Hoop Dreams NYC

25 Teams In 25 Days: Christ The King Royals

February 5, 2019

2017-18 Season at a glance: 22-11 overall record Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan champions, CHSAA city championship runner up.

Players to Watch: Quaran McPherson, Ryan Myers, Sterling Jones

The 2017-18 season was when a young Christ The King team exceeded expectations and made the city title game. Now this same young Christ The King squad returns with some postseason experience and the goal for them is to not only reach the title game again but win it all.

The Royals May have lost some players due to transfers but they still have the experience talent and coaching to make another run. Two players who will have breakout years are juniors Ryan Myers and Quaran McPherson. Myers came through with some big shooting performances last year and he will have a bigger role this season. McPherson continues to grow as a player and he is due for a big junior year. 6-11 sophomore Moussa Cisse will take on a bigger role next season as he will be the lone big man in the paint for the Royals.

Sophomore guard Sterling Jones is another guard who will step up for the Royals next season. The 6-0 sophomore is a great ball handler who is quick and he can also shoot from outside. Jones was part of an NY tens 15U squad that made a huge run in the EYBL Peach Jam.

Key games to Watch

December 9th Vs South Shore at Battle in the Apple

This young royals team will be on the big stage as they will go up against defending PSAL city champion South Shore. The Royals May be younger than the Vikings but that will not phase them. This is one game that the whole city should be in attendance for.

December 14th vs Stepinac

The Royals will be hosting Stepinac in a rematch of last year’s CHSAA title game. The Royals will have revenge on their minds and the gym will definitely be packed for this game. Early arrival is advised!

December 23rd vs Cardinal Hayes

The Royals will have a big game vs Hayes at home before they head over to South Carolina for the Beach ball classic.

December 26th -31st Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

The Royals will end 2018 out of town at the prestigious Beach Ball classic in South Carolina. their first opponent hasn’t been announced, but we know for sure the Royals will be prepared.

January 6th CTK’s annual Apparel Challenge

Christ the King will start of 2019 with their annual apparel challenge. The tournament has become one of the best events of the high school season and it will be interesting to see who the Royals will be playing on that day.

January 19th vs Vashon HS (MO) Spalding Hoop Hall Classic.

The Royals will be one of many local squads playing in the prestigious Hoophall classic in Springfield Massachusetts. The Royals will go up against a Vashon High school team that features Missouri Commit Mario McKinney jr.

Outlook

The royals have a strong chance to repeat as Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan champions as well as make another run to the city championship game. Their success will depend on how their juniors perform this season. There will be challenges ahead, but coach Joe Arbitello will have the squad prepared.
Big East Press: Tourney or Bust

January 30, 2019

St. John’s had a tough time stopping Georgetown on Sunday afternoon Photo Credit: Georgetown Athletics

Big East Press a monthly column about local Big East teams and the players from the NYC tri-state area who play in it.

The midpoint of conference play is a time where the men have separated themselves from the boys and the high hopes from the early part of the season have dwindled for some while others have improved. Both the St. John’s Red Storm and the Seton Hall Pirates have put themselves in a bad position after both teams suffered terrible losses to Georgetown and Villanova respectively on Sunday. What makes these losses worse is that prior to Sunday both teams had a week off to prepare for these games.

Most Bracketologists have both teams dancing in March, but at the same time they are trending downward. In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, Seton Hall is the 12th seed in the West region while St. John’s is an 11th seed in the Midwest region. Both teams are in the top 68 in net rankings. St. John’s is ranked at Number 49 while Seton Hall is ranked at No. 64. The net rankings are one of many metrics that are used by the tournament selection committee.

At this point of the season, both teams are 3-5 in conference play, and both enter a pivotal stretch of games where winning is needed to improve their chances of making the field of 68, but many pundits who follow the Big East believe Seton Hall slightly has a better chance of dancing at this point than St. John’s mainly because their non-conference wins vs Kentucky and Maryland stand out more.

For St. John’s they face a very crucial three game road trip starting with Creighton tonight in Omaha, followed by No.2 Duke on Saturday and Marquette on Tuesday.

