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  • Big East Press: Feast Week Reflections

    Big East Press: Feast Week Reflections

    Here is our first Big East Column of the 2025-26 season. In this column, we focus mostly on the tri-state area Big East teams and beyond throughout the season. This week we reflect on how the local teams did during feast week which is a pivotal time during the early part of the college basketball season.

    Featured Photo Credit by Ishka Samant / Getty Images

    Seton Hall is Coming For All Naysayers’ Necks 

    The Pirates proved that their 5-0 start was no fluke as they finished their Maui Invitational trip with a 2-1 record with wins against NC State and Washington State. The Pirates definitely could have been in the Maui Invitational championship against Arizona State if certain things went right against a very good USC squad in the semifinals but all we know going forward is that the Apologies towards Shaheen Holloway and his squad should be louder than the disrespect in those preseason polls. 

    Seton Hall fans have a lot to be happy about after their 2-1 trip in Maui Photo Credit: Seton Hall Athletics

    St. John’s Vegas Trip Comes With Harsh Lessons

    The 14th ranked St. John’s Red Storm probably are in the same state they were last year when they were in the Bahamas when they went 1-2 but the same glaring issues since the Alabama game has been very concerning. Defense at the guard position and crashing the defensive glass in their losses to Iowa State and Auburn have the Red Storm looking funny in the light. It’s frustrating if you are a St. John’s fan because both games were winnable. Take away the 22 second chance points St. John’s is likely going home 2-1 cant to much about the loss to Auburn because it was winnable given that they had a good lead but SEC guards like Tahaad Pettiford are DIFFERENT and with a loss like that it’s another reality check they need before  they face Ole Miss on December 6th. The Johnnie’s have enough time to get right so future opposing teams don’t feel like they have a cheat code to beat them. 

    Fans are still disappointed because they didn’t live up to the preseason expectations, but one thing we can take away from this is it’s better to play your worse Basketball in November than to peak early then fizzle out by January and February. 

    UConn Looks Tough and MSG belongs to Mali’s World. 

    There’s no question that outside of the Pirates,  the Huskies have been carrying the League on it’s back early this season getting big wins on big stages  against BYU and Illinois  yes Arizona got the best of them at home but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Huskies are peaking in the right direction. 

    Speaking of that Zona loss, the streets have been upset over the use of Malachi Smith late during that game but his MSG debut on Black Friday showed how much of an instant impact he can make on the court . In just 24 minutes, Smith went off for an efficient 14 points and nine assists and prevented Illinois from a comeback in the 74-61 win. There could be more of these type of performances from Smith as they will be back at MSG for the Jimmy V Classic on December 9th and when they face St. John’s on December 6th. 

    UConn vs Illinois Highlights 11/28/2025

    What We Learned

    Feast week is a pivotal time during the college Basketball season where teams learn a lot about themselves but it doesn’t determine the direction of where a team is headed. The direction that your team is heading all depends on the adjustments that are made going into December.

    In the days ahead….

    The league has some big non conference games ahead to start the month of December. On Tuesday night UConn will head over to Lawrence, Kansas to play the Kansas Jayhawks.

    On Wednesday, Seton Hall will play a very tough CCSU squad. This is a trap game for the Pirates because CCSU already beat Rutgers by double digits Coach Sellers isn’t the one to duck smoke expect an all out war between both teams.

    As we mentioned earlier St. John’s will be playing Ole Miss in a Saturday night primetime showdown at MSG. Pivotal game for St. John’s as they will look to bounce back from a disappointing end to the month of November.

    Villanova will start off the month against Big 5 rival temple before going into the most challenging part of their non-conference schedule as they will be going up against No. 7 Michigan next Sunday followed by games against Pitt and Wisconsin before Big East play. Kevin Willard has won in Ann Arbor before so there’s no question that he will have the Wildcats ready by next Sunday.

  • HDNYC Archives: 2025 CHSAA “A” Championship: St. John’s Prep vs St. Joes By The Sea

    The St. John’s Prep Red Storm shocked the city when they moved up to the A Division after making the B division title game the previous year. Many probably thought that they wouldn’t adjust well but Coach John Kiggins and his staff developed their team and got some key transfers that would help them build a championship team. Daquan Bryant, Ryan Edwards, Jacob Gomez and Patrick Rouse had one of the best cores in the city.

    The St. Joes by the Sea Vikings out of Staten Island is a squad that has always been in the mix when it comes to the conversation CHSAA class “A” Contenders. With a great squad that includes Matty Stole, Paul Testaverde and Nicholas Rebracca, the Vikings were a force that was going to give SJP their best shot. Take a look back at their first championship win since 2005 in this video. The Red Storm finished last season defeating PSAL AAA City Champion Achievement First HS in the PSAL vs CHSAA Champions Challenge. They went on to finish 10 in the NYSSWA rankings with Graduate Jacob Gomez finishing his career third team All-State and now senior Daquan Bryant finishing 2nd Team All-State. Patrick Rouse is starting his collegiate career at Daemen University in Erie County, NY.

    Last Season’s Championship MVP Daquan Bryant is one of the Key Returners of this year’s team.

  • Video Recap: Hayes Balanced Attack Downs Archbishop Molloy 83-71 for First Win Of The Season

    Video Recap: Hayes Balanced Attack Downs Archbishop Molloy 83-71 for First Win Of The Season

    Photo Credits: Matty Ice / Manny Ariza

    Video Recap of Cardinal Hayes’s 83-71 Win over Archbishop Molloy on Friday Night. It was a balanced attack by the Hayesmen who used their stingy defense to force turnovers and get steals that led to transition buckets all night in the 83-71 win.

    4-star senior point guard Adam Njie led 5 players for Hayes in double figures with 21 points. 2025 Guard Kaelen Destin scored 18 while Malik Fields added 13, Trey Lewis Scored 12, and Super Sophomore PG Jermel Thomas ran the offense very well contributing 11 points and 9 assists.

    Molloy was led by 4-star sophomore guard wing Josh Powell who scored 27 points while senior forward Eli Smalls scored 18 points. This win was a great bounce-back game for Hayes which lost their first two games to Nazareth and rival St. Raymond’s to begin the season.

  • A Look Back at Fordham Vs UMBC

    A Look Back at Fordham Vs UMBC

    On Sunday Afternoon Fordham Hosted UMBC in an Exhibition game benefiting Able Athletics. A non-profit organization dedicated to inclusion in sports.

    Even though the game didn’t count, it felt like it did from seeing the intensity and energy of both teams. Both teams looked like they were in mid-season form.

    Here are a few takeaways from the Game.

    The Rams are Unbeatable from three-point range.

