5- St. Joseph by the Sea (14-5)- After beginning the season 0-3 the Vikings are 14-2 since with their only losses in that span coming to St. Thomas Aquinas of New Jersey, and a tough 3 point loss on the road at St. Edmund's. This past week saw Sea get a tremendous road win when on Saturday they went to AA school Msgr. Scanlan and handily knocked off the Crusaders 57-37 in a game that showcased all that the Vikings could do on both ends of the court. Three games are left to finish out the regular season with Sea going to Long Island Lutheran on Tuesday, then they will host Moore Catholic in league play on Thursday, before ending up in New Jersey on Friday night at Hudson Catholic.
6- Murry Bergtraum (17-2)- There are so many big time weapons on this seasons Blazers team that it becomes near impossible most nights to contain them all. They can beat you inside or outside and can dominate scoring around the rim or from behind the arc. It's what makes Murry Bergtraum as a unit so dangerous as they enter the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs as the #3 seed where they will open up their play on Tuesday in the quarterfinals against Louis Brandeis before a possible semifinal road showdown at WHEELS on Thursday.
7- Lehman (16-1)- We talked earlier in our recap of Clinton about how we believe Clinton got unfairly treated being seeded behind Lehman when they were undefeated and breezed past the Lions on the road by 15 this season. That may be true but it isn't an indictment of Lehman at all as they are a top quality Class A team who can make big noise as well in the PSAL Bronx Borough Playoffs. They have gotten a favorable draw as the 5th seed as they will go to Truman in Tuesday's quarterfinals, with a possible Thursday semifinal date against Eagle Academy before Saturday's title tilt.
8- Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology (21-6)- When you have a premier league guard like Greg Ricketts, and scorers all over the floor it makes for a team that can make a lot of noise come playoff time. That's what the Jets are hoping for as they are in the PSAL Brooklyn Borough Playoff field as the #5 seed as they will hit the road on Tuesday to take on our #1 Transit Tech team in the quarterfinals. It was a tight 76-71 game the first time these two met this season in favor of the Express with Law and Tech now out looking for revenge, and a berth in Thursday's semifinals as well.
9- Beacon (19-3)- This Blue Demons team is always there as consistent as consistent can be. They may not have the go to player who can score anytime needed like other teams do, but Beacon led by head coach Mark Jerome just find ways to outplay their opponents and grind out victories. Beacon earned the #4 seed in the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs and will open up at home on Tuesday against Graphics Campus, with Beacon having taken the first two matchups between the two, though only by a combined 5 points meaning this quarterfinal should be a great one.
10- Msgr. Farrell (15-6)- Going to New Jersey on Thursday, Farrell struggled in the second half in a 56-41 defeat to Red Bank Catholic. The Lions did get back to their winning ways on Sunday when they held on to defeat Holy Trinity from Long Island 51-48 in a game that saw Farrell lead by as many as 15 early in the second half. It's just a one game week here for the Lions who will hit the court again on Sunday when at home they will take on their Staten Island rivals from Moore Catholic in their league play finale.
11- Louis Brandeis (17-4)- When you have someone who can score in bunches the way that Dylan Crooke can you have to say that Brandeis has a chance in every game they play. Once again this season the Bulldogs have made the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs as they are the #6 seed and will go on the road for their quarterfinal on Tuesday against Murry Bergtraum in what is one of the more compelling and interesting quarterfinals on the schedule this year.
12- McKee/Staten Island Tech (15-8)- Out of Staten Island, most just talk about Wagner and Curtis this season but there is no doubt that McKee can play with anyone as shown by the fact that they have hung with the two other Staten Island powers this year, while picking up some quality non-league win in the process as well. Masiah Gilyard is the guy to watch on this seasons Seagulls team who will get started with their PSAL Staten Island Borough Playoff run on Tuesday at home against Tottenville before a possible road semifinal matchup on Thursday at Curtis.
13- Nazareth (13-6)- Three games meant three wins for Nazareth this past week with the most impressive coming during Wednesday's 57-46 victory on the road at Salesian. They are young and probably a year ahead of schedule for contending for a CHSAA title, but the Kingsmen want to prove that they can get the job done right now. The week here to close out the regular season will see two games for Nazareth as they will host Salesian on Wednesday before ending things on Friday on the road in Manhattan at LaSalle Academy.
14- Evander Childs (11-5)- Big man Ricardo Dixon has been just about unstoppable for the Tigers this season averaging just under 20 points and 15 rebounds a game as he has helped lead Evander Childs into the PSAL Bronx Borough Playoffs where they will enter as the #7 seed and on Monday will play an opening round game at home against Walton. A win there and it will be a Tuesday showdown with Wings Academy in the quarterfinals in what the Tigers hope is the start on a major cinderella run.
15- KIPP NYC College Prep (10-3)- Another team out of the Bronx hoping for some cinderella magic, KIPP hasn't closed out the regular season all that strongly but that doesn't mean anything anymore. Zahir Caldwell and the Bulldogs are the #8 seed in the PSAL Bronx Borough Playoffs and will open that up on Monday in the opening round against Comprehensive Model School, an undefeated Class B school. A win there would get them against top seeded Eagle Academy on Tuesday in a game that would have KIPP playing with what would be considered house money.