If you are looking for St. John’s to be a tournament lock winning next 2 out of the three games would be huge for the Red Storm, but for that to happen this team needs to return to their ways during the early part of the season. When we covered the Red Storm in November at the Legends Classic, we have seen a very united and focused team. The past few games have been the opposite. The same bad habits they had gotten away with during non-conference play have come back to haunt them.

With February around the corner and March slowly approaching, these next seven weeks will show who deserves to punch their ticket to the big dance.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

St. John’s guard and Brooklyn Native is top 5 in most statistical categories (points, assists, and steals) and looks like the heavy favorite for Big East and National player of the year.

Harlem Native Alpha Diallo and the rest of the Providence Friars will be in Newark tonight as they will be playing Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. Diallo leads the team in scoring with 17 points per game and leads the league in rebounding with 8.5 rebounds a game.

White Plains Native and Butler wing Jordan Tucker has already made himself at home with the Butler Bulldogs. Butler scored a career-high 24 points off the bench in the win vs. St. John’s on January 19th and is putting up averages of 10 points and five rebounds per game. Butler will be back in the NYC area on February 12th when they will face off against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
How Prom Season Thursdays Became Dyckman Park’s Main Attraction

January 18, 2019

Dyckman’s High School division games has attracted large crowds during the summer of 2018. Photo Credit: Nia Adams / L0verebel

There was a time when the Unlimited division ruled many summer leagues across the NYC area and the younger players never got as much attention from the fans in the park unless they were playing with grown men. That has changed the past few years at the Dyckman basketball tournament where the CEO and Commissioner Ken Stevens over decided to make a change in the weekly schedule by dedicating one day out of the week in the tournament’s schedule to the top high school talent in the city with “Prom Season Thursdays” a day that features three games that include six 19 and under teams.

The Past
Dyckman’s High School division always had the top players in the NYC Tri-state area suit up but in the past, they were rarely seen by the large crowds because they played mostly on Sundays or during the week at 6 pm as an appetizer before the unlimited games. Dyckman basketball Media director Miguel Rodriguez remembers those nights and some of the top players who played fondly. “ One player that came to mind was Hassan Martin (former Rhode Island stand out and current overseas pro) who played for Bedford Y. He had these two dunks where he straight up posterized defenders”. Rodriguez also spoke about Tenth Ave, the home team at Dyckman. “Tenth Ave always had the neighborhood guys like Vincent Franklin, Ras Council, and other people in the community always came out for them”. Tenth Ave always had wars with other teams every Sunday.

It’s a Tenth Ave Thing

You can’t talk about Dyckman’s High School division without mentioning the home team Tenth Ave. This team has been a huge part of Dyckman’s history, and the Head coach Of the team Coach Deuce has seen the growth of the high school division throughout the years. “I’m not going to lie when I first started the high school division was kind of dead until the big names started coming out” My assistant coach “Coach Heckler” brought out this kid named Boobie (older brother of OKC thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo) then after him a ton of other players came out. Tenth Ave was arguably one of the teams that featured a plethora of elite talent from across the Tri-state area and beyond, From featuring Isaiah Washington and a majority of the members of Jellyfam on their team to having several High major Division One basketball prospects play in the 2016 championship game Tenth Ave always brought the stars out. The 2016 championship game between Tenth Ave and Brooklyn Stompers was one of many turning points that proved that the high school division was Dyckman’s next-best thing. Several of the top players in the city from both teams played in that game. Dutch has some regrets about the 2016 final four and championship game but knows his team will be back to being contenders soon. ” I’m not going to front, we choked in that game and our legs gave out but I give major props to Brooklyn Stompers they played a hell of a game”.

Prom Season Thursday’s and the resurgence of Cha-Ching.

Dyckman announcer David “Chaching” Teele made his debut at Dyckman by announcing the high school games in 2013, and from there took over announcing the unlimited games as well. As Teele explained in a recent interview Prom season Thursdays are one thing that helped his career as well as elevate the high school division. “Prom season Thursdays was another opportunity to expand my brand “Chaching” as well as elevate the High school division at Dyckman. Moving the games to Thursdays was big and coming up with the concept helped, and now everyone in the city likes it”. If you have been to Dyckman regularly you can see that when the younger players play Teele is on another level with his announcing, and with him and Rodriguez knowing the best high school players it’s a sure thing that Commissioner Ken Stevens made the right choice by making the high school division a priority within the tournament.