    The Rams shot 9/17 from three-point range in the first half and they looked unbeatable as they held a 10-point lead late in the first half. Even though the Rams had fewer attempts in the second half, their hot three-point shooting is one thing that is going to win them a lot of games this season. The Rams finished the game shooting 43% from beyond the arc. It’s also worth noting that they have players from positions 1-4 that can shoot from deep.

    This game marked the debut for many new Rams including Japhet Medor the 6-0 guard who transferred to Fordham from UTSA (Texas-San Antonio). Medor shined in his debut with 23 points and seven boards on 9/14 shooting. Medor pretty much did what he wanted on offense against UMBC slashing his way to the rim for layups and hitting mid-range jumpers.

    Marcus Banks jr on UMBC had a decent game too with 21 points and 3 steals. banks were one of the driving forces behind the big run in the second half that briefly gave them a five-point lead before Fordham came back.

    The Bigs came through and Free Throws Matter.

    There was a time when the three-pointers that carried the Rams throughout the first half weren’t falling but the Rams front court of Elijah Gray and Abdou Tsimbla who provided inside scoring as well as oLafayette transfer Josh Rivera who grabbed 14 rebounds held it down keeping the Rams ahead in the rebounding department. The Rams outrebounded UMBC 44-34. Free throws also played huge as Fordham who had fewer attempts shot 9/12 from the line (75%) compared to 58 % for UMBC.

    Overall there are so many reasons for excitement as this Rams Squad who had a 25-8 record and 12-6 conference record has the chance to build on that this upcoming season. From their 3-point shooting to their ability to find other ways to score when the shots aren’t falling, it will be another exciting season ahead for the Rams.

    We’ll see the Rams again this season which starts on November 6th as they will face Wagner at home at 7:30 pm.

  • Video: Monsignor Scanlan Outlasts Eagle Bronx 53-48 in HWC Fall Championship

    Video: Monsignor Scanlan Outlasts Eagle Bronx 53-48 in HWC Fall Championship

    We are back with some Fall Ball content for you guys.

    Last Thursday’s Harlem World Classic Championship game ended up becoming a double-OT Thriller as Monsignor Scanlan behind 16 points from the super sophomore Dior Anderson defeated Scanlan 53-48 in OT.

    The game was a straight-grinder throughout. late in the fourth quarter Eagle BX had a 38-33 lead on Scanlan but the Crusaders battled back to tie the game at 38 sending it to OT. The game could have ended in regulation but missed free throws and turnovers plagued both teams luckily this was a preseason game and we expect these teams to be more sharp when the season begins.

    In the second and final OT, senior guard Kaleb Popote nailed a 3-point play in the last minute that would put the Crusaders up for good at 49-45.

    The super sophomore guard Dior Anderson was one of the few standouts from this game as he scored 16 points to lead Scanlan and Earn MVP honors.

    John Harrington held it down for Eagle BX who was down a starter with 15 points.

    Both Eagle and Scanlan could possibly meet again as they are playing in the Gauchos

  • A Look Back at the NBPA Top 100 Camp

    A Look Back at the NBPA Top 100 Camp

    On June 29th -30th , I was in Orlando , Florida for the NBPA Top 100 camp where we got to see some of the top players in the nation. Many of these players at the camp represented the tri-state area. We focused on some of those athletes as well as other athletes from across the nation. Here are some takeaways from the locals.

    DISCLAIMER: I didn’t get a chance to see every player at the NBPA Top 100 given the days I was allowed credentials for. By the time I arrived in Florida, many players left or stopped playing. So don’t be alarmed if you Don’t see your guy in this article.

    The Denver Nuggets coached by Will Barton and featuring Camp MVP Cooper Flagg win the NBPA Top 100 Championship on June 30th. Photo Credit:Claudio Delarosa

    -JB

    Jaiden Glover – 6-6 G/F The Patrick School (NJ)

    Glover was one of the top scorers in the camp through June 29th averaging 14.5 points per game on a stacked Celtics team. Even though his scoring went down a bit at the end, Glover finished the Camp among the top leaders in 3-pointers made, and the offers continued to roll in. LSU, Virginia Tech, and St. Joe’s have offered. Glover is one of many locals who is set to rise in the national rankings by August. Glover has become a major target for St. Johns according to NY Post reporter Zach Braziller.

    VJ Edgecombe – 6-7 SF Long Island Lutheran HS.

    Edgecombe had a huge week at the camp earning All-star Honors. Edgecombe averaged 15 points throughout the camp. Since the camp ended, Edgecombe has earned offers from Bluebloods such as Duke and Uconn and other high majors such as Ole Miss and Providence.

    Tahaad Pettiford 6-2 G Hudson Catholic HS (Auburn Commit)

    Tahaad Petiford led his Golden State team to a deep run in the playoffs and finished top 5 in Points per game, assists, and steals. Pettiford showed why he is among one of the top guards in his class nationally at the camp. Pettiford’s final averages were 20.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 5.2 assists per game.

    Other Notable Locals

    Tyler Betsey ‘24 – 6-8 SF St. Thomas More (CT)

    Finished the Camp amongst the leaders in 3pt FGs and 3pointers made.

    Amongst the locals that did their thing, there was a slew of players from outside of the tri-state area that we had seen a lot that we gotta give props to.

    Jahlil Bethea 6-4 SG Archbishop Wood HS (PA)

    Crowned as the score lord 2.0 q by Checkball magazine CEO Littel Vaughn, Jalil Bethea’s 30-point performance on Thursday, June 29th proved that he’s a straight-up Bucket. The 30-point performance is just one of many big scoring performances he has had throughout June.

    Cooper Flagg 6-9 SF Montverde Academy (FL)

    Flagg, the NBPA Top 100 MVP impressed all week. The way he dominates games is crazy even though the fatigue got to him during the camp championship game he was still deserving of the MVP Award in our eyes.

    His showdown with Cameron Boozer was the highlight of the camp and pretty much will be the trending topic for years to come as their careers progress. Flagg got to go up against Boozer twice at the EYBL Peach Jam.

    Morez Johnson Jr. 6-10 Forward Thornton HS (Chicago)

    I got to see Johnson on the final day of the camp in the playoffs. He might be one of the best stretch forwards in the class with his skill set, he’s going to help win a lot of games for Brad Underwood when he arrives in Illinois in the fall of 2024.

    Darius Acuff ‘25 6-2 Guard, Cass Tech HS (Michigan)

    Darius Acuff was good as advertised in our eyes one of the top guards in the camp. Acuff finished 2nd in scoring with 24.8 points per game and his showing proved how you can go from not being mentioned at all to the cream of the crop. Acuff is one player I would like to see come to Mecca to prove himself.

