JAN. 31
ARCADIA SCHOLASTIC PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
GAME WITHIN A GAME
Sean Singletary vs. Kyle Lowry
   Very tough decision. My first thought is to call it a draw. However, I might have to give a very slight edge to Singletary only because, in my opinion, it's harder to succeed when coming from behind in the second half, especially in a big-time game played before a full house, than it is when playing with the lead in the first half.
   Anyway, here are their numbers . . .
   The 5-11 Singletary (Virginia) had 29 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. He shot 9-for-18 (3-for-6 on treys) and 8-for-12 at the line. In the second half, he scored 22 points (raising his PC total to 1,008 in just two seasons) and missed just one shot from the floor. His play helped to rally PC from a 15-point deficit into a one-point lead.
   The 6-foot Lowry (Villanova) had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. He shot 8-for-13 (2-for-7 on treys) and never did attempt a free throw. He had just two points in the second half, shooting 1-for-4.
   Before the game, a few people mentioned that Sean has tended to own Kyle in their head-to-head showdowns, so I was very curious to see what would happen. Kyle definitely was the better man early. In one sequence, he poked the ball away from Sean and whizzed downcourt for an easy layup. In another, he exploded off the floor and blocked a three-point attempt by Sean.
   I will say this: Sean is definitely in better shape. Kyle had wind problems and was spotted bent over a few times, with his hands on his knees, while Dougherty was playing defense. Yes, he goes all-out all the time. But so does Sean; he merely looks different doing it because he's a smoother player. To succeed in major college basketball, Kyle will need to get into tip-top condition.
   After the game, Kyle gave his MVP trophy to Shane Clark. Classy move!

JAN. 31
ARCADIA SCHOLASTIC PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
Dougherty 72, Penn Charter 68
   Another night, another vintage hoop experience before an overflow crowd. Except that there were many more "watchers" at this one as opposed to "diehards" with a rooting interest, this game compared very favorably with last night's GA-PC tussle. There were many great plays and strong performances and no one left disappointed. Dougherty assistant Dave Distel asked me excitedly afterward, "What do you think? Was this a classic?" A classic it was! Read above for my take on the Sean-Kyle matchup. As for the others . . . The difference-maker for Dougherty was 6-8 jr./sr. (that's undecided) F Shane Clark. PC has only one tall player, sr. F-C Rob Kurz, and Dougherty has two in Clark and 6-7 DeSean White (Providence). Clark often wound up being covered by defenders 6 to 8 inches shorter and he took full advantage. He shot 8-for-16 and 10-for-13 for 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He went 8-for-9 at the line in the final 1:23 to keep Dougherty ahead. PC had no timeouts left, so when he hit his last two at 6.3, making it 72-68, that effectively sent everyone home. White had 21 points and six boards. He and Clark had two dunks apiece. Sr. PG Tim Smith did yeoman ballhandling duty and sr. WG Thomas "P.I." Magnum worked like crazy in trying to control Singletary. A note: Dougherty coach Mark Heimerdinger used two freshmen, Josh Martin and Rob Townsend, who just a few days ago were promoted to the varsity. Townsend even made his only shot. They'll likely never forget this night. Jr. WG Zack Zeglinski (16, two treys) and Kurz (14, five rebounds) also scored in double figures for PC. The coolest play of the night came when sr. sub Hanif Hopkins, who can't be more than 5-3/5-4, ventured inside and converted a follow among all the big guys while absorbing contact. Everyone at PC tells me universally that 'Nif is a great kid loved by all, so I'd imagine he'll be the toast of the school on Monday (smile). As for late-game details: soph F Joe Rauchut buried a left-corner trey (assist to Singletary) to move PC within 68-66 with 0:39 left. Clark missed a one-and-one at 0:32 and Singletary went to the floor to grab the rebound. In the frontcourt, Singletary spotted Rauchut open in the left corner and passed him the ball. The trey went up and . . . ooooh, it rimmed in and out. Clark rebounded. He then made four free throws in the last 13.9 seconds to sandwich a basket by Singletary.

JAN. 31
ARCADIA SCHOLASTIC PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
Gratz 69, Gtn. Academy 57
   This wasn't the feature attraction, but it stood on its own merit very well. Both teams got after it and things might have been a shade more even if GA had not played the night before in a very emotional, draining battle vs. Penn Charter. At this time of year, fans and observers often beginning asking me who has the inside track for Player of the Year. Yes, PC's Sean Singletary and Dougherty's Kyle Lowry are strong candidates, but I would advise folks not to overlook Mark Tyndale, a 6-4 sr. G-F. He continues to play hard and well, and he rises to occasions. In this one he went for 30 points, 14 rebounds and four steals and he showed some pro-style body control along with savvy. He got Gratz off to a good start by pouring in 10 first quarter points and he packed 15 into the final eight minutes; his showing in that session was highlighted by a 9-for-10 showing at the line. Sr. F Jason Hickenbottom had a nine-point, eight-board effort. Sr. PG Tyrone Smith shot 6-for-7 and 5-for-6 for 18 points. He also dished four assists and uncorked two dunks on fastbreaks! He's about 6-foot. Some D-Is are beginning to pick up the scent on Smith, who missed all of the action on the summer circuit due to a broken leg. Gratz had NINE dunks in this game, including FOUR in succession by four DIFFERENT guys. Amazing! Sr. C Matt Walden started the string on a pass from Smith. Then it was Smith from Tyndale, Hickenbottom from Smith and Tyndale from Hickenbottom. The fourth throwdown gave Gratz a 46-36 lead and people had to be wondering if GA would go meekly thereafter. The answer? No. The Patriots kept playing hard and kept sending the Bulldogs to the line. Gratz fared much better than it did Thursday at Bartram, when it missed 11 fourth quarter freebies. Jr. Fs Ryan Ayers and Brian Grimes led GA with 20 and 16 points, respectively. They combined for just nine boards, though. Sr. WG-SF Kirk Jones helped to rally GA by shooting 3-for-3 on treys en route to 11 points.