Dyckman’s Miguel Rodriguez and Dave “Cha-Ching” Teele are the architechs of Prom Season Thursdays Photo Credit:Dyckman Basketball

The Present and the future

Since Dyckman’s high school division has become the tournament’s main attraction Prom season Thursdays has introduced a ton of new stars as of late. Two of the best players that have made some late this summer are Zack Freemantle a 6-8 PF from Bergen Catholic HS in New Jersey and Dashawn Davis a 6-3 guard from Our Savior Lutheran High School in the Bronx. Both players play for defending champion Skull Gang which is coached by Jermaine “Twin” James and also features some of the top players from Jersey such as Al-Amir Dawes, Khalif Battle, and Ja’Quaye James as well as others. Dyckman’s partnership with Slam Magazine this year has led to many of the top players from across the nation making their first appearance on the red carpet of street ball with the Slam summer classic. Playing at Dyckman has become a goal for many players in the country. On numerous nights the high school division games caught more attention than the unlimited games, and as Prom Season Thursdays gained more attention, more people filled up the seats.

Along with some rising seniors that have been dominating at Dyckman, some underclassmen have made a name for themselves Jaylen “Juju” Murray, (Cardinal Hayes 21’) Majesty Johnson (Brooklyn Collegiate HS 20’), and Anthony “Rome” Marshall (Metro-BDA HS 20’) are just a few of many players who have been killing in the High school division this summer, and there will be more to come. With the rise of the High school division becoming the main attraction in streetball during the past 3 years, it’s worth noting that Dyckman’s prom
Season Thursdays came at the right time. “I just hope that the momentum doesn’t fade away”. says coach Tenth Ave Head coach Deuce.

With the Dyckman’s 2018 season coming to a close tonight, it’s a sure thing that the high school players that once were the opening act have become the headliners and it could be that way for a while. Despite that, Some feel that there is always room for improvement, and Cha-Ching is one of them. “At this moment I can’t think about anything right now but over the winter I always want to come up with something new because we always want to get better and that’s the key to getting better no matter what it is”. Improving is one thing that is always on the mind when it comes to Dyckman Basketball but one thing for sure is that Prom Season Thursdays is here to stay.
In Transition: Tykei Greene

January 18, 2019

Photo Credit: Nicole Sweet

Sometimes a clean slate in a new setting is needed to help you get closer to your goals, and for LuHi Guard Tykei Greene, that new setting is 40 minutes away from Queens.

At 6-4 Greene is one of the most athletic guards in the city. Not only does he use his 40 inch vertical to dunk effortlessly on defenders, but he also uses it to grab rebounds and block shots. Greene is also known to be a great shooter as well. Greene had a breakout junior season at Thomas Edison High School in the Queens A East division. Greene averaged 24 points and 7 rebounds per game and led his team to a regular season title with a 13-1 record.

Tykei’s breakout year continued throughout the summer with Team AJ Price. Tykei took full advantage of his opportunity with Team AJ Price and performed very well against numerous division 1 coaches which led to numerous offers from Niagara, Towson, Tulane and central Connecticut State.

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Tykei Greene AAU Mixtape ” Team Price”

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Since Tykei has enrolled in Luhi in the fall, his game continues to evolve and he is now part of one of the top backcourts in the state with guards Tyson Etienne and Andre Curbelo. The offers for Greene haven’t stopped either. So far schools such as Robert Morris and Manhattan have offered him and more could be on the way.

Checkout my latest interview with Tykei as he talks about his transition to LuHi, his breakout summer with Team AJ Price, and his goals for the rest of the season.
A Look Back at The 2019 Empire Invitational

January 15, 2019

Ranney School’s Scottie Lewis was one of many standout players at Sunday’s Empire Invitational.

In its third year, the Empire Invitational has become one of the most anticipated events of the High school basketball season. The game went through some significant changes as it moved from its original site Adelphi University in Long Island to Iona Prep in New Rochelle and Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.

