200305

5/31/03 PrepStars Top 25 AAU Poll has # 1 Riverside Church (New York, N.Y.) - (17-6) *2, # 9. Gauchos (Bronx, N.Y.) Ç (18-5) *1, # 13. Tim Thomas Playaz (Paterson, N.J.) - (40-6) *11, # 14. Juice All-Stars (Brooklyn, N.Y.) - (8-2) *21 and dropped out Long Island Panthers (Long Island, N.Y.) - (23-4) *25. Others to watch include New Jersey All-Stars (Burlington, N.J.); New York Ravens (N.Y.); New York Elite (N.Y.); Westchester Hawks (N.Y.); SRAP (N.Y.). Individual team updates are on the team page.

5/31/03 John P Miciotta: 'According to published reports Andrea Crosariol, the fine 6'10" center from Long Island Lutheran signed a letter of intent with Fairliegh Dickenson University. A native of Venice Italy, Crosariol came to LuHigh for his senior season after attending Winchendon Prep in Massachusetts. He averaged 12.5 points and 10 rebounds a game for Ronn Hall's team. And capped the season with an outstanding 16 points 16 rebound 3 block effort in the New York State Class A semi final against Christ the King. This is a terrific get for FDU coach Tom Green and the Knights. Crosariol has great hands, good feet, and a soft touch around the basket. If he can improve his strength and stamina he will be an impact player in what is a fine '03 recruiting class for FDU, and one that includes three other local players; 6'7" forward Matt Ross of Whitman High on Long Island, 5'10" scoring guard Jason Patterson of St. Patrick's in Elizabeth NJ 5'10" point guard Darryl Gladden II of Burlington (NJ) Life Center.'

5/31/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest 'Our 18u overcame an early season loss to Starrett City in the Safe Horizon Classic in Brooklyn by facing them in the championship and defeating them 75-67 to hold an overall record of 6-1. The 18u squad composed by tournament MVP Derek Williams, Brandon Lawley who was to me just as much of MVP as D. Williams with a strong performance in the paint as well as scoring, George Brister, George Peters, David Bucknor, Jaysen Murphy, Nicholas Jones, Gregory Dwyer & Jason Murphy all were distinguished in their own respective fields and strengths. Thanks Keith Watkins, tournament director, for all of the good work putting the tournament together and keeping it structured with over 200 participants including Gary Forbes, who played in the unlimited division with Starrett City, taking part in it.'

5/31/03 Pat Gold, SlamJam: 'On September 11, 2001, SlamJam Women's Basketball Classic lost its founder and director, Clyde Frazier Jr. This month he will be honored in a street naming ceremony. The block between 143rd and 144th Streets at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. (7th Avenue) in Harlem, New York will be officially named "Clyde Frazier Jr. Blvd." on June 14, 2003 at 12pm. There will be a ceremony including speeches by local politicians and refreshments at PS 194 (144 St. off Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd) followed by the unveiling of the new street sign at 12pm.'

5/30/03 Rob Williams Bistate Pythons: 'After reading the Daily news article regarding "Coaches do it all..." a thought occurred to me... either Wagner College or Fordham University could not go wrong adding coach Ron Naclerio to their staff. Ron can immediately impact their programs with direct ties to the local recruiting scene, he is a premiere skill developer, and has had a nationally recognized record of success over the long haul. Having had a nephew and a son who have grown considerably under his tutelage I can positively endorse his sincerity, dedication, and ability to help either of these programs.'

5/30/03 Jim Fox: 'Island Garden Summer League is accepting registrations from teams until June 15th. There are divisions for all grade levels through high school. Great competition and all games played indoors in our air conditioned state of the art facility. Call 516-292-4956 for information.'

5/30/03 Steve Purcigliotti: 'It's official! The Westchester Hawks Purcigliotti 17U Boys' have qualified for the Division I Nationals in Orlando, FL. They beat the NYC Rise Panthers 73-70 two weeks ago to clinch 3rd place. The Hawks rallied from 8 points down with 3 minutes to go to win. Outstanding efforts were turned in by Dan Gumb, Matt Hickey, Tate Sherman, Richard Fields, Pete Courtney, Brandon Murray, Ronnie Strand, Ed Johnson and Michael Herr. Great job guys!

The Westchester Hawks Karger/Diasparra also qualified giving the organization two teams from the same age group in the nationals at the same time. This is the first time this has ever happened in the organization's history!'

5/30/03 According to Bingo Coles, this weekend's 14 under tri-state tourney has been postponed.

5/29/03 Coach Faye: 'Youth Boys & Girls Nuthing But Net Outdoor Summer League from June 30th-Sept. 1. 10 games plus playoffs (top 4 teams). 2 games a week (all games evenings and weekends). 12 man roster maximum. Boys Divisions: 12, 13, 14, 15&16, and 17. Girls Divisions: 11&12, 13&14, 15, 16&17. Game site: Wyandanch Park, Mount Avenue, Wyandanch, N.Y. 11798. Team registration $325.00 (plus referee fees) includes: t-shirts, division champion awards, and live DJ. For more info contact: Michael Grant, summer league director (631) 882-9148 or Craig Braswell, summer league ass't. director (631) 484-0922.'

5/29/03 InsidersHoops: Class of 2003 Final Player Rankings include # 2 Luol Deng, # 7 Charlie Villanueva, # 25 Darryl Watkins, # 26 Sean Banks, # 36 Gary Ervin, # 41 Terrence Roberts, # 43 Chris Taft, # 57 Will Sheridan, # 67 Gary Forbes, # 76 Shagari Alleyne, # 78 Konimba Diarra, # 79 Michael Nardi, # 90 Louis McCroskey, # 94 Lamont Hamilton and # 99 Sammy Mejia.

5/29/03 Coach Tyrone Hester: 'The Morris Brown Warriors will be playing Allen A.M.E at the 9th annual benefit basketball games on Saturday, June 14th 2003 at Allen School, 171-10 Linden Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11433. Donation: $8.00 at the door $5.00 donation for children under 12. An adult must accompany all children under 12. Door opens at 4:00 pm. For more information you can contact the warriors at enyce456@hotmail.com.'

5/28/03 Coach Morton: 'In my young coaching career, I have observed and learned for coach Kenny Pretlow. Although we were often competing as coaches, Kenny is one of those guys who I could truly call a friend. (especially in this business). Therefore I was very interested in how Loughlin handled the hiring of the new coach. I talked to former players, coaches, family and the AD pushing for Kenny because I believed he deserved the job. However, When I received that call from Kenny that he didn't get the job, I had mixed emotions. So I did what any good coach would do. I asked him to come join me at Lincoln H.S.'