JAN. 30
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Penn Charter 74, Gtn. Academy 64
   Well, if you were going to attend this game and then changed your mind, feel free to slap yourself in the head. This was a wonderful high school basketball "experience" and was filled with great plays throughout. PC's gym was beyond packed and the spectators were into it. (Yes, I'm a PC grad. But even if GA had won, I would have loved the whole night -- smile. It was THAT special.) My DN story focused on sr. PG Sean Singletary (Virginia), who was his usual self with clutch play after clutch play, mixed in with some eye-poppers that for him are commonplace. Singletary led all scorers with 30 points, shooting 10-for-20 (3-for-4 on treys) and 7-for-8 at the line. He also had 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals, and he uncorked his first dunk of the season (he injured his right shoulder last spring). Sr. F-C Rob Kurz (Notre Dame) added 19 points, 12 boards and five blocks and he had a sensatonal sequence with a block at one end and a dunk off the break at the other. Jr. WG Zack Zeglinski hit three treys en route to 13 points. His brother, frosh G Sam/Sammy, dealt five assists. Soph F Joe Rauchut scrapped for eight points and five boards as he continued to fill in nicely for the injured R.J. Hollinshead. For GA, jr. F Brian Grimes led the way with 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He sparkled on the 12- to 15-foot jumper, shooting 11-for-22 overall (seemed even better). Jr. F Ryan Ayers added 16 points and six boards (none after halftime). Most (all?) of Grimes' assists went to soph C Andrew Ott (nine points) on high-low feeds. Sr. WG Doug "Dougie Defense" Depte returned to action off a knee injury. He had six points and three steals. Sr. PG Larry Sharp had six assists and scored his seven points after halftime. He's a dead-eye, long-range shooter, but only attempted two treys. I realize his role is different than it was two years ago, when he did some terrific mad-bombing, but he might need to launch a shade more often. Singletary's dunk provided a 64-58 lead and, as you can imagine, sent PC's fans into a frenzy. The Quakers created space from there by playing defense and completing a 16-for-17 showing at the foul line. At one point, GA coach Jim Fenerty mentioned to one of the refs that another ref wasn't giving the Patriots a fair shake. The guy cracked, "You should see how he treats his wife." Phillies president Dave Montgomery, a '64 PC grad, was among the spectators. So was Sam Katz, the failed mayoral candidate. As for the Zeglinski family: two beats one, I guess. Mom and Dad were at this one to watch Zack and Sam/Sammy (we're still waiting for word on which he prefers) while Joe went unloved (smile) while playing for Ryan against La Salle.

JAN. 30
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 58, Neumann 53
   Neumann last season had a brutal experience in The Prep's gym, losing by 35 points and allowing the Hawks to shoot 21-for-26 in the first half (9-for-11 on treys). In the third quarter, the Pirates undoubtedly had flashbacks as sr. WG John Griffin (Bucknell) drained four consecutive treys and helped power the Hawks to a 46-29 lead. Just when almost everyone was thinking, "This one's history," Neumann visibly turned up its intensity and in time made things VERY interesting. For Prep, Griffin finished 6-for-12 on treys and 6-for-6 at the line for 24 points. He added six steals. Sr. PG Chris Clark had 13 points and three steals. Soph F Reggie Redding had to sit down for half of the second quarter due to foul trouble, but still managed to contribute 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Most of his dishes came on inbound plays. He is already SO good at that underrated chore. Sr. C Mike Kearney had eight points and five rebounds and set some wicked (but clean) picks while freeing Clark against pressure in the backcourt. Neumann's play pretty much reflected that of sr. PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham (La Salle). Tabby totaled 19 points and three assists. When he was juiced, his teammates were. When he showed medium intensity, ditto. It would have been interesting to see what would have resulted had Tabby been able to finish; he fouled out with 55.6 seconds left. After missing the first quarter due to a violation of team rules, sr. F-C Adon El shot 5-for-6 and 2-for-5 for 12 points. He also had nine boards and four blocks. Not surprisingly, sr. G Michael Payne had some strong defensive moments. But later, he and others were guilty of giving Griffin just a shade too much room -- two inches instead of one (smile). Neumann had a chance at a tie, at 54, when Cunningham missed a trey. It was a decent shot; just didn't go in. Griffin converted a one-and-one at 48.5 and then got a steal to pretty much end the suspense. Members of Neumann's "The Cove" again busted on Prep coach Speedy Morris about his good luck, light blue sweater. The best line: "Hey, Speedy, did you wear that sweater when you were baptized?!" Football star Matt Parkhurst appeared to be the spiritual/vocal leader of The Prep's student rooters. A Prep student played the National Anthem on a keyboard. Very cool! Maybe Colin "Curtin Call" Curtin or someone else will send me his name. (Ned Dillon, another Prep manager, sends word that the kid's name is Tom Kain. Hopefully, that's spelled right -- smile.)