16- William Grady (13-4)- Going 12-1 and finishing atop Brooklyn A3 wasn't enough to get the Falcons a berth in the PSAL Brooklyn Borough Playoffs which is strange since they defeated Fort Hamilton 53-50 during the regular season, a team with 3 league losses yet still found a way to make the Borough Playoffs in Brooklyn. Some of what the PSAL did for the boroughs made no sense and this was another as Jai Clayton and the rest of the Grady squad will have to wait until the Class A PSAL City Playoffs to hit the floor again.
Bubble:
A. Philip Randolph (15-4)
Bayard Rustin Educational Complex (12-3)
Flushing (15-3)
Graphics Campus (19-3)
Seward Park (14-6)
Class B
1- Community Health Academy of the Heights (22-1)- It's never easy for a Class B school to make it into the PSAL Borough Playoffs but when you have a season like Community Health had there was going to be no way to deny them. Not only did the Phoenix make it, but as the #7 seed they earned an opening round PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoff home game to be on Monday against Bayard Rustin Educational Complex. A win there would send Community Health on the road against AA power WHEELS with the Phoenix looking to show that level doesn't matter if the talent and coaching is there.
2- Dwight School (17-4)- You have to give the Lions a ton of credit as they are willing to go out and play anyone that will help them improve for playoff time. They lost earlier in the season to Mount St. Michael, defeated Murry Bergtraum a couple weeks back, and while they did fall 54-44 to Albany Academy on Saturday it's games like that which will help Richard Nweke and they rest of the Dwight team hungry for the NYSAIS Class B title. Monday will see another very tough test when Dwight heads to Long Island Lutheran. After that it's ACIS playoff time with the Lions playing either Friends Seminary or Staten Island Academy in the semifinals on Wednesday before Friday's title game.
3- NEST+M (15-0)- It wasn't really a shock, it was more of a disappointment that a perfect NEST+M team didn't make the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs as it would've been a great reward for Eagles. Since they didn't make the Boroughs it will mean a couple weeks off at least for Colter Diehm and the res of NEST+M who are certain to be one of the top seeds come PSAL Class B City Playoff time.
4- Poly Prep (15-1)- After losing two weeks ago now to Dwight, Poly have had their game against Trinity circled as it was their next chance to really make a statement about the type of team they have this season. That game took place this past Friday and it was all Blue Devils as Poly led from the very start in what was a 68-51 win. Monday will see Poly Prep hit the court again when they host Fieldston, then it's going to be a Wednesday showdown at Collegiate, before going to Dalton on Friday to end the regular season.
5- The Scholars Academy (21-1)- It's been such a phenomenal season for Raphael Tawil and the rest of the Seawolves that they were rewarded with the #7 seed in the PSAL Queens Borough Playoffs and a home game on Monday against Flushing. If they can win that on Tuesday it will be Scholars going to Francis Lewis on Tuesday in an always fun AA vs. B showdown in the Queens quarterfinals.
6- Lab Museum United (18-1)- Getting a huge win on Monday of last week were the Gators as they went to Queens and took a 42-36 win over Maspeth. It was the type of win that will make a huge difference come seeding time for the PSAL Class B City Playoffs as those are the kinds of wins that will help make a statement for Bodee Bacal and the rest of the Lab squad. They unfortunately were left out of the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs meaning it won't be until City Playoff time that we see this talented team again.
7- Maspeth (16-2)- While the Argonauts did slip a bit in our rankings after their 42-36 loss to Lab Museum, they did rally with a 55-52 win over a solid Cambria Heights Academy team to get the momentum back on their side. Maspeth was also left out of the PSAL Queens Borough Playoffs meaning another really talented team will be sitting around a bit as they await to see their seed in the City Playoffs which wont get underway until the beginning of March.
8- Achievement First (9-1)- There isn't much to say about Achievement as their coaching staff really hasn't been inputting scores or leading scorers for a couple weeks now making it harder and harder to evaluate just what type of team Achievement is, and can be. We know they are tough and talented based off of their record and quality wins, but they as well will have to wait until the PSAL City Playoffs to get on the floor again after not making the field for the PSAL Brooklyn Borough Playoffs.
9- Fannie Lou Hamer (19-3)- Locking down a quality win out of league this past Saturday, the Panthers were able to sneak past JFK of the Bronx AA 62-61 giving them great momentum as Fannie Lou gets ready for the City Playoffs. They didn't make this seasons PSAL Bronx Borough Playoffs field meaning the Marc Skelton led team will have a lot of time to prepare and ready for what will surely be another very deep playoff run.
10- Comprehensive Model School (15-0)- Last but not least is Comprehensive Model, a team with a great record but not much in terms of tests on their resume. Sales Conteh has been a major weapon around the rim for the Sharks who did make the PSAL Bronx Borough Playoff field as the will get going on Monday on the road as the #9 seed to take on KIPP NYC College Prep in what its Comprehensive Model's first ever borough appearance. It's a great opportunity for them as a lead in to what they hope will be a long run in this seasons postseason.
Bubble:
Bard H.S. Early College (16-4)
Baruch College Camus (15-2)
Cathedral Prep (17-5)
Summit Academy (12-5)
Trinity School (13-3)
