Amauro's BB '04 Preview

Amauro's BB '04 Preview
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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. This is his preview for the 2003-04 season.
You may e-mail him at Thurlbough@hotmail.com.

NOV. 28

AMAURO's CITY PRESEASON PREVIEW

TOP 15

1. Cardinal Dougherty
2. Simon Gratz
3. Roman Catholic
4. Penn Charter
5. St. John Neumann
6. Germantown Academy
7. Episcopal Academy
8. St. Joseph’s Prep
9. Southern
10. John Bartram
11. Franklin Learning Center
12. Frankford
13. Archbishop Ryan
14. Olney
15. Engineering & Science (tie) Central

Division C

Division D

TOP CONTENDERS

SIMON GRATZ – In my opinion, the 2004 version of the Bulldogs is by far and away the favorite to win the Philadelphia Public League Title. Why? They have it all. Need a good big man. Enter 6-8 Sr lefty Matthew Walden. How about an athletic rebounder? Here comes 6-4 Sr strong forward Jason Hickenbottom. It all starts with a PG right? Yeah and Gratz just may have the League’s best in 6-1 Sr Tyrone Smith. Well what about a go-to type player? The Dogs have that to in the League’s best player 6-4 Sr swing Mark Tyndale. All 4 are Division 1 Prospects. At the present, Tyndale is sorting through offers from Temple, LaSalle, Rhode Island & East Carolina. Smith will be the league’s hugest surprise. Going in no one will know him and leaving out every one will be talking about him. He’s a strong/athletic leader and staunch defender. These 4 aren’t all they have, as you can look for Sr holdovers 6-3 WG Malcolm Welles and 6-5 F/C Donald “Biggie” Curtis to strongly contribute. While three talented Jr. transfers will also weigh in the plans in: 6-7 PF Abdullah Moon (Franklin), 5-10 PG Jamar Bruce (King) & 6-5 Wing Ryheem Miller (Overbrook). This team should rank as one of the top 25 nationally at some point this year.

SOUTHERN – The Rams of South Philadelphia Hs favorably compare when it comes to talent with the Bulldogs, but they still have yet to gel as a team and for now look to be a distant second. They are led by two Sr D-I prospects/4 year starters in quick/shifty PG 6-2 Antoine “Doo Dirty” Brown & strong/athletic PF 6-6 215-lb Shawn Sabb. The top talent in the building is super-leaping 6-4 Jr. wing Kashief Carr. Another Jr. 6-1 combo guard Amir Ryan is also thought of as a D-I prospect. Others expected to make noise are Srs: 6-6 F/C Steven Rudd, 6-4 sniper Ryan Williams & 6-3 SF William Byrd along with Jrs: 5-11 PG Jalil Harris & 6-8 C Ervin Spinell. Another addition could come in the form of athletic 6-2 Sr. WG Keith Grimes’ return to the team. Grimes, himself, is a 4-year varsity player who left the team last season for personal reasons.

JOHN BARTRAM – The Pub Champion Braves lost 9 seniors from a year ago, but are still back in the mix thanks to two talented holdovers and two more very talented transfers. The mainstays are: Ever-improving 6-1 Sr. CG Maurice Wood & 6-5 215-lb Jr. F Daziah Miller. The transfers are high-scoring 6-1 Sr. CG Tywain McKee (Furness) & long-limbed 6-6 Sr. forward Chris Seaborn (Bok Tech). Wood has grown 4 inches in the last two years and finally will get his chance to lead this pack. He plays with smarts and savvy and should turn some heads this year. He’s also one of the top students in his class. Miller has played an important role with the Braves from the gate. It’s now his chance to make a huge impact as one of the team leaders. McKee was only second in the league in scoring last season getting 29 a night. He has a deep/sweet stroke and a quick/shifty handle. He’s also the most mentally tough kid on the team and a D-I prospect that will need Prep School. Seaborn has the biggest upside of anyone on the team. At 6-6+ with close to a 7-footer’s wingspan and shades of a 3-man’s game; he’ll surely turn some heads too. Not to mention that he is still yet to turn 17. The wildcard may be talented 5-9 Jr. PG Marques Carrington who is aggressive and active at both ends. It’ll surely be interesting in Southwest Philly.