JAN. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 65, Bartram 63
   The Pub ain't dead yet, baby! Yes, it has usually taken a back seat this season to the Catholic League and Inter-Ac League, and I've noted before how disappointed I've been with the level of play and even moreso the absence of atmosphere at big games. But this helped make up for that (smile). Bartram's phone booth of a gym was packed and there were many plays to stir the spectators. An all-timer occurred in the third period when Bartram sr. G Tywain McKee did two straight shake-and-bakes on the left wing and then stuck a jumper over a seemingly hapless defender. A few fans exploded out of the stands onto the court and it made for a wild scene! As Amauro later told McKee, he made the moves just a few feet away from a legendary spectator -- Aaron "AO" Owens. Owens was a non-factor at Gratz in the early 1990s and then became a darn good college player. He is now a national cult hero due to the AND1 Mix-Tape Tour. AO enjoyed the sequence as much as anyone. Though Gratz got the win, the Bulldogs were only mildly happy leaving the gym. They led by 22 points midway through the third quarter and blew 21 of them, mostly because they missed 11 free throws in the fourth quarter. Brutal! The biggest offenders were the guys who are supposed to MAKE free throws, the point guards. Sr. Tyrone Smith, who otherwise played well (11 points, seven assists), and jr. Jamar Bruce combined to go 2-for-11 at the so-called charity stripe. Bruce appeared to let the pressure very much get to him when he short-armed a free throw with 16.4 seconds left. To his credit, though, he made the first of two when he went back to the line at 9.7. He then missed the second, leaving the score at 65-63, and a wild sequence took place: Bartram sub Rhafique Price rebounded; Gratz star Mark Tyndale stole the ball and missed a layup; Price rebounded again and fired far downcourt; Jason Hickenbottom intercepted to end it. Hickenbottom, a 6-4 power forward (with SF skills), got my DN ink. He had 17 points, six boards and two blocks and was a true warrior when he needed to be. Sacred Heart likes "Hick" as do D-IIs such as East Stroudsburg and Slippery Rock. With Temple's John Chaney and La Salle's Billy Hahn watching, sr. 6-4 G-F Mark Tyndale had an excellent outing. He went for 20 points, 13 boards, four assists and five steals. When it comes to intensity and desire, this kid's the Kyle Lowry of swingmen. Sr. C Matthew Walden mixed 10 points and eight boards. Bartram's leader was McKee. In a game in late December, McKee appeared to be kind of laid back and content just to zone-bust. He was energized in this one, though, and much quicker/trickier than I thought. If anything, he should have shot MUCH more. He was 9-for-16 overall (4-for-8 on treys) and 5-for-6 at the line. He almost singlehandedly rallied Bartram with his late third quarter heroics and got the crowd into the game, big-time. In the fourth quarter, he took only two shots in the first 5 minutes, 50 seconds and they came on the same sequence (missed trey, made follow). I liked that he was unselfish, but this wasn't the time for it. His teammates would not have minded at ALL if he'd taken a few more shots. Overall, the next most impressive Brave was Price. He's not the best player ever, but he appears to have no fear and he was exactly what Bartram needed to mount its comeback. I doubt he played more than 10-11 minutes, but he had four apiece of rebounds, assists and steals. He hustled his you-know-whats off! Sr. F-C Chris Seaborn just didn't have it. He was out very early to work over and over on catching and shooting. But then the game began and . . . it was like he'd never taken a shot in his life. He shouldn't worry. The work ethic will serve him well over time. Jr. PF-C Daziah Miller had eight points and eight boards.

JAN. 25
CATHOLIC NORTH
Dougherty 81, La Salle 70
   Holy mismatch! In the early part of this game, played before an energized overflow crowd at La Salle, it looked like a varsity was playing against a JV. Dougherty was confident and competent and La Salle was anything but. But later, the Explorers had some very good moments and Dougherty coach Mark Heimerdinger even opted to pull the ball out in an attempt to make La Salle change defenses and/or calm his troops. My DN story focused on 6-7, 240-pound DeSean White, a Providence signee. Giving off an it's-automatic aura, White shot 8-for-10 in the first half on mid-range jumpers, and he finished 10-for-16, 7-for-7 en route to 27 points. He added 11 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. He also missed a dunk and was ribbed hard by La Salle's student rooters (smile). Sr. G Kyle Lowry (Villanova) was his usually whirlwind self. Is it possible to play any harder than this kid does? Or with more of a just-within-the-boundaries "edge?" He also chirps non-stop to the referees in hey-I'm-your-buddy fashion. I love watching him play and I suspect he'll be a HUGE favorite with 'Nova fans. Lowry had 28 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five steals. Here's something I'd love to see: a game of one-on-one between Kyle and Penn Charter's Sean Singletary (Virginia). It won't be one-on-one, but their TEAMS will meet Saturday at Arcadia University. What a treat that'll be! Jr. SF Shane Clark mixed 13 points, seven boards and three blocks. He's also committed to 'Nova; it's unclear whether he'll be able to play next season in the CL. Sr. PG Tim Smith dished seven assists. Now starting in place of the departed Bilal Benn (anyone who cares knows the story by now) is sr. G Thomas "P.I." Magnum. He added seven points and a desire to defend. For La Salle, the play of sr. F Nick Shattuck mirrored his team's. He was shaky early, pretty darn good later. He went 1-for-10 in the first half; 8-for-12 in the second. Hopefully, his second-half performance will be the one he remembers. Sr. PG Colin Fitzgerald dealt eight assists and finished with nine points. Jr. PF Joe Sobocinski also had all nine of his points after intermission. Sr. F Kevin Moll went that accomplishment one better: He had all seven of his points (and five of his eight rebounds) in the fourth quarter. Sr. G Mike Stanton, a sub, shot 4-for-6 (one trey) en route to 12 points. I'm sure Jack will get into some of the legendary one-liners thrown out by La Salle's fans. Here's one to whet the appetite. At one point, a Dougherty player was hammered by two players going hard to the hole and afterward he appeared to put on a little bit of an act, as if he'd been maimed for life. A La Salle kid hollered, "Dude, don't be a bitch!"

JAN. 23
CATHOLIC SOUTH
West Catholic 64, Carroll 47
   I saw no blood, but guys definitely left the Burrdome with bruises. Carroll is physical beyond belief (some would say chippy and/or dirty) and West has some bangers as well. West's two top players, sr. Gs Rob Latimer and Marshall Taylor, pretty much frolicked. Latimer was held out for the first 3 minutes, 44 seconds, because he got a haircut and arrived late for the pre-game meeting. He then proceeed to shot 8-for-9 from both the floor (one trey) and line for 25 points. Taylor had 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Football star Derrell Hand, a junior widebody, had eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He had six of his points before Latimer entered the game and even took two treys. Basketball is in his blood. His brother, Faron "Meatball" Hand, was an all-timer at Franklin Learning Center in the early 1990s. He twice was a first team All-City pick. Carroll's leader was sr. F Mike Springman, with 14 points, eight boards, three assists and three blocks. Mike is the definition of "battler." Carroll has very little height, so Mike often has to play on or close to the blocks. In college, he'll be a small forward or wing guard, depending. Coach Paul Romanczuk said Mike is hoping to attend Penn and is again taking the SAT with designs on raising his score even higher than the 1,300 he already has. He also has a 3.9 GPA. Amauro had a funny comment about the mouthpiece that Springman wears. "The guys playing against him are the ones who need mouthpieces." Sr. PG Matt Chambers, who's cut from the same cloth, had eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. I liked 6-3 soph Darrell Floyd. He still gives a wet-behind-the-ears appearance, but he had eight points, three assists and two rebounds along with a block and steal. I think he'll be all right over the next two years. Sr. WG Mike Welsh went 3-for-8 on treys. Romanczuk had a vintage snapout late in the third quarter. He received a tech and probably deserved another, considering he was 6 to 8 feet out on the floor and also whipped off and threw down his suitcoat. It almost looked like he wanted a second tech. The consensus among those along the baseline was that the ref, a young guy, looked terrified to give him another. Paul looked THAT fired up. He quickly regained his composure, though, and returned to instructing his team.

