On the Trail With Ted Return to Home Page  Observations, notes, etc., on games I've seen during 2003-04 . . .

MARCH 7
CATHOLIC LEAGUE FINAL
SJ Prep 84, Dougherty 61
   This squad's a modern miracle! Against a much more talented team, the Hawks simply slapped together a nearly perfect performance and won in what came close to a cakewalk. In the process, they gave Speedy Morris his eighth CL title (two at Prep, six at Roman) and ninth overall as a high school coach (also one at Penn Charter). The backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West -- oops, sr. PG Chris Clark and sr. WG John Griffin -- was outstanding. Clark, recently offered a scholarship by Hartford but still undecided, shot 8-for-10 (1-for-2 on treys) and 8-for-9 for 25 points while adding five assists and helping to keep his team's turnover total incredibly low (six). Griffin, a Bucknell signee, shot 7-for-11 (4-for-5 on treys) and 9-for-9 for 27 points while adding four assists. Soph F Reggie Redding (16 points, 7-for-10 floor) and sr. C Mike Kearney (10, 4-for-6; late dunk to make The Prep's fans go berserk) also reached double figures. Check out these team numbers for shooting: 27-for-44 from the floor (61 percent), 23-for-29 at the line (79 percent) and 7-for-12 on three-pointers (58 percent). The Hawks also connected on 17 of their first 24 field-goal attempts (71 percent). Take away a 1-for-5 showing by the subs and The Prep was 26-for-39 (TWO-THIRDS!!). Though the Hawks trailed, 22-21, late in the first half, they closed with a 9-0 run and demoralized the Cards little by little thereafter. For the second time in the playoffs, Dougherty's leading scorer was one of the lesser lights, sr. PG Tim Smith (16 points; he also dished five assists). The physical Kearney did an excellent job on sr. C DeSean White (14 points, nine rebounds), who got almost no clean looks and often was unable to convince his teammates that an entry pass would be a safe move. Sr. F Shane Clark had 14 points and six boards. Sr. G Kyle Lowry, unsuccessful in a title game for the third consecutive year (he played at Northeast as a soph), had to settle for nine points, three assists and two steals before fouling out with 3:44 left. In closing, I'd like to share part of an e-mail I received late Sunday night about The Prep from a rabid fan of another CL South school. It speaks volumes about this team, and coach: "I will now say unequivocally that over the last 2 years the Prep has played some of the finest TEAM HS BB that I have ever seen. My hat's off to a really tremendous TEAM. And this team was put together by a legend of a HS coach, Speedy Morris. I still marvel that a man who has had so much college coaching success can come back to HS at his age and still have so much fire in his belly. They have had a run the last 2 years that's been truly fantastic. Hopefully some day these kids' detractors will realize what a special team they are." (If the man who sent this wants me to post his name and/or affiliation, I will gladly do so.)

MARCH 3
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
SJ Prep 59, La Salle 52
   Long before the game started, La Salle's student fans began streaming into Tom Gola Arena and a Prep kid hollered from across the way, "Go home while you can!" Not sure if he knew the night's "big news" or was just messing around in general. The "big news" was this: La Salle sr. F Nick Shattuck would be unable to play. He'd twisted an ankle in Tuesday's practice. So, did the Explorers go meekly? Of course not! They stormed to a 7-0 lead on a drive by sr. G Ryan Kirk, a basket by sr. F Kevin Moll on a pass from sr. G Mike Stanton (he started in Shattuck's place) and a step-back, right-wing trey by Kirk. It wasn't all downhill from there, either, because the Explorers played hard and well and made things sticky for The Prep into the third quarter. They even had a few good moments in the fourth, but overall the talent gap was just too much to overcome. The 7-point spread is a shade deceptive as La Salle closed hard against second-liners. A three-point play by steady soph F Reggie Redding gave the Hawks a 22-20 lead with 2:09 left in the first half and his nifty pass to sr. WG John Griffin (12 points), who nailed a trey, enabled them to run to the locker room with a 26-20 edge. By 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter, the score was 33-24. Griffin had canned another trey in that span and followed his own missed trey with an easy follow; the ball bounced right back to him long and no Explorers wound up in the vicinity. Redding had 16 points, nine boards, four assists and three steals. Sr. F-C Mike Kearney scored a season-high 15 points on 5-for-6, 5-for-5 marksmanship. If not for foul trouble, he would have scored even more, no doubt. Sr. PG Chris Clark had a quiet night overall (six points, four assists), but one stat spoke very loudly -- no turnovers. Kirk led La Salle with 17 points (three treys) and sr. PG Colin Fitzgerald added 11. There were some great chants from the student rooters. There were also some that might mean a few kids will have to visit the principal's office (smile). The one chant La Salle's kids knew HAD to come at some point from The Prep's kids was a reference to the cancelation of a certain holiday football game. "Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving!" I mentioned this in the paper and want to mention it here, too: Shattuck was La Salle's third rotation member to go down with an injury. Sr. G Brian Hogan and jr. C Brian Carlin were lost earlier (and sr. F Kevin Ihlein was unavailable into January). That makes the job done this season by the players and coaches even more impressive.

MARCH 2
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Dougherty 66, Neumann 62
   Just when you thought Dougherty had learned its lesson from what happened in the quarterfinal vs. Wood . . . phew, this squad is nothing if not perplexing. The Cardinals led by 19 at halftime and by 17 after three quarters, then came damn close to losing. They almost ignored their hottest hand (F Shane Clark) throughout the second half after he'd scored TWENTY points in the first half, and they kept fouling and fouling as if they were behind, not ahead. Coach Mark Heimerdinger, who sports the shaved-head look, said, "Good thing I don't have any hair. It would ALL be gray." The Cards' bizarre behavior began in the shootaround, when a few of them engaged in a can-you-top-this? dunk contest. This was long before the refs arrived. I kept thinking, "These guys are certifiable. If they have no legs in the fourth quarter, this'll be the reason." Was all the dunking the reason they were outscored by 28-15 in the fourth quarter? It couldn't have helped. Anyway, here are some numbers. Clark had 25 points, six boards, three assists, two steals and four blocks (three down the stretch). Sr. G Kyle Lowry had 18 points, 14 rebounds (what a warrior!), four assists and three steals. Before fouling out with 4:10 left, sr. C DeSean White had 14 points and seven boards. Sr. PG Tim Smith had seven assists (and one nice sign held up in tribute by a couple of girls -- "Tim's So Hot." It made him turn slightly red. The Neumann guys chanted, "No He's Not!") For Neumann, which next year will merge with its sister school, St. Maria Goretti, in the latter's building, five players scored from nine to 12 points. Sr. F-C Adon El and jr. F David Burton (11 rebounds) had 12 apiece. Frosh G Antonio "Scoop" Jardine had 11. Sr. PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham had 10. Soph G-F Earl Pettis had nine. As Neumann kept coming, Dougherty's lead dwindled to 12 points, nine, seven, five, two! That happened with 1:10 left as Jardine drained a left-wing trey. At 1:07, stopped the bleeding by converting a double bonus, making it 64-60. Burton scored inside and Dougherty committed a turnover. But the Pirates were done. They could not score again. The Cards' last two points came on Lowry's free throws at 22.2. Lowry twice earlier made huge plays. Off an inbound pass from Smith, he hit a trey in the last instant of the third quarter. Near the end of the second quarter, he buried a trey to cap a quick, 7-point flurry that followed a tech on Neumann coach Carl Arrigale. Amazingly, Lowry had just one other FG. There were 47 fouls and 63 free throws. Only White fouled out, but six players had four personals and three had three. Dougherty is again back in the title game. Its opponent will be decided when SJ Prep meets La Salle. This has already been decided: Dougherty ALWAYS finds ways to make things interesting. Ex-Card Bilal Benn, dismissed from school earlier this season, was in attendance, wearing a Lebron James McDonald's All-American replica jersey. After sitting out for 30 days, per NJ rules, he made his debut the other night in a playoff game for Cherokee HS, in Marlton. The Chiefs won and Bilal, a Siena signee, had 16 points. Just after the Dougherty-Neumann game ended, Benn made a visit to the locker room. On the way in, he hugged Heimerdinger and told him, "Oh, man! Sorry! My fault, coach." I took that to mean he realized he would have provided stability during the second-half craziness.

