Photo Credit: Hector Martinez / Moving Pictures
2018-19 season: 20-8 regular-season record, PSAL City finalist.
Players to Watch: Jaquan Carlos, Diovion Middleton, Kevin Tabb, Ramsey King.
Never forget about the Orange Wave…
With tons of buzz surrounding South Shore and Brooklyn Collegiate, there is one team many should still keep their eyes on and that team is the Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave.
Still fueled by falling short to South Shore in last year’s city championship, the Orange Wave enter the 2019-20 season on a mission to head back to the Garden. I had the chance to see Jefferson go up against Monsignor Scanlan at the Preview. The Orange Wave played extremely well against Scanlan winning 61-59. Carlos went off for 30 points in that game
With the departure of Kareem Welch who has graduated, many may have wondered who will provide additional scoring for the Orange Wave look no further than Kevin Tabb. The 5-10 senior guard scored 21 points in that game vs Scanlan on October 13th. The Orange wave has a plethora of guards who can score from the perimeter on defense they press their opponents as well as trap. One thing is for sure is that head coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard and his staff always has his team ready.
Jefferson started the regular season early yesterday in a non-league game against Curtis High School in their annual Hersh Tip-off Classic. According to Coach “Tippy” McTernan of Big Apple Sports, In that game, Jefferson defeated Curtis 92-79. Carlos, Tabb and junior guard Ramsey King combined for 78 of Jefferson’s 92 points. The first game shows that Jefferson has lots of firepower on offense. Jefferson’s latest addition is Diovion Middleton a 6-4 freshman who has been named one of the top freshmen in the city.
Schedule Breakdown
The Orange Wave has a jam-packed schedule that includes a tough Brooklyn AA league schedule along with a trip to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic. Here are some games that we picked as the top games to watch
November 26th @ Brooklyn Collegiate
What better way to start the season than a big matchup against a reloaded Brooklyn Collegiate team. The last time these two teams played was the PSAL final four where Jefferson won 81-61. The Orange wave will be making the short trip to nearby Brownsville and the game will be a goodie. A key matchup will be between Jaquan Carlos and BC’s Majesty Johnson.
December 10th vs South Shore
The Orange wave will be hosting South Shore in a rematch of the PSAL City championship. This game will be a sellout for sure. The Orange wave will have revenge on their minds in this game.
December 14th at LuHi
Coach Bud Pollard isn’t afraid to challenge his team early in the season. The Orange wave has a big task going up against LuHi in Long Island on December 14th. This game will prepare Jefferson for their trip to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic
December 17th -23rd Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Orange Wave are no strangers to national holiday tournaments. In 2015 the Orange wave made a run in the City of Palms tournament where they had the chance to go up against a Chino Hills Squad that featured all three of the Ball brothers. Jefferson alum Shamorie Ponds went off for 40 points in that game but the Orange wave lost by one point. Fast forward to this year, the Orange wave will be playing in a tournament that features national powerhouses such as Mater Dei, Bishop Gorman, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) and more. The Orange Wave will face California powerhouse Fairfax HS in the first round on December 18th.
January 11th vs Iona Prep
Orange Wave will make their return to the Empire invitational on January 11th where they will face a young Iona prep in a CHSAA vs Catholic league battle. This game will be very competitive and fun to watch as both teams both play fast-paced and have great guard play.
January 16th at South Shore
The season finale between these two teams in Canarsie will be a classic. If you know the history between these two teams, then you know this game will be big. Rivalry games in the Brooklyn AA division are must-see tv.
Outlook
There’s no question that Jefferson will be in the conversation as potential contenders for the city title. We all know what Jaquan Carlos is going to bring to the table chances are that Carlos could possibly lead the city in scoring. Kevin Tabb is going to step up even more as a senior. Expect Jefferson to finish in the top three in the Brooklyn AA and grab a high seed in the city playoffs.
Hoop Dreams NYC 