Amauro's Corner BB '02, Feb.

Amauro "Amar" Austin is another of our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro, the Phillies' assistant general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer, Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will make reports on the MANY games he sees. You may e-mail him at Thurlbough@hotmail.com. Tell him you appreciate his hint of a smile in the new photo.

MARCH 2
CATHOLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
Cardinal Dougherty 80, Archbishop Wood 62
I knew that this game was in doubt after watching one Quarter. It seemed that Wood had to work hard for every basket and that Dougherty was on Cruise Control. Case in point, CD commited 20 Turnovers in this one to Wood's 11. The Vikings just had to work for everything and would have had to have played a better than perfect game to beat the Cardinals. The Cardinals won the battle of the Boards 30 to 15 and they made free throws as they shot 24-for-26 and 23-for-23 in the 2nd Half. The Cardinals were led by Sr. WG Tim Smink with 17 Points. I felt that overall he could have played alot better though. He'll have to in the later rounds. Soph. F's 6-7 DeSean White (16 Points, 7 Boards & 4 Blocks) & 6-6 Shane Clark (14 Points & 7 Boards) basically had their way in this one. White really made some authorative moves, some of them superstar-like. This kid is probably the best Soph. Prospect in the city. I don't see one better. Clark was very good as well. You look at his kid and you just know he's a ball player. Everyone else was solid for CD. For Wood, no player had more than 3 Boards. Sr. PG Mike Spadafora went out with dignity. He went for 15 Points, 7 Assists & 3 Steals. The lefty made some nice moves in his own right and just kept competing from buzzer to buzzer. He'll have a solid college career at the Lower Level of D1 or at a good D2. I felt that Sr. F Tim Dougherty (14 Points) was the best Vike today though. He played very hard and went right at the Cardinal trees making some crafty finishes over them. Jr. WG Greg Arrow had a quiet 16 Points, but it'll be something to build on for next year as he'll be the #1 Vike.

FEB. 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
John Bartram 65, Southern 53
TEASES! That is the name that I have come up for for these Bartram Braves. They are like the girl who lets you put your hand all the way up her thigh and put your tongue down her throat, but then puts the stop sign on. As many already know, I love the similies and metaphors. This team baits their opponents into thinking that they can play with them then goes on a hellified run, then lets the team get back in and then just puts you away. There is a weird method to their madness, but it has worked for this long. In this one, the Braves didn't play near their best and should have one by 20. They committed 25 Turnovers and often looked disinterested and uninspired. Well, that was everybody except for the "Franchise." Sr. WG Richard Francis had the fire in his eyes in this one. He was absolute murder. His line was 25 Points (12-for-18, 1 trey), 7 Boards, 4 Assists, 3 Dunks that still have me scratching my head & 1 almost dunk that would have made me leave the building (a missed alley-oop from halfcourt where his head was over the rim and hand was over the box). The first dunk came from a pass on a rope from Jr. WG Bryant Leach (6 Assists) where he caught it right under the basket, went straight up over the Ram defender and dunked right on him. The second was a steal at half court and lift-off and the third was the one that brought the house down as he took off from AT LEAST 10 feet from the basket on the right baseline and extended his whole body for a one handed smash. This prompted most of the Southern cheering section to walk right on the court and leave the gym. I kid you not! You had to be there to see this one. There is no doubt in my mind that if this guy stays on course, he could play for pay somewhere, someday. That is a bold statement, but so be it. He just has that look about him, that Pro aura. Otherwise, he made everything look very easy especially his perfect lob pass to 6-9 Jr. F-C Jason Cain (10 Points, 16 Rebounds & 3 Blocks) for a dunk. A sidenote for Jason is that he has already achieved a qualifying score on the SATs. This should shoot his recruitment to the moon. 6-5 Jr. F Khalil Abdus-Salaam bullied his way to 8 Points, 10 Boards & 3 Blocks. I was also really impressed with sub Jr. G-F Marques Campfield (8 Points, 5 Boards in 8 Minutes). He played very well in limited action. He is a player with underrated skills who will do anything for the good of the team. This team is the Pub's version of the St. Louis Rams. For Southern, the Brothers Brown left all they had on the floor. Soph. PG Antoine "Doo Dirty" went down late with an ankle injury but wowed the crowd with his ball handling antics and his slick passing. He went for 14 Points & 5 Assists. Sr. F Roosevelt "Row Row" played as hard as I've ever seen him in going for 20 Points, 5 Boards & 5 Steals. There are much better days ahead for this Southern team if the all stay together as 6 Sophs & a Junior were in their 9-man rotation. As for Bartram, they move to 26-0 for the moment, but there is some controversy as their "Fun-Game" with Franklin in which they dropped a 77-73 decision with no official book and different rules than a regular game may be counted. That would be ridiculous as far as I'm concerned. Both Coaches would agree that it shouldn't so I don't even see what the discussion is about. However, they always say that in this world that the same things that make us laugh are the same things that'll make us cry so this "Fun-Game" could turn into a not so fun game if you-know-who has anything to say about it. I've seen you-know-who make stranger calls. Some a long time ago, some as recent as last week. Stay tuned.

FEB. 22
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
St. John Neumann 77, West Catholic 57
This was an entertaining contest. This West team is nowhere near as bad as their record suggests. They are just one or two Big Body away from being a true force next season. They play hard and they don't give up. They just get worn out down low in games and eventually teams just pound it inside. Help may come from within next year as the development of 6-7 300-lb (atleast) Soph. "Big" Joe Marshall, Soph. F Chris Clahar & 6-4 Freshman F Derrell Hand could be the answer. If these three come back ready to go next season, the West Program will be back in business. One thing is always for sure and that is that Coach Ludlow always has them playing hard and buying into the family concept. He always has and always will. Better times are ahead. For the Pirates, their time is now. Their guards were outstanding in this one, but the tone was set by Jr. F-C Kevin Lauer with 8 1st Qtr. Points. He finished with 12 Points & 9 Boards. The Pirate backcourt of Sr. sniper Chris Del Brocco, Soph. whirlwind Richard "Tabby" Cunningham & slick Jr. lefty Antwain Wynn combined for 47 Points & 13 Assists. Del Brocco went for 15 Points (4 treys). Tabby was pretty much on cruise control. He put up solid numbers with 16 Points (5-for-8, 2 treys, 4-for-4), 5 Boards, 6 Assists & 5 Steals. I felt that he could have played even better. At times he drifts and isn't as aggressive as he should be. If he went hard at all times, he'd be that much more dangerous. He is still young so we'll see what happens. Maybe I'm just picking -- Maybe this is just his nature. Wynn is the player that I feel has been Neumann's MVP this year. He scored 16 Points & dished 5 Assists in this one. Little used Sr. F Anthony Paris started this one and scored 6 Points on 3-of-4 shooting. For the Burrs, there was alot to like. They stayed in it for three Qtrs. Their best player/prospect is 6-4 Soph. G-F Marshall Taylor. "Marsh" went for 12 Points, 9 Boards, 3 Assists & 3 Blocks in this one. Many times he has to play down low for this bunch. Hopefully next year that'll change. Play-a-like Jr. F's Brandon Wicker (13 Pts & 7 Boards) & Brandon Weston (9 Boards) both played with emotion and toughness. They are this team's leaders and they went down with a fight. Jr. mini-WG Kevin Williams (3-for-9 from 3 for 9 Points) sniped from deep early. He lost the range later. He has a nice stroke though. Jr. PG Curtis Bryant (4 Assists) has been really impressive recently. He has really grown on me. He's playing with the boldness and the confidence that a PG is supposed to. He seems to me like a hard worker with a serious inner fire. I could see him being a Ronald Banks ('99) type of story by next year. Brassy, Soph. G Robert Latimer played well in this one in limited action. He, too, plays with serious attitude. He went for 8 Points on 3-of-4 shooting. I just hope that these guys don't sulk over this season. They have a chance to do alot better by next. They should just chalk it up and come back with a vengeance next year. I think that they can do it. It's all up to them.