    Robert Wright III 6-1 PG Montverde Academy (FL)

    The Baylor commit from Philly is a winner! I’ve seen it in the championship game when he hit the clutch layup to seal the win. Wright III led the camp in assists per game (6.6) and second in assist/turnover ratio (3.0). If he isn’t in your Top PG discussion for the class of 2024 you are playing yourself. We got to see him in person this past Tuesday at NY VS NY but we’ll talk about that in our next piece.

    Flory Bidunga 6-8 PF Kokomo HS (Indiana)

    Flory Bidunga plays bigger than 6-8. From what we have seen during his 20-point, 14-rebound performance on Friday, June 30th, Bidunga proved that not a soul can hold him down in the paint. Bidunga shot 70 % from the floor throughout the whole camp making him the leader in Field goal percentage. The Walking double-double is making a case for being a top 5 PF in the class of 2024.

    Tyran Stokes 6-8 F Prolific Prep

    Tyran Stokes’s Energy on the court especially in a win-or-go-home situation is unmatched. The first time I saw Stokes play was back in January at the Grind Session Event here in NYC. At Top 100, I got the chance to see him in the semifinals and championship he gets right to it from once the ball tips off and he always keeps his foot on the gas. He doesn’t back down at all either his competitiveness is what separates him from a lot of players his age.

    Aj Dybantsa 6-8 SF Prolific Prep

    Yo Massachusetts ya got one! AJ Dybantsa finished the camp as the top scorer with 28.3 points per game. He was one of many underclassmen who made their presence known to everyone that week. Looking forward to seeing Dybantsa play more throughout his HS career.

    A couple more out-of-towners.

    Jamari Philipps

    Cameron Boozer

    Akai Flemming

    Kon Knueppel

    Derik Queen

    Mercy Miller

    Jayden Quintance

    Daquan Davis

    Ahmad Nowell

  • HDNYC Tri-State Players to Watch List For Classes 2024-26

    HDNYC Tri-State Players to Watch List For Classes 2024-26

    Throughout the 2022-23 High School Basketball Season as well as some spring events during the postseason we got to witness so much talent that the New York Tri-State area has to Offer. There are many prospects that we all know that are not only the best in the region but also in the country, but there are also many players who have put in work but their names need to be known more. This is the reason why I decided to do a watch list instead of player rankings.

    This watch list contains players we have seen throughout the 2022-23 season as well as some various spring events as well as some players who were nominated by some of the top coaches in the area.

    This Watch list will be updated every 2-4 months and will be a feature on a Editorial project that we will be announcing soon.

    2nd nomination period has begun, Coaches and directors can nominate their players by filling out the form here

    The Goals in the future is to include players from New Jersey and other areas within the Tri-state.

    (***)- Player is set to do a Postgrad Year

    2024

    Boogie Fland 6-2 PG Archbishop Stepinac HS Bronx, New York

    Ian Jackson 6-6 G/F Cardinal Hayes HS Bronx, NY

    Taj Bryant 6-0 PG Eagle Academy For Young Men II HS  Queens, NY

    Jaiden Glover Toscano 6-6 G/F The Patrick School, Newark, NJ

    Dylan Harper 6-4 SG Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey , NJ

    Qadir Martin 6-6 F St. Peter’s High School Staten Island, NY

    Jakai Saunders 6-4 SG Bishop Loughlin HS, Brooklyn, New York

    Elijah Moore 6-5 SG Cardinal Hayes HS , Bronx New York

    Christian Jeffrey 6-2 PG Bishop Loughlin HS Brooklyn, NY

    Adam Njie 5-11 PG Cardinal Hayes HS , Bronx, New York

    Richard Brisco 6-9 PF Roselle Catholic High School Brooklyn, New York

    Tarik Watson, 6-8 F Roselle Catholic High School, Middletown, New York 

    Darnell Childs 5-9 PG, HS of Construction Queens, NY

    Dwayne Pierce 6-6 SF Christ The King HS, Long Island, NY

    Steven Solano 7-0 C Cardinal Hayes HS, Bronx New York

    Tyler Edore 6-7 Forward Brooklyn Collegiate HS Brooklyn, NY

    Eddy Munyak 6-2 SG Eagle Academy Brooklyn HS , Brooklyn NY

    Ashton Reynolds 6-4 SF Transit Tech CTE High School Brooklyn New York

    Braylan Ritvo 6-6 SF Archbishop Stepinac, New York, NY

    D’andre Gibbs 6-0 Guard Eagle Academy For Young Men Bronx, New York

    Braylan Sanjurjo 5-9 PG Eagle Academy For Young Men , Bronx, New York

    Quifang Pang 6-9 F Christ The King HS, Queens, NY

    ***Jayden Johnson 5-10 PG Brooklyn Collegiate HS – Brooklyn, NY

    Sir Patrick Livingston 6-2 guard South Bronx Prep HS – Bronx, NY

    Nasir Rodriguez 6-4 SG Monsignor Scanlan HS – Queens, NY

    Elijah Cherry 6-4 W St. Raymond’s High School – Bronx, NY

    Tyler Michel 6-2 SG St. Francis Prep HS – Queens, NY

    Jaiden Gaston 5-11 guard Monsignor McClancy HS – Queens, NY

    Siyani Arthur 5-9 PG Brooklyn Law & Tech HS – Brooklyn, NY

    Kevin Kearney 6-8 Wing South Shore HS , Brooklyn, NY

    Anthony Gilkes 6-5 G South Shore HS, Queens, NY

    Kyle Dhu 6-2 SG Brooklyn Law & Tech HS

    Brooklyn, NY

    Keeshawn Murray 6-3 Wing Brooklyn Law & Tech HS Brooklyn, NY

    Aymhir Penn 6-11 Forward Brandeis High School, Brooklyn New York

    Nowah Hargrow 6-0 guard Dewitt Clinton HS Bronx, NY

    Jordan Gabriel 6-8 PF Archbishop Stepinac HS Long Island, NY

    VJ Edgecomb 6-7 SF LI Lutheran Brookville, NY

    Carlos Urena 5-11 PG Monsignor McClancy HSQueens, NY

    Jacob Moreno 6-4 SG Holy Cross HS Queens, NY

    Elijah Small 6-7 Forward Archbishop Molloy HS Queens, NY

    Xavier Agyemang 6-6 Forward South Bronx Prep HS Bronx , NY

    Jahmire Brewer 6-8 Forward Archbishop Molloy High School Queens, New York

    Nolan Raymond 6-0 PG St. Francis Prep HS Queens, New York 

    Anthony Graziano 6-6 Forward St. Joseph’s By the Sea HS Staten Island, NY

    Chris Judge 6-1 guard John Bowne HS Queens, New York

    Jordin Walker 5-10 guard Cardozo HS Queens, New York

    Nick Lam 5-9 guard Tottenville HS Staten Island, NY

    John Harrington 5-10 Guard Community Health of the Heights HS New York, NY

    Daniel Ogundele 6-4 SG Epic South HS Queens, New York

    Oke OkroKoto 6-9 C Christ The King HS, Queens New York.