CENTRAL – It seems as if the Lancers will make a return after a rebuilding year. A strong cast of youngsters made a strong impression this off-season and look to be a major force not only in the Pub, but the whole area. They are led by tough-as-nails 6-2 205-lb Jr. Wing Scott Rodgers. He could play all 5 positions at times for this squad. He does a bit of everything well and will even guard the other team’s best player. 6-4 Soph. Wing Kenny St. George will also add scoring punch. Both are D-I Prospects. Two other Jrs will also play important roles in strong 6-4 SF Malcolm Ingram & crafty 5-10 PG Lamar Williams. This team will go 7-8 deep and wreak havoc with its quickness and defense. Also there is no tougher place to play in the Pub than Central’s gym.

ENGINEERING & SCIENCE – This group of Engineers will be a tough out for just about everyone. They will have an 8-man rotation of 5 guards and 3 forwards that should wreak havoc. 4 guards will be their most important pieces in starting 3: fearless 5-11 185-lb combo Kechan Myers, cat-quick 5-9 point Tremaine Jackson & deep-shooting 5-10 wing Mikey Gainer. Myers is the top dog and will be one of the Pub’s scoring leaders. He brings it night in and night out like no other baller in the league. He’s a winner to say the least. One other player is a sleeper of sorts for this bunch, but could be heard from before long and he is 6-1 Soph. WG Andre Murphy, a hard worker and sweet shooter in his own right.

FRANKFORD – This Pioneer squad looked very good this off-season winning one of the area’s top summer leagues. They are still a young team even after being young last year, however they are tough and confident. It’ll all start with stocky 5-7 Jr. lead guard Ryan Smith. Smith gives maximum effort at both ends of the floor and loves to set the tone and lead his mates. The most talented Pioneer is athletic 6-2 Soph. WG Luis Leonard. Leonard, a lefty, has all the tools to be special. He may be a year away, but will show flashes this season of what’s to come. There are 6-7 others who could crack the rotation. All have that anything for the team attitude. The best of that bunch is 6-3 220-lb Jr. F Lorenzo Byrd.

FRANKLIN LEARNING CENTER – Finally, coach Cedric Powell’s team made it back to the Semifinals after 5 years away, but this squad lost 2 D-I talents and must come up with a new identity. It will behind 3 seniors who were all keys last season in: crafty 5-11 PG Michael Scott, athletic 6-4 SF Josh Grier & tough 6-1 WG Meril Branch. Scott is the team’s leader and one of the better generals in the league. He’s smart and tough. Grier is one of the league’s top athletes and is a 4-year varsity contributor. Branch is a Prime little things guy and a winner. 5-11 Soph. PG Brandon Williams is also one to watch as one of the league’s top young players.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN – This Lincoln squad is one of my sleeper teams and could make a lot of noise is precocious 5-11 Soph. PG Malik Alvin has his say. Alvin is the top talent in the building and could lead this team to great things. He is very similar to 98’ Lincoln star Wykeen Kelly, who went on to become a two-time 1^st team D-II All-American and should make money playing ball overseas. His main help will come from two seniors 6-5 235-lb monster Maurice McPherson, a flat out warrior and high-scoring 6-3 lefty wing Steve Hassell. Both are solid college prospects at the D-II/III level.

OLNEY – This Olney squad is one of the Pub’s most talented team’s. If they can gel and stay together they could go pretty far this year. There are 4 primary Trojans in Srs: tiny lefty PG Andrew Jerry, tough 6-2 wing Kevin Presberry & super-athletic 6-5 F Erik Adams. Then there is super-athletic 6-6 Jr. F Kevin Riley, a future (maybe sooner than later) star. Adams and Riley will be one of the more feared frontcourt duos in the league. They could be an aerial show night in and out. Jerry is only 5-4, but he is the clear-cut leader and a pesky defender.