FEB. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Frankford 59, Univ. City 54
   This was a very unusual matchup for a Pub semifinal in that neither team had a headliner in the true sense of the word. Frankford had no one on first OR second team All-Pub (top 20 players) and U. City had just one, second-teamer Anthony Morrison (jr. SF; 15th-ranked player). This was the first time since 1965, when Franklin beat Central, 59-55, that both teams involved in a semi did not have a coaches' first team All-Pub honoree!!! (The league honored just five players that season; not 10. The last previous occurrence had been in 1952, when Lincoln beat Southern, 64-47. Only five were honored from 1967 backward.). So, with that in mind, we probably should not have been surprised when the game turned out sloppy and largely difficult to watch. The teams combined to miss 74 shots from the floor and 32 at the line. Plus, there were 45 personals and 34 turnovers. Phew! Even game personnel had off days. The second half had to be slightly delayed because the clock operator and PA announcer were late getting back from the hospitality room. "I just saw them in there myself, getting food," said Amauro, who was ALMOST late returning to his stat-keeping duties (smile). The subject of my DN story was soph SF Lewis Leonard, a lefty. He had 19 points, three rebounds, two steals and five blocks and he shot much better on treys (3-for-6) than he did on regulars (2-for-8) and free throws (6-for-14). Also starring for Frankford was sr. F Malik Dickerson, who willed his way to nine points, 16 boards and four blocks. (I have the sinking feeling I neglected to mention Malik in the DN. If so, many apologies!) Soph PF-C Lorenzo Byrd had some tough-guy moments with nine points and as many rebounds. Jr. FB QB Lamont Brown hit a big trey and then told me later, "Watch out for us in football next year!" OK, I will. The point guard duties were shared by jrs. Ryan Smith and Maurice Miller. Smith was there on time. Miller, owing to a family emergency that sent him to NYC for the weekend, was not. Smith had eight points, two assists and four steals. Miller did not play until the third quarter and went for six points, four dishes, two pilfers. He had to switch pants with deep sub Mikal Brown because he forgot to pack his own and came to La Salle directly from NYC. For UC, Morrison never got untracked and his flow was disrupted by foul trouble. He shot 2-for-14 en route to seven points, but did snag nine boards. Sr. PF-C Jeffery "All Five" Andrepoint had nine points and 11 boards, but went 1-for-9 at the line. Sr. G Antoine Coaxum battled for 21 points and rallied the Jaguars with 15 in the fourth quarter. He also had 11 boards, mostly on pure hustle. Soph PG Aaron Stephens again was impressive, collecting 14 points, two assists and five steals. He's quick and elusive and knows how to play. Threes by Smith and L. Brown, sandwiching a Leonard free throw, gave Frankford a 48-42 lead. But the feisty-as-ever Jaguars (no one over 6-2) kept hanging around and stormed within 56-54 when Coaxum swished a contested, right-side heave at 0:13. Frankford immediately swept downcourt, though, and sr. G Washchonne Savoy was called for an intentional foul as he bear-hugged jr. G Alfred Thomas to prevent a breakaway. Thomas made the second shot and, off the inbound pass, Miller was hacked and converted a double bonus at 9.1. As much as UC's players gave their all, the fans did not. I could not believe how many departed when the issue was still very much in doubt. Bad form! All kinds of college coaches (heads, assistants) showed up, which was nice. Among them were Monte Ross, Bruiser Flint, Tyrone Weeks, Fang Mitchell, Geoff Arnold . . . and I probably forgot some.

FEB. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Gratz 70, Bartram 67
   We're all still hearing whistles. Tweet, tweet, tweet. There were 46 personals. Four guys fouled out (two apiece) and three others finished with four. There were also 59 free throws. Nevertheless, the game wound up being enjoyable in part because Bartram showed worlds of heart and crunched Gratz on the glass, 36-20. Also, the Braves rallied from an 18-point deficit in the last 5-plus minutes of the third quarter and even took a lead, at 51-49, as the fourth quarter started on a trey by sr. G Tywain McKee on a pass from sr. G-F Maurice Wood. Gratz sr. PG Tyrone "Tamir" Smith was on the bench for the disastrous period due to foul trouble. Gratz' recovery matched his reappearance, not surprisingly, and the Bulldogs scored nine of the next 13 points. My DN story focused on sr. WG Malcolm Welles, a k a Mr. Defense. Malcolm took just one shot from the floor (it missed), but was ultraimportant because of his defensive work on McKee. Gratz mostly played man-to-man through three quarters and McKee had two points. He did finish with 15 on 5-for-17 total and 3-for-11 on treys. He came somewhat close on a 65-foot heave to end the game after Welles made the second of two free throws at 1.7. Welles converted a double bonus at 36.2 to provide a 67-63 lead. Great job under pressure, considering he'd launched the ball only one time all game. Sr. WG-SF Mark Tyndale finished with 24 points before fouling out with 2:19 left. As always, he mixed explosiveness with moves that were calm and cool. As preparation for the next level, I would like to see him stick an occasional standstill jumper. He will need that skill. Smith had 13 points and three assists. The workmanlike Jason Hickenbottom mixed 16 points, seven boards and three steals. Sr. C Matthew Walden made five of his six shots for 10 points. However, he missed large chunks due to foul trouble and had just two boards. Jr. sub PG Jamar Bruce coverted a huge double bonus with 11.9 left. Wood did an excellent job, shooting 5-for-11 and 7-for-7 for 17 points and distributing six assists. Sr. PF-C Chris Seaborn looked as if he was going to have the best game of his life in the early going. He, too, got chomped on by the personal foul bug and he had to settle for 15 points and eight boards. Jr. PG Marquise Carrington had nine points. Frontcourt subs Justin Lawus and Rhafique Price contributed five and four rebounds, respectively. And now, here it is, the most amazing stat of the game, especially considering his difficult workload: Malcolm Welles finished with NO fouls! Amazing.

FEB. 28
CATHOLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Neumann 57, Roman 47
   It would have been hard to match the magic of Friday night's twinbill, and this one didn't come close. The crowd wasn't too bad, but the noise level was usually low and many of the spectators were adults with no true rooting interest. Despite the 10-point spread, the game was still in doubt in the final minute. Roman just couldn't get it done and became the only higher-seeded team to lose in the semis. My DN story for Monday focused on 6-5 jr. F David Burton. He scored just six points, but added 15 boards and six blocks and was truly a difference-maker. His strong presence was needed because sr. F-C Adon El (11 points, eight rebounds) had to spend a long stretch on the bench due to foul trouble. Sr. PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham, a La Salle signee (and qualified for freshman eligibility), had 16 points, four assists and three steals. He had a mixed fourth quarter -- nine points, but also four missed free throws and two late turnovers that could have been killers. The game's big play occurred with just over a minute remaining. Soph F Earl Pettis and El missed inside shots and then soph G Derrick "D.J." Rivera (nine points) battled for yet another board and converted a three-point play for a 50-46 lead. Roman then faded badly despite getting some help from the refs. When jr. PG Bobby Jordan missed a trey, the ball bounced high against one of the basket's support poles. All three refs missed it and Roman got possession out of bounds. One free throw resulted. Neumann coach Carl Arrigale had a great comment for the refs when Jordan earlier went to the line after a borderline foul call: "That's Bobby Jordan, not Michael Jordan!" Roman franchise sr. F Charron Fisher had 16 points and nine boards, shooting 6-for-16. His best buddy from Pennsauken, N.J., sr. F Andre Sloan-El, had 10 points. Along with Dougherty and SJ Prep, Roman is scheduled to travel to Frostburg, Md., for the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. The wait to play will be almost three weeks (March 18-20). It's going to seem v-e-r-y l-o-n-g.