    Chase Beasley 6-3 SG Canarsie HS Brooklyn, New York.

    Darren McFarlane 6-5 F Monsignor Scanlan HS Bronx, NY

    Ahmed Ibrahim 6-7 PF Thomas Edison High School, Queens, New York

    Jago Robinson 6-2 SG South Shore High School Brooklyn, New York

    Ryan Jackson 5-10 PG Fordham Prep New York, NY

    Melvin Nunez 6-6 PF, South Bronx Prep HS Bronx, New York

    Jacob Roman 6-4 SG, Nazareth HS Brooklyn, New York

    Elijah Witter 6-3 G Nazareth HS , Brooklyn, New York

    William Sydnor 6-8 Wing The Patrick School (NJ) New York, NY

    Daye Kaba 6-6 F The Patrick School (NJ) Brooklyn, NY

    Diego Milord 5-9 PG Boerum Hill School, Brooklyn NY

    Scotty Lee 6-4 SG Boys and Girls HS Brooklyn, NY

    Bryan Mercedes 6-2 SG Longwood Prep Academy Bronx, NY

    Tristan Burth 6-7 PF Stevenson High School, Bronx, New York

    Sean Johnson 5-11 PG Brooklyn Collegiate HS Brooklyn, New York

    Terell Hood 6-2 SG Thurgood Marshall Academy Harlem, New York 

    Zaire Butts 6-1 G Thurgood Marshall Academy Harlem, New York 

    Amir Hughes 6-3 G Fannie Lou Hamer high School  Bronx, New York 

    Isaiah Rivera 6-1 G Fannie Lou Hamer High School Bronx, New York 

    Joe Evangelista 5-11 PG Xavier High School New York, NY

    Lucas Feliciano 5-11 PG Nyack High School Nyack, New York 

    Abdul Jaleel Ibrahim 5-10 G Mott Haven Educational Campus HS

    2025

    Halon Rawlins 6-6 Wing Nazareth HS Brooklyn, NY

    Tai Turnage 5-10 PG St. Raymond’s HS (BX) Queens, New York

    Ifaola “Tacko” Fawaz 6-11 C The Patrick School, Hillside, New Jersey

    Brandon Stores 6-4 SG St. Raymond’s HS Bronx, NY 

    Markell Alston 6-2 PG Christ The King HS Queens, NY 

    Tristan Davis 5-10 PG Thomas Jefferson HS , Brooklyn, NY 

    Kiyan Anthony 6-5 G/F Long Island Lutheran HS , Brookville, NY 

    Danny Garbuccia 6-0 PG Archbishop Stepinac HS, Bronx, New York

    Connor Spratley 6-0 PG Thomas Jefferson HS Brooklyn, NY

    Preston Edmead 6-0 PG Williston Northampton School (MA) Long Island, NY

    Isaiah Brown 6-3 Guard Don Bosco Prep

    Brandon Lee 6-5 SG The Patrick School (NJ) Hillside, New Jersey

    Jayden Forsythe 6-5 SG Westtown School (PA) Brooklyn, New York 

    Flavio Jean 6-1 PG Brooklyn Collegiate HS Bronx, NY 

    Kayden Mingo 6-2 PG Long Island Lutheran HS, Glen Head, NY

    Asher Elson 6-10 Forward South Shore HS, Brooklyn, NY 

    Harvin Guevara 7-0 F / C James Monroe HS, Bronx, New York 

    Mekhi Beckford 6-0 Guard Stevenson HS Bronx, New York 

    Kaelan Destin 6-3 SG WHEELS HS, New York, NY 

    Vere Anthony 6-0 guard St. Francis Prep Queens, NY 

    Johnny Keenan 5-10 PG Iona Prep New Rochelle, NY 

    Hao Chen 6-4 G/W St. Francis Prep Queens New York 

    Marcus Maxwell-Grimes 6-3 Guard/Wing Monsignor McClancy HS. Harlem, NY

    Kaleb Popote 6-2 G Monsignor Scanlan HS Bronx, NY 

    Jayden Ramirez 6-4 G Christ The King HS, Queens, NY

    Amari McCameron 6-3 guard Brooklyn Law & Tech HS, Brooklyn, NY 

    Mohammed Jaiteh 5-10 PG James Monroe Campus High School

    Nigel Moore 6-1 PG St. Francis Prep HS Queens, NY 

    Joshua Thompson 6-5 G/W Mount St. Michael HS Bronx, NY  

    Karifala Conde 6-4 W James Monroe Campus HS Bronx, NY 

    Cam Mena 6-3 SF St. Edmunds Prep Brooklyn, New York

    Mohammed Rashid 6-3 G James Monroe Campus HS, Bronx, NY 

    Jameer Matthews 6-3 G Christ The King HS, Queens, NY 

    Ahmad Torrence 6-5 G Thurgood Marshall Academy Harlem, NY 

    Sasha Mermelstein 5-10 guard Horace Mann School , Bronx, NY 

    Connor Igoe 6-7 PF Poly Prep Brooklyn, New York 

    Karim Camara 6-0 PG Poly Prep Brooklyn, New York

    Olivian Owens 6-7 PF Green Tech HS Albany, New York 

    Tori Babs 6-6 F Brooklyn Collegiate HS Brooklyn, New York

    Tyson Clark 6-2 Guard West Nottingham Academy (MD) Middletown, NY 

    Jaziah Luckie Carter 6-7 SF Brooklyn Collegiate High School , Brooklyn New York

    Jackson Southerland 6-3 PG/ SG Great Neck North HS Long Island, NY 

    Avery Headley 6-7 F Brooklyn Collegiate High School Brooklyn, New York 

    Xavier Beckford 6-2 SG Achievement First High School Brooklyn, New York

    Maurice Henderson 6-1 G Victory Rock Preparatory Academy (FL) Bronx, New York

    Justin Prado 5-11 PG Thurgood Marshall Academy – New York, NY

    2026

    6-1 PG Jermel Thomas – Bronx, NY – Cardinal Hayes HS 

    6-2 PG Deron Rippey – Brooklyn, New York – Blair Academy (NJ)

    6-0 PG Jalen Grant – Roselle NJ- Roselle Catholic High School

    6-7 F Oseosemana Sacko – Queens, NY – St Francis Prep HS

    6-4 G Josh Powell – Queens, NY – Archbishop Molloy HS

    Ikenna Alozie 6-3 PG – Hillside, NJ – The Patrick School (NJ)

    5-10 PG Sincere Folk – Queens, NY Archbishop Molloy HS

    Chidi Nwigwe 6-6 SG – Monroe, NY St. Benedict’s HS (NJ)

    5-9 G Xavier Cesear – Brooklyn, NY Eagle Academy II HS

    5-9 G Daquan Bryant – Brooklyn, NY Eagle Academy II HS

    6-4 Wing Kamari Whyte – Bronx, NY St. Raymond’s High School

    6-0 Guard Troy Fason – Queens, NY St. Francis Prep High School

    6-2 PG Malik Fields – Bronx NY Stevenson High School 

    6-4 W Joel Barnaby Alexander – Queens NY Monsignor McClancy HS 

    6-9 C Caleb Oriagu – Far Rockaway, NY Monsignor McClancy HS. 