5/28/03 Mike Neely with Staen Island Stingrays updates for their 13's and 15's on the team page.

5/28/03 Syracuse Post Standard: SU gets 6-foot-11 center. Father of Darryl Watkins likes that his son will have to compete for playing time.

5/28/03 NJO: Paterson Catholic's Darryl Watkins will sign with Syracuse.

5/28/03 Doc Nicelli: 'I would like to make a clarification, the Student Athlete's Inc. summer league is for teams only, not for individual players. Sorry for the misunderstanding. However, any team still interested in joining the tournament for kids 12,14,16,18 and under in Astoria by the Triborough Bridge can contact me at 718 392 4527 or 646 246 1130.'

5/27/03 Rob Anderson, Healthy Cities Basketball/Life Skills Program ( South Jersey ): 'Pete Edwards is a blessing to youth basketball. We attended the IS8 in 1999, with a team that consisted of talent from Atlantic City, Pleasantville, & Cherry Hill, NJ. We were treated with the utmost respect and the competition was excellent. 7 of the 10 young men went on to attend college on scholarship, 2 were offered an opportunity to attend a NY school & the EKB Camp, after participating in the IS8 tournament that day. Positive consistency is the foundation of success, and when preperation & opportunity meet, success is the result. If the basketball world we spend time training youth in, had more like Pete Edwards, we would have a larger percentage of college attendees & productive citizens. We will be attend the IS8's H.S. division in the future, when our up and coming group of 8th graders have developed.'

5/27/03 Khalil Manigault: To those "analysts" who for whatever reasons have some obvious envious and jealousy issues going on, most notably, Tracey Kearse (the bitter and fired freshman coach) & Louis Xifaras (the 2nd year assistant freshman coach), get a life. A lot of guessing is being done as to why Khalid was hired and Kenny wasn't. In the end, Loughlin made the decision. Analyze and critique your own coaching career and abilities. Best of luck to Kenny P. in his future coaching endeavors. And congrats again to Khalid.

5/27/03 Coach Gary Charles: 'It wasn't the Long Island Lightening that won the Select Championship (They weren't even there). It was the Long Island Panthers . The Select tournament consisted of all the teams that finished 2nd in their respective pool play. We lost 76-70 in pool play to Louisiana Sports Academy. Sports Academy was the same team that won the Houston tournament back in April. Yes, it is true we lost to the Southern California All-Stars 76-74, coached by Reggie Theus. His son was shooting the lights out in the semi . But we knew before the game that they had to catch a plane and would not be able to stay. It allowed us to coach freely and try different things to prepare for the championship. We beat the New Orlean Jazz 60-51 in the championship. The Jazz beat the Tim Thomas Playaz in the other semi. Josh Wright who averaged over 22 points made the all-tournament team along with Joakim Noah who averaged over 10 rebounds per game. Rashon Clarke definitely should have made the All-tourney team, but he twisted his ankle in the 1st round of the playoff against Alabama Challange. He tried to play in the quarterfinals but was only able to go for 5 minutes. He scored 4 points which obviously hurt his scoring average which at the time was 25.7. Other Panthers who played well were Cliff Clinkscale who did a nice job running the team and hitting some crucial 3's throughout the tournament. Kevin Spann continued to play exceptional defense. Danny Green might have been the most important piece because he was able to defends guards and big men, while also getting big rebounds and hitting clutch shots. Victor Morris allowed us to bring in another scorer off the bench when the others guys needed a blow.'

5/27/03 Nick Blatchford: 'Congratulations to the CAS Warriors 12/U team - New York Metro AAU Champions! The Warriors defeated Anessa's Sports in overtime yesterday, led by the outstanding inside play of Noah Madalle, Woodward Astwood and Seck Barry and the playmaking of Joshua Behagen, Dwayne Allen, Cory Wright, Dean Moore and Desmian Perez. The Warriors will represent NYC at the AAU National Championships in Virginia Beach in July. Congratulations to coaches Gary Clemons and Oliver Behagen.'

5/27/03Coaches Diasparra and Karger: 'Westchester Hawks 17u won the NY Metropolitan Regional Championship for the second year in a row. Westchester Hawks played a very good Rockland Rockets team and won 65-64. It was a great team effort with everyone contributing in the win. Congratulations to the Westchester Hawks : Ted Detmer, Rob Futia, Brett Loscalzo, Chris Diasparra, Quentin Martin, Mike Devere, Ernie Washington, Richard Riss, Frank Ward, Jamal Webb, Ryan Schnieder. Hawks will be going to Nationals in Orlando in July.'

5/27/03 Mike Neely: 'Staten Island Stingrays Memorial Weekend Classic -- In the 17u Division:The Willie Howie All-Stars Beat The S.I. Stingrays 78-76 in the semi-finals :Danny Holton (Msgr.Farrell) 25 pts ...21 in the 1st half, Anthony Passalaqua (Susan Wagner) 22 pts Sal Trovello (St. Joe's by the Sea) 14pts led the way for the Stingrays. For the Willie Howie All-Stars Gary Houston's 15pts led 10 different scorers. In the final,Willie Howie All-Stars guard Joe Cooke led the way with 15pts as they easily beat St. Joe's ,West Milford 63 -33. Despite losing in the semi-finals Stingrays guard Danny Holton (Msgr. Farrell) was named Tournament MVP. Danny had 26pts vs J.C.Celtics,14pts vs St. Joe's and 25pts vs W.H. All-Stars. All Tournament Team: Danny Holton, Stingrays, Anthony Passalaqua, Stingrays, Joe Cooke, W.H.All-Stars, Ian Robinson W.H.All-Stars and Gary Houston W.H.All-Stars

In 11u Division:SI Lightning Beat the SI Stingrays in the semis 60-45 as Steve Galante and Larry Costello combined for 21 points for the Stingrays. The SI Lightning were led by Lance Legister's 10pts. The other semi-final was won by the TK All Stars-66-51over the Marlboro Wildcats In the Finals TK All-Stars beat the SI Lightning 54-45 as co-Tournament MVP's Joseph Pepe and Scott Marion (TK All Stars) led the way with 15pts each!

5/27/03 Post-Standard: Darryl Watkins, a 6-foot-11 senior at Paterson (N.J.) Catholic High School, visited Syracuse University over the weekend, but returned home for a post-prom trip with friends without making a decision on his basketball future.

