5- St. Joseph by the Sea (18-7)- When the brackets for the CHSAA Class A Playoffs came out it looked as if the Vikings were on a collision course for a semifinal matchup with Fordham Prep and that is exactly how it has played out after Sea dominated from the start in an 83-59 victory over Salesian on Saturday in the quarterfinals. St. Joseph by the Sea are healthy and playing some great basketball now meaning that Tuesday's semifinal at Archbishop Molloy in Queens against the Rams should be a great one, with the title game to follow for the winner this coming Friday.
6- Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology (21-7)- If basketball is being played in March then you can be sure that Law and Tech will be there challenging for a championship. Year after year now the Jets program has become a perennial title contender, and this year is no different. They are the #3 seed in the PSAL Class A City Playoffs meaning they are considered among the best of the best, with things to get going for them on Thursday as they will open up what they hope will be a championship run at home against the winner of a Tuesday game between Long Island City and Frederick Douglass Academy.
7- Graphics Campus (22-3)- Many knew that the Manhattan side of the PSAL this season was pretty wide open, and that was proven true as Graphics Campus went out and defeated AA powers Thurgood Marshall Academy and WHEELS to claim the Borough Championship. Maybe it's because of Manhattan's perceived weakness but the 49ers were still just given the #6 seed in the City Playoffs. That means they will hit the court this coming Thursday for a Round of 32 game against either Evander Childs or Sunset Park.
8- Murry Bergtraum (18-3)- Another Manhattan team, Bergtraum was considered the best in that borough in Class A for most of the season but they would fall to WHEELS in the Borough Semifinals before Graphics ultimately won the title. The semifinal loss didn't hurt the Blazers as they were still rewarded with the #2 seed in the PSAL Class A City Playoffs, a reward for their sensational regular season in a tough division. It will be Thursday that we see Bergtraum again in the Round of 32 against the winner of a game between Walton and Bronx United.
9- Lehman (16-2)- One of the best from the Bronx, Lehman made it to the Bronx Borough Playoffs before falling in the quarterfinals to Truman 62-57. The Lions were no doubt hoping for a bit of a deeper run there but now have solely squared their attention to the City Playoffs in Class A where they were given the #9 seed by the PSAL committee meaning a Round of 32 game awaits this Thursday against either Thomas Edison or Stuyvesant for the right to move into the Round of 16.
10- Beacon (20-5)- Every season when you ask people who is the toughest team to take on style wise the Blue Demons are one of the first teams people answer with as they slow the game down quite a bit and are one of the more methodical teams who limit their mistakes, but can also shoot the lights out of the ball. With two wins this season over Manhattan Borough champs Graphics Campus it's no surprise to see Beacon get the #8 seed in the City Playoffs with a Round of 32 game coming up on Thursday against either Queens H.S. Complex or Grand Street Campus.
11- Msgr. Farrell (17-6)- Back at full strength with their leading scorer back on the court after missing time due to injury, Farrell have picked back up where they left off and have made their way into the CHSAA Class A City Semifinals after defeating a tough St. Edmund Prep team in the quarterfinals on Saturday, 42-39. The Lions will be taking on Nazareth in the semifinal on Tuesday at Molloy with the winner of that one moving into Friday's championship game to be played at Monroe College.
12- Louis Brandeis (17-5)- When you really look things over the A Division in Manhattan in the PSAL is actually quite strong with a number of teams who are capable of making a run and proving themselves worthy of being a contender for the championship. Brandeis is another one of those teams as the Bulldogs were awarded the #13 seed which was maybe a bit lower than they were hoping for, but nonetheless they are ready to get going this Thursday against either KIPP NYC College Prep or Far Rockaway who will play on Tuesday to determine the Bulldogs foe in the Round of 32.
13- McKee/Staten Island Tech (16-9)- Going up against a pair of top AA seed a combined four times this season in Susan Wagner and Curtis, the Seagulls record is a bit misleading as they played and hung with Transit Tech until the very end in a close loss showing that when going against A Division there is no doubt that MSIT are more than capable of making a title run. As the #5 seed it will be McKee hosting a Round of 32 game this Thursday against either Hunter College H.S. or James Madison.
14- Nazareth (16-6)- The final of the four CHSAA Class A semi finalists in our rankings, Nazareth is more than confident that it will be them bringing home the championship as they have been competitive against AA opposition when gin the chance, and even though they weren't at their best still found a way to get by Msgr. McClancy in the quarterfinals on Saturday, 45-39. Finding a way to get the W when struggling is huge this time of year, but the Kingsmen will have to play better in Tuesday's semifinal against Msgr. Farrell with a berth in Friday's title game on the line.
15- Evander Childs (12-6)- We are now getting to the point where the seed some of these teams got doesn't represent what they actually deserved. The Tigers were 11-3 in a very tough Bronx A1 but still managed to only secure the #27 seed, one of the stranger seedings that you will find all year. For that it will be Evander playing an opening round game on Tuesday at home in the PSAL City Playoffs against Sunset Park, with a win there moving them into the Round of 32 on Thursday against Graphics Campus with either of those two going out way earlier then they deserve.