The third year of this event founded and organized by Pat Lawless a scout and editor of Prep Circuit Magazine has expanded to games which include some of the best players in the tri-State area and in the nation.

In Day one of the 2019 Empire invitational Lawrence Woodmere and Wings Academy came away with some hard-fought wins against John Bowne and Iona respectively.

Day two of the Empire Invitational at Mount St. Michael Academy started with The Masters’ school (CT) dominating Blair Academy out of New Jersey 79-59. In that game, Cairo McCrory led a balanced Masters School team with 20 points 7 boards and five assists.

The second game featured two National Prep powerhouses Westtown School (PA) and Brewster Academy (NH) out of the NEPSAC. The game remained close throughout until midway through the second half when the Moose pulled away behind a high performance from UConn Commit Jalen Gaffney who scored 26 points en route to a 79-72 win. Syracuse Commit Jon Bol Ajak and Sophomore big man Franck Kepang Had some big performances as well.

UConn Commit Jalen Gaffney scored Earned MVP Honors after a 26 point performance against Brewster Academy.

The third game featured the NY State champions Archbishop Stepinac high school against the NJ state champion Roselle Catholic. Led by 24 points and 11 boards by Kentucky Commit Khalil Whitney. The Lions were able to outlast Stepinac 70-60. Despite the loss, Stepinac junior guard RJ Davis scored 29 points and led a huge run against the Lions in the second half.

Now for the game of the Day. The Macduffie Mustangs out of the NEPSAC are used to going up against the best prep teams on a nightly basis which prepared them for their battle against the Ranney School out of New Jersey. It was a homecoming for many of the players on both teams. Scottie Lewis, a Bronx Native, played in the Bronx with his high school team for the first time in his high school career. The Macduffie school features several players from the NYC area. UConn Commit James Bouknight along with Chad Venning and Richie Springs are from Brooklyn while Wake forest Commit Ishmael Massoud is from Harlem.

Bryan Antoine going up for the two handed slam Photo Credit: Hector Martinez/Moving Pictures

It was a tight battle back and forth throughout but thanks to some late-game execution from Macduffie and a big game from Ishmael Massoud, Macduffie was able to edge Ranney School 79-75. Massoud earned MVP honors by scoring 26 points. Massoud was having one of the biggest games of his high school career at Mount St. Michael brings back memories for the 6-7 forward. Back in 2016, Massoud helped led his old school Cardinal Hayes to the NY AA Archdiocesan championship in the same gym.

Ishmael Massoud went off for 26 points in the big win over Ranney School

Speaking of Hayes, the Cardinals has a significant test on their hands against one of the top offensive teams in the PSAL the Orange Wave of Thomas Jefferson High school. With Hayes leading 65-52 early in the fourth quarter, the Orange Wave would outscore Hayes 28-15 the rest of the way to tie the game at 80 and send it into overtime. Leading the comeback for the Orange Wave was Sophomore PG Jaquan Carlos who went on a test late and scored the game-tying layup with seconds remaining in regulation. Jefferson’s late-game heroics weren’t enough as Hayes went on to hang on and win 85-83 in Overtime. Jaquan Carlos went off for 36 points in the loss for Jefferson. MVP Honors went to Adam Cisse who scored 15 points grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked five shots in the win.

To close out the Empire Invitational The host team Mount Saint Michael defeated Eagle Academy (Bronx) 59-48. Bryant University commit Mike Green III scored 23 points to lead the Mountaineers.

Mike Green scored 23 points and earned MVP honors after the game. Photo Credit: Shayla Diaz

Tons of College coaches from all levels and NYC basketball legend and Program Manager of the NBA G-league’s professional path program Rod Strickland were in attendance on Sunday. Year three of the Empire Invitational attracted a record amount of fans and has proved to be one of the best high school basketball events of the season.
Big East Press: A Look back at St. John’s and Seton Hall’s non-conference slate

December 29, 2018

Seton Hall celebrates after defeating in-state rival Rutgers on December 15th Photo Credit: Seton Hall Basketball

Tomorrow’s St. John’s vs. Seton Hall game will be one of the best games to open Big East Play. Before we tune in from our homes or make the trip to the Prudential Center, let’s take a look back at how well they performed through nonconference play.