    6-2 G Dior Anderson – Bronx, New York Monsignor Scanlan HS. 

    5-10 G Johansel Cruz -Bronx, NY Monsignor Scanlan HS. 

    6-0 PG Shameek Casillas – Queens, NY Bishop Loughlin HS 

    6-0 G Rich Jackson – Brooklyn, NY Bishop Loughlin HS.

    6-3 G Dylan Mingo – Glen Head, NY Long Island Lutheran HS 

    6-4 G Marquise Lloyd- Queens, NY Epic South High School 

    6-5 G Jasiah Jervis – Bronx New York, Archbishop Stepinac High School 

    6-6 SF Dylan Perry – Burlington, NJ Archbishop Stepinac High School 

    6-2 G Hassan Kouressi – Harlem, New York-Archbishop Stepinac High School 

    6-5 G James PJ Singleton – Brooklyn, New York-  Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School

    5-10 G AJ Moody Brooklyn, New York – Nazareth Regional High School

    6-1 G Jayden Lau – New York, NY – Christ The King High School

    6-4 G Jahda Swann – Brooklyn, NY – South Shore High School

  • Pregame Thoughts: NCAA East Regional

    Pregame Thoughts: NCAA East Regional

    One of the most anticipated weeks of the NCAA tournament has arrived and we got some action in our own Backyard as the NCAA East Regional returns to MSG for the first time since 2014.

    This year is special because if you know each roster contains players from the NY Tri-state area. From Harlem, to Long Island , to Westchester, Upstate all the way to Jersey. The East regional and the Sweet 16 as a whole proves how many of the top prospects have come from this area over the years.

    A lot of stake with these games so here are some thoughts going into tonight.

    Michigan State vs Kansas State is a game of pressure, also a CHSAA Homecoming.

    This matchup ever since it became official on Sunday has been running through my mind. Michigan State is back in the same place that they were in 2014, but this time the goal for them is to get out of this weekend and head to Houston next weekend rather than have their season end in the Empire State. The Spartans behind the stellar play of Christ The King Alum Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard and Joey Hauser stomped Marquette late in the second half en route to a 69-60. The Spartans are trying to avoid what happened in 2014 but they have a huge step to get over in the Sweet 16 as they face a red hot Kansas State team.

    Kansas State one of the biggest surprises of the season (to others, not us) is looking to shock the world once again as they come into tonight’s matchup against the Spartans (+105 on Draft-kings, – 105 on FanDuel for the betters out there) and one of the players leading the way for them is East Harlem’s Markquis Nowell a product of the CHSAA (Bishop Loughlin) and the Patrick School is set to have a huge performance in his Garden Debut.

    The Wildcats also have other New Yorkers such as Naequan Tomlin (Harlem), Ishmael Massoud (East Harlem) and Tykei Greene (Queens) who are also taking this game as a home game.

    To be honest this game should have been the nightcap in my opinion however I will say this.

    Who ever wins game one will be in Houston next weekend.

    Quote me on that.

    Tennessee vs Florida Atlantic: Will the local guys flourish

    The Owls of Florida Atlantic have been one of the hottest mid major teams this season. They are also the same team that prevented FDU from coming to MSG. The Owls feature Nick Boyd and Jalen Gaffney (UConn Transfer) the active local players on this team but they also feature one of their stars Johnell Davis who went off for 29/12/5 in the win against FDU. The Garden floor always brings the best out of many players in their Garden Debut so he’s one player to watch in the nightcap.

    Tennessee’s Local products Zakai Ziegler who’s out due to injury and Tobe Awaka are here and it’s going to be great to see Awaka on this stage if he’s given minutes. Speaking of that, back on December 11th at the Hoop Hall Hall of Fame Invitational, Awaka had his best game off the bench with seven points and eight boards in the win against Maryland depending on how the front court matchup is tonight it will be interesting to see if Awaka gets some minutes.

    The Vol’s Oliver Nkahouma had a huge game against Duke in the second round with 27 and 10 boards. It will be interesting to see if he continues that tonight against FAU.

    In this game I expect Tennessee to win a close one. FAU is coming in hot won’t be an easy team to beat for the Vols.

  • Postseason Defining Moments: EDDIE FOR THE WIN Eagle Academy Brooklyn Claims First PSAL CITY Title (Video Recap)

    The 2023 PSAL title game may have ranked as one of the top 5 championship games in league history! It was An All-Brooklyn battle as Eagle Academy …

    Postseason Defining Moments: EDDIE FOR THE WIN Eagle Academy Brooklyn Claims First PSAL CITY Title (Video Recap)
  • Defining Moments: 2023 PSAL Borough Championship South Shore vs Thomas Jefferson

    Defining Moments: 2023 PSAL Borough Championship South Shore vs Thomas Jefferson

    There are always those defining moments during the postseason that we will remember years from now. On Saturday at the PSAL boro championships, there were tons of them. The PSAL Boro championship ended with a crazy sequence that started with a layup by Jarrett Dingle. Then Jeff’s Nyquan Morris who stepped up in the Absence of Connor Sprattley hit a jumper to bring Jeff within one. After Tywon Evans Split free throws to tie the game at 65, Jarrett Dingle drives to the rim with 10.1 seconds remaining to score the layup but misses leaving it open for the game-winning putback by Senior Forward Jalen O’Brian.

    Check out the late 4th quarter action and the postgame interview here

  • JB’s Weekly Report

    JB’s Weekly Report

    A look back at some of the Trending Topics and News from the Past Weekend in NYC high school Basketball as well as A look at the Week ahead curated by Editor in Chief Jaquam Bodden

    MAGIC MEL CHOOSES SAINT LOUIS 

    Jermel Thomas on his official visit to Saint Louis.
    Photo Credit: Saint Louis Basketball

    Jermel “Magic Mel” made his commitment today to Saint Louis official on Nike’s Baseline Banter show hosted by game announcers  David “Chaching” Teele and Jaden Edwards aka Mr. Talk Spicy.