16- KIPP NYC College Prep (11-4)- If you are looking for an issue with KIPP it's the fact that they lacked marquee non-league games, and when playing against better teams in the Bronx they didn't get the results they were hoping for which is probably why they were given the #20 seed in the PSAL City Playoffs in Class A. That seed means a Tuesday opening round game against Far Rockaway at home before a possible Round of 32 game against. Louis Brandeis in one of the more competitive games in that round that you will see.
Bubble:
A. Philip Randolph (16-5)
Bayard Rustin Educational Complex (12-4)
Flushing (15-4)
Seward Park (14-7)
William Grady (13-4)
Class B
1- Poly Prep (21-1)- No question it was a week to remember for the Blue Devils who in the NYSAIS Class B semifinals found a way past Dwight School to avenge their only loss of the season to move into Sunday's title game against Portledge. Many considered this season's Portledge team unbeatable against Class B competition, but tied at 54 in the closing seconds it was Phil Lawrence who stole the ball after Portledge looked to hold the ball for the last shot, then he took it the length of the court and laid it up at the buzzer for the winter as Poly close the season as champions, winning NYSAIS 56-54.
2- Community Health Academy of the Heights (23-2)- Even though we consider Community Health the best team in the PSAL Class B this season, they were given the #2 seed by the PSAL committee. If anything though that should motivate the Phoenix to show that they truly are the best team when their playoff run gets going this Wednesday in the Round of 32 when they square off with either All City Leadership Academy or Frederick Douglass Academy III in what should be an easier start to what they hope is a big couple weeks ahead.
3- Dwight School (20-6)- Having handed Poly Prep their only loss of the season, along with garnering huge AA level wins as well there is no way you can say this was anything but a tremendously successful season for the Lions who ultimately fell just short of their goal in a 62-49 loss in the NYSAIS Class B Semifinals to the aforementioned Poly Prep. They will lose some quality pieces to graduation but expect Dwight to absolutely be back in a position in the years here to come to continue being a force in Class B.
4- NEST+M (15-0)- An undefeated team that doesn't get a ton of respect is rare but that is what it seems like is happening with this seasons NEST+M group. They didn't play a very challenging non-league slate but they played in a fairly tough league and managed to get through it unscathed which is had and rare to do. They did get the #3 seed in the City Playoffs, but they got one of the toughest draws possibly as on Wednesday they will play the winner of a Monday opening round game between a perennially strong Adams Street Academy, and a ranked Achievement First. Quite the road for the Eagles for sure.
5- The Scholars Academy (22-2)- As the #1 seed in the PSAL Class B City Playoffs it will be the Seawolves looking to show that their regular season was no fluke. They were able to shock and dominate a number of Class AA and Class A teams, and even secured a win in the PSAL Queens Borough Playoffs. With the top seed means a ton of expectations, and while that could mean pressure for some, Scholars seem more than ready to embrace that challenge head on as they will get going on Wednesday with a Round of 32 date against either Institute for Collaborative education or H.S. for Math, Science, and Engineering.
6- Lab Museum United (18-1)- Getting a strong non-league win late in the season over Maspeth on the road didn't seem to matter much for the Gators who were still seeding behind the Argonauts. Lab Museum were given the #9 seed for the PSAL City Playoffs and will get a Round of 32 matchup with either Metropolitan or East Side Community as those two will square off on Monday for the right to take on the Gators on Wednesday.
7- Maspeth (16-2)- Having just talked about Maspeth, here are the Argonauts in our rankings right behind Lab Museum who they fell to in mid-February in Queens. Maspeth is still no question a team that no one should want to face off with in this Class B postseason run as they are battle tested and seem ready for big things here. The Argonauts are the #7 seed in the playoffs here and will get a date in the Round of 32 on Wednesday against either Democracy Prep or South Bronx which will have been determined on Monday.
8- Achievement First (10-1)- All year we knew this issue was coming as to what to do with Achievement First. Everyone knows they are a very good team but when you don't report much of anything meaning no non-league results, and even very little information about your league games it makes it tough which is clearly why the PSAL gave Achievement the #35 seed. It seems crazy but on Monday they will head on the road to Adams Street Academy for an opening round game before a possible Wednesday game in the Round of 32 also on the road against #3 seed NEST+M.
9- Fannie Lou Hamer (19-3)- Playoffs and deep postseason runs always seem to be what the Panthers are about, and while this season did have its ups and downs there is no reason not to think that this years group from Fannie Lou Hamer won't be making a long any of run. They clearly have the talent and with top notch coaching it will be fun to watch the Panthers as the #6 seed in the City Playoffs with a Round of 32 beginning on Wednesday against either Robert Goddard or Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice.
10- Trinity School (15-4)- Going on the road in the NYSAIS Class B semifinals, Trinity put up a heck of a fight at Portledge as they were close until early in the fourth when the Tigers finally saw things slip away in what was a 61-50 defeat. It wasn't the ending to the season that Trinity School wanted, but they have enough coming back next season to be a threat for a title again in a years time as the Tigers continue to build something very special in Manhattan.
Bubble:
Bard H.S. Early College (16-6)
Baruch College Campus (15-2)
Cathedral Prep (20-5)
Comprehensive Model School (15-1)
Summit Academy (12-5)