The St. John’s Red Storm will come into tonight’s game as one of the few undefeated teams left In college basketball with a record of 12-0. Many believe that the Red Storm aren’t worthy of a top 25 ranking despite being undefeated, but that doesn’t mean there is plenty of growth in this team compared to last year. In many of their wins against Cal, VCU and Georgia Tech, the Red Storm had to fight back from being down to win those games. If this were last season, the Red Storm would have lost all of those games. We witnessed the Red Storm’s wins against VCU and Cal in the Legends Classic, and from there we learned that they are more mature an resilient as compared to last year teams. Shamorie Ponds is playing the best basketball of his career averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds and six assists per game.

One weakness that could probably affect them tonight is their lack of defense. It’s a sure thing that the Red Storm can outscore their opponents, but they also tend to allow a lot of scoring as well, they have to keep Seton Hall in check from the jump if they want to continue this streak.

St. John’s won the Legends classic back on November 20th with an 87-86 win over VCU in over time. Photo Credit: Legends Classic

St. John’s is an NCAA tournament team in our eyes, but for them to make that a reality to everyone they have to have a strong start in Big East Play and that starts tonight against the Pirates. The Red Storm hasn’t won their 1st conference game since Chris Mullin’s second season in 2016-17 when they began conference play 2-0.

As for Seton Hall, a 9-3 record in non-conference play with signatures wins against Kentucky and Maryland make up for a severe loss to Saint Louis at home, but one we learned about the Pirates is that they figured things out game after game and that should scare the rest of the conference. We all know what Myles Powell is going to bring to the table but one player who has impressed throughout the non-conference part of the season is Myles Cale. Let’s take a look at their signature wins over Maryland and Kentucky. Against Kentucky, Cale scored 17 points but hit the game-winner to beat the Wildcats at Madison Square Garden On December 8th. Two weeks later Myles Cale came up huge in the 78-74 win over Maryland with a career-high 23 points. Cale’s resurgence proves bar they are more offensive weapons on this Seton Hall team outside of Powell. Sandro Mamukelashilvi has shown his ability to shoot from outside in the 72-66 win over Rutgers. His improved shooting ability speaks volumes because he stretches the floor and makes the Pirates unguardable on the perimeter.

Tonight, bragging rights, a 1-0 start to Conference play and a chance at entering the top 25 will be at stake for both teams. The questions remaIn Who wants it more and who is for real? We’ll find out when the final buzzer sounds tonight at 10:30 pm in Newark.
25 Teams In 25 Days: Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave

December 27, 2018

The 2017-18 season at a Glance: 18-7 overall record 10-4 regular season record, reached PSAL final four

Players to Watch: Jaquan Carlos, Marcus Burnett, Kareem Welsh
The buzz continues to grow over in East New York as the Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave prepare for another title run in 2018-19. The Orange wave has one of the top sophomore guards in the city, and their supporting cast is one of the toughest in the city. The Orange wave may be young, but with one of the best coaching staffs in the city, they are prepared for anything that comes at them.

The amount of depth that Jefferson has at the guard and wing position is astounding. We already know how deadly the combo of Jaquan Carlos and Marcus Barnett are on a nightly basis, but there are also some players who know their roles and will step up on a nightly basis when needed. Carlos can already shoot and run an offense with the best of them, and when he’s hot, he definitely plays a lot more like an upperclassman.

The X-factor on this Orange wave squad is senior Kareem Welch, the 5-10 guard is scrappy can defend, score and has a great knack for rebounding getting loose balls. In many games, Welch is the much-needed boost that Jefferson needs to propel them to victory, and he will continue to do so this upcoming season. Other players that can step up on a nightly basis are Dashan Crittendon and Ramsey King. Both can be huge sparks off the bench

Key Games to Watch

January 3rd vs. South Shore

The Orange wave will start 2019 with a big home game vs. defending PSAL city champion South Shore. The Orange wave went 1-1 against the Vikings, and if there is any game where they need to make a statement, this will be the game. Expect the game to be sold out before game day.