5/27/03 Coach Jake Edwards: 'The Brooklyn Beasts beat the Running Rebels 17 under, division II to win the AAU championship at Island Garden to qualify for the nationals in Orlando,Fl. The Beasts were led the Jamel White's 33 pts. He dominated the game from the beginning to set the tone. Deon Pettway controlled the tempo of the game. The Beasts forward tandems of Basil Leslie, Ahkeem Comas, Dwight Burke , Shawn McDaniel and Nicholas Harrington controlled the boards and the inside play.'

5/26/03 Coach Derek Page: 'Long Island Lightning 15U (LoPiano) just completed the Gymrat Challenge in Albany going 4-1, losing in the quarter finals by 1 point to the New York Ravens. In pool play we were 3-0 beating Chenango Vipers 78-51 led by Chris LoPiano (19 pts.) and Brandon Mays (17 pts.), Montreal Bisons 85-72 with five players in double figures led by Brandon Mays (22 pts.), Josh Marshall (17 pts.), Chris LoPiano (14 pts.), Girard Fitts (12 pts.) and Terrell Johnson (11 pts.). Fairfield City Stars 60-52 led by Brandon Mays (15 pts.) and Girard Fitts (14 pts.). In the first round of the championship bracket we played Youth Dynasty winning 63-53 led by Terrell Johnson (22 pts.) and Brandon Mays (15 pts).

The next game was against the New York Ravens losing 56-55, we were led by Girard Fitts (17 pts.) and Brandon Mays (12 pts.). On Memorial Day we played for third place in the Division II Regionals at Island Garden against the Newburgh Lions winning 61-28 led by Brandon Mays (16 pts. ) and Chris LoPiano (10 pts.). With this win we qualify for the AAU Nationals 15U Division II held in Houston Texas.'

5/26/03 Coach Antonio Cannon Sr. 'The T.K. Allstars Lost the 14u AAU Regional Championship to Scan Bx.(Game Over) program 42-36. Not to take anything away from the Scan program, but we missed 15 free throws in the contest! Yeah you read right, 15 missed free thows! The T.K. Allstar 11u team captured their first championship this weekend winning the Staten Island Stingrays AAU 11u tournament. The team went 2-1 in pool play, and then defeated the Staten Island Lighting in the championship game 52-40.'

5/26/03 They're playing the Metropolitan AAU regional championships today at Island Garden - 19 games for 10 under through 17 under, division I (higher) and division II. In the first game the Westchester Hawks 10 under division II team topped the Long Island Lightning Sullivan 49 - 41 as James Chillemi (20), Daniel Healy (15) and Octavio Berrado (8) bested AJ Boothe (15) and Mike Rosemund (11).

The Wiz Kids 17 under, division II easily took the L I Lightning Miller team 71 - 50 and Rockland Reign's 14 under, division II squad dumped LI Lightning Romanelli 68 - 51.

The Long Island Lightning organization got two wins in the third set of games as their 10 under, division I McDade team won 20 - 11 vs Chase the Game and their Lopiano 15 under, division II team trounced the Newburgh Lions 61 - 28. as Brandon Mays (16) and Chris Lopiano (10) led the way.

The 11 under, division I Unique All Stars (pictured) won 57 - 47 over the Gauchos as Steve Whittingham (21), Devon McMillan (16) and Tobias Harris (10) outlasted the 'chos Deron Lamb (18) and John Harris (13), while Anessa Sports 13 under, division II team beat Ahead of the Game.

5/26/03 Coach Sly Johnson: 'Summer League at Whitney Pond Park, Manhasset, Long Island, NY hosted by: the Manhasset Allstars Basketball Program Join our Saturday or Sunday leagues for ages 9.U; 10&11; 12&13; 14; and 15&16. All ages are based on September 1ST deadline. No player can turn next age prior to Sept. 1st. League format: Regular season schedule plus playoffs and championship League fees: no charge! Each Team must post a Refundable Forfeit bond of $250.00 to ensure roster spot. Payment due prior to 6/13/03 Make checks payable to: Manhasset ALLSTARS basketball Program. For each forfeit game, $50.00 will be deducted from the bond. Referee fees: (paid at game time) ages 9-11 - $30.00 per game (one man) ages 12-13 - $30.00 per game (two man), ages 14 & up - $35.00 per game (two man) for more information contact: Sly Johnson @ 516-769-0178. Please leave a fax number when you call.'

5/26/03 Coach Jake Edwards: 'Show me what you basketball league is still looking for girl teams to participate. If anyone is still interested in the league you can check out some info on the new web site: www.eteamz.com/showmewhatyougotsports or e-mail at shomebball@msn.com.'

5/26/03 Coach Antonio Cannon Sr. 'Pete Edwards and staff truly sets the standard on running a class operation with the IS8 Nike Classics. All of us basketball junkies should take a moment, to express our appreciation to Pete Edwards & staff, for entertaining us with the very best basketball stage in the City! I understand first hand, the level of hard work, committment & dedication that goes into putting this thing together. In closing, Pete and Staff keep up the excellent work in our community, my hat goes off to you. Truth being told you guys inspired me, to step up and revamp the Kenny Anderson Classic!'

5/26/03 Coach Rock Eisenberg: 'I just wanted to echo Roberto Diaz' words about Pete Edwards. I had a chance to coach Peter when I was a young asst. coach for another great guy Sam Stern at NY Tech. in 1979. Pete was part of the best 3 man backcourt I have ever been involved with. There was "Super Smooth" Curtis Sumpter, deadly shooter Bobby Jones and Peter "Rock and You Don't Stop" Edwards who was always the best in close games. Pete was and always will be as Tina Turner says 'Simply The Best'! Peter you are the best, keep up the great work!'

5/26/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - 'D. Wayne Williams, tournament director, thanks for giving us the opportunity to take part in the L.A.W. 2003 Memorial Classic (Louie Anthony Williams) in St. Albans, Jamaica, NY. I do also want to point out the importance of him bringing together over 250 boys & girls to participate, compete and learn in a safe environment and newly rebuilt St. Albans Park. I want to congratulate my guys: Tournament MVP Branden Matthews, Charles Jenkins, Michael Bruce, Eric Tullock, Steve Williams, Steven Mellington, Khy Shipp, Ian Walcott, Tyriq Harrington, Stanley Desir, Christopher Bolton and Mario Nnani for their performance during the entire tournament going 3-0 during season, 4-0 overall and beating the NYC Rise Panthers in the 14u Championship yesterday 64-60. A strong performance from 6'5" Game MVP Branden Matthews as well as Charles Jenkins and key free throws hit by Eric Tullock 1 of 2 and Michael Bruce 2 of 2 in the last minute of play petty much iced it'.