FEB. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE RD OF 16
Northeast 75, Masterman 50
This had to be one of the weirdest playoff games I ever watched, but it was the Pub so I guess this was the norm. First of all this game was played sideways. It seems that in the latter stages in last Tuesday's game vs. Edison the glass of the South end backboard was shattered. It was scheduled to be taken care of Thursday morning, but then a call from downtown eighty-sixed the whole operation. Only in the Pub? They said that it would have been too much work to take one of the backboards from the side and place it at the front and then to put it back when the new one came in. What a joke? This would have taken 45 minutes tops. On top of all this, the Vikes played without Sr. Guard Darnell Newman who suffered a mild concussion and some cuts on his face aftre taking a hard spill in pick-up game over the weekend. He was in attendance, but was not ready to suit up. Coach Cohen is hoping that he'll be ready for the Quarters against Gratz. All of his teammates dedicated this one to Darnell and most wrote Nell #31 on their socks. I really thought that the Blue Dragons would have given a better showing, but I must say that Coach Cohen did a good job in this one especially on the Defensive end. Masterman's high scoring Sr. guard Labeeb Muhammed (25 Points & 9 Boards) had went nuts in the first half scoring his team's first 18 points, but at halftime his team still trailed by 17. He gave his all in this one, but just didn't receive enough help to compete. I thought he would have gone out with more of a bang, but it just wasn't meant to be because in the second half Coach Cohen went to a diamond and one defense where every time he touched the ball, 3 guys were around him. When he would pass to the open guy, they would either turn it over or just not capitalize. The Vikes were led by the play of 6-7 (maybe taller) Sr. C Chaz Crawford. I feel that he sets the tone for this team with his stellar defense. In this one, he went for 8 Points, 11 Rebounds, 11 Blocks & 3 Steals. I don't think that he gets nearly enough touches either. Drexel top Assistant Geoff Arnold was in attendance. His better days are way ahead. I feel that Big Chaz still has some vertical as well as some horizontal growing to do. His dad could block him out if he stood behind him. That's how large he is! He could be a stud in time. Soph. G Kyle Lowry played especially well in the 2nd Half after some early struggles. He finished with 25 Points & plucked 6 steals. He did one thing wrong I thought and that was when Crawford got a steal late in the game and Lowry got the lose ball, Crawford ran hard with him down the floor for a jail break and Lowry took it in himself. Crawford really wanted that dunk and those could have been the two points he needed for a triple double. The young fella has to be more unselfish than that. He's a PG. This really caught my attention because he even looked back at Chaz and saw him running. You always have to reward the Big fella and he knows that. Other than that though he was outstanding in the 2nd Half. You get the feeling watching this team that Kyle's personality is taking over. I don't know whether that is a good or a bad thing for the present time. I think it'll work wonders for the future. This team was more inside oriented earlier in the season. Now the guards take precedence. We'll see how it all shakes down against Gratz. Jr. F Troy Roundtree went on to have a solid outing of 23 Points (9-for-14), 13 Rebounds & 3 Steals. He was hard to control inside. Sr. G Brandon Palmer (10 Points, 4 Boards, 7 Assists & 3 Steals) was quietly solid as well. For the Dragons, 6-5 Jr. F-C Brian Holsey, a lefty, was very good. He went to war in this one as he went for a triple double. Holsey scored 11 Points, snatched 15 Boards & Blocked 10 shots. The impressive! part of it all was that he had to contend with Crawford and Roundtree, two D1 caliber Big guys and he more than held his own. This kid is another one of my 2003 sleepers. What makes him even more intriguing is that he already has over a 1300 on the SATs. That's Big Time! The cool moment of the game came when in the latter stages Masterman had two of the littlest players in the City on the floor at the same time in Srs. 5-4 Pierre Milburn & 5-2 Lamar Warren. Milburn actually played extended minutes in this one. He didn't do a bad job.

FEB. 19
FRIENDS LEAGUE SEMIS
Friends Central 44, Germantown Friends 34
This wasn't much of a game as the Tigers of GFS slowed this one down and rightfully so. That was their only chance of competing. They even held the ball for the final 3:30 of the 2nd Qtr. They really never stood a chance, but gave galant effort. FC ofcourse was led by 6-4 Jr. phenom PG Mustafa Shakur (7 Pts, 12 Rebs, 4 Assts). I'll say this to personify what I see when I watch Staf. He takes two or three hard dribbles while penetrating and all 4 of his teammates better be alert or else they'll get smacked in the face with a 100 mile per hour basketball. There cannot be a better PG in the country in the Junior Class than this kid. The ball is on a string when he has it in his sure hands. His movements are as fluid as a textbook and his body and size for a PG are the defitinition of Prototype. Myself and a few others had the vision that this kid would be the one this time last year and he is proving everything that we imagined to be the truth. Here's the kicker and I hope all of you youngsters and budding basketball players are listening to this one, there couldn't be a nicer, more humble, classy kid on the planet than Mustafa Shakur. Those are the attributes that will not only take a kid far in the great game of basketball, but on a much larger scale in the game of life. Go see this kid play while you still have the chance because we are talking about one of the special ones. There is one more chance this season and that will be at Arcadia University Friday night at 6 PM for the Friends League Title Game. Then there is a whole Spring and Summer to catch his act before he does it all again next year. Temple Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney was in attendance for this one. Boy they seem like such a perfect match, but its still early and time will tell. I was very impressed with FC's other Junior transfer 6-7 F London Houston. Hosuton had his best game in front of me with 7 Points, 9 Boards, 3 Assists, 6 Blocks & 3 Steals. He was as active as ever. I really feel that he's a major sleeper as he is still growning and getting better. On top of it all, his Coaches (both Summer and School) feel that he will be a wing player down the line. I know for a fact that he has benefited alot from being around a star like Shakur and very good Sr D1 prospects like SF Mike Cook (14 Points, 7 Boards & 4 Blocks) & PG Shejdie Childs. GFS has a top notch Freshman to watch in 6-3 195-lb WG Noel Wilmore. He is the most poilished Freshman that I've seen all season. He's already built like an Adonnis. He gets up high on his picture-perfect jumper, he's super athletic and he has that look. Definitely one to watch like a hawk...