    Thomas a 6-3 PG who’s entering his senior year at Our Savior Lutheran in the Bronx chose the Billikens over Seton Hall and Providence of the Big East. 

    More on Thomas’s commitment and interview with his father Scooter here

    Nike NYC’s NY vs NY Boys & Girls Final Four is Set

    This past weekend, Gersh Park, West 4th, Watson, and Dyckman clinched their spots in the NY vs. NY semifinals on August 9th at Victory Park, which will be located inside Central Park’s Wollman Rink. 

    Defending NY vs NY champion Dyckman and West 4th finished this past Saturday’s Girls Jamboree undefeated while Watson (2019 Champ) and Gersh (champions 2022-2024) went 1-1. 

    Dyckman, Gersh, Watson, and Tri-State round out the Boys Final Four which will also occur on August 9th. Winners from both the Boys and Girls Semifinals will play in the NY vs NY championships on Sunday, August 10th. 

    WINGS ACADEMY WELCOMES HOME TOP DMV PROSPECT 

    Wings Academy announced yesterday the addition of JJ Addison. Addison a 6-6 guard who’s originally from the Bronx will be finishing his HS career at Wings Academy after spending the majority of his HS career at Frederick HS in Maryland. Last season he averaged 24 points a game leading Frederick HS to a Maryland State Championship. Addison also won Frederick County player of the year honors. Addison had a big summer with the MD Movement AAU team on the Made Hoops Circuit and has already been offered by UMass Lowell. 

    This past weekend Addison suited up with Dream Chasers at the Watson Classic and dropped 24 points to help them advance in the high school division playoffs. 

    This edit from “Pushd by Puff” who broke the news sent the internet on fire yesterday.

    SMARTBALL CLASSIC ROUND OF 32 TIPS OFF TONIGHT IN HARLEM

    Tonight at Abraham Lincoln playground located at 135th Street and Lenox Avenue at 6pm St. Peter’s will face Canarsie and at 8pm defending Smartball champions Thomas Jefferson will go up against Benjamin Banneker. Benjamin Banneker led by 2026 PG Daryus Coachman was one of two teams that went 2-0 in the play-in round last week with wins against Kennedy Catholic and Earl Monroe. 

    Players to Watch in Tonight’s Smartball opener 

    2027 6-6 SF Talib Martin – St. Peter’s 

    2026 6-6 G/F PJ Singleton – Canarsie HS 

    2026 6-8 Forward Devin Clarke – Canarsie HS 

    2026 6-0 PG Daryus Coachman Benjamin Banneker 

    2026 6-2 SG Kristian Charles – Benjamin Banneker 

    2026 6-4 G Jahda Swann – Thomas Jefferson HS 

    2026 6-5 G/F Tudor Tanase – Thomas Jefferson HS 

    2026 6-1 PG Trevor Lewis – Thomas Jefferson HS 

    IN OTHER NEWS….

    NYC Prospects kicked off the 1st session of their Summer League this past weekend at Washington Hall Playground. The tournament hosts teams from all leagues within the metro area looking to prepare for the upcoming HS season. In their third year of the League, they picked up some big sponsors in Local Hoops and Fini Pizza.

    Follow NYC Prospects on all platforms for top performers from their league and more. Their second session begins Friday August 8th.

    TEAM NIKE SELECT IN THE PRO CITY PLAYOFFS

    Tonight the youngest team in the history of Pro City Team Nike Select will be playing in the playoffs at 8pm. Coached by legendary HS coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton, Team Nike Select has a roster with majority of the top high school prospects in the area. In recent weeks they have caught the attention of the city thanks to a 45-point outburst by 2027 5-star PG Anderson Diaz on July 23rd a week later Elhadji Diallo helped lead Team Nike Select to a comeback win.

  • A Look Back at the NCAA East Regional

    A Look Back at the NCAA East Regional

    All eyes were on Newark’s Prudential Center last weekend for the NCAA’s East Regional. Duke, Arizona, Alabama, and BYU invaded downtown Newark and all games did not disappoint. Let’s take a look back at the action. 

    Thursday, March 27th: Buckets Galore:  Cooper, Love, and Sears Steal The Show 

    Thursday night’s action gave fans two high-scoring games with some big primetime performances. In the first game, Alabama surpassed Loyola Marymount’s record of 21 three-pointers by going 25-51 from beyond the arc against BYU. 

    The Crimson Tide led by Marc Sears’s 34-point performance did whatever they wanted on offense and completely dominated the Cougars by shooting tons of threes in transition. Sophomore guard Aden Holloway scored 23 points for the Crimson Tide 21 of those points were scored in 18 minutes. 

    In the nightcap, All eyes were on No.1 seed Duke and the Super Freshman Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils were going to have their hands full as they were going up against No.3 seeded  Arizona featuring Caleb Love. 

    Love who’s a graduate transfer at Arizona has a lot of history with Duke going back to his days at UNC this game was a final chance for him to surpass the Blue Devils and lead the Wildcats back to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2011. 

    This game turned out to be a classic showdown as Caleb Love and Cooper Flagg put up big-time scoring performances. Caleb Love kept Arizona in the game throughout by scoring 35 points, but they couldn’t overcome Duke’s defense and a balanced attack led by Cooper Flagg’s 30-point, 7 rebound, and 6 assist performance. Duke went on to win 100-93 closing out a night full of high-scoring performances in both semifinal games. 

    Saturday, March 29th: The Blue Devils Dominate the Crimson Tide en route to an 85-65 win and a trip back to the Final Four. 

    After Thursday’s high-scoring performances from both teams, we were looking forward to another high-scoring affair in the championship but Duke had other plans as their defense made things uncomfortable for the Crimson Tide from start to finish. Duke went on to win 85-65 and their dominance showed that they are destined to win the championship on Monday, April 7th. 

    Duke felt right at home winning the East Regional championship on Saturday. The Blue Devils are now 12-0 when they are playing in the Garden State during the NCAA tournament. 

    Cooper Flagg has swept just about every Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year award. The 6-9 forward from Newport, Maine is being mentioned with hall of famer Carmelo Anthony who was a freshman when he led Syracuse to the 2003 national championship. After leaving the prudential center that night it became clear who should be cutting down the nets on Monday and that team is the Duke Blue Devils. 

    The Blue Devils still have a big test ahead when they face a very good Houston squad in the semis, but I am very confident that they have shown that they have what it takes to beat anyone at this point. 

  • Kadary Richmond Becomes Part of NYC Basketball History After Big East Tourney Win

    Kadary Richmond Becomes Part of NYC Basketball History After Big East Tourney Win

    Photo Credit: St. John’s Athletics

    Full Circle Moments are a thing in sports and during St. John’s memorable run to the Big East tournament championship this season it’s quite known that Grad Transfer guard Kadary Richmond was about to do something that doesn’t happen often in NYC.