FEB. 27
CATHOLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
La Salle 45, Ryan 43
   I would bet THIS hasn't happened too often in basketball history: a team winning a playoff despite going roughly 14 minutes without a FG. It happened in this one and the primary reason was sr. F Nick Shattuck. With 4:48 left in the third quarter, he hit a shot to break the long drought -- the Explorers were fine after that -- and he also won the game by hitting a short bank shot with 6.2 seconds left off a pass from sr. PG Colin Fitzgerald (five assists). Shattuck shot 8-for-14 and 5-for-8 for 21 points (eight more than anyone else in the game) and grabbed 10 rebounds (four more than anyone else). Nick is being swamped with interest from IIs and IIIs and Is such as Lafayette and Air Force are also sniffing. It's not a stretch to think he could play there. He moves well, improves on a daily basis and will add weight as he gets older. What's with the Ivy League schools? Why aren't they involved? Amauro thinks Nick could definitely become a solid D-I recruit by attending Hill School or some other prep school for a year. I agree completely. Not saying he couldn't go somewhere now, but after one more year he'd go in as an immediate contributor, no doubt. Anyway, there was lots of stalling as this one wound down. After sr. F Kevin "Team Funnyman" Moll hit two free throws with 2:36 left, creating a 43-43 tie, Ryan held and held with La Salle's cooperation. At 48.7, the Raiders committed a turnover as soph G Joe Zeglinski whipped the ball over the baseline. The man covering sr. F Jim Welsh had fallen and my assumption is that Joe was expecting Jim to cut to the basket. He didn't -- again, this is an assumption -- because the orders were to run more clock. La Salle then held and held and at 7.8 the ball went over the baseline after sr. G Ryan Kirk made a move across the lane. Possession to La Salle. The winning play followed. The game ended as Zeglinski was unable to connect on a three-pointer from the upper part of the left wing. He was maybe 2 feet behind the arc. Welsh (three treys) led Ryan with 13 points. Sr. F Joe Mullin had 11 along with five assists. Ziggy had nine points. I told Amauro at one point, "If Ryan wins and Zeglinski gets the writeup, the headline could say, 'Ryan Gettin' Ziggy With It.' " There are two Zeglinskis at Penn Charter (Zack, Sam) and like Joe they play multiple sports. There's still time for that headline to make an appearance (smile).

FEB. 25
CATHOLIC NORTH PRE-PLAYOFF
Wood 70, North Catholic 55
   Technically, this was not a playoff win. But it was definitely a postseason win and when your school is 0-for-Forever, you take it and run and let others worry about the exact label. What a weird one. Wood had no chance to fret over possibly extending its postseason futility to 0-11 because North was kind enough to miss its first 13 shots and fall into a 21-1 hole. That's right. Wood scored 21 of the first 22 points. North did not succeed from the floor until frosh G-F Andrew Pomager nailed a 12-footer on the left side of the lane 2 minutes and 27 seconds into the second quarter. As it often does, Wood had numerous heroes. My DN story focused on jr. PG Matt Spadafora, the brother and nephew of Vikings who had experienced postseason failure. (He had, too. This is his third year of postseason activity). Matt shot 6-for-8 and 8-for-8 for 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Sr. F Tim Walters had 17 points and nine boards and the smaller wing players, sr. Brian "I've Beaten My Brother Blair for Years and Years at One on One" Klumpp and jr. Corey "Handyman" Filer, were their usual hustling, put-the-team-first selves. Major contributions came from the bench as jr. F Mike Piselli shot 3-for-3 and 5-for-6 for 11 points and sr. C John Gwiazdowski mixed eight points and five boards. "Gwiz" is a bulky lefty and will never win any contests based on grace. He did embark on a few interesting drives, though, and the fans loved what they were watching. A Wood insider tells me Gwiz has had some rough experiences in his life, and that he's held in high regard for how he's handled them. For North, the night was a disheartening end to what, overall, had been an uplifting season. Sr. WG Chalie Evans returned from his ankle injury (ask "Hockey Puck" the story; see if his version makes sense -- smile) to score 14 points off the bench. He was not completely comfortable and could not always get the proper lift on his jumpers; almost all of his misses were short. He went 4-for-14 on treys. The Falcons' other usualy reliable dialer-from-distance, jr. John Adamski, went just 1-for-12 overall and 1-for-11 on treys. The only impressive Falcon was Pomager (17 points on just nine shots). This kid's feel for the game is uncanny. Late in the third quarter, North did regroup and climb within 47-36. The Vikings reeled off five points to finish that session -- the capper was a three-point play by Walters on a feed from Klumpp -- and four more to open the last. A jumper by "Spads" created a 20-point pad. I did feel badly for one North player, F Paul Chladek. He ranks No. 2 in the senior class academically and, though not supremely talented, he did find ways to make contributions in the games I saw earlier this season. Once, in fact, he probably played well enough to "deserve the ink." But as the season ended, he was the 11th man as decisions were made to go with others. It had to hurt him. From all outward appearances, he accepted it and remained loyal to the team. We salute him.

FEB. 22
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 56, Roman 47
   Maybe we all expected too much. Just because the stakes were so high, with the South title on the line, and just because an overflow crowd was on hand at Prep, maybe we all expected a classic. It was anything but. The teams combined to shoot 36-for-104 from the floor and 9-for-37 on treys and the game was often butt ugly. The halftime score was 19-16, Prep. Stinko! There were some definite oddities: Prep sr. WG John Griffin fired 15 shots and every one was a trey. He made just three but went 6-for-6 at the line for 15 points. Roman sr. F-C Charron Fisher went just 2-for-16 and the four-point outing was likely the worst of his life (plus his future college coach at Niagara, Joe Mihalich, was watching). He did grab 12 rebounds. There was one stretch of decent basketball and it was all Prep. With 5:41 left in the fourth quarter, Fisher made just his second basket -- he never did go to the line -- to bring Roman within 35-33. The Hawks then went crazy, though, and tallied 15 of the next 19 points. Sr. PG Chris Clark had three layups during the span and Griffin whipped a behind-the-back pass to soph F Reggie Redding (10 rebounds, two blocks) for an easy basket. Roman was cooked. Sr. F-C Mike Kearney grabbed six boards, made his only three shots and did an excellent job banging with Fisher out of Prep's zone defense. Sr. WG Jared Black drained two early treys and finished with three total for nine points. For Roman, sr. F Andre Sloan-El had 14 points and jr. F Malik Perry mixed 13 points with eight boards. Not one Cahillite truly played well, though. In the fourth quarter, a man not too far from Roman's bench began calling, at high volume, for Roman's coaching staff to be replaced and for a certain player to be reinserted into the lineup. When that player did make it back onto the court, almost immediately he made an ill-advised rush down the lane and was called for an offensive foul. It was THAT kind of day.

FEB. 21
INTER-AC SHOWCASE FINAL
Penn Charter 86, Gtn. Academy 75
(Click here for boxscore/photos)
   One of these years, I suspect, league honchos will make this event an actual tournament that decides the champion. For now it's for amusement purposes (well, also for exposure and pride) and that showed among the spectators. They applauded good plays, but there was no unabashed enthusiasm; at least not the kind you would see at a regular season showdown. Overall, though, a good time was had by all. And roughly $2,200 was raised for Coaches vs. Cancer. Like always, PC received big-time showings from its D-I signees, sr. PG Sean Singletary (Virginia) and sr. F Rob Kurz (Notre Dame). Singletary had 26 points, five assists and two steals and several times had his trademark bursts of dominance. It's almost like he says, "OK, let me take this game by the throat for a couple minutes." I've been fond of telling people that Sean three or four times per game makes plays that no one else on the court is capable of making. Today the number was more like two, but we'll live with it (smile). Kurz sniffed a quadruple double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and eight blocks. Phew! Coach Jim "Flipper" Phillips said he told jr. WG Zack Zeglinski before the game, "This is the last time you'll ever have to settle for under 15 shots." He took just nine in this one, but he hit seven and four were treys so he finished with 24 points. Sr. G Hanif Hopkins claimed three rebounds. Frosh WG Sam/Sammy Zeglinski had four dishes and two steals. Jr. F R.J. Hollinshead, a starter until he suffered an early-January injury, tallied seven points and two of his baskets came almost immediately after his insertions. It would have been interesting to see the full squads go at it, but GA was still missing jr. F Brian Grimes (hand injury). He likely would have kept Kurz from having so much inside success. The Patriots put four players in double figures, led by jr. F Ryan Ayers with 21. He was a shade off, though (6-for-16), and he did not step out beyond the arc as much as I expected. Sr. PG Larry Sharp -- always remember this: he scored the first points in showcase history last year (smile) -- went out with 13 points and three assists. Soph C Andrew Ott had 10 points and as many boards and should take some nice thoughts into his offseason, I-need-to-improve program. He still has a little of that wide-eyed, I'm-not-sure-I-belong look, but he shouldn't. He DOES belong and has a chance to be very good. Sr. F Jeff Neubert notched eight points in limited duty. Some serious firepower in the officiting crew: Gary Duda ('88) scored 1,535 points at Malvern and Horace "Pappy" Owens ('79), our City Player of the Year as a senior, scored 1,420 at Dobbins well before the three-point rule came into effect. The third ref was George Geiss. No firepower, as far as I know, but one of the truly good guys you'll run into.   