January 15th at Brooklyn Collegiate High School

In the first meeting between these two schools, Brooklyn Collegiate edged the orange Wave 86-85. The second and final meeting between the Orange Wave and the Lions will take place in Brownsville and stakes will be high as both teams will be playing for positioning in the Brooklyn AA standings.

February 7th at Boys and Girls HS
It’s always a high stakes battle when these two teams play each other. In this second meeting between both programs, the Orange Wave will travel over to Bed-Stuy to perform the Kangaroos. This game might be for positioning in the Brooklyn AA division as both squads are expected to finish within the top five of the division standings at the end of the regular season.

Prediction for the 2018-19 season
A few games into the season, the Orange Wave has proven to be one of the top scoring teams in the city. The orange was also had one of the top scorers in Kareem Welch who is averaging 41 points per game. Jaquan Carlos has taken more of a role of being a true point guard rather than a scorer, and so far its paying off. In many games, this season Carlos has had a triple-double. At this point, Carlos is averaging 18 point and none assists per game. Ramsey King a sophomore has had some big scoring outbursts so far this season for the Orange wave which shows that this team has a lot more depth than we think.

Competing in the Brooklyn AA division will once again a huge challenge for the Orange wave, but it’s a sure thing that they will finish within the top three of the division. As for a playoff run expect the Orange wave to make a deep playoff run once again.
25 Teams in 25 Days: Roselle Catholic Lions

December 27, 2018

Photo Credit: Ben Shot it / Ben Berry

The 2017-18 season at a glance: 29-4 overall record. Union County Champions, New Jersey Group B Non-public Champions, New Jersey TOC Champions.

Players to Watch Khalil Whitney, Josh Pierre-Louis, Colby Rogers, Corey Floyd Jr. Key additions: Cliff Omoruyi, Richie Greaves

Last week we got out foster to see the Lions play at Barclays arena as they defeated Our Savior Lutheran 75-74. In that game, we saw what we expected from stars such as Khalil Whitney and Josh Pierre-Louis, but we also got introduced to some other players who will be making an impact this season.

6-4 senior guard Colby Rogers went off for 25 points in the comeback win against OSL at the Kyrie Invitational on December 17th. Rogers is a player who can score at will and provide instant offense for his team when needed. Rogers performance proved that he is also one of the most critical players on this Roselle Catholic team.

Khalil Whitney an ultra-athletic 6-7 wing who committed to the University of Kentucky put the team on his back in the win over OSL. To get back to the TOC, they will need a lot of big games from him as well as others. Josh Pierre-Louis, an athletic point guard who is a great on-ball defender, make the lions one of the most dangerous teams in New Jersey and the nation.

Khalil Whitney had a big second half against OSL last Monday at the Kyrie Invitational. Photo Credit: Ben Berry/ Ben Shot it

Cliff Omoruyi is one essential addition for the Lions after playing his sophomore year at Immaculate Conception High School. The 6-10 big man gives the Lions a much-needed presence in the frontcourt. Freshman Corey Floyd Jr. and junior Richie Greaves are some other players

Key games to watch

January 13th vs. Archbishop Stepinac at the Empire Invitational

The Lions will make its return to NYC for the Empire Invitational on January 13th to go up against defending city and state champion, Archbishop Stepinac.

January 17th vs. The Patrick School

A rematch of the Union County championship game will bring out tons of fans the Celtics will look to avenge the loss to the Lions, but this game bragging rights for the best team in Jersey is at stake. If you know the history between both teams, you would want to be at this game

Roselle Catholic beat the Patrick School in the 2018 Union County championship.

January 19th vs. Norcross High School (GA) at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

Roselle Catholic will be put to the test as they go up against a Norcross squad out of Georgia which includes 4-star point guard Kyle Sturdivant and 5-star shooting guard Brandon Boston. Georgia right now is a basketball hotbed, and many believe Georgia high school basketball is the best in the nation, so does New Jersey. The Lions will look to make a statement at one of the countries prestigious tournaments during MLK weekend.

