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Amauro's Corner Return to TedSilary.com Home Page Amauro "Amar" Austin is
a headliner among 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 games he sees. |
FEB. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE 1/8 (AAA Title Game)
Comm Tech 64, Franklin Learning Center 53
Another great game in a great day of
basketball at SJU. This is the 3rd of 4 great competitive Philadelphia Public
League basketball games as it featured two of the top teams in the state's AAA
bracket (could easily be a rematch in the Eastern Final). The Phoenix won going
away behind another vintage performance by 6-6 sr. SF Andrew "Scootie"
Randall (22P, 15R, 3A, 3S & 3B). There's much to appreciate about "Scootie's"
game. He's plays with as much sense as he does fire and has the will to win and
succeed and that's what could carry him to city and state titles in this his
senior year with help from his more than capable playmates. In watching CT this
season, I've noticed that when Randall gets help from two of his teammates, a
win is normally a given and here he got it from the junior tandem of PG
Antonio "Gee" Monroe (11P, 3A) & SF Virgil Pearson (9P, 5R). Both
came off the bench and were on a mission. Monroe, the normal starting point
guard, has been battling the flu and hasn't practiced much but came through
large in the 2nd half while Pearson has become the ultimate junkyard dog. His
two-handed tip dunk (with elbows over the rim) in the 2nd quarter was what
turned the game in the Phoenix's favor as the Bobcats were very much in control.
He also seemed to make every hustle play that you could think of while aiding in
the great defensive job on the Bobcats main scorers: whirlwind jr. G Denzel
Yard (4A, 4S) & sr. WG Khalief Trawick (19 points combined about 16
under their average). The best Bobcat was unheralded sr. PF Ryan White
with 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
AA's Notes: STATE SCHOOL ALERT!: FLC has three very good
D-II prospects that are all fully qualified and ready to go in Trawick (6-3 WG),
White (6-6 PF) & athletic sr. PG Kyle Sawyer (11P, 6R. All three could be
impact freshman at the D-II level... CT is gearing up for another long run
through the state tournament, but a battle with North Philly rival and newly
crowned AA Champion Strawberry Mansion BETTER not be looked past. It could prove
to be the game of the Pub Tournament... More on Randall: He seems to be saving
his best act for last. He's widely considered the best sr. in the city and will
more than likely attend Temple in the fall. He's also one of the closest kids to
me and although I don't say this to him much (smile), I'm VERY proud of how far
he's come and where he's going as he's grown up before my eyes.
FEB. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE ROUND OF 16
Frankford 66, Bartram 59
This was a typical Pub Playoff Goodie! The
Pioneers held court at home which you'd better do in the playoffs and lived to
set trends for another day. And the Braves have nothing to hold their heads down
about as they did everything they could to make the outcome otherwise. The
Pioneers jumped out to a huge early lead that led them into halftime at 42-26
and Brave coach James Brown breathing fire. That fire must have burnt his
team as they stormed all the way back to take a one-point lead with 4:15 left in
the 4th on a soph./jr. PF Danny Walker (9R) put-back making the score
53-52. The Pioneers stormed away from there winning the 2nd part of the 4th
quarter 14-6. Sr. PG Malik Ballard was the main culprit with 8 of his 18
in the 4th quarter. He also dished 7 assists. Ballard is one of the harder
players in the city and it always shows in big games. 6-6 sr. SF Malik
Tinsley also had a huge impact with 12 points, 17 boards & 4 blocks/3
steals. It seemed like every big board was his as he stretched his long lims out
to snatch them. JUCO ALERT!!!: This kid will be in the Big 12 after two years
somewhere in Kansas or Texas. The 3rd wheel here was precocious soph. CG
Dehaven Brown (11P, 7R, 2S). He goes about a well-built 6-0/6-1 and he
really play this game. He understands it better than most and carries it out the
same. His future is as bright as the sun... Soph. PG Harold Hicks was
steady as well also with 11 points (2 treys). The Braveheart banner was carried
by the norms sr. WG-SF Novar Gadson (6-6 210) & 6-1 soph. PG Tyrone
Garland. Gadson shook early rust for a game-high 23 points, to go along with
16 boards, steals & 4 blocks while Garland made play after play during the
comeback en route to his own 17 points (3 treys), 5 boads, 4 dishes & 4 steals.