5/26/03 NJ Hoops: Maurice Jackson - Another NJ underclassmen puts in for NBA Draft.

5/26/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - 'I know the season is over now, but I think is only right that I give notice to a person who gets a lot done for the entire city of NY and some surrounding states when it comes to basketball and that is Pete F. Edwards. I think his effort to continue making the I.S. 8 Classic an event that has always been a success to the teams, players that have taken part in it, but also to the coaches, fans and those promoting the talent in and around the NYC area. Everyday at I.S. 8 is a day of attention and notice around the basketball world, and I think we all need to commend Pete and his staff for the untiring effort carrying out the I.S. 8 Classics. You have given reasons for every player to have a reason to play in your classic and for every coach to want to enter and that is a sign of your top competition and integrity of your tournament. We should all agree on that but sometimes we tend to forget to point it out because we all are involved in so many different things during the year'.

5/26/03 tbone: 'The Skyliners 17u team went 3-1 this past weekend in Albany at the Gym Rat Challenge. 1st game, We beat Donyelle Marshall Foundation 67-50. Anthony Simms Jr. (Elizabeth) scored 25 pts and TJ Sferra Jr.(Hillsborough) added 15 (4 three pt baskets), the 2nd game, We beat The Fairfield All Stars 60-57 on a 90 ft heave with 1 second left by Plainfield Jr. Mike Gordon. Mike finished with 18pts. Anthony Simms added 15 and Jason Dolphin Jr. (St.Joseph) added 14 (4 three pt shots). The 3rd game was a blowout, as we be The Elmount Cougars 71-50. We faced Lascaster Elite in the opening round of the playoffs and lost 60-57. Anthony Simms led with 17pts while Jason Dolphin added 11. Keep a eye out for Anthony Simms at Elizabeth Hs in NJ. He turned some heads in the 4 games. Please add this link as well. Its Ant and his teammates' interview.'

5/25/03 Coach Jake Edwards: 'The Brooklyn Beasts AAU have qualified for the 17 under national in Orlando Fl. The Beasts will be playing for the regional championship at Island Garden on Monday May 26 at 5:45 pm. The Beast have been getting quality play from the Grady backcourt of Deon Pettway and Jamel White. In the semis Jamel scored a game high of 26 points, and 5 threes to beat the Wiz team in overtime. The Beast is also getting great down low play from Ahkeem Comas from Grady and Dwight Burke from Delaware.'

5/25/03 Rodrick C. Bussey (Brooklyn-Queens Warriors/ Scholars Through Sports Foundation) - 'My team just finished competing in the GymRat Challenge in Albany. The team did a good job with 2 wins and 1 loss in pool play. John Kmack did an excellent job of organizing and running the tournament. Jamaal Smith (LaSalle Academy), Kizmahr Grell and Greg Willis (both Health Profession) and Marques Damon (Benjamin Bannneker) had an outstanding tournament. Jamaal, Kizmahr and Marques are all point guards who are playmakers and scorers. All 3 are potentially Division 1 prospects. The Brooklyn-Queens Warriors will be travelling to New Haven, Connecticut on June 7-8 to compete in the New Millenium Peak 5 Classic.'

5/25/03 The latest listing of the class of 2006 is still alphabetical but I'll be ranking the top thirty by summer's end. Right now the top ten look to be # 1 Derrick Caracter, # 2 Jon Mitchell, # 3 Curtis Kelley, # 4 Terrell Williams, # 5 Kasim Drummond, # 6 Jerrell Williams, # 7 Eddie Castellenos, # 8 Quarrann Calhoun, # 9 Christian Thompson. # 10 Milan Prodanovic. If you have a different opinion send mail to nycnjhoops@aol.com.

5/24/03 Wayne Simone: 'I wanted to let you know about a tournament that has gained NCAA certification that I'm involved with.On July 13-15 there will be an NCAA certified event held on the campus of University of Maryland. The tournament will be open to rising high school seniors (and prep players) and rising high school juniors. You can contact me at 203-596-9264 or by E-Mail at wsimone@mail.com. This will be a major summer event. Spots are filling fast.'

5/24/03 HoosierTimes: Bloomington hosting tomorrow's hoops stars. NBA scouts, college coaches to observe Nike Memorial Day Classic.

5/24/03 PrepStars: Memorial Day Preview - Tournament of Champions and Nike Memorial Day Classic.

5/24/03 Rod Odom: 'Basketball Results will hold a camp Aug 11-15 at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood Long Island. Call 631-821-2794 (ask for Rod Odom or Jerry Powell) or visit basketballresults.org for more information.'

5/24/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Jerel Blassingame, a 5-10 point guard at Los Angeles City (CA), has signed a national letter of intent with UNLV over recent interest from UCLA, Pittsburgh, Miami (FL) and San Francisco. Gonzaga and Baylor were among those showing earlier interest in the native of Brooklyn, NY. "I believe that UNLV represents a great opportunity for Jerel," according to LACC head coach Mike Miller. "He will be playing for a high-profile program in a high-profile conference. I am really happy for him because he has worked hard to develop into a highly sought-after recruit."

Blassingame had a successful two-year run at LACC, guiding the Cubs to a 66-11 record that ended with a 90-82 triumph over Fresno for the 2003 COA State JUCO Championship. He was named MVP of the state tournament after averaging 21 points over the three games, including 28 points in a 69-53 semifinal victory over defending state champ Saddleback. A year earlier, Blassingame received state All-Tournament honors for leading a freshman-laden LACC squad to the title game, where they suffered a last-second 77-76 loss to the Gauchos.

"That loss really hurt and made me more determined to go out a winner this year," said Blassingame. In addition to the state crown, this year's Cubs won their tenth straight South Coast Conference title and finished 36-2 to set a new school record for most wins in a season. A two-time All-Conference selection, Blassingame averaged 12 points and 6 assists this season after compiling averages of 10.5 points and 4 assists as a freshman in 2001-02. He came into this season rated #2 among the nation's JUCO point guards by The Sporting News (Rick Ball) and a top-15 JUCO player by Street & Smith's (Tony Jimenez). Last summer, Blassingame was co-MVP of the RSB Big Apple Sports JUCO All-Star Game held at Fashion Institute in New York City, scoring 18 points to lead Team USA over New York 106-91.