FEB. 18
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
     It is now playoff time and another Food for Thought is here. I must say that these playoffs should be the most exciting in the Public and Catholic Leagues in a long time. The CL Playoffs aren't set just yet, but this is the year that anybody could win. The Pub is set and the Seedings are controversial, but this is the most anticipated year, at least for me, in a long time. Bartram is the favorite here, but I wouldn't call them a heavy favorite. They have a tough first Rd game with FLC to start. How are they the 15 seed, I don't know. This stuff is a joke. This system is awful as King is the 11th Seed and Frankford the 6th. King beat them twice this season on their home floor, both times by 20 Points. Go figure... Northeast draws a tough matchup with Masterman. That one will be pretty good. The Blue Dragons are better than people think. NE's Soph. PG Kyle Lowry has been taking names as of late. He went off for a quadruple double last week against Lincoln. Also Jr. F Troy Roundtree has returned from ankle miseries. Shot Blocking Sr. Chaz Crawford has been in mid-season form lately as well. Masterman will try to counter with Sr. G Labeeb Muhammad who has taken names all year long. He averaged 29 PPG in League play. His P.O.C is 6-5 Lefty Brian Holsey, who is much a ball player as he is a brainiac. This one could be the game of the first Rd. Olney is at Overbrook. Olney has been playing very good ball lately behind Srs Marvin Kilgore, Neil Green & Tyree Hankerson. 'Brook has the city's #1 calming influence in Sr. PG Murvin English. They also have the city's best team player in Sr. SF Shawn Ikokwu as well as probably the city's #1 late bloomer in 6-7 Sr. F-C Kristian Clarkson. This should make for a good game. Central is at Roxborough for another evenly matched contest! . The Lancers have lost some tough ones this year at home to "Brook & Bartram and on the road to King & Gratz. They need to win a big game. There's no time like right now. I'm sure that star SF Dahliek Powell will have something to say about that. I don't want to make any predictions for this year, but boy would I love to see a Mansion-Bartram Semi Final. That could be a barnburner. As we all know, the Braves are rated #9 in the East by USA Today and Mansion has Maureece Rice to counter. That could be an epic battle with Rice vs Francis, two possible first team All-City Players.
     The New Player Rankings have been released. As you may notice, some names are missing and that is because anybody who is ineligible to play can not be on my lists. I can't reward any kid for not living up to their end of the bargain in the classroom. Speaking of the Classroom, I'd like to encourage every kid to take the SAT tests much earlier. Many kids don't decide to take them until late in their Senior years. When I was in school, I took them in the Fall of my Junior year. All should take them atleast in the Spring of their Junior year just to see where they stand. I hope that many of you are reading this and are listening carefully. I know that many of you have dreams of playing college ball, but it cannot happen if you guys don't #1 keep your grades up & #2 achieving a passing score on the SATs. Talent can go to waste without these two things. I've seen it time and time again. Many kids don't understand this until its way too late. Don't fall into that category. I encourage all coaches to have their kids take them early no matter what the circumstances just to see where the kids stand. I would greatly appreciate it because it would make my job a little easier and that is to sell a College Coach on them or to help give a kid the best possible advice.
    For my final topic, I would like to see a majority of the Pub Coaches do a better job with many aspects of their job. Many don't understand that this is a full time, 12 month a year job all in itself. You have to stay on these kids backs especially in the neighborhood schools. If not, there will be mass ineligibility and kids that never reach their true potential. This is a big part of what is wrong in this city as many kids don't have the proper guidance. There were at least 30 kids that I couldn't add or had to delete from my lists because of this. This is totally ridiculous. The problem in most cases is the fact that many of these coaches do not reach out to their kids and many just don't do enough for their programs. These coaches should know every kid in their building that can play and should be on each and every one of their backs. One of the biggest problems that I have is minimal scheduling. I feel that this factor is synonymous with job negligence. If a coach doesn't want to schedule a full load, What is he Coaching for? Days off? The lack of games creates a lack of exposure. Also what if a kid has a chance to go over 1,000 points and the Coach just doesn't schedule enough. Whose fault is that? Not the kid. I encourage all Coaches to get in at least 1 summer League and then see how much things change. The best is always the Pure Game Greater Philadelphia League, but there are others. The kids deserve at least that. I watched the Thomas Edison team play the other day and said to myself, man this team has some of the best young talent in the city, but nobody would know that because they only played 5 Non-League games and have fallen off of the map as far as being a household name in the Pub, just 6 years removed from their Championship season. This team has two very good Juniors in 6-8 225-lb C Maurice "Wall" Williams & 6-3 WG Tim Young. Both could play at the D1 Level one day. This is the ideal situation that I speak of. Please stop cheating these kids. They deserve better.

FEB. 17
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
St. Joseph's Prep 67, Roman Catholic 56
Was it truly happening? Has the empire crumbled? Yesterday marked the first occasion in a long, long time that the Cahillites of Roman Catholic did not quailfy for the Catholic League Playoffs. I don't think the Empire has crumbled, yet it is in a down year and I do believe that there will not be another like it. The Cahillites have some building blocks and with another peice or two, this team will be back to the top in time. In this one, the Hawks shot a scorching 57.5% from the field (23-for-40) and the Cahillites just couldn't combat that. As always, they were led by Jr. F-C Mark Zoller with 23 Points on 10-of-14 shooting, 11 Boards & 3 Blocks. The Soph. Backcourt of PG Chris Clark & WG John Griffin was also key as Clark went for 10 Points, 4 Assists & 3 Steals. Griffin put in 22 Points on 7-of-11 (1 trey). He also went 7-for-9 from the line. For the Cahillites, of course Soph. Super-Forward Charron Fisher never ceases to amaze me. He went for 26 Points & snatched 14 Boards in this one. He also blocked 3 Shots. When this game was in doubt very late, Fisher nailed back to back NBA Range treys that were nothing but net. Are you serious? What else can he do? Soph. WG Andre Sloan-El had another off shooting game, but managed 10 Points, 5 Boards & 3 Assists. Freshman Bobby Jordan has a larger set of marbles than the Liberty Place Towers. This kid must have forgot that Freshman are supposed to be nervous in pressure situations. He scored all 8 of his points in the 2nd Half. Sr. PG Tyree Wallace dished 7 Assists and had to take this one the hardest. He has been around the program for the good and bad times. It's just a shame that his career has to end with the bad.