FEB. 20
CATHOLIC NORTH
Wood 65, North Catholic 56
   Contrary to popular belief, I am not now employed by Wood's school paper. But yes, this was my third straight look at the Vikings (smile). Tonight they swept into North with a still-alive thirst for a playoff spot and were pretty much in control from the outset. They also received great support from their section of student fans; noteworthy considering Warminster is not exactly around the corner from Kensington and Torresdale. The most impressive thing about this win was that it came without a significant contribution from the team's most talented player, jr. PG Matt Spadafora. "Spads" had just six points and one assist, but ran the offense efficiently in North's madhouse Pit. My DN story focused on sr. WG Brian Klumpp, a pitcher-infielder who knows his organized hoops career is winding down and is trying to make the most of it. He scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half while adding totals of three rebounds and four assists. Sr. F Tim Walters was consistently productive all night, contributing 15 points, nine boards, five dimes (where does that word come from, anyway??) and two blocks. The other headliner was 6-8 jr. C Rob Pearson. I thought I was a jinx to this kid because he had truly struggled in previous appearances. But in this one, he was confident and cool and stuck short jumper after short jumper while claiming eight rebounds. He poured in 19 points and went 9-for-10 from the floor. One of those "makes" was a freebie because the ball was actually batted into the basket by a Falcon. He happened to be the closest Vike. Jr. G Mike Piselli, now coming off the bench, mixed six points, three boards and three assists. Jr. handyman (there's that word again -- smile) Corey Filer had five boards. North had almost no inside game and relied on three-point bombing or penetration/short jumpers by soph WG Nate Edwards (11 points, all in the second half). Jr. WG John Adamski scored 15 points, but was 4-for-13 on treys. With the first basket of the fourth quarter, Wood seized a 14-point lead at 46-32. North rallied, though, and stormed within 49-44 with 5:51 left as frosh G-F Andrew Pomager grabbed a rebound and went end-to-end for a layup, even mixing in a behind-the-back dribble. Wood sub Theo Jensen injured his ankle during that sequence and there was a 5-minute delay. When play resumed, North's momentum vanished. The Falcons did not help their cause by shooting 3-for-10 at the line in the fourth quarter. Some funny lines were uttered by North's students, who sat near midcourt in the first half and then moved to the far end of the gym in the second, so they could be closer to Wood's. Referring to one Wood player's allegedly receding hair line, one kid yelled, "That's not a forehead! That's a fivehead!" All night, Wood coach Joe Sette kept yelling "Tom!" when he was trying to get the attention of one of the refs. As I told him later, the ref was Chris DeFelice. His father, Tom, is a prominent college ref as well as the football coach at Bok. Joe also got a good going-over from the North students about his mustache, sideburns, suit, everything (smile). I think I saw him chuckle to himself once or twice. Here's the setup for Sunday: the winner of the North at Ryan game will get third. The loser will fall to fourth. Wood can force a pre-playoff by beating visiting McDevitt. A pre-playoff would likely take place Tuesday night. Site to be announced. Memo to the Vikings: You're on your own tomorrow. I'll be watching Roman and SJ Prep. Don't take it personally (smile).

FEB. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Univ. City 57, Olney 47
   You know how some developments are hard to figure? This is one of them. The Jaguars are going to the semis even though they were only 7-6 during the regular season. Even though no member of the rotation stands taller than 6-2. Even though they had to bump off two opponents in road games. But do it they did and these guys deserve much credit! This is the second time in eight seasons that UC has made it to the semis the hard way, by winning two road games. Only one other team (Central in '02) has matched that feat during that time frame. Check out this oddity: Despite their lack of size, the Jaguars did not bomb away from the perimeter. In fact, they had no successful treys for the game and attempted just four. The rotation includes three lefties and two of them, sr. C Jeffery "All Five" Andrepoint (the PG last season!) and jr. G-F Anthony Morrison, have some bulk. Andrepoint has that emotional-leader aura and he often interacted with UC's fans to make sure they knew the support was appreciated, and that even more was needed. He banged all day with Olney's pogo-sticking Eric "Ugs" Adams and kept him from creating big-time damage. Morrison went 6-for-11 and 4-for-6 for 16 points and added 11 rebounds. Soph PG Aaron Stephens, a true quickster, showed no fear and was able to penetrate at will. Despite heavy foul trouble, he had eight points, four assists and even six boards. Sr. WG Antoine Coaxum also showed no-fear tendencies, and he went 4-for-4 from the line down the stretch to help expand the lead. Andrepoint and Coaxum are South Philly kids, so their approach/demeanor is no surprise. Sr. G Terrence Cutner scored 10 points. The other lefty, sr. Leo Tilghman, has guard size and inside duties. He also roamed the inside, banging with Adams and 6-5 jr. F-C Kevin Riley. The Jags scored 14 of the last 18 points, a spurt that began with six in a row after the score was tied at 43-43. Though Adams grabbed 17 rebounds and scored 12 points, UC kept him from getting those soar-over-everyone putbacks that can be so demoralizing. Sr. PG Andrew Jerry had an off day. He went just 4-for-20 (1-for-8 on treys) and was unable to get the ball to Adams in scoring position against UC's tight zone. Sr. G-F Kevin Presberry hit three treys (all in the third quarter) en route to 16 points. He picked up his fourth foul with 5 1/2 minutes left and sat down for more than three minutes. His absence hurt. Sr. WG Jarrick Long had seven assists. There was a large security presence for this one. Olney has had some in-school problems recently and there were rumors -- not yet substantiated, as far as I know -- that a UC fan flashed a gun during a game with Central last week. The rumors got as far as school district personnel and that caused the big security show of force -- at least 20 guards/administrators/etc. As for the Only in the Pub occurrence of the day: there was no trainer on hand until the second half. UC coach Ken Gritter was taping players' ankles both before the game and at halftime.

FEB. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 PLAYOFF
Gratz 81, Straw. Mansion 63
   Not much of a contest. Gratz pretty much did what it wanted to do in the paint and scorched the Knights in transition, uncorking at least a half-dozen dunks. My DN story focused on sr. PG Tyrone Smith, who prefers to go by his middle name Tamir. So Tyrone "Tamir" Smith he is (smile). This 6-footer is beyond athletic. He can dunk with anyone his size and he came close to an all-timer on a break; he was fouled at the last instant. He did have one legendary throwdown. Tamir was a guard sub last year and has waited a long time to get his chance, and now he's impressing folks game in and game out. He had 15 points, nine assists and five steals and two coaches from Binghamton were in attendance. Drexel is also said to be involved. Sr. G-F Mark Tyndale was his usually electric self, making a series of athletic plays both in and out of transition. This guy has become so damn good! He had 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Six-nine lefty sr. Matthew Walden notched seven blocks while grabbing nine rebounds. Sr. F Jason Hickenbottom shot 7-for-10 en route to 15 points. Sr. WG Malcolm Welles (how long are this kid's arms? -- smile) did not take a shot until late in the game, but he was still an important factor because he played very tight defense on sr. G-F Tracey Worley (16 points, but only five deep into the third quarter. Sr. F John Scarbrough, the original quick and tricky lefty, kept Mansion afloat with 21 points and 13 boards. John formerly attended Glen Mills and has had some rough moments in his life. I hope he gets a chance to attend college, or perhaps a trade-oriented JC, and makes the most of it. He shows leadership qualities and all kinds of heart. Soph WG Eugene Moss had 13 points. Overall, Mansion just did not have enough inside strength and savvy to hang with the Bulldogs. Temple aide Bill Ellerbee, the ex-Gratz coach, was in attendance.

