champions. It wasn't easy but Moussa Cisse '21 nearly had a triple-
double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a 59-53 semifinal win over
West Genesee. The title game wasn't as good to Christ the King though as the
offense ran cold the entire game as the Royals would lose to Long Island Luth-
eran 51-31 falling just one win short of championship.
3) Thomas Jefferson (23-8)- Again it looked as if the Orange Wave would be able
to knock off South Shore in a big spot as they again took on the Vikings in the
PSAL Class AA city title game. Much like in the Brooklyn Borough Championship
though it was Jefferson who couldn't hit the big shot in the closing seconds to
seal the deal as Jaquan Carlos '21 had a strong game for the Orange Wave with
27 points but it wasn't enough as Jefferson fell 71-70 in a game that ends the
Orange Wave's season, though with a lot of talent due to come back expect to
see Jefferson on a championship level again next season.
4) Cardinal Hayes (23-6)- With the Cardinals completely focused on bringing
home the CHSAA championship, Hayes got stung in the CHSAA semifinals a few
weeks back now as they ran into the buzzsaw that was Archbishop Stepinac as a
healthy Crusaders 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 their CHSAA
semifinal game against Christ the King a couple weeks back now full of confi-
dence and believe that they would be moving on to the title matchup. Confi-
dence or not it wasn't Loughlin's day as they fell behind 19-5 after one quar-
ter 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 a few weeks ago now
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 many of the players and coaches of the Ravens expected but they started
three underclassmen, and when you add in the fact that they enjoyed a lot of
success on the younger levels, it should translate 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
forward 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 dangerous 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 (19-10)- One of the truly surprising teams to make a deep
playoff 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 in the quarterfinals by jumping out on Abraham Lincoln in
the quarterfinals and taking 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 #1 seeded South Shore 54-43 but not before proving them-
selves 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 mov-
ing 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 a few weeks
ago now 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 en-
tire 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 Geor-
gia it seemed like the Judges were a completely different team. Anderson's po-
tent offensive abilities made Cardozo one of the more dangerous teams entering
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 Ben-
jamin Cardozo who have long been the class of Queens, a moniker and title 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 few 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 along the way and showing that they can absolutely compete with the
very best.
14) Eagle Academy (17-11)- Entering the PSAL quarterfinals a couple weeks ago
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 good bit now, something that shouldn't change in the
years to come.
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 head coach David Leon.
A 12-15 record is very un-Lincoln like but you have to give credit to Leon for
having his group of young Railsplitters get better and better as the season went
on, backed up by the 82-76 OT victory they secured a couple weeks 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 a
young Railsplitters group.
Class A
1) Frederick Douglass Academy (25-7)- Taking home the PSAL Class A championship
was an accomplishment in itself after the Lions started the regular season 0-3
this year, but to go up to the Federation Tournament of Champions and be able to
knock off NYSPHSAA champion Poughkeepsie on Saturday morning 50-42 was an even
more impressive feat as Mohamed Wague '20 led FDA with 16 points in the semi-
final victory. The title game against Albany Academy proved to be too much
though as the Lions fell behind double digits just 4 minutes in and never recov-
ered losing 71-49 though it still was a season to remember for a gritty and
talented FDA team who finish atop the NYC rankings.
2) Msgr. Farrell (22-6)- After winning the CHSAA City Championship the Lions
were then a game away from the Federation TOC. It was a heartbreaking 48-47
defeat though to The Park School in the CHSAA Class A State Championship that
would ultimately do them in. 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 did win a city
championship and nearly knocked off a perennial state power as well.
3) New Dorp (20-6)- If you look back to the very start of the season there
weren't a ton of expectations for the Cougars as they only returned two start-
ers from last season's team that got to the PSAL A Division quarterfinals. This
year's group though bettered that by a couple of rounds as they defeated Far
Rockaway in the semifinals before ultimately falling to a bigger and more
athletic FDA team in Saturday's championship 59-51 in a game that ended what
was a true season to remember for what is still a young New Dorp team primed
to make a lot of noise and be back near the the top of the league again next
year.
4) Fordham Prep (21-6)- No question it was a great year for the Rams who fea-
tured a pair of brothers in Kyle Filipowski '21 and Matt Filipowski '21 lead-
ing 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
as the core will be a year older and more ready and prepared to make an even
deeper postseason run.
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 Nazar-
eth. 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. Nazareth could also move to the AA of the
CHSAA next season, something to watch to see what happens.