FEB. 15
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
Monsignor Bonner 63, Roman Catholic 52
This was truly a statement win for the Monsignor Bonner Basketball Program. A win at the feared 3rd Floor Cahillite gym is almost unheard of. I saw what a win like this did for the '97 Neumann Championship Team and it could have the same effect on this Veteran Friar Club. This team will do whatever it takes to win. There seems to be a different guy that steps up and leads night in and night out. In this one it was brassy, Sr. WG Badir McCleary. McCleary is a sniper to say the least. He scored 17 of his 24 Points in the first half while bombing for 10-of-14. This guy has the audacity to take and make big shots without a care for the consequences. He is one of my favorites types. His main help in this one came from Jr. PG Francis, I mean Frank Nunan. Franky was heckled all game long by the Roudy Roman Rooters with chants of "Fran-cis" and such. Nunan responded with what may have been his best game to date. He went for 15 Points & 9 Boards. 6-4 Sr Forwards Matt Kearney (9 Points & 7 Boards) and Anthony Bennett (9 Boards & tough defense) were solid. 6-4 Soph. F Randy Reid was solid enough to earn himself some extended minutes down the stretch. Sr. G Kevin LeSage & Jr. G Mike Shalon added toughness and intangibles. For the empire, Soph. F Charron Fisher had another night at the office with 22 Points & 15 Boards. The scary thing about it all is the fact that he is now seeming to get his despite constant double and triple teams though in this one Booner played him straight up a lot. Soph. WG Andre Sloan-El struggled to score 19 Points (6-for-23, 4 treys) & grab 9 Boards. I was impressed though as he never sulked and stayed confident. It paid off as he knocked down 2 straight treys deep into the 4th to keep his team in the game. Freshman PG Bobby Jordan continues to put up solid numbers. In this one he went for 6 Points, 4 Boards & 4 Assists.

FEB. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Thomas Edison 65, William Penn 62
This turned out to be a pretty good game as it pitted Crosstown Rivals against one another. The Lions of W. Penn were missing as many as 7 guys for some reason or another. They only dressed 7 guys for this one. I must say though that 6-4 Sr. SF Anthony Harper did a good job of trying to put these guys on his back. In this one he scored from all over in going for 41 Points (15-for-23, 2 treys & 9-for-9 from the line). He also snatched 12 Boards and plucked 3 steals. He was a one man gang in this one. He did recieve help from 6-2 Sr. SF Stephen "Peeper" Alston (12 Boards, 3 Assists) & Jr. PG Chris Parker (7 Assists), a lefty. It just wasn't enough though. The problem was that the Inventors just showed up in this one. Their normal star is 6-2 Jr. WG Tim Young. Young is a slasher/high flyer who scores in many ways. He is the master of the acrobatic shot. In this one he was held and face guarded for 3 Quarters and then finally broke loose in the 4th scoring 12 of his 16. He capped this one off with a steal at half court that led to a jump through the basket two-handed slam. Young could be one to be reckoned with next year. He'll be one of the city's better athletes and hidden gems. What I really liked today, was the fact that he never got frustrated by his slow start or the way the other team roughed him up. He just played through it all. He was picked up today by 6-1 Soph. PG Jerome "Huss" Allen. Allen has good potential. He looks like he could grow at least 2/3 more inches. He really competes now and he shoots pretty well. He scored 20 Points (4 treys) to go along with 6 Assists & 3 steals. He made 3 straight threes in the 4th Qtr and I felt that he was the difference maker in this one. I'll keep a close eye on him. 6-3 Jr. widebody David Eshun also played one of his best games in scoring 19 Points & grabbing 7 Boards. Three times he was fouled and scored the basket. He also hit a few Mid range jumpers. 6-8 225-lb Jr. C Maurice "Wall" Williams has a chance to be the sleeper of the whole Junior Class, no B.S. In this one he went for 6 Points, 15 Rebounds, 3 Assists & 3 Blocks. He is strong, aggressive, ambidextrous and he has a serious mean streak. He has the same exact build that Drexel Inside Warrior Robert Battle (Northeast 99') has right now as a Junior in College! This is his first year of playing organized Basketball and he already does many things that can't be taught especially for a Big guy. He did some things that really impressed me, twice he threw nice long outlet passes, twice he made nice high-low passes to Eshun & twice he knocked down Foul line Jumpers like they were nothing. All schools in Low 1-land need to take a look at him right now before others see him. This kid has a chance to be very good. The good thing about it is that he doesn't even know how good he can be or how good he is now for that matter. This Edison team could make some noise next season. They'll have every contributor back and all are talented. They are fun to watch. They need to play together all summer and hopefully they'll schedule a full load next season. Young is said to be a very good student. Low 1's should check him out early as well. The Crosstowners could be back in business. The liine of the day goes to Penn Coach George Phillips and he always seems to have the line of the day when he's anywhere near the building. "Phill" was aksed by Referee and former Mastbaum early 80's star, Dana "Dano" Garner, "What happend to the rest of your team?" Phill" responded with, "Well something that we call report cards came out." Its always a fun ride when "Phill's" in the house.

FEB. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Simon Gratz 37, Martin Luther King 32
This game showed exactly how good of a coach Bill Ellerbee really is. He controlled this game from the bench and beat a more than formidable King Team that I thought they'd have major league problems with without their Rebounding force Micheal Blackshear. Coach Ell made the Golden Cougars play his game and that's just not what they wanted to do. The Bulldogs were led by Sr. SF Maurice "Mardy" Collins. Collins seems to get better every time out. Especially as the season winds down because his workload is greater without Blackshear. He went for 16 Points, 6 Boards & 3 Steals. Soph. Insiders Jason McGirt & Matthew Walden were solid. McGirt pulled 9 Boards and battled King's star Center Wayne Marshall tooth and nail. Walden, a 6-8 lefty, had some nice moments as well. Small, but tough Jr. PG Omar Johnson played an integral role in Coach Ell's scheme. He controlled this game from the point and made 9-of-10 free throws in the 4th. He finished with 11 Points & 4 Rebounds. For the Cougars, the 6-10 Marshall was solid (13 Points & 7 Boards), but could have been much better. He seemed to drift in this one. Though when he felt like it he went to work. After a summer of hard work, I could see this kid being really dominant by next season. He did bring the house down on one follow dunk. 6-5 Sr. F Darren Bradley was almost nonexistent in this one besides his ceiling-scraping ally-oop slam early on. He did lead with 9 Boards. 6-5 Sr. SF Akeem Wright only shot 1-for-10, but reassured what we have said in that he could be better than all of his senior teammates in time. His potential is limitless. He made some authoritative moves in this one, but just couldn't finish. Sr. Southpaw PG Raheem Scott did the little things as he always does and Jr. WG Andre Hammond showed why he could be a serious force from deep next season. He'll be one of the more feared shooters in the League. I must say that Coach Greg Moore of King is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. He is always animated and always working the refs in Kenny Hamilton/John Lucas type fashion. You can't help but like this guy. He is truly a character. This King team really could have used this win to boost its confidence, but now the new season looms so they must put it behind them and look toward Frankford, a team that they thumped twice this year. As for the Bulldogs, they seem to be showing signs of invincibility as they always seem to around playoff time. It'll be a tougher road this time around so let's see how it all shakes down. They'll have to go to E&S in the opening round. In attendance today were Reps from Coppin St., Morgan St., Rider & Temple. Coach John Chaney himself was in attendance. As was Coach Fang Mitchell of Coppin. There were many guys on the floor for them to check out. It goes to show that our Reports matter.