FEB. 16
CATHOLIC SOUTH
West Catholic 90, Kennedy-Kenrick 83
   This was a treat. We got to see up-and-down basketball and proof positive that K-K sr. CG Amarildo Matos is truly a player. The 6-2, 180-pound Matos hails from Mozambique, speaks Portugese and knew not one word of English when he came to the Philly area as a ninth grader. He is getting only scant interest at this point, but that hopefully will change and this performance can only help. Siena coach Rob Lanier and assistant Steve Seymour (formerly of Drexel) were in attendance to watch West sr. G Marshall Taylor; they've offered him a scholarship. They also were impressed by Matos, as was Jack McCaffery, the sports columnist from the Delaware County Daily Times and the brother of UNC-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery. Showing great explosiveness (no Burr could cover him one-on-one) and court awareness (many of his passes were spectacular), Matos posted a triple double with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. According to everyone I asked, 'Rildo is loved by his teammates and those around K-K. During and after our interview, he expressed his gratitude numerous times and he ticked off the names of many people who have helped him. He has a 2.9 grade-point average and is said to be a whiz in math. His future would appear to be at PG, though he can also hit treys and go hard to the hole from the wing. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Overall, 'Rildo shot 12-for-30 (4-for-11 on treys) and 4-for-10 at the line. He has 896 career points with two games remaining. We're pretty sure the school record is 954 by '99 grad Jeff Kane. Also starring for K-K was jr. F Tom Amenta. He shot 15-for-21 en route to 32 points and thrived basically he had the presence of mind to get into the right spots and the good hands to catch Matos' passes, then convert. He also added nine rebounds. Sr. C Rick McMinn, the FB QB, posted 12 points. This was Senior Night for West and, with the blessing of his stalwarts, coach Bill Ludlow started five lesser-light upperclassmen and let them play the whole first quarter. The five were Big Joe Marshall, Danny Johnston, Kyle Whalen, Coty Duckett and Mark Anthony. The Burrs led after one, 16-13, as Anthony poured in 11 points. This kid has PERFECT jump-shooting form and I hope, when he gets to college, that he gains the confidence he sometimes appears to be missing right now. The rest of the way, not surprisingly, the Burrs relied almost exclusively on its big three of sr. PG Marshall Taylor and sr. WGs Rob Latimer and Hakeem Townsend. Taylor finished with 29 points (13-for-13 at line), 13 rebounds and three steals and he reached 1,000 career points on a short bank shot 10 seconds into the second half. The game was stopped 38 seconds later and Marshall gave the ball to his father, Marshall Sr., a tough-as-nails PG at Southern and then a starter in D-I (Texas Tech) after a stop at New Mexico Military JC. Taylor now has 1,018 career markers. Latimer went for 23 points (10-for-15 floor) and Townsend added nine. Late in the game, as the stats were flying, I said to Huck, "We're in our glory, baby!" He said, "I know! This is great! I was going to say it, but I knew you would!" Amauro spent part of the time talking with Lanier and Seymour. He does so much behind the scenes to help kids get noticed, and point college coaches in the right decision. He's an amazing young man!

FEB. 15
CATHOLIC NORTH
Wood 69, Ryan 63 (OT)
   This one was weird from one standpoint: Wood shot 18 free throws before Ryan got to the line for the first time, but the officiating didn't appear to be one-sided. Things were just turning out that way and even when Ryan's coaches mentioned that disparity to the refs, it wasn't with gusto. Strange. Wood needed to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt and is now just a game behind Ryan with two to play. Both will play North and McDevitt next weekend. North is now without star sr. WG Chalie Evans (broken ankle). My DN story focused on sr. F Tim Walters, who scored all 18 of his points after halftime (and had six in OT). He also had 7 rebounds. Jr. PG Matt Spadafora had 23 points and two assists, and he appears more and more comfortable running the show even though WG is his natural position. A few times, coach Joe Sette ordered clearouts and let "Spads" do his thing. Jr. G-F Corey Filer got a start and made game-long contributions, both of the tangible and harder-to-notice variety. He had nine points, six boards and five assists and I seem to remember seeing him skid across the floor more than once (smile). Ryan's bright light was sr. WG Jim Welsh, who went 7-for-11 on treys en route to 26 points. The radar was definitely working as Welsh, while absorbing a pretty good shove, drained a trey with 1:49 left in regulation and then hit the free throw for a 57-52 lead. Walters hit a three to bring Wood back and then Spadafora made a jumper just inside the foul line at 0:48. Ryan decided to hold for the last shot and I had to chuckle. At a few games this week, I mentioned to refs and coaches/spectators that holding for the last shot almost NEVER works. In fact, I like to call the strategy "holding for the last turnover." At 0:04, guess what? Ryan turned it over as Walters made a steal. In OT, with Ryan down, 64-63, sr. F Joe Mullin (four points, eight assists) missed a shot in close and soph WG Joe Zeglinski (16 points, four assists) was unable to connect on a sky-high tip. Spadafora grabbed that board and converted a one-and-one at 15.8. Ryan called time at 12.6 and inbounded from midcourt. Wood had been playing zone, but this time locked on the various Ryan players and a 5-second violation was called. Spadfora, in particular, did an excellent job of hounding Welsh. Spadafora (one of two) and Walters (both) added free throws from there. I keep seeing ex-North coach Iggy Brodzinski at Wood games. I wonder if he has a relative on the JV or varsity? (Late note: I received numerous e-mails informing me that Iggy teaches math at Wood. Thanks!) Ex-Egan and Neumann coach Bob DiFlorio was also in the house. Oh, almost forgot. Wood was 25-for-29 from the line and Ryan was 3-for-5. Phew!

FEB. 13
CATHOLIC NORTH
Judge 61, Wood 56
   The Crusaders are going to miss the playoffs for only the third time in 40 seasons -- yes, 40 -- but the pride remains and it showed in this one as they beat a team that's still contending. Sr. G-F Steve Wolf has been a consistent scorer all season and he had 21 despite some foul trouble that sent him to the bench for occasional stretches. The ultimate hero, thus, was sr. wing sniper John King, who went 5-for-10 on treys en route to 19 points. He also went 4-for-5 at the line and two of his freebies came in a three-shot situation. John had 13 of his points in the last quarter and his three-ball with 0:28 left on a pass from sr. G John Geiger provided a five-point lead. Geiger was his hustling self with six points, 7 rebounds and 3 dimes. Jr. F-C Arthur Livingston had seven boards. Sr. F Steve Altobelli had seven points and six boards. Coach Bill Fox used a 10-man rotation and often sent four subs in at once. Wood competed hard, but killed itself with bad free-throw shooting in the first half (5-for-12) and some bad decision-making down the stretch. One player in particular struggled late (he knows who he is) and he assuredly feels poorly about it. He's also likely bewildered/saddened/disgusted that he had to hear biting criticism yelled from the stands by the parents/supporters of his teammates. Not good! Sr. WG-SF Tim Walters had 15 points and mostly kept the Vikings afloat through the first three quarters. Sr. WG Brian Klumpp also had 15 points and used his quick feet and instincts to make a series of good, flat-out basketball plays. I'm not even sure I could describe them; he just kept doing things that made a good impression. Jr. handyman Corey Filer added grit off the bench. He went 2-for-3 and 6-for-6 for 10 points. Jr. PG Matt Spadafora had an off night shooting (2-for-9, six points), but claimed 14 rebounds (one fewer than his teammates combined) and dished six assists. The all-stars from Judge's grade school tournament were introduced at halftime. Nice touch.
   Adjustment: Judge's playoff appearance last year was only in a pre-playoff. Not in the "regular" playoffs. 

FEB. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 69, Northeast 60
   Hey, we're making progress. TWO refs were in the house. They were even on time and did a nice job. Maybe there's still hope for The Pub. As often happens in sports, the team with the hunger factor in its favor emerged as the winner. The Eagles needed to win to make the playoffs as the fourth seed from Division A. Things got hairy for G-Dub -- Northeast stormed within 61-60 with 1:58 left -- but coach Calvin Jones' club won going away. My DN story focused on 6-6, 220-pound PF-C Bryon "B.J." Gaddy. He's already a strong kid and could be an absolute Adonis down the line. IIs and IIIs are inquiring. He has a 2.9 and is close to "the score." Plus, he wants to major in journalism, so you know he's a cool kid (smile). Gaddy receives very few touches in the set offense, but does not complain and works tirelessly at the little things. He had 10 points, 11 boards and three blocks and made several key plays coming down the stretch. The Eagles have another big kid in jr. Pat Martin. He might be slightly taller and he's definitely thinner and more athletic. He'll be one to watch next season. He has a big frame and long limbs so he could be very intriguing. Jr. WG Corey White has explosive-scorer possibilities. He went 4-for-7 on treys en route to 20 points and once he masters the stop-and-pop game, watch out! He's very quick and plays with a certain edge. Jr. WG Dominique Curry had two alley-oop dunks and another slam of his own making. He missed 10 shots total, though, so he needs to work on actual shooting. The lefty is the son of Dominique Stephens, an average player at Dobbins who through hard work later became a college franchise, and the nephew of Marilyn Stephens, an all-timer at Gratz and Temple. He got on the glass nine times, so that was nice. I liked how the Vikings competed in what was, for them, the final game of a mostly miserable season. Leading the way was sr. PG Dalian "Reese" Fields. There's a D-III school for him somewhere because he shows heart and savvy and he's a pretty good shooter, even on the move. He went for 26 points (three treys). Sr. SF William Peoples had seven points, three steals and three blocks. Jr. WG Cordia "Chop" Mosley had 12 points; he has pretty good feet. Soph WG Derrick "Yes, There's an H" Lockhart shot 5-for-8 en route to 11 points. Jr. F Greg Boler made the pass of the season -- more than half the length of the court, at high velocity -- for a layup. Michael Vick, watch out!