PREP CHARTER – In only its 3^rd season in the Pub, the Wolves are finally ready to make some noise. Coach Jon Groom has a young, talented bunch that should turn some heads this winter. His top player is 6-4 Jr. SF Jason Dogan. Dogan has had a strong off-season and looks to build on that. He plays both ends hard and will rank high in the league in quite a few categories. 6-4 Soph. WG Rodney Green is the team’s top talent. He has the versatility to play all three wing positions and will show flashes of greatness. 6-5 Soph. PF Paris Griffin is the best among the 5-6 other expected contributors.

OTHERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Year in and year out the Philadelphia Public League has some of the best players that you the fan and college coach may have never heard of in not only the area, but the state (NE Region?). This year is no different. Let’s start with 6-4 185-lb Sr. wing Ivan Evans (Germantown). Evans is a surefire D-II prospect and possibly higher. He’s a skilled high-flyer with the ability to put points up in a hurry… 6-5 Fels Sr. SF Dionte Christmas, a D-I prospect, decided to stay amidst all the transfer rumors. Christmas may well lead the league in scoring and will have no choice if he wants his team to win… Mansion will have to live life after Maureece Rice and his all-time city best 2,681 career points. They'll do it with two talented Sr. wings 6-4 SF John Scarborough (Glen Mills transfer) & 6-3 WG Tracy Worley... West Philly has a talented group headed by smooth 6-3 185-lb Sr. WG Ricardo Lovelace. He may be the Pub’s top sleeper… Edison’s last man standing is talented 6-1 Sr. PG Jerome Allen, another sleeper… Wings 6-1 Donte Robinson (Roxborough) & 6-3 James Pope (Bok Tech) are both high scorers… Ben Franklin lost a lot, but still has versatile 6-5 Sr. F Sedale Mason… Overbrook’s underrated backcourt of Srs 5-7 Maurice Millner & 5-5 Kyle Copeland are midgets, but are talented and will wreak havoc on both ends… George Washington has an imposing frontcourt in 6-6 235-lb Sr. F/C Bryon Gaddy & 6-7 Jr. PF Patrick Martin… Another of the league’s top Jrs. is lanky 6-7 4-man Tariek Belcher (Mastbaum Tech). Belcher is super-skilled and may be in for a breakout season… Finally, three more of the league’s better young players should shine on below average teams in Masterman’s skilled 6-6 Soph. F Zahir Carrington, Penn’s tough 5-9 lefty PG Janardo Lucas & U-City’s gritty 5-8 Soph. PG Aaron Stephens. Both could be amongst the best in the league at their positions by the end of the season…

Northern Division

CARDINAL DOUGHERTY – This year Cardinal Dougherty once again opens the season as my #1 Team in the area. They boast 3 D-I committed players in 6-7 245-lb Sr. PF DeSean White (Providence), 6-5 Sr. G/F Bilal Benn (Siena) & 6-7 Jr. SF Shane Clark (Villanova). The icing on the cake is recent Villanova signee PG 5-11 180-lb Sr. Kyle Lowry. Lowry was probably the top unsigned PG in the country until 3 weeks ago when he picked Nova.. The 5^th starter will be 6-0 Sr. wing sniper Timmy Smith. This team has already appeared in many National Top 15s and will take on quite possibly the Nation’s toughest schedule as they could face up to 10 other Nationally ranked squads. The season could depend on the starters stamina as CD is running with a thin bench, but one bench player does standout in 6-6 Sr. shot-blocker David Goode. He could prove to the X-factor as Goode could sub for virtually anyone and see key minutes.