FEB. 12
FRIENDS LEAGUE
Friends Central 76, Abington Friends 56
I wanted to get a final look at Mustafa and friends as the season wound down and I thought that this one would be competitive, but it wasn't. I'll keep this one short. Jr. star PG Mustafa Shakur took this game over from the start by sparking a 13-0 run to start the game with 6 of his 10 1st Qtr Points including a vicious ally-oop dunk. He finished the day with 22 Points, 9 Boards & 3 Assists. U.Conn was in the building and his Coach Keino Terrell (FLC) tells me that they have all been in touch or in town lately. Maryland was in attendance last week as well as Syracuse and guess who calls once a week, THE DUKIES! He says that everybody that has come to town has offered a scholarship as "Staf" is now considered one of the top 2 or 3 guard prospects in the Jr. Class depending on who you ask. Sr. PG Shejdie Childs played a nice floor game en route to 11 Points & 5 Assists. He is still sustaining Low 1 Contact and has a few offers on the table. He is qualified. Slim, 6-7 Jr. F-C London Houston (6P, 9R, 6B & 3S) is improving by the day and has shown that a move to the wing could be imminent. He made some nice moves out there. For AFS, nothing really went well, but I will say that Jr. CG John Owens, another former FLC product, is one to watch next year. He could have a big summer. Despite a tough outing in this one, he still competed and played hard.

FEB. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin Learning Center 49, Engineering & Science 38
It seemed that everything in this game favored E&S except the scoreboard. The game was played to their pace. FLC's leading scorer/star Jr. Swingman Tyreek Byard was held to only 6 Points and the Engineers played good tough defense. Why did they lose then? Well they just didn't make shots, 13-for-50 (26%). One thing was for sure and that was that Jr. PG Michael Green had no designs on losing this game for the Bobcats. Green swooped and slashed and shot deep threes on his way to 21 Points, 8 Boards, 5 Assists & 3 Steals. When this kid is under control, he makes the difficult look simple and the simple even simpler. He has the ball on a string and always seems to wow the crowd with his effortless ballhandling tactics and he's probobly this club's heart and soul. He's as tough as they come. I've already mentioned his name to some schools as he is said to be a good student. 6-4 Soph. F Joshua Grier did the inside work as he scored 10 Points & grabbed 13 Boards. Byard just wasn't on offensively (0-for-7 from the field, 6-for-6 from the line), he was in mild foul trouble and he got into a taunting duel with a few of the Engineers. This was one of those cases that impressed me because 'Reek always seemed to me as one of those kids that just doesn't say much and now seems to be getting more authorative and confident. When he becomes a finished product watch out, we could be talking about a stud. He's definitely not the same kid that I remember this time last year and I'm not talking about his appearance. I'm talking personality. 6-5 225-lb Freshman C-F Jahkal Curry, a lefty, had some nice moments. He sticks foul line jumpers like clockwork and has the looks of a rebounding force down the line. For the Engineers Sr. WG Job Godino was spirited and tough en route to a team high 12 Points. Sr. F Matt Jefferson battled first half foul woes too! He scored 8 & swatted 3. The normally reliable backcourt of Srs PG Justin Scott (0-for-11, 2 Points) & WG Andrew Hightower (3-for-14, 8 Points) wasn't very reliable in this one. They will surely have better days. If FLC takes Franklin on Thursday then that means that the Engineers have the task of going to the #9 Team in the East Region: John Bartram (23-0) next Thursday for the Playoffs. The Braves made USA Today this week finally.

FEB. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Simon Gratz 71, West Philly 28
There was not much to talk about in this one. The score speaks for itself. The one thing taht did come out of this was that I found out that Gratz Sr. strongman Micheal Blackshear Jr. is on the mend and could be back very soon and I mean soon. His cast has been removed and will be reevauated on Thursday. Maybe he'll be cleared to play. He says that he's ready now. His cast was removed as were his stitches and he's moving it around like normal. The initial evaluation was that he severed a tendon, but during the surgery it was found that 80% of the population doesn't even have that tendon and he is one of the 80%. Well I just wished that the Speedboys would have played a little looser. Then I realized that they just were not capable of competing with the guys that they dressed. Sr. WF Eugene Myatt played the point in this one. He did a good job considering. He only scored 6 Points on 2-for-16 shooting, but he didn't turn the ball over much. He did dish 2 Assists. His brother Jr. WF Andrew Myatt helped with the PG chores and only shot 4-for-11 for 9 Points. He did grab 8 Boards. They had to create their own shots for the most part against this tough Gratz zone and that never works.This was a shameful season for those two. Both are have loads of talent, but have been in obscurity this season. Eugene will probably need Prep school so he has a chance to redeem himself and Andrew is only a Junior. I did like the way 6-5 Jr. C Dominique Wilson played. He has been hobbled by ankle problems, but did manage 10 Boards & 4 Blocks. Everybody played well for the Bulldogs. This was one of those games that will catapult them into the stretch run. Sr. WF Maurice "Mardy" Collins was awesome with 15 Points, 15 Boards, 5 Assists, 5 Blocks & 6 Steals. He just did everything. Nobody is playing with more confidence than "Mardy" right now. Jr. PG Omar Johnson is also playing really well. He scored 13 Points & dished 6 assists in whirlwind fashion. Both were said to be awesome up in Trenton at the Showcase this weekend. I got an extended look at 6-8 Soph. C Matthew Walden, a lefty. Big Matt got his first dunk of the season in this one and the team/crowd went nuts. I will really have a close eye on him from now on because as many know big lefties always take longer to develop. He could be a stud down the line. It's funny because the Bulldogs were outrebounded again in this one 36-32, but they dished 26 assists on 29 Baskets and shot around 55% from the field. Well next for the Bulldogs are two big rivalries at G-Town and a hiner against King to end the season. That could be Big Time especially if Blackshear is cleared to play that day. I know he's trying to get his hospital date changed to Wednesday as we speak. The Road gets tougher for the Speedboys as the go to 'Brook and Bartram to end the season.