FEB. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Eng. and Science 65, Mastbaum 55
   Not much of a game. Won't be too long a report. Covering high schools is always a balancing act and we kind of "owed" Tramaine Jackson, a sr. PG. I was going to write about Tramaine (2.5, 990 SAT) much earlier in the season, but there was a FB commitment that day and we didn't have extra space. So he gets his ink in tomorrow's DN. This kid is quite quick and his savvy makes him hard to cover. D-IIIs LOVE him and I'd imagine he could play at D-II as well, especially in an up tempo, because he can GO (and maintain common sense). He contributed 16 points, four assists, five steals and even a team-high eight rebounds. With Drexel aide Geoff Arnold watching, sr. WG Kechan Myers (possibly a PG later) went for 34 points on 14-for-25 (4-for-8 on treys) and 2-for-7 at the line. Mastbaum sr. WG Marion "Buddy" Rose had a 33-point day -- 9 before the game, 24 during. Huh??? It turns out Mastbaum last year played a game against Imhotep, a charter school, that was never reported. Today, he had just 5 points through the first 27 1/2 minutes and then closed with a 19-point rush, almost all of it against subs. He just didn't have it when it matttered and he twice got slammed to the floor on drives, injuring his leg and elbow. He needs 18 points in a makeup game Tuesday at Masterman to reach 1,000 for his career. Jr. F-C Tariek Belcher had 13 points and 11 boards. He jumped so high and used his LONG reach on one board, it looked like he grabbed the ball from 10 feet away. Sr. G Brandon Ruff wants to make sure people know his nickname is Bdot. When he told me it was Bdot all one word, I told him, "That's gonna look bad. Gotta put a hyphen and a capital D in there." He said, "Yeah, yeah, do that."

FEB. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bodine 79, Swenson 76
   This is probably unprecedented in basketball at any level: a team embarking on a 69-game league losing streak (covering six seasons) after doubling up the score on an opponent. But on Feb. 2, 1999, Bodine waffled GAMP, 82-41, and then didn't win again until today! Reporters are not supposed to root, but as the game wound down it was impossible not to pull for Bodine at least a little. These kids have been through so many tough times! Have experienced so much public ridicule! The Ambassadors had three headliners -- sr. combo Gs Jawaan Montgomery and Eric Pendleton and jr. SF Jamil Wilson. Montgomery (top 30 in class; 1,020 SAT) had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 steals for a hard-way triple double while also adding two apiece of assists and blocks. Pendleton (B-minus, 950 SAT, offer from Cabrini) had 25 points and seven assists. Wilson collected 18 points, four assists and three blocks. The 80-odd fans in attendance mostly took a cautious approach, never really making big-time noise until roughly a half-minute remained. They then raised the roof and stormed the court at the buzzer to create a wild scene. While I was interviewing Montgomery, he actually had a brief crying spell. I liked it. It showed how much he really had cared these last four years, and how much it meant to him to finally get a win in his final home game. (Bodine in December had broken a 75-game overall losing streak, by winning at Penn, 55-54.) Justin Rollins mixed seven rebounds with 10 points. Kaiem Frink (four rebounds) and Loc Tang (two blocks) had some inside success. Swenson is a first-year Pub member and just two days ago earned its first varsity win by downing GAMP, 70-67. The Lions received good outings from jr. WG Vincent Tucker-Hall (29 points), sr. PG Richard Crawford (27) and jr. PF-C Robert "Beef" Berkley (13 rebounds). I called Berkley beefy in the GAMP story and the players now say that's his nickname. He appears to approve (smile). If not for severe foul trouble to Berkley and jr. F Emilio Pabon, Swenson likely would have won. The Lions could not contest inside shots in the late going and were hesitant in going for rebounds. Congrats to Bodine coach Paul Kolakowski. He's a funny, funny guy, and a gentleman, and he always keeps things in perspective for his players. He obviously knew Bodine had a chance to win this game ahead of time, but he stuck with a tradition and started a couple of seniors who almost never see playing time. Today's Only in the Pub moment: Tucker-Hall was sent to the bench (for a brief period) by referee Paul Graham after offering resistance to an order to tuck in his jersey correctly. Tucker-Hall was going to shoot two free throws when it happened. His replacement missed both.

FEB. 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Eng. and Science 67, Franklin LC 56
   There's nothing quite like a game in E&S' bathtub-sized gym and though this one was not exactly special, it was still respectable. The Engineers' interchangeable PGs-WGs, srs. Kechan Myers and Tramaine Jackson, were effective at both ends and they received the usual amount of help from sr. sniper Michael "No Longer Little Mikey" Ganier. Myers shot 8-for-16 (1-for-5 on treys) and 4-for-4 for 21 points while adding 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals. He also changed his shorts right in front of everybody late in the game and you can check the DN for the reason. It was legendary (smile). Myers, the nephew of two D-I brothers, Jeffrey "Jay" and Louis Myers, is 5-11, 185 pounds, and has the look of a fullback. Well, an in-shape fullback. He is qualified and the D-II state schools are coming after him; Drexel is also sniffing. He may opt for a year of prep school. Former Franklin coach Ken Hamilton, for one, loves Myers' skills and savvy and is rather amazed that more D-Is are not involved. "Ham" even thinks Kechan should be on the list of possible successors for Jameer Nelson. The very quick Jackson is also a goodie. E&S' home court actually hurts him because there's much less room to operate. He had 21 points, four assists and three steals. Ganier contributed 10 points and four dishes. I had a nice pre-game chat with Mike's pop, who's recovering from a health problem. He's a nice man and a supportive father and I wish him nothing but the best! Jr. F-C Marquis Coates finished with 11 points. Included were a pair of line-drive treys that stirred the patrons. I'm a big fan of how FLC's Cedric Powell conducts his program and looks out for his players, but I thought he made a mistake in this one. Star PG Michael Scott picked up his second foul with a minute left in the first quarter and sat down all the way until the start of the third quarter. The Bobcats struggled BADLY without him and were down by halftime, 38-21. The deficit was just too large. Scott made at least five tremendous plays in the second half; man, did he look good! Sr. WG Meril Branch had 21 points, five boards and six steals and sr. SF Jumpin' Josh Grier had 10 points and six boards. Jr. F-C Jahkal Curry claimed six rebounds. After the game, an E&S student flashed a sign that read, "You suckas got served!" My Only in the Pub moments continued. James Smith had to ref the first 9 minutes by himself until his partner finally arrived. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

FEB. 9
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Swenson 70, GAMP 67
   Another "Only in the Pub" day. I first went to Masterman only to find out that Mastbaum wasn't coming because no one at Mastbaum bothered to request a bus. I then headed to 16th and Jackson, where GAMP plays, maybe 3 minutes before gametime. When the game did start, there was only one ref (though the second guy arrived within the first minute of play). Both Swenson and GAMP were winless for the season and both played like the NBA title was on the line. GAMP always has good fan support and the kids don't know, or care, that they're watching BB (bad ball). This was likely the most amazing game I've seen all season. GAMP missed 19 free throws and committed 27 turnovers and still had a chance to force OT. There were three techs and scorebook problems (oh, what a surprise) and the final was reported to the scoreservice as 71-67; I informed them of the screwup. The obvious man of the day was GAMP sr. G-F Michael Brino. This tireless franchise went for 40 points to tie a school record set by 2003 grad Chris Feggans, who was in attendance. Brino had 21 of GAMP's 29 fourth quarter points before missing a last-second trey that would have forced OT. Brino shot 12-for-32 from the floor (2-for-8 on treys) and 14-for-21 at the line. He spent the ENTIRE game working hard to get the ball. He missed seven of his first eight shots, then began heating up. He also had 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists. He showed decent strength and body control and a few of his flipped-in, on-the-move shots bordered on amazing. Michael is planning to attend Drexel or Saint Joe's and try to make the team as a walk-on. He ranks 10th in his class and has a 1,050 SAT score. Another sr. Pioneer, Taron Cain, had seven points, six boards and three steals. Swenson, a first-year Pub member, received strong efforts from jr. WG Vincent Tucker-Hall (25 points, five steals), sr. PG Richard Crawford (18, six assists) and beefy inside force jr. Robert Berkley (18, 14 rebounds). The Lions built a 41-26 lead before allowing GAMP to roar back. The atmosphere in Guerin RC was wild throughout the game. It's a very noise place even during a normal game because the sound bounces off the walls like crazy. Brino has scored 1,066 career points and for those who have asked via e-mails, he's the first white Pub player to surpass 1,000 since Washington's Max Blank in 1984. (Max, a native of Russia, moved to the USA as a youth. I have a vivid memory of a playoff game at Dobbins when all of the Mustangs' rooters were screaming at Max, "U-S-A! U-S-A!") In the entire 35-team Pub, there are only about 20 white players and they're mostly concentrated at two schools, GAMP and Masterman.