JAN. 23
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 62, Bonner 45
   This report will be semi-brief. Colin will hopefully send in a Curtin Call. One serious downer: the teams combined to miss 18 of the game's first 22 free throws. There was very little atmosphere (Prep had few students on hand) and the play was often lackluster, probably because of that. I'll let Colin talk about Prep's players. This was my first look at Bonner. Jr. PF-C Carlos Monroe had 14 points and 12 boards. He has a knack for being able to finish plays even when he gets only a very brief look at the basket, and he did have a thirst for rebounds. He did get caught in too deep a few times, probably because he was "outphysicaled" by Prep enforcer Mike Kearney, and he no longer had good angles for bank shots. That also happened to sr. F Randy Reid and he's a strong kid, so I have no idea how it happened. Frosh PG Jeff Jones is kind of spidery and I can picture him being a goodie. He does not yet have enough savvy, but he competes and that's more than half the battle. I liked the hustle and team spirit shown by sr. G Rasheed Jones, a sub. He had four assists and maintained his work ethic even when Bonner faded badly. 6-8 Jr. Derrick Graff is a mystery. He has some skill, but his body language is that of someone who is very unsure of himself. He is pretty light on his feet and is capable of creating his own shot; occasionally, at least. In the last quarter alone -- admittedly, with all edge gone by then and with Prep's lineup sprinkled with subs -- he had 12 points and five boards! He shot 5-for-6 from the floor. It will be very interesting to see what happens with this kid. Here's my hope: that he wakes up one day and says, "I will kick ass for the rest of my basketball life!"

JAN. 22
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin 66, Eng. and Science 48
   Sr. F Anwar Rascoe scored over 1,000 points the last two seasons at a small-enrollment school in Western Pa., but now he's back home and helping Franklin in its bid to put together a decent season. The Electrons, an unimpressive 5-5 in non-league games, went to 7-2 in Pub action with what turned out to be this comfortable victory. Rascoe and fellow sr. F Sedale Mason are very similar players. They're built alike and have some of the same mannerisms and together they give Franklin a decent inside presence. Rascoe shot 7-for-13 and 4-for-7 for 18 points, snatched 15 rebounds and blocked three shots. He has a nice touch on short jumpers, and even shows accuracy on fadeaway jumpers. He loves to rebound and doesn't seem to mind that he has to get many of his opportunities off the glass. Mason had 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The heroics of the Rascoe-Mason combo were needed more than in most games because junior swingman Andre "Aynee" Glover, a renowned one-on-one player, incurred severe foul trouble. He had to settle for 10 points. While Glover had to sit throughout the second quarter, jr. F John Warren claimed seven rebounds. Sr. PG Shakee Johnson was efficient in running the offense. Franklin wanted to play man-to-man, likely because E&S sr. G Michael Ganier and others are lights-out shooters. But sr. Gs Kechan Myers (14 points) and Tramaine Jackson (ditto) are tough and quick, not to mention masters of positioning in traffic, and Franklin coach Larry Gainey had to take his chance on a zone. The Electrons stepped out quickly into open areas and prevented treys. In fact, E&S had none! Myers is tough to project. I'm not sure of his listed height, but he appears to be no more than 5-10. He is gritty like crazy, though, and his solid build enables him to thrive. Amauro said Kechan might try to head for prep school for a year and learn to play point guard. Jackson is VERY quick. He kept getting good penetration and finished well, too. I could picture him having an outstanding D-III career. He showed superior defensive instincts. I did not see E&S last year and in the 2001-02 season, Ganier was a munchkin. I was kidding him that he now looks like a power forward. Not really, but you get my drift (smile). He got some good looks on dribble drives, but had a few shots rim in and out. Among the witnesses were Temple assistant Bill Ellerbee, formerly of Gratz, and ex-Franklin coach Ken Hamilton. Phew, some serious X-and-Oing skills with that tandem.

JAN. 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 61, Frankford 38
   The highlight of this one came early when La Salle's Jack "In the Box" Crouse, one of our student reporters and on hand to keep stats in his first-ever Pub appearance, noticed a bunch of gals dressed in Army fatigues across the way. He checked them out and then asked, dryly, "What's with the militia?" The gals were Frankford's drill team and they performed at halftime. They did much better than Frankford's players. Phew, what happened to the Pioneers? Last week in a road game, they gave Gratz a whole lot and then some. But in this one, they shot 11-for-62 and missed their first 17 shots of the third quarter. Brutal! I liked how Germantown played for coach Otis Hackney. The Bears were mostly careful with the ball, even in transition, and extremely unselfish. They appeared to get along and I saw no long faces when substitutions were made; that has become a Pub staple in most programs. Before the game, Frankford was still in the locker room and Hackney went out on the floor to feed a Bear who wanted to do some extra work on his behind-the-arc shooting. I liked that! My DN story centered (new word rather than "focused" -- smile) on 6-4 sr. F Ivan Evans, who is receiving D-II and III interest. This kid has wiry strength and big hands and he's able to function in traffic. He's a team player, works hard in school and is well-spoken. He collected 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocked shots. He's about to take the SAT and here's hoping he does well! Evans had plenty of help. Sr. G Corey Bethea, on his birthday, contributed 17 points (three treys). Sr. F-C Brian Carroll had 10 points, 11 boards and six blocks. Soph PG Corey James mixed three assists and four steals. Sr. WG Darnell Simmons had eight points and three assists. Sr. PF Mustafa Smalls added inside bruising off the bench. Even a late sub, jr. G Barry Govan, swished two treys in the last minute. Not much to say about Frankford. Jr. F Lamont Brown, the FB quarterback, had 10 rebounds. Jr. PG Ryan Smith and jr. WG Jarand Kennedy had three steals apiece. Coach Bernie Handler did a nice job bringing back the Pioneers from the dregs of a 2-7 start, and I'm sure he'll get them to rebound from this disaster. But what a disaster it was.