Raised in the tough Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Blassingame briefly attended three different high schools (Robeson, Wingate and Redirection) and never played scholastic ball before heading to Los Angeles. While he became a well-known player in the city's top playgrounds, he credits the Big Apple Sports program for encouraging him to go back to school and pursue his education. "I heard what they did with (Jamaal) Tinsley," he said of the former JUCO star now with the NBA Indiana Pacers. "They helped him get the chance and now it's my turn."

5/23/03 Coach Jason Salamanca: 'The final at I.S. 8 last night was a memorable one. Gauchos got a big shot from Sundiatta Gaines (who was not a big factor for most of the game) to take the title deservingly. I don't want to get into too much detail about the game but I wanted to point out two things. First of all there was a questionable call at the end of one of the quarters for a buzzer beater and then one was waved off at the end of the third quarter. If the shot in the third would have counted we might have a different winner because as you know the game was decided by one point.

The second thing was a questionable substitution by the Riverside coach, sitting Wesley Matthews before a free throw that was missed and a few seconds later lead to a wide open shot by Yadda, who was being guarded by Wesley for most of the night. Some miscommunication? But the coach did make a good move putting in Arturo Dubois, who stepped it up in the last 4 minutes scoring at least 8 points, who was substituted in for Mr. Biggs. At first, the crowd was questioning that move but the coach pushed the right buttons on that particular substitution. Congratulations to Gauchos, the best team will find ways to win!'

5/23/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Terry Hill, a 6-6 power forward from Monroe College (Bronx, NY), has signed with Grambling, an NCAA Division I school that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Hill started 17 games, averaging 3.2 points and 2.4 rebounds on a Mustang team that finished with a 31-3 record, won the NJCAA Region XV and District 3 playoffs, and finished fifth in the National JUCO Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas in March. A former standout at Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick's HS, Hill averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds as a freshman at Monroe in 2001-02.'

5/23/03 The Bobby Gonzalez basketball camp at Manhattan College for boys 8 - 18 is for two weeks of day camp -- 7/7/03 through 7/11/03 and 7/28/03 through 8/1/03. For more information cal (718) 862-7180 or email theresa.hage@manhattan.edu.

5/23/03 Pete Edwards: 'It was another great championship game at IS8. The Gauchos defeated the Future Stars by 1 point on a Yada Gaines (pictured) 3 point jumper after being down 2 points with 9 seconds left. Russell Robinson got MVP and Yada Gaines got the big award - he was named Player Of The Year @ IS8. Here is the All-Tournament Team for the 2003 season: Player Of The Year - Yada Gaines - Gauchos (Set the scoring record with 63 points). 1st Team Sebastian Telfair - Juice Allstars, Chris Taft - Starret City, Charlie Villanueva - Panthers, John Mitchell - Mount Vernon, Kenny Jones - Wide World Entertainment. 2nd Team Russell Robinson - Gauchos, Ed Berrios - LPAC, Kaimondre Owes - Starrett City, AJ Price - Future Stars, Richard Forbes - NYC Finest. 3rd Team - Keith Benjamin - Mount Vernon, Ronald Ramon - Gauchos, Zarrett Rogers - Hoop St. Gang, Rashon Clarke - Panthers, Chris Noel - Flatbush Youth Association.

Once again I would like to thank everyone who participated in the IS8/Nike Spring High School Classic. The summer tournament will begin near the end of June and feature only returning High School players only no 5th year seniors in this one. Once again thanks to all!'

5/23/03 DJ Brown: 'Well Its finally over and of course we got it. Congratulations to the Gauchos. Clients who will tell you getting my tapes and studying them definitely makes a difference! All the playoff games and the championship are available except the rescheduled ones @ $25 per copy plus shipping ($4). Check the site- www.gametape.com. So If you are serious about coaching and winning join Bergtraum (women), Gompers, Molloy (women), and Brooklyn Friends as folks we do business with. We look forward to the regional championship between TK All Stars and SCAN. Both are good friends and I will be there to capture the game. Past that the Rumble in the Bronx, ABCD and some Philadelphia H S All Star games are upcoming on our schedule. So if you want to see for yourself what all these so called "experts and evaluators" think they are talking about get the tape and see for yourself!'

5/23/03 InsidersHoops: The Top Dozen In 2003 includes # 2 Luol Deng, SF, Blairstown (NJ): Versatile, smooth and savvy. He’s a leader and a multi-positional guy. Signed with Duke.and # 7. Charlie Villanueva, SF, Blairstown (NJ): Has many gifts and plays two forward positions but prefers working in open space on the wing. Declared for draft and is unsigned.

5/22/03 Breakdown: Bob Gibbons Preview includes Playaz, L I Panthers, Juice, Ravens and Westchester Hawks.

5/22/03 Peter Benoit: The Future Stars defeated Starrett City 85-84 in double overtime to advance to the IS8 championship game. AJ Price missed a three point attempt with no time reamning which led to the first overtime. Saiquon Stone hit a three for Starrett City with no time remaning in the first overtime to force the second overtime. The Furture Stars were led by AJ Price (30) as Tyrell Biggs had 20 and Derrick Character had 17 . Starrett City was led by Kaimondre Owes (22) and Chris Taft (20).'

5/22/03 The 2003 GymRat Challenge is this weekend @ Siena College's Marcelle Athletic Complex and the University at Albany's RACC.

5/22/03 Norman A. Fisher, Jr., Boys Basketball Coach, Long Island Lightning: 'The Long Island Lightning-Fisher having tryouts for 5th Grade boys 11and under team [born on or after September 01, 1991) and any 4th grade boys 10 and under (born on or after September 01, 1992) wishing to play up. Tryout will be held at SUNY of Old Westbury on Tuesday, May 27, 2003, from 6:00pm to 7:15pm we are looking to fill several spots on the roster. The plans are to field a team to spend this summer and next fall/winter preparing to compete for a bid to the nationals next year. Anyone interested can contact Coach Fisher directly for more information at 516 285 4505 or via e-mail at CoachFisher1@aol.com or via the web at www.coachfisher1.com.'

5/21/03 Pete Edwards: 'I really don't believe that Tiny Morton knew that Shawn James was too old for the tournament at IS8 but as far as his Asst. Coach Black, that's another story. I'm just glad that we were able to get it right and didn't deprive deserving kids the opportunity to play for a legit Championship. Despite Shawn James being 9 months too old I am glad I got an opportunity to see this young man play. What a talent. I haven't seen anyone block shots and rebound like him in years. Shawn James is relentless, he goes after every shot and rebound and is unique because he doesn't demand the ball which makes him easy to play with. I have already had several major colleges call to inquire about Shawn. Now some people will see why I allow the 5th year senior to play because it gives a young person another chance to be seen and as I always say "Go to school for free"!