FEB. 8
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Neumann 66, O'Hara 27
   Late in the game, a member of Neumann's "The Cove" yelled across the gym, "Yo, Ted, don't put this on the website!" Yes, this was a stinker. O'Hara is young and small and mostly skinny and Neumann is still an upper-tier team despite its occasional struggles. This was a feel-good day for Neumann sr. F-C Keith Herron, the son of the former Villanova star. It can't be easy being the son of a well-known player, especially if your own skills are average. But by all accounts, Keith is a good soldier and doesn't complain even though his minutes are often limited (he tends to start, then come out rather quickly and not play much thereafter). In this one, he shot 7-for-9 for 15 points (one trey) while adding eight rebounds. Nice job! Sr. PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham had six points, five assists and three steals. Jr. F David Burton and soph G-F Earl Pettis had six boards apiece. The deep subs -- Conor Kennedy, Richard Jackson, Billy Nolan and Mike Turner -- had one FG apiece. Kennedy also fell along the south baseline and wound up skidding into a spot between two seated cheerleaders. He got up smiling and red-faced. The only highlight for O'Hara was the final buzzer. The Lions did not get their second FG (left baseline jumper by soph G Chris Myers) until 0:44 remained in the first half, and it made the score 36-5. The Lions were 1-for-22 beforehand. They finished 10-for-50. In the fourth quarter, jr. Rich Varrasse drilled two treys. He added six boards, two steals and two blocks. Soph G Anthony Walters (six boards, three assists) probably had the Lions' best play of the day when he zipped across the lane and flipped in a left-handed layup. As you can imagine, this tilt was sparsely attended. When I walked in with maybe 4:30 left in the JV game, two whole sections of stands had no one in them. Huck and I hung out together. He also received some love from "The Cove."

FEB. 6
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 73, Neumann 52
   Phew, did someone get the license number of that bus? The Cahillites roared to a 17-0 advantage to close out the game and turn a close one into a rout. On Neumann's home floor, no less. With 2:38 left, soph G-F Earl Pettis converted a drive to pull the Buccos within 56-52. That was it, troops. No more nuthin' for Neumann. A series of bricks and half-hearted defense. Hard to believe. Individually, Neumann appears to have gobs of talent. But things aren't meshing correctly and one has to wonder what's going on. After not coming especially close against SJ Prep three nights earlier, Roman needed to answer some questions of its own and did so with this victory. Jr. PG Bobby Jordan had a nice performance against a foe that had tended to torment him. He went for nine points, four assists and three steals and largely made intelligent decisions. Sr. F-C Charron Fisher (Niagara) bulled to 26 points, eight rebounds and four blocks while his Pennsauken buddy, sr. G-F Andre Sloan-El (Minnesota, to play QB) totaled 17 points and three steals. Also VERY impressive was jr. F Malik Perry, who is extra springy and fast and displaying confidence that's growing like crazy. Perry had 15 points and seven boards and a dunk for the ages. He started in the right corner and went fast to the hoop like a sprinter who just happened to be dribbling a basketball. He then exploded upward and POUNDED the ball home with serious force. It was one of those dunks where you turn to the guy sitting next to you and flash one of those looks that says, "Holy crap! Did that really just happen?" Yes, it did. It was nice to see sr. F Scott Mascio make some contributions. He's kind of a forgotten man, but in this one had four boards, two points and one apiece of assists, steals and blocks. Neumann coach Carl Arrigale kept making note to the refs about the foul differential and that his team wasn't getting sent to the line; the Buccos attempted just five free throws. Part of the reason: they almost refused to work the ball inside. Neumann attempted 18 treys, making just two. Neumann's rims are the tighest ANYWHERE. When the ball hits them, they don't jiggle even a fraction of an inch. Also, they're two thin rims stuck together and they give an appearance of being very thick. I think they look like an obstacle, more than like something inviting, and rob the kids of their shooting confidence. My suggestion: Get rid of them or at least loosen them up a little and see what happens.

FEB. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
West Phila. 62, King 53
   Because I had not seen either team this season, I would have been in attendance anyway. Throwback Gate made it a must. In case you missed it, the Feb. 5 game between the visiting Speedboys and Gratz was halted after the first quarter by West principal Clifton James, who was concerned that the team's new throwback uniforms (and warmups), provided for free by Mitchell & Ness Sporting Goods and valued at $15,000, were a violation of one or more rules. That game is currently in the books as a forfeit. But it's likely to be finished or perhaps replayed in its entirety. West's headliners in this one were sr. PF-C Maurice Polen and sr. WG Ricardo Lovelace. The 6-4 Polen's best sport is baseball and he's said to be an excellent student. Guess what? He's a tireless basketball worker and he gets and stays on the glass. He claimed (consumed, actually) 23 rebounds while adding 13 points. He used his strength to literally rip the ball from the Cougars' hands, and he had excellent timing on jumps as well. Lovelace, who goes about 6-3, has that classic big-guard look. He has long legs and a decent build and he usually plays with authority. He shows jumpshot elevation and the big step to get to the hole. Lovelace shot 10-for-14 overall, 2-for-4 on treys and 5-for-5 at the line for 27 points. He added seven boards and two assists. Give him a year or two in a JC, and he could be ready for D-I. If not, he'd be a solid D-II contributor, perhaps even from the start. Sr. PG Chris Williams, a lefty, had 11 points, five assists and four steals. He shows good instincts and would be a solid D-III player; perhaps higher with improved footwork. King's top two players, sr. WG Sean Amos and sr. PG Ricardo Laing, were hurt by foul trouble. Amos somehow picked up his third foul with a hint of one second left in the first quarter. He settled for 14 points. Laing is one of those classic feisty, little guys. He also shows perfect shooting form and can hit from distance. He had 19 points, four dishes and two pilfers. Soph WG Curtis Jackson has a chance to be a polished scorer over the next two seasons. King coach Greg Moore is thinking about retiring from teaching. (Nothing is certain yet.) He's a good man and has always been easy to deal with, and I've always felt he's had a genuine interest in his players. If he does step away, I wish him the best! West coach Ed Wright must have been a "Brady Bunch" fan. After sr. G Marshall McKinley missed a layup, Wright muttered, "Marshall . . . Marshall . . . Marshall."