    Six Years ago, Richmond was on the rise as one of the top emerging prospects in NYC as a senior at South Shore High School in Brooklyn. One thing he needed to finish his senior year before doing a prep year at Brewster Academy was another city championship and he did that at MSG against Rival Thomas Jefferson which featured Jaquan Carlos (Grad Transfer at Syracuse).

    In 2019, Kadary Richmond won MVP honors in the PSAL Boys AA championship at Madison Square Garden

    Fast forward to six years now Richmond is a Big East tournament Champion with St. John’s in the same building. A monumental moment in a long career which included stops at Syracuse and Seton Hall where he help led them to a NIT National championship.

    Not only did Richmond help led St. John’s to their first Big East tournament title in 25 years but he also joined a short list of players who won a PSAL chip and Big East chip in the same building.

    In 2016, Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez members of Abraham Lincoln’s 2013 PSAL Championship team led Seton Hall to the Big East title over a tough Villanova squad.

    “ It’s a great moment those guys paved the way for me so it’s only right to pave the way for the next generation” said Richmond in the interview we had with him.

    Richmond journey continues as he will be on the quest to lead No. 2 seeded St. John’s on a deep NCAA tournament run this Thursday when they face 15 seeded Omaha in Providence, Rhode Island.

    Regardless of the result, one thing we know for sure is that his impact will reach future stars in this city for years to come.

    Check out the video below of our interview with the Flatbush, Brooklyn native

  • Restoring The Feeling

    Restoring The Feeling

    Brooklyn native and Grad transfer Kadary Richmond hits the game winner on Saturday against Providence Photo Credit: St. John’s Athletics

    Words like First place and nationally ranked are something we haven’t heard when it comes to the St. Johns Red Storm in the past couple of years but in 2024-25 they have become the norm. It speaks to the growth of the program since the hiring of Rick Pitino two seasons ago. 

    On Saturday, January 18th, we were live in Newark NJ. Where the Red Storm played Seton Hall. 

    After the dominant win over the Pirates, RJ Luis Spoke to the press about reaching first place after the win against St. John’s he was excited but remained focused on the goal. “It feels nice to be in first place but the job is not done,” said Luis who scored an efficient 24 points and grabbed eight boards in the 79-51 win. 

    The 19-3 overall record and 10-1 Big East record is one of their best starts in 20-plus years. During the month of January I got to cover them three times in person and there are so many takeaways I have about this team. 

    They got an answer for anything their opponent threw at them. 

    The St. John’s Red Storm at their full strength will shut down just about anything their opponent has. Shooting hot from three? They will shut that down in the second half with perimeter defense. Win the battle on the offensive boards in the first half? Not anymore they will make the adjustments to dominate in the second. Their depth along with their fortitude makes them very hard to beat. 

    This was also proven on January 22nd when they beat Xavier in OT. The win puts St. John’s at 17-3 overall this season and at 8-1 in conference play. The 8-1 start in conference play put them in sole possession of 1st place and put them back in the national rankings standing at 15th in the Associated Press Poll and 14th in the USA Today Coaches poll. 

    RJ Luis is On An Absolute Tear And There’s No Stopping. 

    While averaging 21.5 ppg. While shooting 50% from 3pt range and from the field RJ Luis Jr. should be in everyone’s mix for Big East Player of the Year honors. 

    Surviving without Smith 

    St. Johns has been able to win some of the last two games with little to no contributions from their glue player Deivon Smith. The 6-1 guard who is still dealing with a shoulder injury will be out against Georgetown tomorrow night but the Red Storm has found ways to win without him. As this team continues to rise in the rankings the schedule will get tougher, Deivon Smith’s absence was missed at times but the Red Storm held things down plus he’s slowly returning to the lineup as they will be going through their most challenging stretch this week beginning with 11th ranked Marquette tonight

    Kadary Richmond Making things happen 

    The South Shore HS and Brewster Academy alum earned weekly honor roll honors with averages of 19 points 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Kadary’s production has shown and came up big during this stretch. There’s no question that Kooks will continue to show out to keep the team ahead of the rest of the conference. Against Providence on Saturday Kadary put up a monster statline of 24 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.

    The Attendance is skyrocketing and St. John’s has made NYC a College Basketball town. 

    Against Villanova on January 11th, St. John’s had 18,171 fans in attendance a record number of fans at Madison Square Garden. Against Providence on Saturday it was a sell out of 19,000. The fact that this team is 14-0 at home this season at Carnesecca and MSG combined, the numbers will grow even more as the season progresses St. John’s Red Storm Basketball is the hottest ticket in the town along with the Knicks who are a top 5 team in the NBA Eastern conference.

  • Smartball Classic Opening Night Thriller: Hayes edges Eagle Brooklyn 59-58

    Smartball Classic Opening Night Thriller: Hayes edges Eagle Brooklyn 59-58

    Cardinal Hayes rising Jr. PG Jermel Thomas driving past defenders during Monday nights 59-58 win over Eagle Brooklyn at the Smartball Classic in Harlem.

    Smartball Classic opening day finished with an intense nightcap game between Cardinal Hayes and Eagle Academy Brooklyn on Monday.

    The Hayesmen featured No.16 PG in the nation in the class of 2026 Jermel “Magic Mel” Thomas along with top returning senior guard Kaelan Destin and Junior Malik Fields. This night cap game also was the debut of top incoming freshman Hector Almodovar Jr. and Sophomore big man Amadou Barry.

    The 2X PSAL 4A City Champion Eagle Academy Brooklyn featured Jeremiah Jacobs a 6-8 forward which put him in the convo of best big man in the city along with returning players such as Hunter Frazier, Amir Dockery (2027) and the newest addition to the squad Rich Jackson a 2026 PG who transferred in from Bishop Loughlin.

    Hayes had a slight edge early in the game as they led by as much as eight in the first half. Eagle BK behind the stellar play of Jackson, Dockery and Frazier were able to close the gap, but Freshman Hector Almodvar Jr.hit a midrange jumper to give Hayes a 28-26 lead at the half.

    From that point the intensity of the game only got bigger Eagle Brooklyn had a big third quarter outscoring Hayes 19-14 to take a 45-42 lead going into the 4th quarter.

    From that point the intensity continued to grow as Hayes was able to answer back to anything that Eagle gave them.

    This game had all of the spectators at Abraham Lincoln Playground at the edge of their seats as the back and forth battle ended with a defensive play by Thomas which forced Eagle BK to turnover the ball to seal the 59-58 win.