JAN. 19
CATHOLIC NORTH
Ryan 63, Wood 53
   Ryan's offense can be a beautiful thing to watch when the shots are falling because almost every FG attempt is preceded by a nice pass and/or a cut through the defense. The Raiders had 24 FGs and 17 assists and any coach would kill for numbers like that. My DN story focused on sr. G-F L.B. Rebstock, whose full name is Lambert Boniface Rebstock V. Gotta love that, right? And he doesn't even have blue blood (smile). This kid's a good story, primarily because he barely saw any varsity time last season and worked hard to become an important starter. He shot 3-for-5 and 8-for-9 for 14 points, dished six assists and made two steals. He even thrived in crunch time, posting a three-point play with 1 minute, 46 seconds remaining to give Ryan some room after the Vikings had stormed within 51-46. He also scored the Raiders' next two points by converting a double bonus. His dad, L.B. IV, is a ref. Soph WG Joe Zeglinski had 19 points, four assists and four steals. Sr. G-F Joe Mullin added six points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Sr. G Jim Welsh and soph C Kevin Hudgeons scored 10 points apiece. Ziggy had a strong first quarter with seven points and four steals. It was strange that Mullin grabbed no rebounds until the fourth quarter, but overall I thought the promising lefty did well. I like that even though he's a senior from whom much is expected, he's not indiscriminately pumping away because he "needs" his points. He's mostly taking sensible shots and showing away-from-the-basket skills. That will serve him well for the next level. Similarly, Welsh only took shots that were there (going 4-for-6 and 2-for-3 on treys). Wood has no true point guard, though jr. Matt Spadafora is making an admirable effort to fill that role. He mixed 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jr. C Rob Pearson, who goes about 6-8, had a rough night. He kept winding up too far under the basket and things just didn't click for him. I remember liking him to some degree last year, so maybe this was a blip on his radar screen. Sr. G-F Tim Walters had 13 points and seven boards. He needs more looks, I think. Sr. G Brian Klumpp helped to rally the Vikings by posting seven of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Jr. G Corey Filer had some scrappy moments off the bench. When I saw his name earlier this season, I figured he had to be related to THE Filers. He is. His father, Tom, pitched in the major leagues and is now a minor league pitching coach (with the Phillies, right?). His uncle, Bob, was a star in baseball and basketball. Their high school? Ryan. Both were in attendance. Welsh is sporting just the hint of a goatee. He also wants everyone to know that his hair is now short (smile). The PA announcer several times called Spadafora "Mike." That's his brother, now playing for Duquesne. After one of the officials made a call against Wood, a Viking loyalist hollered, "Is the Ryan coach your boyfriend?"

JAN. 18
CATHOLIC NORTH
La Salle 57, Judge 50
   This was like a million CL North games that came before it: reasonably well-played, dominated by coaching, not hard to watch for purists. The difference-maker was sr. PG Colin Fitzgerald. He's not known as a dead-eye shooter, but maybe he should be. He was a master of the sensible mid-range jumper off penetration and banged home all three of his trey attempts as well. He finished 8-for-10 overall for 19 points while adding three assists, four rebounds and a steal to wrap up the game. Judge has no true point guard and that showed more at the defensive end, as "Fitz" pretty much had a comfort zone in which to operate. Sr. F Nick Shattuck, the headliner so far this season, had an off day. His first three shots were blocked and he was benched for several spurts. To his credit, he did bounce back and contributed 10 rebounds. Sr. WG Ryan Kirk had 11 points and 7 boards. Jr. PF Joe Sobocinski had 8 points and 6 caroms. When Shattuck was struggling early, sr. G-F Mike Stanton came off the bench and contributed 5 first quarter points. He added an important fourth quarter trey. It was nice to see sr. F Kevin Ihlein, out all season with an injury, finally make his 2002-03 debut. He didn't play long and his first shot was hammered back into his face, but I suspect he'll be a help in time. Sr. F Kevin Moll made his usual enforcer contributions. For Judge, franchise SF Steve Wolf turned in a marvelous overall performance. He finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. He was big-time in the third quarter, pouring in 10 points (two treys) despite heavy defensive attention. He had the good sense to give up the rock whenever two defenders hustled toward him, and he usually made good passes. He also blocked Shattuck's first two shots. Steve is still on the thin side. He'll make someone VERY happy in college. Could even be at the D-II level. Sr. G-F John King is a decent shooter, but he couldn't get it going in this one. He went 2-for-10 on treys and had eight points total. Sr. SF Steve Altobelli shot 5-for-6 for 10 points. In limited duty, soph F Steve Schule wound up being Judge's No. 2 rebounder, with four. Yes, four. The Crusaders are now 1-4 in division play. There's still time to get it together because it's not like the North is packed with powers. One wonders whether it's going to happen, though. I was impressed, meanwhile, with the fact Judge rallied from a 13-point deficit and came back to take the lead. In the old days, at home, Judge would have likely closed things out. The lesson: never underestimate the importance of a competent, confident point guard.