AA's Notes: When in doubt, always bet on Frankford being
around late in the playoffs. It's just something about the mentality of the
athlete from that part of the city, but they just know how to win and always
seem to do a lot of it . . . Also not to be forgotten to the Brave cause was sr.
SF Clyde James, one of those true unsung hero types. James' line: 5P, 8R,
7A & 6S (all coming off of charges -- UNBELIEVABLE and UNHEARD of in a Pub
game). Congrats for paying attention to the nuances and details, young man . . .
Garland, IMO, has become the best young guard in the city and what's scary is
that his growth/maturity haven't even come to the mid-way point around the
circle. The next two years will be interesting for him.
FEB. 13
CATHOLIC NORTH PLAY-IN
La Salle 54, Judge 46
This was a great turn-the-corner win for the young
Explorers over an always competitive, well-coached Judge squad. I know it's
almost a week after the fact, but the lasting impression on this one was the
toe-to-toe war waged between D-III type PF prospects 6-7 sr. Matt Crozier
(17P, 10R, 3B) & 6-5 sr. PF Andrew Vose (17P, 14R, 3A). Both guys
dominated the other for a half so I guess we can call the battle a push. What
pushed the Explorers over the top was 6-9 soph. F-C C.J. Aiken (14P, 8R,
3A, 3B). The young post prospect was a game-long asset in many ways from ball
movement (one of many intangibles) to scoring to defense. He canned 6-of-8 from
the floor with both misses being treys (more on that later...), but one bucket
was a nice on the move pull-up mid range jumper. Sr. PG Frank Pierson was
also key to the cause as he won the PG battle with Judge's Matt McLaughlin.
The next best player in light blue was sr. CG Jim DiLisio (12P, 3A, 2S).
Jimmy D competed like crazy in his plays for keeps fashion before fouling out.
It was a night to forget for 6-5 sr. SF Bob Zanneo, who's normally quite
the sniper. He was only 1-for-8 on treys. I still like his prospectus though as
he's worked really hard this season on improving his game.
AA's Notes: The one thing I saw here that I truly
hated was the fact that the 6-9 Aiken was shooting treys. Yes, the youngster is
uber-skilled and has that new-age, 4-man way about him. The classic PF is almost
a thing of the past nowadays. I'm not opposed to him working on his three-point
stroke, but "C" should become dominant in the 10-foot-and-in area before
expanding his horizons too much. For my money, he's easily the best prospect in
this area in the class of 2010 so I think he'll figure it all out . . . This was
my third look at Judge this season and they were one of my favorite teams to
watch. They weren't the most skilled and lacked enough adequate ball handlers,
but no one could match their grit or toughness and that's what high school
athletics are all about: emptying the tank and leaving it all out there.
FEB. 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Overbrook 95, Edison 80
Man I've now seen Edison twice in the last 3
days and this was a much different crew from the first go' round as the
Panthers, a non-playoff team, came into their gym and pretty much handed it to
them from buzzer to buzzer. Very weird. It was the shootout that I'd hoped for
and had many entertaining moments. 'Brook super jr. G Nurideen Lindsey
was as advertised as he finally looks to be expanding his game beyond just being
a scorer. He truly led this inexperienced bunch with encouragement and example.
It was refreshing to watch in what just might have been his last game as a
Panther. Nuri' went for 38 points (14-for-22, 7-of-10, 3 treys), 6 assists & 3
steals. He had as efficient an afternoon as you'll ever see. His main help came
from inside grunt sr. Vernon Harris (6-5 and very wiry strong) who abused
the frontline-less Owls for 29 points and 22 rebounds (also 4A, 4S & 3B). He's a
college prospect at some level, but will probably need JC and local JCs (Del
Tech, Harcum, Gloucester, Burlington, etc.) should be all over the
bouncy 4-man. For Edison, sr. WG George Baker started off like he
finished against King, making all 4 of his 3 point attempts before halftime, but
he then came back tto earth only making 2-of-9 in the 2nd half. He did manage 24
points, 4 assists & 3 steals before fouling out. Sr. PG Eric Jones
grinded out 18 points, 4 assists & 3 steals of his own while never giving up.