FEB. 10
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
St. Joseph's Prep 43, St. John Neumann 37
The story of this one had to be the sluggish play of the Pirates. They were in a stretch of 3 games in 3 days and this was the back end. They were nowhere near the level that I've seen them in past outings. The Hawklets didn't play their best either, but they did enough to get the W in this one and that is all that matters. Both team combined to shoot 24-for-78. As always they were led by 6-6 Jr. F-C Mark Zoller. He always seems to impress me as he puts up solid numbers night in and night out and more importantly always makes his mark in some way shape or form on the game. That is what the good ones do win or lose. In this one "Tree" went for 15 Points, 17 Rebounds & 3 Steals. The key to this game may be unsung Sr. F Jim Good (5 Boards, 3 Assists). He was large in both the 3rd and 4th Qtrs. He scored his team's first 5 points and assisted on the 7 point in the 3rd and he assisted on the game winning basket in the 4th to Zoller. The Soph. backcourt of WG John Griffin & PG Chris Clark were solid. "Griff" scored 10 Points & plucked 3 steals. Clark did a good job of handling the quick Neumann guard's full-court pressure. He got away with many push-offs, but they pushed him as well. For the Pirates, only Sr. sniper Chris Del Brocco (14 Points, 4 treys) really played well. He made big shot after big shot down the stretch. Soph. F Adon El was solid, but just didn't get enough touches. He shot 3-for-3. He scored 8 Points & snatched 9 Rebounds. Jr. G Kenny Fulton played with the energy that he had played with early on in the year. The whirlwind backcourt of Soph. "Tabby" Cunningham & Jr. Antwain Wynn never got it going and looked to suffer the most from the schedule. They did combine for 7 Assists, but only 1-for-8 shooting for 3 Points. I look for better days for the South Philly boys.

FEB. 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Julia Masterman 78, Kensington 49
I knew this one would be fun before going and boy I wasn't wrong. The final score is no indication of how competitive this game actually was. The Tigers just got caught up in the crowd and didn't come out for the 4th Qtr and after going in down only 9. As always, the Blue Dragons were led by Sr. PG-WG Labeeb Muhammad. Nobody goes harder than this kid. Many people question alot of things when watching this kid play, his stature (5-9 155?), the small school he plays for, ect., ect one thing is for sure and that is that this kid just gets it done and he lays it on people. I'll say this, if 'Beeb were from Harlem, he'd be thought of as a D1 Player. That's another story all in itself. Besides Maureece Rice, you could argue that he has been the most consistent player in the Pub this season. In this one he went for 27 Points on 11-for-19 shooting (3 Treys) & 2-for-3 FTs. He also showed me his PG skill in this one and that's all important as he dropped 9 dimes. He also grabbed 5 Boards. The most entertaining part of this one was the opening of the 3rd Qtr when both teams combined to start off 11-for-12. I guess the Kenzos ran out of gas. In this stanza, Muhammed & Kensington's whirlwind Jr. mini-guard Baltazar Feliciano staged an all-time tet-a-tet. This was classic. They just went back and forth for atleast 3 minutes. This was a must see. I really think Muhammad can play/produce at one of the D2 State schools and be a star in D3. His main help in this one came from 2 Junior lefties. 6-5 F-C Brian Holsey has serious potential. He has a strong build, nice athleticism, (threw down a one-hander standing straight under the basket off the vertical!) the wingspan of a Stealth bomber and to top it off is already qualified for two kids as he has well over a 1300 on his SATs! I could see him getting some Patriot/Ivy Interest in time. He put up big numbers in this one with 15 Points, 21 Boards & 6 Blocks. He seems to do this night in and night out. I could easily see him come back at 6-6/6-7 and be a serious force next year. He has come a long way from the first time I saw him last summer. The other lefty was 6-0 PG Brenden Stoner (20 Points & 6 Boards). Stoner has a nice stroke from deep and some added savvy that I didn't see in him before. He also looks to be a few inches taller than before. This team starts 4 underclassman which means that they could make some serious noise next season. For the K, Feliciano had an off shooting night as he went 8-for-25 for 20 Points. He did dish 5 Assists. His partner in havoc, Sr. G Miguel Mendez, dropped in 15, dished 3 Assists & plucked 3 Steals. Tricky, 6-2 southpaw WF Izeem Whitaker (8P,9R,4B & 3S) many times had to play down low in this one, but I see him being a WG down the line. D-III schools should definitely take a look. He's a diamond in the rough. The Tigers got some height as 6-5 Jr. C Scott Hardaway (5 Boards 2 Blocks, 5 Fouls, Approx. 10 Minutes) came in from academic woes. He has some potential. One thing is for sure and that is that this kid is aggressive, athletic and tough. With a kid like him in the line-up all season, this could have been a different team. They are still entertaining. The Joe Lorenti moment of the game came when 5-3 Masterman Sr. PG Lamar Warren, a deep sub, scored a basket late in this one in traffic. The capacity crowd, well, capacity for Masterman, but still very loud absolutely went bananas.