    Reactions

    Magic Mel Continues to Mature:

    Jermel Thomas’s 22 points and 10 assist performance showed how much his game has grown this summer. His unselfish play and his defense in the final seconds is one thing that sealed the win for Hayes last night. You gotta like their chances of being a CHSAA contender if we see this every night from Hayes.

    The Supporting Cast is Intriguing

    Aside from the core trio of Thomas, Destin and Fields, Sophmore Big man Amadou Barry and Nazier Campbell came up huge at times for the Hayesmen. This Hayes team definitely sticked together and never backed down when they lost the lead to Eagle in the third quarter.

    Amadou Barry’s inside presence helped Hayes a lot and it showed how much he is needed going forward if Hayes looks to win this tournament that will give them some momentum going into the fall ball season and HS hoops season.

    Eagle Brooklyn was still impressive

    Even though it’s a brand new team with the amount of players that have graduated the returnees on this team made it seem that they have not lost a step. Dockery will look to make the leap as a sophomore and the addition of Rich Jackson will help them. Credit to the coaching of this Eagle squad who kept them disciplined.

  • NY vs NY Season 6 Opening Night: Gersh Edges Dyckman 63-58

    NY vs NY Season 6 Opening Night: Gersh Edges Dyckman 63-58

    Thomas Jefferson guard Connor Spratley ’25 (13 Points) Drives past a defender in yesterday’s win for Gersh Park over Dyckman. Photo Credit: Sage Media Solutions.

    The Finale of Week 1 of NY vs NY didn’t disappoint as Gersh Park and Dyckman Closed out last night’s festivities on a high note. It was a strong start for Dyckman in the first quarter behind the strong play from D’andre Gibbs, Kamari Whyte, Tavien Tyler, and the inside presence of Keiner Aspirilla as they ran out to a 15-5 lead. Dyckman led by as much as 7 until Gersh fought back to close the deficit to 4 going into the half.

    In the third quarter, Gersh continued their momentum but Dyckman’s Tavien Tyler (red #2) always had an answer as they had a slight lead at 44-43 going into the 4th quarter. In the 4th and final quarter, Gersh took over outscoring Dyckman 20-14 and winning 63-58. It was a hard-fought game from start to finish. There were times where Tyler the 5-7 guard from Mount Vernon and the big man Aspirilla had Gersh on their heels but Gersh proved to be resilient as Jahda Swann, Connor Spratley, Christian Jeffrey and the rest of the Gersh squad sealed the victory in the end.

    Christian Jeffrey (Overtime Elite’25) led Gersh with 17 points while Connor Spratley added 13 and Jahmere Brewer (South Shore ’24) scored 11.

    For Dyckman, Tavien Tyler led Dyckman with 18 points.

  • Big East Press: A look back at Seton Hall’s “Blame The Committee” Tour in the 2024 Postseason NIT

    Big East Press: A look back at Seton Hall’s “Blame The Committee” Tour in the 2024 Postseason NIT

    Credit: Seton Hall Athletics

    When you don’t get chosen to play in the Big Dance there are only three things you can do at the point. You can either raise hell on social media or you can take the snub on the chin but make everyone pay by going on a revenge tour. This is what led to Seton Hall’s magical NIT run as we like to call it the “Blame The Committee “ tour” Credits to Basketball announcer and NYC hoops ambassador Dave “Chaching” Teele for the Slogan.

    There’s no question that it was great to cover the Seton Hall Pirates this season and out of all of the Big East games we covered, we got to witness them beat UConn while shooting only eight threes and then rally down 19 to beat St. John’s. Those were games that proved that they belonged in the field but the selection committees believed that many undeserving teams that made it were more worthy. We ain’t saying no names though…

    The Walsh Gymnasium Boost.

    The Blame The Committee tour began with an OT thriller at home against St. Joes out of the A-10 The pirates who got a top seed decided to have their games on campus at Walsh Gymnasium which gave them a boost the whole tournament. From there, the Pirates would go on to dominate North Texas then UNLV on their way to the Semis in Indiana where they stood on business against Georgia. Every game proved that the Pirates would have made a deep run in the tournament if the selection committee had some sense.

    Playing with a sense of urgency.

    The Pirates got great play from their core of captains Kadary Richmond, Dre Davis, and Al-Amir Dawes throughout the tourney, but others such as Dylan Wusu, Jaden Bediako, Isaiah Coleman, and even sophomore Jaquan Sanders stepped up in the semis with 11 points. Seeing the inspired play from the Pirates is something

    The final stop on the Pirates Blame the Committee tour is Hinkle Fieldhouse, a familiar territory for the Pirates who travel there to play Butler every season but this time around the Pirates face a disadvantage as the sold-out crowd included mostly Indiana State fans. The Sycamores were another team that fell short of making the NCAA tournament. This is what the Pirates dealt with throughout the game, especially in the first half where they were up double digits but the Sycamores went on a huge run to tie the game. The Sycamores went on a huge run and took over the game late but the Pirates never backed down.

    Down 77-70 with less than two minutes left, Seton Hall would cap off an improbable 9-0 run and a huge defensive stop to clinch the NIT Championship. It was a memorable run that is just as good as any run that’s going on in the NCAA tournament, it has improved the Postseason NIT’s Value in our opinion. There’s no question that the Pirates will build on this run into next season. The Pirates 2024 Postseason run will always be known as the “Blame the Committee” tour in our eyes.

    The off-season will be a very interesting time for the Pirates as well as all of the other Big East teams. Many of the core players still have eligibility left but there will be some space on the roster as some will graduate and there could be some players entering the portal.

  • Video Recap: McEachern Dominates Camden in the 2nd half at the Battle behind Historic performance from Rutgers Commit Ace Bailey

    Video Recap: McEachern Dominates Camden in the 2nd half at the Battle behind Historic performance from Rutgers Commit Ace Bailey

    Photo Credit Scott Faytok: NJ Advance Media

    During the Holiday Hoops season, there were many great performances but many of them couldn’t top the performance from Ace Bailey at the Battle in New Jersey at Rutgers on December 29th.

    The Rutgers commit out of McEachern HS in Georgia went off for 40 points and 21 boards in the 77-52 win over Camden HS which features Kentucky Commit Billy Richmond who had 20 points and 10 boards. It was a back-and-forth first half between both teams as they were trading shots Ace Bailey felt comfortable going off for 17 points and 11 boards, but Camden held a slight 31-27 lead at the half.

    Rutgers fans and head coach Steve Pikell were in attendance to witness what they will be getting next season and the hecklers were in attendance too, we don’t know what was said to Ace but let’s just say he went off in the second half propelling McEachern to outscore Camden 50-25 with Ace scoring 23 of the 50 before going to the bench the last few mins of the game to a standing ovation of the Rutgers fans that were in attendance.