JAN. 17
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Gtn. Academy 62, Episcopal 46
   Hey, guess what? GA has a third respectable frontcourt player! You likely knew about the jr. Fs, Ryan Ayers and Brian Grimes. But there's also a soph C, Andrew Ott, and he stands 6-9. Is he a stud? Not yet? Will he be one down the line? That'll depend on many factors, most notably work ethic. Is he a guy to watch? Definitely. Ott finished with 17 points (15 in the second half) and 13 rebounds (9 in the first half). His most impressive play when he took a pass from Grimes and banked home a fadeaway jumper. He then went to the line and completed a three-point play. Another time, he got out in front on a break and had enough aplomb to finish the play with a dunk. (Quite recently in his career, I'm suspecting, he would have dribbled the ball off his foot.) Fine night of basketball, youngster! GA won this one on the boards. The Patriots piled up 39 rebounds to Episcopal's 16. Ouch! EA's coaches contended all night that GAs big men were guilty of numerous over-the-tops. There were some, no doubt, but GA was also aggressive and had a pronounced height advantage. Further hurting Episcopal was severe foul trouble: soph F Gerald Henderson picked up his third in the second quarter and fourth with 5:27 left in the third quarter. Also, soph G-F Wayne Ellington picked up his third with 4:08 left in the third and fourth with 6:50 left in the fourth. On the fourth, Ayers showed major gonads by stepping in front of a full-of-steam Ellington and taking a VERY hard charge. There were some oddities for Ayers and Grimes. With his father, Sixers coach Randy Ayers, watching, Ryan did not pull down a rebound until the last moment of the third quarter. He finished with 8. Grimes had 8 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals, but went 0-for-14 from the floor and was limited to 4 points. And then there was sr. G-F Joe Gill, who had all 11 of his points after halftime. Sr. G Larry Sharp had 10 points, 2 assists and 3 steals. Henderson wound up taking just nine shots. He made five (three treys) and finished with 14 points. He had four boards. Ellington, who is SOOOOO impressive in terms of creating and making his shots, scored 16 points. I don't have a distinct memory of Kobe Bryant as a sophomore, but I can't believe a one-on-one game between the two at the same stage would have been one-sided. That being said, how does a kid this athletic wind up with one rebound? Inexplicable, and I'm sure his coaches will speak with him about it. To do anything, Episcopal needs his presence on the glass. Like Grimes, sr. G Brian Shanahan also experienced an oh-fer from the floor (0-for-9). Hard to believe. Jr. PF Joe Rosati did some nice weak-side work, scoring nine points. GA coach Jim Fenerty and Episcopal coach Dan Dougherty had some funny moments. They often wound up standing a few yards apart. At one point Dan playfully told his assistants, in reference to chirping at the refs, "Do not beg like Fenerty." Jim laughed. In attendance were my daughter, Kristen, and her friend, Carla Tsafos, cousin of ex-Episcopal QB John Tsafos. They, of course, were clueless. When GA called an early timeout to regroup, I said to Kristen, "OK, pretend you're the coach. What should you tell the players?" She said, "Um . . . get better?" Kristen took some action photos. We'll see how they looked. A pretty large crowd was on hand. For some reason, GA's student rooters did not participate to a large degree. Maybe because Episcopal had very few students in attendance and there was no one to chant against.

JAN. 16
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 51, West Catholic 40
   This was a sight to make eyes sore. The teams combined to shoot 28-for-99 and there wasn't one iota of flow. I expected a real goodie, but it just didn't happen. Fanwise, counting adults, The Prep might have had more spectators in the Burrdome than West. Very weird. My DN story focused on sr. PG Chris Clark, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter (6-for-6 at line to close things out) to finish with 21. He's either just over or just under 1,000 for his career; there's a little bit of controversy. Prep assistant Joe Donahue says he's over. Chris' own mom says he's under, as does yours truly. Oh, well. (Quick note: Joe was checking numbers with Huck right after the game and the legendary Joe, according to Huck, was dripping juice from a meatball sandwich onto his stat sheet -- smile). Clark also had 2 assists and 4 steals. The next best Hawk on this night might have been sr. inside banger Mike Kearney. He had 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and one of his feeds, off an offensive rebound, set up jr. G Corey O'Rourke for a basket that provided a 41-36 lead. Clark followed with an impressive reverse layup. Soph F Reggie Redding (10 rebounds) did not score his first FG until 3:18 remained. It came off a spin move along the baseline and the tacked-on free throw made it 39-36. As for West: This is one perplexing ballclub. As nice as the Burrs looked while extending Roman to OT the other night, that was how unimpressive they were in this one. Foul trouble to some key players didn't help. Sr. G-F Marshall Taylor, with La Salle checking him out, just didn't have it. He shot 3-for-16 and picked up his third foul 5:46 before the end of the FIRST quarter. That affected him greatly, no doubt, but he still had enough good looks that he could have shot better. He did grab 11 rebounds. Sr. WG Rob Latimer went hard to the basket over and over. He got his 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting total; 1-for-3 on treys. Sr. WG-SF Hakeem Townsend shot 2-for-5 on treys en route to 10 points. Five dot.com reporters were in the house -- Huck, Amauro, Colin Curtin (Prep's manager), Froggy (though he rarely does hoops; he keeps busy reffing) and me. There was also the son, Matt "Cauls" McCauley, of a guy, John "Lefty/Blade" McCauley, who has done some reporting in the past.

JAN. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Fels 60, Masterman 34
   I'd heard some nice things from Amauro and others about sr. SF Dionte Christmas, as a player and person, and now I know why! This young man is impressive on both fronts. Playingwise and even buildwise, the 6-5, 185-pound Christmas reminds me of 2003 FLC star Tyreek Byard. At this time a year ago, Byard was continuing to blossom and fielding mostly lower D-I offers. In the end, he signed with Temple and he is already making rotation inroads. The same kind of thing could happen for Christmas, especially if he becomes qualified. He's a late bloomer and will only get better. He has a sweet jumper, even from behind the arc, and in this one at least (admittedly, Masterman is not a power), he was able to effectively knife through the defense all the way to the basket even from 20-plus feet. Christmas contributed 24 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-8 on treys. He canned his only two free throws while adding 11 rebounds, two assists (he made passes good enough for at least five more) and four steals. On a break, he ran the floor like a young colt, pointed unobtrusively to sr. WG Dawud Lyons and nearly jumped through the basket on the resulting alley-oop dunk. Lyons, a nephew of Jason Lawson, a former star at Olney and Villanova and NBA player, also turned in a solid performance (18 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals). Fareed Williams added eight rebounds. For Masterman, three players handled most of the production. They were Zahir Carrington (12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks), Stephen "Same Name" Stevens (11 points) and Pierre Milburn (eight points, three assists, five steals). Carrington is a promising 6-5 soph who already shows excellent shooting form. He even shot techs for his team. He failed to catch passes several times, though, so he'll have to strengthen his hands and/or upper body. He mostly played with his back to the basket, but a few times went out on the wing or to the corner. Milburn is listed at 5-3. Just before the second half, one of Fels' female managers worked past him on the court and said to him, "How big are you?" "P" must have said 5-3. The gal said, "No, you ain't. I'm 5-1 and I'm bigger than you are." I don't care how tall "P" is and neither should he. He's a tough nut and a decent player and I enjoyed watching him. At the end of timeout huddles, the Blue Devils chant, "Play hard!" That same girl wondered at one point, "What are they saying? Playoffs?" Coach John Gannon muttered, "I'm not saying. Write a book about it. Make it a mystery." Late in the game, when the Devils' miseries were multiplying, Gannon said, "Ugh. This should have been a snow day." Gannon noted that Carrington is already being approached by schools that want to lure him away from Masterman. Stay tuned.