FEB. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin LC 66, Straw. Mansion 60
   This was my first "official" look at FLC because the other time I saw the Bobcats, back before Christmas, the focus was on Swenson in its first Pub game ever. Mansion was not intimidating because the students were not allowed to attend (the school has issues with the deployment of security personnel) and maybe 30 people, tops, most of them adults (scouts, coaches, parents, etc.), were in attendance. Anyway, I wanted to get a good look at 5-11 sr. PG Michael Scott and there was much to like! He was maybe 5-8 a year ago (and maybe 5-2, 5-3 as a frosh), but now he's all grown up (kinda -- smile) and he's a player. He's also qualified and some D-Is are at least taking a look. Scott used his quickness and savvy to get into the lane pretty much whenever he wanted to, and he showed a knack for finishing. Either with intelligent shots or snappy passes. Scott shot 10-for-16 overall, 1-for-2 on treys and 5-for-8 at the line for 26 points. He also distributed seven assists, made four steals and grabbed seven rebounds. After Scott hit a trey to provide a 46-34 lead, Mansion went man-to-man. He immediately passed for one basket and scored another to make it 50-34. (Mansion trailing by 16 in its own gym is almost unheard of). Later, he had another quick burst with a jumper and layup off a steal. Two other Bobcats, sr. WG Meril Branch and sr. SF Joshua Grier, are also academically qualified for freshman eligibility, and they're receiving consistent II and III interest. Branch had 12 points despite some foul trouble. Grier totaled 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals and unfurled a dunk to remember. Wow, did he explode off the floor in traffic for an alley-oop slam! Jr. F-C Jahkal Curry was the next most important Bobcat. Even though he scored just two points, he made a whole series of good decisions as the middle man to help FLC break pressure. For Mansion, sr. G-F Tracey Worley shot 8-for-20 (two treys) for 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was good in this one; not quite VERY good. Sr. F John "Mr. Slasher" Scarbrough (12 boards) used a late burst to finish with 17 points. He had trouble getting the ball in his usual spots for much of the game. When he DOES get it in those spots, the defense is basically powerless. Sr. F Leon "Squeak" Rollins shot 5-for-6 (two treys) en route to 13 points. He added five rebounds and as many steals. Soph G Eugene Moss, who recently resumed playing after being disciplined by his family, was impressive. He is also the quickest foul shooter in the world (smile). After he gets the ball, it's on its way to the basket within two seconds. He went 5-for-6 at the line. Mansion was formerly a junior high and high school combined. It's now just a high school. Coach Gerald Hendricks is unsure how that will affect his program in the future. Jack in the Box made the scene, thanks to his father's willingness to chauffer. Jack said he was trying to make a point in class, but he was getting nowhere, and basketball starter Kevin Moll (not quite as funny as John Trainer, of football fame -- sorta -- but working on it), told him, "Jack, get back in your box."

FEB. 3
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Olney 63, Lincoln 47
   After a sluggish first half, the Trojans got rolling in the third quarter and won in comfortable fashion. Leading the way up front was 6-5 sr. F-C Erik "Ugs" Adams. I can't stress enough how much I love the way this kid plays. He is always moving and making correct decisions and he reminds me of a more athletic Mark Zoller (SJ Prep '03, Penn frosh). Plus, he jumps five times while you're jumping three times and he can run from end to end pretty much as fast as any guard. He finished with 22 rebounds and shot 7-for-11 (with even a trey mixed in) en route to 19 points. I just KNOW Temple coach John Chaney would take a serious liking to Adams (not to mention assistant Bill Ellerbee) as a player and young man, so we'll see what happens. Otherwise, Ugs will become a star at the D-II level or go to a JC and surface later in D-I. Sr. PG Andrew Jerry (5-6, 150) was also impressive. He also plays with non-stop intensity and has the instincts to match. He has an 800 SAT score and might attend Penn State to major in accounting or finance and try to make the team as a walk-on. Otherwise, he's getting some feelers from the D-II state schools and D-III. Aside from totaling 17 points and seven assists, Jerry snagged nine rebounds!! Sr. WG Kevin Presberry, one of Olney's top students, had 13 points. I'd heard a lot about Lincoln soph G Malik Alvin and there is no denying his offensive instincts, both as a slasher and jump-shooter. He just didn't have it, though. He shot 4-for-19 and one of the baskets was a gimme at the end. He also needs to improve his demeanor; I didn't like that he knocked over a chair in disgust at one point and gave off a headstrong aura several other times. But, hey, he's young. He has time to learn and mature. If he doesn't, guess who'll be at fault? Not his coach, not his teammates. Him! Sr. G Steve Hassell, a lefty (as is Jerry), played well on the move. He shot 9-for-20 (one trey) for 22 points. Maurice McPherson, a muscular inside player, was limited to three points and four boards; he just couldn't keep up with the springy Adams. FB star Otis Young contributed four points and four boards. Jack Crouse, of Jack in the Box fame, stopped in to help with stats. He learned about one of our old habits. Any time a guy is dominating inside, I call him "Mister" instead of his name because it's like he's a man among boys. So as "Ugs" kept piling up the rebounds, I began calling out "Mister" rather than Adams or No. 30. The ancient clock in Lincoln's gym almost never resets correctly to 8 minutes at the start of a quarter. The timer has to keep pushing the button and only pot luck somehow gets it to eventually settle on 8:00.

FEB. 2
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 74, Parkway 56
   Both teams competed hard and unselfishly, so this was enjoyable. It was a shame for Parkway that leading scorer Kevin Tullis, a sr. WG, incurred his fourth foul with 4:49 left in the third quarter. The Hoyas trailed by just four, 33-29, when he went out. It was 51-37 by the end of the quarter. I liked Bok's sr. WG-SF combo of righty James Pope and lefty Jamal West. Both are 6-2 and impressive in transition. They had little difficulty knifing through Parkway's defense, even though Parkway had some strong, aggressive kids. Pope has a shade more range. He contributed 28 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. He shot 12-for-20 from the floor, with a 3-for-5 showing on three-pointers, and 1-for-3 at the line. West had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Another tough cookie was jr. PG Marquise Salley. He is lightning quick and shows no fear. He has the look of someone who could challenge for the Pub scoring title next year. He was also a defensive terror with four steals in the third quarter alone. He shot 6-for-7 and 6-for-7 for 18 points. Sr. C Marcelluas Barnes missed his only shot, but posted eight boards, six assists and three blocks. Jr. F Lamont Butler added 10 points, five boards and three dishes. Tullis scored 15 points. Larz Jeter, a 6-4 jr., is playing the point for Parkway. He's not a classic ballhandler, but if he puts his mind and heart to improving, he could become very intriguing to recruiters by next winter. Sr. WG Nick Fields appeared to have the best court version. He had four assists and could have had a few more. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Ishmawiyl McFadden, about a 6-4 freshman F. He showed a knack for drawing contact and went 6-for-8 at the line. My DN story focused on Pope. Just after the first half ended, just messing around, he tried a dunk (and kind of succeeded) and the refs hit him with a tech. So the second half began with Tullis hitting two freebies. Early in the first half, a Bok FB player yelled at me from across the way in playful fashion, "Yo, Ted Silary! How come you didn't write no story on me?" Ink only goes to the true legends, my man (smile).

FEB. 1
CATHOLIC NORTH
N. Catholic 57, Ryan 53
   Little by little, North is getting things together under second-year coach Mike McCarron and the fans are returning to The Pit. There was a very nice crowd on hand for this one and it warmed my heart to see the stairs at both ends being used by spectators. The Falcons are still quite young, so the momentum should continue in the next few years. This game produced an oddity in that North hit more treys (11) than twos (nine). Jr. WG John Adamski sniped 6-for-10 on treys en route to 21 points. Sr. WG Chalie Evans hit three and soph WG Nate Edwards hit two. Edwards, a transfer from Central, already has some body strength and he shows an aggressive mentality as well. He finished with 17 points and showed an ability to create his own shot. Edwards (10) and Adamski (eight) paced the Falcons in the fourth quarter. My DN story focused on sr. PG Sean Thomson, a nephew of McCarron's. Sean had six points and four assists and his off-handed layup (he's a lefty) off a freaky-deaky fake put North ahead for good, at 51-49. The Falcons added six consecutive points after Thomson's basket on Edwards' field goal (assist by Evans) and two free throws apiece by Adamski and sr. F-C Ryan Davis (five rebounds). As for Ryan, the Raiders too often were guilty of losing North's main snipers, especially since it was obvious North was looking to launch treys first and foremost. I'm still not sure what's going on with sr. F Joe Mullin. He took just six shots, making two. More than a few times, he appeared to have better-than-even chances to score, but declined to shoot. He is becoming an accomplished "point forward," though, and he definitely sees the game. He finished with six assists and three blocks. Soph WG Joe Zeglinski shot 5-for-13 (two treys) en route to 15 points. North did an excellent on Ryan's long-range bomber, sr. Jim Welsh. He took just three shots and not one was a trey. He had two points. Sr. SF L.B. Rebstock had 11 points. Soph C Kevin Hudgeons had limited touches, but went 5-for-7 for 10 points and led the Raiders with five boards. I don't see teams too often, obviously, but I can't imagine jr. G-F Tom Manes has turned in a better effort this season. He mixed nine points and three steals. North assistant Tom "Hockey Puck" McKenna proved to be a gamer. As he was riding the el Saturday night, Puck was punched for no reason by some wise-ass kids who were leaving the car and figured they'd just pick on someone, anyone. His glasses were broken and he suffered serious bruising around his right eye. Also, he said his vision was somewhat blurred. He kept North's scorebook, though, and of course enjoyed the Falcons' win. He is scheduled to visit a doctor on Monday. He'll be fine, we trust.