January 30th vs. Ranney School @ TBD

Ranney vs. Roselle will be a rematch of the Non-public B state title game. This game will also be a matchup between two teams who are ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Ranney ranked No.12 in USA Today’s top 25 rankings led by the duo of Scottie Lewis, and Bryan Antoine will look for revenge against the Lions. The Lions will seem to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with. Ranney vs. Roselle is one game that will be a sellout.

February 9th vs. Montverde Academy at the Metro Classic.

The last time these two teams played each other at the Metro Classic, the Lions almost pulled off the upset until RJ Barrett carried the Eagles back to victory. This year the Montverde vs. Roselle game will mark the return of Precious Achiuwa a former St. Benedict’s player who currently plays with Montverde Academy. The matchup between them and the Lions is a must see.

Outlook

The Lions are picking up from where they left off and are now the 12th best team in the nation with a record of 5-0. Getting back to the TOC is the Goal for the Lions, and at this point, there isn’t much that’s stopping them. There will be challenges ahead for the Lions, but with the roster they have, they are prepared for anything that comes their way.
Big East Press: Villanova Moving Forward after Dominant win over UConn

December 24, 2018

Photo Credit: Villanova Basketball

13:45 remaining in the game, Villanova leading UConn 41-36. Jahvon Quinerly gets the steal and bounce passes it to Phil booth for the layup to give the Wildcats their biggest lead of the game. From this point on, the Wildcats never looked back and they were able to dominate the Huskies for the rest of the game en route to an 81-58 victory at Madison Square Garden. Quinerly finished with 10 points and four assists on Saturday, but that one play proved that freshman guard Jahvon Quinerly stayed ready for this opportunity despite everything that has happened.

With Sophomore guard Colin Gillespie out due to an injury, and playing in an arena close to his hometown of Hackensack, New Jersey, there was no question that Jahvon Quinerly was going to embrace the opportunity and play well. “It’s an opportunity like this that present itself and I’m just continuing to learn how to be a better Villanova basketball player and I’m going to keep getting better and better everyday”. Coach Jay Wright knew that the performance from Quinerly was going to happen and as he explained after the game it showed that he stayed ready. “He responded and he showed that he’s been working on what we do even though he hasn’t been playing, and it’s so rare. It’s just a great example of what college sports is all about as he grows into a young man. He’s continuing to grow as a player and I’m proud of him”.

The combo of Quinerly and Senior Phil Booth along with Eric Paschall combined for 49 of Villanova’s 81 points in the win. It was a great end to a non-conference slate that had its ups and downs and the Wildcats continue to be confident in their abilities and improving everyday as Paschall described during the postgame press conference on Saturday, they are going to progress going forward. “We’re just trying to be the best team we can be by the end of the year, and today was a great step in that direction. Just being out there having each others back just being a collective group out there and having a group effort in terms of Villanova Basketball and it was a really great. I’m proud of this team and the direction that we are going”.

Eric Paschall (21 points 6 Rebounds vs UConn) continues to believe in himself and the team after the win vs UConn in their non conference finale.

Coach Jay Wright spoke about how what he tells his players about handling distractions from fans and media throughout the non conference part of the season and he set the record straight about his thoughts about the problems that happened. “We just taking it one day at a time. We are just trying to be the best Villanova basketball team that we can be by the end of the year, we really do that and I understand you guys have to ask the questions about losing but “ Jahvon hasn’t been here, Cremo hasn’t been here, Swilder hasn’t been here. Those guys haven’t experienced all of this. Half of them haven’t even played in the Garden. So I explain to them that everyone in the media has a job to do and fans are fans but you have to stay focused on this particular team which is getting better everyday and that’s all what we’re just trying to do”.

The Wildcats win over UConn on Saturday was the ninth straight non-conference win for Big East Teams over the past two seasons at Madison Square Garden. It’s big for the conference that locked up an extension with the arena for its conference tournament through 2028. Now that the non-conference part of the season is over Villanova’s focus going forward will be continuing to be the best team they can be by March and still work towards contending for the big east regular season title and repeating as conference tournament champions.
Iron Sharpens Iron

December 21, 2018

Zion Williamson played well in his MSG debut with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Photo Credit: Nicole Sweet/USA Today Sports

Aside from all of the blowout wins. Duke’s non-conference slate has come with many challenges that they had to face head on and last night was no different. What better way to end the large part of your non conference schedule than to go up against another defensive juggernaut like Texas Tech?