ROMAN CATHOLIC – The Cahillites of Roman Catholic could be Dougherty’s toughest challenge with their mix of experience and depth. Everything will begin and end with 6-4 235-lb Sr. man-child Charron Fisher. Mr. Fisher is on pace to become Roman’s All-Time leader in scoring and rebounding. That’s lofty company. Should he not opt to except one of his seven D-I offers for football, he’ll wreak havoc in some Mid Major conference for basketball as at this level he has been known to be a 20/20 (Points/Rebounds) guy on good nights. The depth comes in the Cahillites having virtually two or three of everything else. Need PGs? Roman has both incumbent scrappy 5-10 Jr. Bobby Jordan & flashy 5-8 Soph. lefty Raymond “Doodles” Sims. Need Athletic wings? They have plenty of those too in 6-4 Jr. high-flyer Malik Perry, 6-4 Sr. crafty lefty Khalil Ferguson & not to mention 6-3 lefty shooter/Gridiron ace Andre Sloan-El. Ah how about bruising forwards? They have a pair of them as well in Srs. 6-5 Brett Johnson & 6-4 210-lb Scott Mascio. Both are strong, defensive stalwarts and very good athletes. Johnson has a high B-ball IQ and good skill level. The Cahillites also have a bright future as they may have brought in the best two classes in the last two years.

ST. JOHN NEUMANN – The Pirates were two-time Champs before bowing out in the Semis last year and are not to be counted out now as they boast quite possibly the best overall guard play in the area. It starts with LaSalle signee 5-8 quick silver general Tabby Cunningham. Cunningham is a top-notch defender and a super passer. I haven’t seen the defender on this level that could stay in front of him. Running with him in the starting line-up are 3 versatile 6-5 players in high-scoring Soph. Wing Earl Pettis, strong/athletic Jr. SF David Burton & the team’s emotional leader Sr. combo forward Adon El who’s adept and little things and defense. Two guards that could come off of the bench will also be keys in 6-2 Soph. WG Derrick Rivera & precocious 6-1 Freshman PG Antonio “Scoop” Jardine. Both are super talented and extremely hungry.

ST JOSEPH’S PREP – The defending Champs return their tough backcourt, but lost 3 starters including current Penn Freshman and City Co-POY Mark Zoller. The backcourt may be the league’s best however with 6-2 Sr. WG John Griffin, a Bucknell signee and tough 5-8 Sr. PG Chris Clark. Both are 4-year Varsity starters, both have great strokes with range and both have smarts and savvy. The Prep will receive a huge boost from 6-3 Soph. SF Reggie Redding, a hard-working nuts and bolts player who’ll do his damage off of dirty work.

ARCHBISHOP RYAN – The Raiders were CL runners up two years ago and this year look to get back to at least the Semis They return almost all of their key pieces from a year ago including their top player slick 6-5 lefty wing Joe Mullin. The free-spirited Mullin is a great athlete and has a high skill level. He’s the most underrated player in the league. 6-2 Sr. WG Jim Welsh is a sniper. 5-11 Soph. FB Ace Joe Zeglinski is another great shooter and may start at the point. 6-8 Soph. Center Kevin Hudgeons is the key here. If his production and progress continues, the Raiders could win the fight for 2^nd in the North.

LASALLE – Coach Marty Jackson’s squad will be very well coached and deep. They also have good size and good shooters. No one player stands out for the Explorers, but look for sniping 6-1 Sr. WG Kevin Moll to standout as well as 6-4 Sr. SF Nick Shattuck, possibly the team’s top talent. I also like lithe 6-6 Sr. F Kevin Ihlein, a sleeper. He could surprise some people.

OTHERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Again the rest of the CL will be balanced. Anything can happen on any given night. This League is indeed the most well scouted league in this area and quite possibly the country. Every coach does his homework. The team with the best opportunity to make noise is Monsignor Bonner behind its strong frontcourt of 6-4 225-lb Sr. F Randy Reid and Jrs. 6-7 PF Carlos Monroe & thin 6-9 Center Derrick Graff… West Catholic’s 6-5 Sr. wingman Marshall Taylor is one of the League’s top overall talents. He plays every position for the Burrs. Taylor will be looking to lead his squad to the playoffs… Kennedy Kenrick is said to be improved behind its top star 6-2 Sr. CG Amarildo Matos another one of the league’s underrated. He’s a sure D-I talent who just may slide through the cracks… Carroll’s 6-5 wing Mike Springman will carry the load in Radnor. His workload will be very similar to Taylor’s… Judge’s top player is hardnosed 6-5 Sr. F Steve Wolf. There is some talent around him that could make the Crusaders a contender for #2 in the North… Finally North Catholic will be much improved as its program is headed in the right direction behind head coach Mike McCarron…

PENN CHARTER – The defending Champs of both the Regular and Post season of the I-A are the slight favorite to defend their titles once again. Their Srs 6-9 F Rob Kurz (Notre Dame) & 6-0 PG Sean Singletary (Virginia) are all set and ready to move on to their D-I Programs. Singletary, in my opinion, is one of the top 5 PGs in America. He makes everyone around him look like a superstar and has the right attitude and persona to be successful. He should be the spokesman for point guards. Kurz is much improved as he’s not just an outside threat anymore. Now he’s much more aggressive in the trenches. 5-11 Jr. G Zack Zeglinski is a great 3-sport Athlete who is a great scorer. His youngest brother Sammy is a wise-beyond-his-years 5-11 Freshman PG who just may start in a 3-guard offense. Finally, 6-5 Jr. F James Hannah, the starting QB in football, may also weigh prominently into the line-up. He is similar to last year’s QB/SF Matt Ryan.

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY – The Patriots nearly dethroned the Quakers for the I-A post-season title last year after bowing down to them twice in the regular season. Their top two players are bookend Jr. Forwards 6-6 Ryan Ayers & 6-7 Brian Grimes. Ayers, the son of Sixers head coach Randy Ayers, is already considered one of the top 50 juniors in the country. Grimes is a hard worker and very good athlete. Two seniors will also have a say in 6-5 wing Joe Gill and 6-0 point man Larry Sharp. Both are great role players. There are at least 5-6 others who could contribute. The most intriguing is 6-8 Soph. PF Andrew Ott.

EPISCOPAL ACADEMY – Coach Dan Dougherty got a treat in the twilight of his great coaching career as not only will he get to coach one future All-American in 6-6 Super-Soph Gerald Henderson, but enter 6-4 WG Wayne Ellington from Reading. A super-Soph in his own right. This will be one of the more deadly tandems in City history. Henderson is an acrobatic physical specimen whose skills get better and better every night. Ellington is a super-skilled guard who can play multiple positions and score at will. Many evaluators have joked about getting season tickets to Churchmen games. Two others could prove to be keys in deep shooting 5-11 Sr. PG Brian Shanahan & raw 6-8 Freshman Center Mike Nealis.

OTHERS TO WATCH
The remainder of the Inter-Ac will have a tough time competing with the Big Three except Malvern Prep. Malvern is always very well coaches and they are led by reigning League MVP 6-4 Sr. do-it-all Brian Grandieri. Grandieri is a 4-year starter and thought of as a Lower Level D-I prospect. He does everything from play PG at times on offense to guarding the opponent’s best player, big or small on defense. His primary help comes in the form of 6-4 Sr. F Dan Plunkett, a good nuts and bolts player… Haverford School’s top player is 5-11 Sr. G Pete Kathopoulus, but they should be bolstered by two football wide-outs and very good athletes in 6-3 Sr. Dan Coleman & 6-2 Jr. John Decker… CHA’s only returnee with experience is hard-nosed 6-1 WG Chris McInerney…

14 - Philly Hoops Classic @ Philly U. (Consolation & Final Feat: Roman, GA & FJ)

23 - PL League Game: Edison@ U-City, Scholastic Classic II @ St. Joe's (6 Games)

26 - Olney & Scholastic Christmas Feat: Olney, Franklin, Frankford, Mansion, King & FLC