JAN. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Southern 58, Strawberry Mansion 46
   If Mansion had not played the day before, this one likely would have gone to the wire. Southern appeared to have fresher legs in the fourth quarter and that made the difference. Most of the Knights' shots were falling just short. I agree with others who say the Rams have enough talent to battle Gratz for the title. Will it happen? I'm still not convinced. I still get the feeling some guys are on one page, and some are on another. Time will tell. The first Ram I want to talk about is sr. F Steven Rudd. If he reads this, he'll be surprised because I hear he thinks I don't appreciate his game. Incorrect! I always appreciate guys who work hard and do their job without fanfare. Steven took just 2 shots all game, making 1. His teammates rarely even passed him the ball. But he hustled for 9 rebounds and 4 blocks and was definitely a factor. Well done, young man! Sr. PG Antoine "Doo Dirty" Brown was a whirlwind in the second half as the Rams got out in transition. He also made sound passes in the halfcourt set. ANY PG can make decent passes one guy away. The truly great ones make them two guys away, and don't commit turnovers while trying to do that. Doo can do! He had 6 points, 7 assists and even 9 boards. The 6-2, 180-pound Brown is unsure whether to hope for a D-I scholarship (he's not yet qualified) or follow the JC or prep school route. The other headliner was jr. SF Kashief Carr. He poured in 26 points in a variety of ways -- treys, short pull-ups, slinky moves along the baseline -- and has BIG potential. His long legs enable him to have the classic big first step. If he keeps working hard and developing overall skills, he has a chance to be one of the city's top players next year. Sr. C Shawn Sabb was effective in spurts; he had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Sr. SF Ryan Williams had 9 points. Mansion relies heavily on two scorers, sr. G-F Tracey Worley and sr. SF John Scarbrough. Worley had 19 points, but shot just 7-for-20. Tell you what, though: every miss was a close miss. I liked that he went hard to the hole when he sensed that his long-range shot was off. He added 3 assists and 4 steals. I could picture Tracey in a lower D-I environment and maybe something better in two or three years after his body fills out. This is first year of stardom. Scarbrough is the classic tricky lefty. He gets into spots and does his thing in a hurry, almost before some defenders realize he's there. He had 10 FGs on 17 attempts. Any D-II or D-III team that goes up and down should grab this kid now! He would be The King of Transition, and Finishing. Sr. PF Michael Mitchell had no points, but worked for 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. The guy at Southern who yells at everyone was torching Mansion's players and coaches. Head coach Gerald Hendricks was laughing about the guy at halftime. "I'd like to yell back at him, but I won't." Gerald and volunteer assistant Marc "Big Andy" Starling kept up a steady stream of loud-volume instruction and encouragement. They made sure Mansion's players maintained their focus. Brown said afterward, "I like how those coaches run that team."

JAN. 12
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 75, West Catholic 71 (OT)
   This was my first look at Roman this season and I wasn't sure what to think. There is talent, but it's not meshing at the moment and coach Dennis Seddon is growing increasingly frustrated. Right after the game, he looked like he hadn't slept in a month. Maybe two. Roman is now playing weekday home games at NIGHT and this turned out to be a darn good show, even though there were non-stop whistles and the small court, as usual, made it tough for most guys to find enough room to do their thing. Somehow, Roman almost neglected sr. F-C Charron Fisher (Niagara) through the first 25 1/2 minutes. He then poured in 17 points (of 26 total) in the final 10 1/2. He added 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Sr. F Khalil Ferguson (he said his birth certificate reads Khaleel, but he doesn't like that and prefers to go by Khalil; pretty cool, huh? -- smile), hustled for 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sr. F Brett Johnson had 13 points and 8 boards and was especially impressive early, posting 11 first half points. Jr. F Malik Perry kept getting fouled early, and kept missing most of the free throws. He went 2-for-8 at the line and watched thereafter. Sr. G-F Andre Sloan-El, yet another lefty (also Ferguson and soph PG Raymond "Doodles" Sims), scored 10 points. Jr. CG Bob Jordan had 8 points and 5 assists. About the whistles: The teams combined for 63 free throws. Roman went 27-for-43 while West went 19-for-20. Roman shot 24 of the game's first 27 free throws and the Burrs wound up losing three players to personals. Three others finished with four. As one could imagine, West coach Bill Ludlow was often incredulous over the disparity. Despite the loss, West should take many positives from this game. This was a benchmark outing for sr. G-F Marshall Taylor, a D-I recruit. Taylor every so often has looked tentative through his career, but in this one he gave off an "I'm the man" aura. He played hard and smart and he came through again and again in clutch situations. He totaled 30 points and 11 rebounds. Siena is said to be making a push. Also impressive was sr. WG Rob Latimer. He went hard all night into the teeth of Roman's defense and finished with 21 points. Even when he missed, it wasn't a bad thing because he was showing gonads. A few times, he pulled off moves that caused spectators' eyes to bug out. Sr. WG Hakeem Townsend hit three treys en route to 12 points. FB players John Maddox (soph) and Derrell Hand (jr.) had 6 and 5 boards, respectively. Huck and Amauro were also at the scorer's table. Keeping the scorebook for Roman was an old friend, ex-student Aurelius "Tony/Cous" Cousar. He was a big fan in the Bernard Jones era (early 1990s) and has remained loyal to his alma mater. He walked in, came over to say hello and, presto, he was being asked to keep Roman's scorebook. Former West Philly star Donnel Feaster was in attendance. He's a fan of Latimer's. In 1997, in the round of 16 against Franklin, he engineered the most amazing comeback in Pub playoff history. West won the last quarter, 36-16, and erased a 73-60 deficit in the final 1:27. Feaster, then a 5-8 soph, set PL and city postseason records with seven threes (in 12 attempts), scored half of his 38 points in the final quarter and dribbled the length of the court to flip in a 7-footer with 0:03 left to win it. I was at the game and it was simply amazing!!! Also in the house was ex-Franklin forward Denelle Holly. In the final three rounds of the '99 playoffs, as a substitute, no less, all he did was shoot 22-for-29 en route to 53 points and collect 45 rebounds, helping the Electrons win the title.