5/21/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - 'I want to commend Robin C. Maffei, Director of Development for the Frank McGuire Foundation, which aims to benefit and honor high school coaches whose dedication and skill have had a positive impact on young lives, for putting together a great seminar, "The 3rd Annual Frank McGuire Foundation HS Coaches Seminar", today at St. John's University. The seminar went from 8am to 1:30pm, including breakfast and lunch, and it covered topics such as Code of Ethics, The 11 - Month Season & NCAA Eligibility. It was a great seminar where we got a lot of information and everyone got a chance to voice their opinion on the topics discussed as well as to bring up topics of interest. Among those key people taking part in the panel were: Mike Quick (MSG Network/High School Weekly), Tom Konchalski (Editor & Publisher of HSBI Report), Barry Stanton (ESPN.COM), Dr. Richard Lapchick (Founder & Dir. of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society), Dr. Anthony Scannella (Dir. of Professional Development Foundation for Educational Administration in NJ), Coach Johanna Wright (Columbia HS Women's Basketball Head Coach & 2003 Girl's McDonald's All-American Coach), Donald Douglas (PSAL Citywide Sports Coordinator), Patrick Manacchia (Pres. of LaPalestra Center of Preventive Medicine), Raymond Nash (President NY State CHSAA), Arthur Pincus (Media Consultant, former Dep. Sports Editor NY Times), Coach Joe Sarra (Asst. Football Coach Penn State U.) and various principals, athletic directors and coaches from the tri state and city area as well as some surrounding counties and states. It was a great seminar full of information and hoping to see more involvement from our PSAL coaches as only coaches from Newtown HS, Jamaica HS, Cardozo HS, John Bowne HS & Thomas Jefferson HS attended, as well as city basketball programs since there were very minimum. Website is www.mcguirefoundation.org.'

5/21/03 Antonio Cannon Sr: 'The 14u AAU Division-ll championship game, between The T.K. Allstars and Scan/Gameover will take place this coming Monday, at Island Garden @ 3:00pm. Both teams went 5-0 in Regional Qualifier Competition. We have faced each other 3 times this year, with T.K. winning two of the three. We defeated them for the Webster Bx. PAL championship, and we defeated them in the Semifinal contest at the Milbank(children aid society) Thanksgiving Holiday tournament. Gameover have revamped their team, and smell blood it should be a great game!'

5/21/03 Abdu-Allah Torrence: 'The New Heights Program for Student-Athletes Warriors 10 and under tryouts will be held May 31, June 07, and June 14, 2003 from 9-11 am at I.S. 90 located on 168 St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Edgecombe Ave. All children who are trying out cannot turn 11 until after September 1, 2003. The Tournament the team will be participating in is UDC. For any other information, you can call (212) 923-1630.'

5/21/03 Anthony Nicedemo: 'Teaches Hoops presents The Fall Hardwood Classic Boys AAU Tournament. The event will take place on September 14 and 15 at the state of the art Goldstein Athletic Center on the Campus of Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. There will be 3 grade divisions; 12th grade, 11th grade and 10th grade. Entry fee is $400 (multi-team discounts available) with a three game guarantee. There will be certified officials, playoffs in all divisions and awards to all champions. Contact Anthony at 914-238-0278 or check out www.teacheshoops.com for more info.'

5/21/03 Peter Benoit: 'Future Stars defeated Panthers B tonight at IS8. Future Stars will play Starrett City on Wednesday at 7pm with the winner playing the Gauchos on Thursday at 7pm.'

5/21/03 Vinny Kabus: 'Doc Nicelli of the Student Athletes Inc. will be having a summer league tornament begining on June 21 to Aug 10 or 16 in Astoria near the Triboro Bridge and Grand Central Pkwy. at Hoyt Park . The age groups will be 18, 16, 14 and 12 and under. Anyone interested or have any questions please write to the Student Athletes Inc. at 34-45 29th street Astoria NY 11106 or call 718 392-4527 or 646-246-1130.'

5/21/03 Coach Norman A. Fisher, Jr: 'I will be coaching an 11 and Under boys team for the Long Island Lightning this summer season. (I was a coach and Administrator for the Long Island Trotters) Long Island Lightning - 11U - Roster: Hakeem Ali, Dante Agnew, Richard Hendrick, Ray McDade, Marvin Thermildor, Devon George, Denzel Ainyea, Tyler Seidman, Alex Stempkoski.

Also we are still looking to fill 3-4 roster spots. We are having our first practice on Wednesday, May 21, 2003, at the Island Garden Basketball in West Hempstead, NY at 6:00 pm. Any interested players are welcome to join us. For further information contact me at 516 285 5413.'

5/20/03 Paul Brown: 'The game that everyone wanted to see between "The Juice" and "The Gauchos" will not be played until after the Memorial Day weekend tournaments for three reasons. First, due to respect for Pete Edwards IS 8 tourney rescheduled playoffs, secondly the Gauchos would play the next day in the IS 8 championship game, and third "The Juice" and "The Gauchos" both will be traveling to Memorial Day weekend tournaments and don't want to risk injury. Keep your eyes and ears open for the date of this highly anticipated game.'

5/20/03 Larry Milligan: 'Rockland Rockets AAU takes off! The Rockland Rockets went 5-0 in the 17 under Regional Championships at the Island Garden. The Rockets beat a tough NYC Rise Panthers in a semi-final game, earning their second straight National AAU Division 1 bid. The Rockets beat The LI lightning, Westchester Hawk, Newburgh Lions and Masai, for a perfect 5-0 regional. The Rockland will play the Westchester Hawks A team on Monday May 26th at the Island Garden for the 17 under Regional Championship.

Last year, no one knew who the Rockland Rockets were, when we went 5-1 to advance to the 16 Under National Tournament in Detroit. This year it was a lot tougher. The Rockets’ stars were Spring Valley HS backcourt, Joe Lindsey and Chanze Wellington. Shannon Martinez (North Rockland HS) played well too.

The Rockland Rockets 16 under team also made a strong showing as well, by qualifying for the National Division 2 AAU Championships.'