A lot was at stake with the Red Raiders as they came into the garden undefeated, and they are the top defensive team in the nation with a scoring defense of 51.2 points per game and a No.1 ranking in defensive efficiency. The Blue Devils are No.2 in defensive efficiency and held teams to 36% shooting from the field, and 28% from three point range on a nightly basis.

The Devils got out to a quick 8-0 start but that lead soon vanished when the Red Raiders outscored Duke 10-2 to tie the game at 10 with 13:21 remaining in the first half. Texas Tech would out score Duke 14- 7 to take a 24-17 lead with 8:17 remaining. Duke’s three point shooting in the first half was very poor but there was no panic as they used their ability to defend and attack the rim to close the gap. Duke finished the first half strong out scoring Texas Tech 11-5 but still trailed 29-28 going into the half.

The Red Raiders picked up from where they left off in the second half as they extended their lead to seven with 17:04 remaining Duke would then answer with a run of their own to cut Texas Tech’s lead to two with 12:40 remaining behind the play of Freshmen Tre Jones and Zion Williamson on both ends. Tre often forced turnovers and attacked the rim while Williamson gave Texas tech defenders the fits in the paint by scoring inside and drawing fouls. Jarrett Culver answered with a three point shot to give the Red Raiders a 45-40 Duke would later get a 47-46 lead with 10:15 remaining off of a jump shot from RJ Barrett. It was a back and forth battle that had the sold out crowd at Madison Square in a frenzy.

One of the turning points for the Duke Blue Devils came with 6:04 remaining in the game when Jack White hit Duke’s second three pointer to give the Blue Devils a 56-55 lead. From there the Blue Devils would out score Texas Tech 13-3 en route to a 69-58 victory. It was a hard fought win for the Blue Devils to end 2018 and go into ACC play with much confidence and awareness in their abilities to win games. As Jack white described focusing on playing well on the defensive end well helped them overcome their shooting woes throughout the game. ” it’s just the hunger…Obviously we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we usually do tonight and things weren’t really going our way , but putting an emphasis on our defense is a big part of our identity and really an emphasis that we could be one of, if not the, best defensive team in the country”.

As a team Duke stole the ball 15 times and freshman point guard Tre Jones had six of those steals. Jones spoke about the team’s collective effort on defense. ” We talk all the time about pressuring the ball and Coach Krzyzewski has been on that since he has been recruiting me about my ball pressure and how I can defend, so I was kind of here but then it’s not only me, we have a lot of guys on our team that can defend and they make my job a lot easier.”

Freshman guard Tre Jones proven to be the most important player on the floor in last nights win against No.12 Texas Tech Photo Credit: Sarah Stier/ Getty Images

As for Texas tech what doomed them in this game was the 24 turnovers which was a credit to Duke’s defense but at the same time they have a lot of positives for their effort on holding Duke to 25 points less than their season average and fouling out Dynamic freshman forward Zion Williamson. Tre Jones described Texas Tech’s defense on them during the postgame press conference.” They were plugging the gaps a lot. They help a lot and they took a lot of charges which you guys saw and they fouled out Zion by doing that”. Guard Jarrett Culver remains confident about his team going forward despite the loss. ” this says a lot about our team. We have a lot of fight on our team, lot of great players that want to be coached. I just feel like we have a lot of fight on our team. We see what we can be. We’re not there yet, but we’re going to learn from tonight and try to reach our potential”.

Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver went off for 25 points in last night against Duke Photo Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

When it’s all said and done Duke vs Texas Tech would rank as one of the top college games of the 2018-19 season. Both teams put their defense up against each other and in the end The Blue Devils showed that they wanted it more. Tre Jones showed how important he is to this Duke team, while Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver May have impressed NBA scouts with his performance. This game could have been played at Cameron indoor stadium or at Texas Tech, but it was made to be played at a neutral court like Madison Square Garden.

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