JAN. 11
CATHOLIC NORTH
Dougherty 87, Ryan 58
   Phew! The Cardinals got after it in this one, especially in transition and at the offensive end. Ryan did not play poorly and still got seriously smoked. Dougherty rolled to a 14-2 lead and maintained from there. Weird stat: the Cards missed their first 7 treys while simultaneously hitting their first 14 shots from INSIDE the arc. Sr. CG Bilal Benn (Siena) totaled 6 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists and his ever-sticky defense helped to limit sr. F Joe Mullin to 5 points (on 4 shots) and 2 rebounds. Sr. WG Kyle Lowry (Villanova) had 21 points, 3 assists and 8 steals. F Shane Clark (also 'Nova, though he still has another year of high school remaining -- whether at Dougherty or somewhere else) also had 21 points, along with 3 blocks. Sr. PF-C DeSean White (Providence) shot 11-for-15 en route to 25 points. He also claimed 8 rebounds. Sr. CG Tim Smith, the other starter, mixed 7 points with 6 assists. At one point, coach Mark Heimerdinger called for an open offense and Smith sliced and diced a defender before finishing with a lefthanded layup. The waning moments were dominated with cheers and playful chants ("Give the ball to the white boy!") from the Looney Bin for jr. deep sub Bob Yost. Yost finally got it with a chance to score . . . but launched an air-ball from the right wing. Oh, well. Sr. Thomas Magnum and Jamie Stitt did hit 1 trey apiece. Ryan showed brass in coming back from the early 14-2 disaster. Actually, the Raiders often maneuvered the ball into good spots early, but had trouble getting it into the basket. Soph G Joe Zeglinski finished with 21 points and 5 steals and he shot 3-for-5 on treys. Six-seven soph C Kevin Hudgeons has become a lot more flexible and his confidence appears to be improving. I also liked that he knocked down all of his free throws (only 4, but so many big guys are terrible at the line). He added 6 rebounds. Sr. WG Jim Welsh had 5 assists, with 4 in the first quarter. Sr. F L.B. Rebstock had 4 dishes. Not all players shot the ball for Ryan, but I notcied at least 4 lefties -- Mullin and 3 subs (sr. Tom Dolan, jr. Tom Manes and soph Jon Bruce). Our deepest sympathy goes out to Mark Heimerdinger, whose father, Elmer, passed away Thursday night at age 73. Mark decided to coach this weekend because his father had always said to him, "Life is for the living." Mark did yeoman duty caring for his ailing father for the last half-year, and decided to stay home to fulfill that role when the Cardinals went to South Carolina for the Beach Ball Classic.

JAN. 9
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Penn Charter 56, Gtn. Academy 53
   Oh, what a night! Special Ed did a great job with his report and I'm sure ZB will, too. I have a lot of catching up to do on overall scoring for CL and PL teams, and I intend to do that now. One thing I will say: it would have been interesting to see if the presence of sr. G Doug Depte could have made a difference for GA. He's not a headliner, but he plays hard and he likely would have had some success keeping PC sr. guard Sean Singletary from pretty much having his way. With Doug out, I was a little surprised GA went with man-to-man. But the Ziggy Brothers -- WGs Zack (jr.) and Sam/Sammy Zeglinski (frosh) -- are such threats on treys . . . Assuming Depte is around for the rematch, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

JAN. 9
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 84, Kennedy-Kenrick 30
   Thank goodness Prep coach Speedy Morris is a compassionate man or this blowout would have reached epic proportions. Only one starter, jr. F-C Mike Boyle, played beyond the first quarter, and he was starting only because sr. F-C Mike Kearney was unavailable due to illness. K-K had been struggling anyway and in this one it had to go without its franchise player, sr. G-F Amarildo Matos (received 2 techs in previous game), and sr. C Rick McMinn (on a school assignment of some kind). Sr. PG Chris Clark and sr. WG Jared Black hit 3 treys apiece in the first quarter as Prep rolled to a 33-6 pad. The good vibrations lessened only slightly in the second quarter and the halftime score was 58-9. The spread hit 50, at 61-11, shortly thereafter. Two sons of coaches, jr. G Joe Fox and sr. G Paul Lynch (Joe's father, Joe, is an assistant to Speedy; Paul's father, Paul, was The Prep's coach "back in the day") had some excellent moments. Joe shot 5-for-10 (2 treys) en route to 12 points. Paul grabbed 9 rebounds and dealt 6 assists. Jr. G Corey O'Rourke, a rotation member, was active and effective until the very end of his stint. With a smile, he acknowledged that his legs had given out; his shot were falling just short. He totaled 14 points, 11 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Sr. G Pat O'Toole mixed 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Sr. G Antoine Joseph managed 4 steals. For K-K, I loved the spunk of soph PG Brian Organtini. He stayed focused and motivated throughout and kept trying to rally/direct his teammates. Like many of his teammates, he is small and looks much younger than a high school kid (one word, guys: Tastykakes! -- smile; you'll be bigger in no time). In the fourth quarter, mostly on feeds from jr. G Mike Dayton, Organtini drained 4 treys. And I do mean drained. Every one was a perfect swish. Jr. F Tom Amenta also played hard. He kept getting the ball in the mid-lane area, or higher, and kept attacking. There was much congestion and things did not go that well (he missed his first 9 shots), but he later scored 6 points and finished with 9 total rebounds. K-K won its non-league opener, but might be hard-pressed to triumph again this season. One thing I know: these kids will be able to look at themselves in the mirror.