5/20/03 Coach Tiny Morton: 'I would like to apologize to Pete Edwards for not checking Shawn James birth certificate. I was informed about his age but never knew about the deadline until I asked a close friend of Pete. But it was too late. However, I will take full blame for this and will be man enough to take all the haters' criticism. However, I want to thank coach Black for introducing me to Shaun James. Not only, did he take NYC by storm with his age, he outplayed every big man he played against. (Including the big three from Atlanta, GA) This kid could easily be out on the street doing nothing. Instead he is trying to finish school while working part-time at a shoe store in Queens. Therefore I would like to thank Pete Edwards for allowing this young man to showcase his talent to NYC because now he has a chance to go to prep school and he is getting many big time schools calling for his services. I guess the AAU scene is not so bad after all.

PS We will not play the game against the Gauchos on Wednesday because I do not want to interrupt the continuation of the IS8 tourney. The game will be played later this month.'

5/19/03 Coach Derek Page: 'Over the weekend the long Island lightning 15u (LoPiano) team won the Rebounds Roundball Classic II, in Neptune NJ, going 4-0 defeating Monmouth Power, Buck County, & Franklin Ballers in pool play. The championship game was played against a talented team Kenny Anderson Squad (Newark), which the Lightning won by 4 points. The record for the Lightning now stands at 17-3. We will be in Albany this weekend for the GymRat Challenge.'

5/19/03 Gary Sims: 'The game that everyone wanted to see featuring The Juice Crew and The Gauchos at IS 8 on Sunday will take place Wednesday evening at the Gaucho gym 7:30PM. Both teams ranked in the top 25 AAU teams in the country (Juice #21, Gauchos #1) feature their own version of "the big three". The Juice with Sebastian Telfair, Kojo Mensah and Ramel Bradley and the Chos with Russell Robinson, Sundiata Gaines and Ronald Ramon will definitely go at it. Shawn James can also play in this game. The first game will feature each team's 15 and under teams at 6 PM. So be there. Don't miss it! There will be a $5 admission fee at the door.'

5/19/03 Tony Ramos: '7th Annual Africa Park Basketball Classic. Located on Bedell St. & 133rd.Ave. Jamaica Queens, N.Y. Boys Divisions: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-13, 14-16, 17-19. Girls divisions: 9-10, 11-13, 14-16, 17-19. Start Date: June 28th. Entry fee is $200.00 all divisions. Ref fee is not included. For more information contact: Tony Ramos, Tournament Director @ (718) 525-1612 or (718) 219-1979. Email: Trunproductions@tmail.com. Fax: (718) 525-1612.'

5/19/03 Coach Gary Charles: I think we all need to commend Pete Edwards in the way he handled the situation with the championship game yesterday. I understand there were a lot of disappointed people yesterday, but he owed it to the Juice All-Stars ( Incidently, Juice and Brooklyn Bridge parted company last August) to give them every single opportunity to straighten things out. Once they did not come up with the proof, Pete did what had to be done, a reschedule of playoff teams that the Juice All-Stars had beaten. The fact that he didn't buckle down under pressure and allowed the game to be played showed the integrity of the man. I.S. 8 is bigger than one player and bigger than one team. I.S. 8 has become part of our New York City culture. What he did was send a clear message to everyone that I.S 8 was not something to tamper with.

By the way, let's clear the air on some other issues. Charlie Villanueva was born in Elmhurst, Queens on August 12, 1984. Which makes him 18 going on 19. Next topic, although we all agreed that Kenny Pretlow was deserving of the Bishop Loughlin job and paid his dues, the fact is one of the reason he did not get the job the last time and Ted Gustus got it was because of a lack of a college degree. Again, one of the reason he did not get the job this time was because of a lack of a college degree. Now I know some people are saying that Bob Oliva did not have his degree at Christ the King and they would be correct. But we all know the playing field is not the same for blacks and whites. I also know no one wants to talk about it, but it is what it is. As black people, we spend to much time complaining about the system instead of playing within the rules of the system. When are we going to learn that until you learn how to play the game, they will continue to keep you out of the game, unless you are a member of the game, you cannot change the outcome of the game. Khalid Green understood the game and went out and got his Master degree. As sad as I maybe for Kenny who probably deserved the job, I'm just as happy for Khalid who took the advice from people on how to go about playing the game. Now he's in position to help change the score of the game. Good luck Khalid.'

5/19/03 Coach Tony Bergeron: 'Here are the results from our Five-Star Hoop Classic that ended yesterday with Cal Team Select defeating Playaz Basketball Club in the Finals.'

5/19/03 Jim Hart: 'Rumble in the Bronx - teams in so far include City Rocks, Playaz, Riverside, Dajuan Wagner All Stars, Gauchos, Ravens, LPAC, Juice All Stars, Queens Rimrockers and NJ All Stars.'

5/19/03 Khalil Manigault: 'For the record, the Brooklyn Bridge AAU program is no longer affiliated with the Juice Allstars. Brooklyn Bridge Basketball has been a division of the Long Island Panther AAU program for almost one year. Also, congratulations to Khalid Green for his deserving appointment to Head Coach at Bishop Loughlin. Khalid is a Loughlin alumnus, and has served the Loughlin program the past few years as an assistant varsity coach and freshman coach. In addition to being the founder of Brooklyn Bridge AAU which has produced the likes of Karron Clarke, Ramel Bradley, Gary Forbes and Kyle Neptune, he is the co-creator of the annual Martin Luther King Basketball Classic. Khalid is a graduate of Morehouse College and was just awarded his Masters in English at Long Island University. Look for Loughlin to return its legacy and strong basketball tradition under his leadership.'

5/19/03 Pete Edwards: 'It was brought to my attention Saturday that Shawn James may be too old for the tournament. The rules state 19 & under and you can't turn 20 this year and that includes all 12 months. I spoke to Tiny and the staff of Juice All-stars and told them to please straighten this out and bring some proof of his age. I also told them that if the kid is too old fess up like men and let me do what I have to do. I was on the phone with them all night and was to receive the information today from the assistant Coach Black. I received nothing. I think the kid is innocent in this to an extent. I'm a little disappointed in all the people who come to IS8 because I'm sure someone knew but said nothing. I had no choice but to cancel the game and let the young people who are the right age compete for a legit championship at IS8!'

5/19/03 NJ Hoops: Jersey Shore Warriors hold on ... in the championship of the Rebounds Roundball Classic II at Rebounds in Neptune.