FEB. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Overbrook 51, Simon Gratz 49
This was the most bizarre game I've seen all season, and that's an understatement. There's was a wild crowd, TV Cameras rolling and good basketball sprinkled by "Only in the Pub" in controversy. The first half was pretty much even up as Gratz held a one point lead. The second half was something to see. The Bulldogs took control of the 3rd Qtr as they took the pressure zone to another level and caused 7 'Brook turnovers in that frame. The Dogs caused the Hilltoppers to go scoreless in that frame and took a 38-27 lead going into the 4th. Then Coach Ford inserted 5-6 140-lb Soph. G Kyle Copeland (8 Points) to negate the speed of Gratz jet, 5-6 Jr. PG Omar Johnson. That's when Omar's nightmare started as everywhere he went, Copeland was right next to him. He stuck to Lil' O like glue, like bees on honey, like flies on... well you get the picture. He did exactly what Coach Ford wanted in picking up 3 fouls and playing good tough defense like it's supposed to be played. This was part of what changed this game as Copeland came in for the first time in this game and gave the Panthers exactly what they needed, a Spark. Sr. PG Murvin English also began to step up in that frame as he began to break the zone after struggling in the 3rd with it. English finished with 11 Points & 4 Assists. I think what really turned this game around was something small and that was when the always energetic Sr. SF Shawn Ikokwu (6 Points, 10 Rebounds & 4 Assists) soared for a high-rising, damn near scrape the ceiling jail break slam that didn't count because it was after the 3rd Qtr buzzer, but this really got the crowd involved. They went absolutely nuts after this dunk and it carried over into the 4th Qtr. Ikokwu played with more energy than a little bit in this game and was kind of forgotten with his 4th Qtr performance. What he brings to this bunch is not shown in the boxscore, yet it is priceless. 'Brook finally got control of this one and took the lead as the tiny Copeland stayed aggressive and got in the lane at will. He seemed to be get to the line every time. With 18 seconds remaining and 'Brook leading 50-46, tough Gratz Jr. Guard Tyree Watson calmly drained a big three to cut the lead to 1, 50-49. Then Copeland was fouled with 15 Seconds remaining. He knocked the first down then missed the 2nd, but wait as a mad scramble went around, he got his own rebound and was fouled again with 12 seconds remaining. This time he missed both ends of the double bonus, but guess what, he got his own rebound again and was fouled hard by the Bulldogs with 10 ticks remaining. That's when Coach Ellerbee had seen enough. Coach Ell yelled to his team, "COME ON!" He was done playing this game as he cited bad officiating as his reasoning. He had worked them all game long and just couldn't take it anymore. This was truly a wild outing on the trail. Another one of the Panthers unsung heroes was 6-5 Jr. PF Elijah Tolbert with 8 Points & 13 Boards. He was an intricle part of Brook's 41-28 domination of the Blackshearless Bulldogs on the Boards. Gratz was led by 6-5 SF Maurice "Mardy" Collins' 17 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Assists & 3 Blocks. Though he struggled from the floor (5-for-17), he was large when they needed him. Johnson went for 11 Points & 6 Steals. Sr. WG Augie Woodlin (9 Pts, 5 Rebs) looked like his old self in this one as he drained 3-of-5 from deep, all in the 2nd Qtr and played sticky on ball defense on English. I was very impressed with 6-3 Soph. PF Jason McGirt (11 Boards). He played with alot of energy and did yeoman's work on the Boards. The atmosphere here was the Pub at its best. As I did color commentary for the PA Cable Network, (this game will be aired Friday night around 9:15 in the 2nd game of their weekly triple-header, so check your local listings). I got a chance to use the good ol' saying, "Only in the Pub" in a good way as the TV cameras focused on the spirited crowd/ The crowd's behavior was great too. There were absolutely no problems before, during or after this contest and it didn't end until very close to 7 PM. Maybe my idea of more night games should be taken into better consideration.

FEB. 4
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
     In this week's edition of Food for Thought, my first order of business is to congradualate Bartram Head Coach Lou Biester on the great job he has done. Beating Gratz at 18th & Hunting Park is unheard of. Many great ones have failed at that task. The last Coach taht walked away in League play with a W there was the legendary, Joe Goldenberg (West Phila.) in '88. In just three 3 years, he has turned that program totally round and has them poised to become a powerhouse. He has the Southwest Philadelphia Community behind him. All they need is a Championship. At one of our Public League's neighborhood schools, to get it done it takes a guy that cares. A guy that is willing to put in the extra added work with the kids and reach out to them and that's what Lou has done. It takes a special type to do this. Its a 12 month a year gig. The Coach has to be a father figure. With all due respect, places like Olney, West Philly, Germantown & Franklin could be the same way with the right people at the head. If all of these coaches were to follow Biester's lead, the same kind of success could be imminent.
     Speaking of the Gratz game, boy was this a great scene. I mean this team really proved something to me. They showed that they will not fold under pressure. After a win like this one, they deserve to be rated the #1 Club in the area and atleast a Top 10 Team on the East Coast. Looking ahead at Next year is even scarier as 6 out of their Top 7 return. Sr. WG Richard Francis has been absolutely amazing this season. Not only is he the Franchsie. but he should also be named, "Mr. 4th Qtr" because it seems that he is always a factor in crunch time. There have been countless times this season that he has just taken over games down the stretch. Against Gratz, he was 3-for-3 in crunch time, 2 threes and a dunk. He's getting my vote for Public League Player of the Year and 1st Team All-City. The one guy who I felt was really forgotten in all of the madness last Thursday was 6-5 Freshman Forward Daziah Miller. He was large in this one. He was the same in the Braves tough Non-League win in December at Neumann. I really like this kid's potential. He's only a Freshman. This game ws bigger than life for these kids. It was a great High School Basketball Game. There was everything left on that court: Blood, Sweat & Tears. One thing that Ted said that made me think about was how the great teams back in the day used to walk in opposing gyms like they owned them. I thought that man maybe I mistook this team's nonchalant attitude for deep confidence. This could be a form of owning the other team's gym. Well this week there are two tough home outings looming in King & Overbrook for Division B supremacy.Wins here almost make an undefeated season for certain.
     Speaking of Division B, boy did whoever made these Divisions up have it out for these 8 Teams. There are no easy outs here. As many as 6 Teams from this Division could make the Playoffs. Central and U-City would be at the top of any other Division in the Pub and they have to settle for 5th & 6th place here. Just think about this. Bartram was at Gratz last Thurs. and this week they have King on Tues and Overbrook on Thurs. That's murder. Not to mention @ U-City next Tues. I think it's safe to say that the winner of this Division should be poised to take the title.
     Another issue that I'd like to address is night games in the Pub. Last March, Pub Chairman Charles Sumter asked me to put something up in writing for my ideas for changes in the Pub and this was one of them. Many parents that I talk to complain that they can't see their kids play because of the times of the games. Well here's my idea. Why not have each team schedule at least 4 night games (2 Home, 2 Road) every year with 6 PM Varsity starts. I am one that feels that Varsity should start later anyway. I just don't understand why JV & V aren't back to back. Wouldn't that cut bus costs? But like I always say, I guess I don't know everything. If there could be 4 nighters per Team, the whole community could come out. I know that extra security has to be hired for these types of things, but so be it. The kids deserve it. There's a certain feel about playing at night. The kids get a prime time feeling. This was just one of my ideas. Believe me, I have many more.
     Anthoer Coach that I'd really like to commend is Coach George Phillips at William Penn. "Phil" has done an amazing job this season at Penn. He has done it with his would be star player (Top National Jr. Mustafa Shakur) lost to transfer, 2 would-be Starters ineligible and two Freshman filling in in his three guard backcourt. Penn is at the front of the not to shabby Division A at 6-3. Who would have thunk it? Good job "Phil." I have been impressed with star SF Anthony Harper. He has put up All-League caliber numbers. The two Freshman starters are WG Curtis Shaw & PG Albert Denby. There is a 3rd Freshman Guard who sees major minutes off the bench in WG Alfred Jackson. A team like Penn was not supposed to do well with the new alignment, but these boys beat the system.
     Speaking of the system, it has really worked out in Divisions C & D as they are very much evenly matched. Outside of Mansion at the top and the few teams at the bottom (Bodine, Prep Charter, etc.), you can expect anything from anybody on any given night. Even Kensington, who has only 1 League win, provides excitement and hardnosed play. 5-6 138-lb Jr. PG Baltazar Feliciano & 5-11 Sr. G Miguel Mendez are great too watch. They bring more energy than a little bit. Furness may have been the most exciting team I've seen all season. Teams like Lamberton, Masterman, Fels & GAMP are exciting to watch as well.
     Last, but not least, I'd like to tell everyone to expect my new Rankings by the end of this week. Report cards are coming out so I have to find out what's what. Hope everyone is doing what they are supposed to. Around this time of year there's always a list of who's who, who's new and what happened to?