6) Far Rockaway (20-8)- Nearly getting to the title game after what was con-
sidered a very up and down regular season, the Sea Horses had an early lead
over New Dorp in the PSAL Class A semifinals a couple weeks ago, going into
halftime up by 10. That lead disappeared though as even with Allen Fordham '19
doing all he could to carry Far Rockaway in scoring 28 points it wasn't enough
as the Sea Horses fell 64-59. While led by Fordham, Far Rockaway did have a
good amount of young and intriguing talent on the team as well which means this
won't be the last time we hear about the Sea Horses.
7) 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 a couple weeks back now, 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. While
they may have lost earlier in the postseason than they expected this season's
Jets team is another point as to the type of winning program the coaching staff
has built.
8) Benjamin Banneker (23-5)- No question about it this was a season that put
the Warriors back on the basketball map as after having been a bit down over
the past few years Banneker got themselves all the way to the PSAL Class A
semifinals before falling to Frederick Douglass Academy 62-44. The Warriors
hung tight against the eventual champions for a half before the length and
athleticism of the Lions helped them pull away down the stretch. Gabriel
Holley '21 had 15 points and 5 assists for Banneker who return 4 starters
next season meaning you can expect another big season next year from the
Warriors.
9) Lehman (25-4)- Going into their PSAL quarterfinal against New Dorp a couple
weeks ago the Lions had high hopes of moving on and getting just that much
closer to a championship. 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 Island team proved to be too much as Lehman took the game into
OT but would fall to New Dorp in the Class A 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 in the PSAL Round of 16 by
a 94-62 score. It was a win that gave Canarsie a ton of confidence heading into
their quarterfinal against Banneker a couple Sunday's back now, and while they
held their own against the No. 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) South Bronx Prep (28-4)- For a good while during Saturday's Federation Tourn-
ament of Champions Class B semifinal against Glens Falls it looked as if the
Cougars would pull off the stunner as they led the Indians for the opening three
quarters. They were the bigger and stronger team for most of the game as well,
but foul problems bit South Bronx Prep at the end as Jordan Agyemang '19 had 18
points and 16 rebounds, but also fouled out in the fourth quarter in a game that
saw the Cougars fall 77-70 in OT to a powerful and potent Glens Falls squad to
end what was a fantastic season for the PSAL champions.
2) Fannie Lou Hamer (25-5)- As the top defensive team in New York City all sea-
son the Panthers were able to put together another fantastic effort on that side
of the ball again on Saturday in the PSAL Class B title game, it just wasn't
meant for them to be on offense as Anthony Rose '20 was the only Fannie Lou
player in double figure scoring for the game with 10 points as the Panthers fell
to South Bronx Prep 53-47 in a heartbreaker. It was a solid season for last
year's champions though Marc Skelton's team will fall one win short of their
ultimate goal of back to back titles.
3) Uncommon Charter (23-3)- Coming in the PSAL Class B playoffs the Sabers had
championship hopes and entered the PSAL semifinals against Fannie Lou Hamer be-
lieving that they were the team ready to slay the defending champions. Unfortun-
ately Uncommon fell into playing Fannie Lou's style of basketball making it a
halfcourt slow it down tempo type of game, not the style that the Sabers were
hoping for as on Caleb Brown '20 was in double figures scoring with 10 points as
Uncommon Charter's season came to an end with a 46-35 defeat to the Panthers.
4) Regis (20-6)- For long stretches last week it looked as if the Raiders were
going to shock one of Buffalo's best in Cardinal O'Hara in the CHSAA Class B
State title game 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.
5) Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (21-3)- More than holding their
own against South Bronx Prep in the PSAL semifinals a couple weeks ago, Frantz
Jean-Pierre '19 had a great game down low with 23 points and 13 rebounds to help
Law, Government, and Justice have the game tied at 68 with just over 2:30 to go
in the game. The offense ran dry though in the final two minutes as the Jaguars
were outscored down the stretch 8-2 as they would fall to the Cougars in the PSAL
Class B semifinals 76-70. It was a sensational season for Law, Government, and
Justice who now seem to have secured their place as among the best in Class B for
years to come.
6) Dalton (20-5)- It's been a few 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 surround-
ing him it's an exciting time to be a fan and supporter of the Tigers as the
future looks very bright for them to be a constant force in the Ivy League and
NYSAIS overall.
7) 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 last Sun-
day 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 heartbreaking 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.
8) Summit Academy (20-3)- Having averaged over 80 points per game this season all
of that offensive firepower seemed to go away last Sunday in the PSAL quarter-
finals when the Eagles took on one of NYC's best defensive teams in 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.
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 sea-
son 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 Ivy League title, and possibly a NYSAIS title as well.
10) Brooklyn College Academy (20-9)- The Bobcats will finish the season in the
New York City Class B Top Ten as they made a statement with a 48-38 PSAL Round
of 16 victory over a very good Leon Goldstein team 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 last 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.