Jr. sniper Luis Martinez, who is the one guy that could one day take down
Baker's record in the very near future, had a rough day and was slowed even more
by rolling his ankle. He's probably the most lights-out shooter in the city when
left open, but will not reach his full heights until he gets himself in the best
possible shape. By doing so much more of his game will change for the better.
AA's Notes: The City losing Lindsey could be bittersweet. I
mean I'm almost NEVER an advocate of a kid transferring for one year as so many
bad things can happen. Though I do see where it cam be necessary, too, and maybe
Lindsey going to a place like Oak Hill (which has like a 95% success rate with
guys just like him -- hint, hint, clue, clue...) or a New England Prep school
may not be all bad. For my own selfish basketball reasons, I'd like to see him
stay right at 'Brook where he'd score 1,000 points in his senior year and
overtake Wilt's mark and become the "Castle on the Hill's" all-time leader in
buckets, but it's not my call and if it comes down to staying at Overbrook or
making it to La Salle, his future destination for college, then it's a
no-brainer. 'Brook's only had around a dozen NBA players, among other greats, so
that just goes to show how great a feat that would be and what kind of company
it would put him in. So you can see why it's a tough subject. We'll see what
happens. It should be interesting, to say the least... Is it a requirement that
only 3-point shooters play at Edison? Deep sub jr. Eddie Rivera got
extended PT in the 2nd half when Martinez went out and he calmly nailed 3 treys
in 8 attempts... And the trail continues...
FEB. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Edison 89, King 71
Yes, folks, I’m back and what a way to get back into
the game as today I watched Owl sr. WG George Baker break (shatter!) the
city record for threes in a game with 13 -- yes, 13 -- of them en route to going
for 48 points and pushing the Owls into a playoff spot. Baker went for 20 points
in the 4th quarter, including 6-of-9 on treys. He shot 13-for-21 overall on
treys and 17-for-27 total, 1-for-5 from the line and he did have one assist.
This was clearly the best performance I’ve seen all season. Edison as a team
shot a sweltering 20-for-36 (55%) on threes. Jr. Gs Anthony Colon
(4-for-5, 12 points) & Luis Martinez (3 treys en route to 15 points) also
did some sniping and sr. PG Eric Jones had an impressive line of 8P, 8R,
10A & 3S, but this was Baker’s afternoon as his lucky #13 (also known as a
Baker’s dozen) will be the talk of the city in tomorrow’s paper. King was
missing its top prospect in 6-2 jr. PG Alex Gaddy, whom I’ve yet to see
play, but have heard some nice things about. Gaddy was forbidden to play by the
school nurse because of a high temperature caused by flu symptoms. Sr. Fs
Dwain Winkfield (power) 28P, 13R, 3B & Antonio Wormley (small) 26P,
5R, 4A held down the fort but no one was able to hold down George as both took
turns guarding him in man-to-man sets. Both are college prospects with solid
academic resumes, though, and D-IIIs should be knocking down their doors.
Winkfield is 6-3+/6-4- and projects as a 3/4 and Wormley is 6-2+/6-3- and
projects as a utility guy who can play either wing spot and maybe even some
point guard.
AA’s Notes: It
feels good to be back. I’ve been on the trail all along, but time constraints
have limited my time to write reports for the site that has done so much for me
that you can’t imagine. In my travels, people have asked so many questions from
are you OK?, to are you coming back?, to what’s your next move? Well, I’m back
and here to stay and it's fitting as it's now crunch time, my favorite time of
the year, February. It's win or go home to shed a tear time, baby . . . I’ve got
so much to say, I don’t know where to start. I’ll say this right now, though:
Thanks to everyone for caring about me and what’s going on in my life. It's
greatly appreciated and I’ll never forget it. I mean being a mailman is a job
that I like and will probably do until I retire, God willing, but watching and
being a part of the development of young men who used to walk in the same shoes
as myself is something that I live for and will always be a part of as well.
It’s a great balance . . . There are more reports to come this week and, as I
said, there’s just so much to say, but I’ll leave with this: Edison is not a
team I’d want to see in the playoffs. They can truly beat you with the longball
as the Golden Cougars found out this afternoon.