FEB. 3
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
St. John Neumann 61, Archbishop Carroll 49
GUARDS! Guards win championships. The Pirates of St. John Neumann own the Catholic League's premier pair in 5-8 bookends Soph. slickster, Richard "Tabby" Cunningham & Jr. lefty, Antwain Wynn. Today Cunningham and Wynn proved to be too much for the Red-hot Patriots as they were brought to a halt in this one. Cunningham led today with 20 Points (8-for-9 (1 trey), 3-for-4). He also plucked 3 Steals. This was the best that I've seen "Tabby" this season. I was really impressed. His jump shot is greatly improved. I think playing with Wynn has only helped because it allows him to be himself, to be more free on offense. Wynn had a very strong outing of 13 Points, 8 Boards, 6 Assists & 3 Steals in his new starting role. I've come to the realization that he is the most important player on this team. As he goes, this team goes. If these two play like this, I don't see anyone in the league beating them. They have almost identical builds -- strong & athletic. Both have the bodies to play college ball despite their sizes. The other thing that I like about both is their ability to cause trouble on Defense. The 3rd Guard Sr. Chris Del Brocco had a solid outing of 10 Points (2-for-3 on threes). 6-5 Soph. F Adon El (8 Blocks) came up big in this one for the Pirates. He played extended minutes in this one due to the fact that 6-5 Jr. F Todd Johnson went down late in the 1st Qtr. with a leg injury and didn't return. He was on crutches at the end of this one for precautionary reasons. We hope that its nothing too serious. I was really disappointed with the Patriots. They gave absolutely no help to their star, Jr. PG Kashif Payne. Payne scored 22 Points (5 Treys), grabbed 6 Boards & dished 3 Assists. Believe me, he got everything that he did on his own merits. I think his teammates will agree that they didn't bring it in this one. One thing is for sure and that is that "Sheefy" has really worked on his jump shot. You can't give him any room now because he'll bury you. Jr. C Jordan Ingram didn't do what he does best in this one. He only had 3 Rebounds late in this one. He finished with 6P & 6R. Both are far below his averages. 6-3/6-4 Soph. G Mike Springman (4 Assists) has alot of skills, but has yet to put them all together. Not to worry, he's only a Soph. He could be very good down the line. He has to get stronger with the ball and work on his jump shot. Those are his two glaring weaknesses. I don't really see diminutive, Soph. G Matt Chambers' purpose. He is supposed to be this stopper of a defender, but in this one it seemed that whoever he guarded be it Wynn or Cunningham eyes lit up when they saw him in front of them. They had some of their best games at his expense. He, too could be good in time, but I don't know if it's now. He just doesn't bring anything to the table. This especially confuses me because there are two giants that don't play nearly enough on the bench rotting away. Though in this one 6-8 Freshman C Kenny Tribbett led with 7 Boards, he could have played many more minutes. 6-9 Jr. F Sean McKeon didn't play until very, very late in this one. As a matter of fact, he's playing JV? I know for a fact that there are Low and Mid Major D1 Schools recruiting him and he doesn't play? I don't know everything, but one thing I do know is that in High School when there's a cooardinated 6-9 kid on the roster, he plays. Not to mention one that is probably the team's best shooter. Nevertheless, this Carroll team had been playing very well up until this one. I just hope that they don't regress anymore.

FEB. 1
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Simon Gratz 45, Central 44
This contest had the perfect timing. This was a stern test for the Bulldogs. Everyone wanted to see how they would react to not having their star Micheal Blackshear. Though Sr. Swingman Maurice "Mardy" Collins is this team's go-to guy and best offensive player, Blackshear is this team's personality. He sets the tone for them with his aggressiveness and physical play. They did get a whole lot smaller as they started 5 guards really. Collins is a guard in my opinion. Well the Bulldogs passed, barely, but they snuck away with a win over a tough Central squad. The Bulldogs were led by the 6-5 Collins with 17 Points & 12 Rebounds. He was again his smooth self. He is going to have to be more rough though while they are without Black'. Blackshear has to be averaging over 15 Boards a night. Now it's up to "Mardy" to do that. There's a lot of weight on him now. He's gotta produce and keep proving that he's a prime time player. Diminutive, Jr. PG Omar Johnson went for 8 Points & 7 Assists. Ofcourse, he played tough defense as did all 4 of Gratz's interchangable guards (Watson, Wharton, Brown & Johnson). I look for a whole lot more from Sr. WG Augie Woodlin. He really has to give them more than 2 Points especially in a time like this. They still have a few Non-League Games left and that just won't suffice in those or in the tough Pub Wars that they have yet to face at Overbrook and against King. The Lancers really could have won this one. If they had played their game from the beginning, there may have been a different outcome. Sr. WG Khalif Leek did play his game from horn to horn. He scored 15 Points (5-for-8 (1 trey), 4-of-7 FTs), 6 Boards, 2 Assists & 2 Steals. He just plays so tough. I love his intensity and his hard play on both ends of the floor. Sr. PG-WG Sharif Bray couldn't hit his shots early, but almost single-handedly brought his team back after a 12 point halftime deficit. He scored 12 of his 14 Points in the 3rd Qtr. He only shot 4-for-12 for the game and 2-for-8 from treyland. He had chances to tie the game with a three late, but just couldn't get them to go. He did dish 4 Assists. Low 1's should be all over this kid because for 1 he's qualified, for 2 he can play there. Are those reasons good enough? I'd like to see high-flying Sr. SF Richard Campbell (7 Rebounds) bring the same intensity that he does at home to the road. He looked lost out there at times. If this team had one Big guy that could play (they don't have a big guy at all), they would be that much more dangerous. They just get killed on the Boards (30-20 in this one). Referee Mark Vinitzky was on the job for this one. He always makes things fun when he's out there. Controversy seems to follow him. He told me, "Gerald Hendricks (Mansion Head Coach) called me the other night and told me nice job." He was speaking about last week's game against St. Augustine Prep (NJ) that Mark officiated.