5/18/03 Pete Edwards: 'IS8 revised playoff schedule -- Tuesday @ 7PM Panthers B vs Future Stars. Wednesday 7PM the winner from Tuesday vs Starrett City. Thursday 7PM Championship, Wednesday winner vs. the Gauchos.' Web note: The Juice All Stars are out. The championship game was not played today. Starrett City challenged the eligibility (IS8 is a 19 under tourney, player must not be 20 anytime this year) of the Juice center, Shaun James during and after yesterday's game. The championship game, which should have started at noon was officially cancelled at 2:00 PM. I will try to provide more details soon.

5/18/03 Louis Xifaras (pictured): 'This weekend was a very interesting one for me. Friday and Saturday I was in Atlantic City for the Hoop Group Coaches vs. Cancer Clinic. The Hoop Group ran a great event with a lineup that couldn't be touched by anyone. In the two-day event, the speakers were Gary Williams, Hubie Brown, Phil Martelli, Tom Pecora, Billy Hahn, Chuck Daly, Bobby Gonzalez and Bob Hurley and the event was for a great cause. I then find out on the ride home that Kenny Pretlow, who in my opinion was the definite replacement for Ted Gustus at Loughlin, gets passed over. I guess Loughlin didn't put loyalty as a priority. I felt as well as the people that I spoke to, that Kenny P. was more than deserving of the job, especially that he stuck around after he was overlooked the previous time the varsity position was vacant. Then I get to I.S. 8 Sunday morning for the championship game and I find out the game may not take place because the Juice All-Stars a.k.a. Brooklyn Bridge had Shawn James playing for them who reportedly is over-age

(can't turn 20 in 2003). With over 300 people packing I.S 8 and the original game time scheduled for 12pm, "Juice" officially didn't arrive until 2:00pm with coach Tiny Morton. No sign of Sebastian Telfair or Shawn James anywhere. The game wasn't played and Juice has been eliminated from the prestigious league. Tuesday the quarterfinal game will take place between Long Island Panthers 'B' against Riverside Church Future Stars, with the winner facing Starrett City Wednesday and the championship game being played Thursday against the Gauchos with all games beginning at 7pm. It seems that basketball in general is turning into a soap opera with all the things going on. College coaching changes, players switching AAU teams, sponsorship deals, cheating, coaches getting into fights, etc. I thought this was all for the kids. If anyone was at the Coaches vs Cancer Clinic this past weekend and after hearing the stories that these legendary coaches spoke about in regards to the fight against cancer, then you really would know what this game is truly about.'

5/18/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - 'Congratulations to Haron Hargrave from Sullivan County Community College for earning the team MVP after having a successful season making All Conference 2nd Team and All Region 2nd Team earlier in the year as well as making the Region XV NJCAA Championship.'

5/18/03 The New York all state players from our region are listed on the New York State 2003 page.

5/18/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Chris Chadwick, a 6-2 guard at Cecil (MD), has signed a letter of intent with UMass for the 2002-03 season. He selected the Minutemen over interest from West Virginia, Rutgers and Wright State. Chadwick, who transferred from Globe Tech (NY) for his sophomore season, averaged 14.1 points and 3.5 assists, and connected on 40% of his three-pointers. He was named MVP of the NJCAA Region XX tournament while leading Cecil (27-7) to a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. Chadwick graduated from Union (NJ) HS, where he received All-County honors. He was a member of Team USA at the Big Apple Sports JUCO All-Star game at F.I.T. last July.'

5/18/03 NJ Hoops: 'The NJ All Stars trimmed the Dajuan Wagner Rising Stars 80 - 76 this afternoon at the Haverford School in Pennsylvania in the semifinals of the 17 & Under Mid-Atlantic AAU Tournament.'

5/18/03 Antonio Cannon Sr: 'The T.K. Allstars 14u AAU boys team went underfeated at the Staten Island Lighting 15u AAU tournament held at the Staten Island Academy. Justin Davis, Keyshawn Faultine and Jaquan Holley each averaged 20 plus points during the competition. We were disapointed, Team Marbury was a no show, we were looking forward to the challenge! Shame on Team Marbury for not calling in advance! If you are reading this call us we would like to set something up. Antonio Cannon, Sr. (212) 798-41127 or (646) 239-7440.'

5/17/03 It will be the Juice All Stars vs. the Gauchos tomorrow at high noon in the IS8 championship game. Juice overcame an dismal 4 for 16 shooting performance from Sebastian Telfair (14) and a stellar 21 point, 17 rebound effort from Starrett City's Chris Taft to win 73 - 67 after trailing by seven going into the final frame. Meanwhile, the Gauchos trailed the Mt Vernon Knights 50 - 38 after three quarters but rallied for a 62 - 58 win behind the three Amigos, Russell Robinson, Sundiatta Gaines and Ronald Ramon (pictured left to right). More on the IS8 Nike Spring High School Classic, 2003 page

5/17/03 Coach Andre Edwards, Long Island Road-Runners: 'Mark Johnson is a 6'5 sophomore from Amityville High School who has already 2 state championships under his belt, and is on his way with 3. He is one of the power forwards for AJ Price. Behind every good guard there is a good big man. Mark competed last year at the 16-under AAU National Tournament as a freshman. Ever since Mark has performed extremely well on the AAU circuit. Mark needs to be mentioned as one of the top players in the class of 2005.'

5/17/03 NY Post: Khalid Green yesterday was named the new head coach at Loughlin, over longtime assistant Kenny Pretlow. Green replaces Ted Gustus, who left after last season.

5/17/03 Courier News: Paterson Catholic's Darryl Watkins will make or break Rutgers' recruiting class.

5/16/03 Fred Florence, NJ Flames: 'The NJ Flames are hosting a 1 day Fathers Day special for girls teams ages 10,11,12,13 and 14 2 games plus a possible 3rd game. all games played on Saturday June14th in Linden NJ. For more info see our website www.newjerseyflames.com/events.htm. This is a perfect tournament for those that want to play Fathers Day weekend but not on Fathers day Sunday. Looking forward to hearing from you... hurry space is limited.'

5/16/03 Larry Milligan: '“Shoot the Rock” Tournament, Rockland Rockets’ AAU Elite Basketball Tournament. June 13-15th 2003(Father’s Day weekend). If you can’t “shoot the rock” stay home. “This is not your father’s game” 3 game guarantee/$325 per team, 16 minutes stop time, pool play, IAABO certified refs. Boys-12u/13u/14/15u/16u/17u/18u and Girls 12u. Games will be played at area High Schools and Colleges. Special Hotel Rates at the Holiday Inn, Suffern, N.Y. 845.357.4800. (Must mention Rockland Rockets). For info email: rocklandrockets@aol.com or call Frank Miranda 347.672.8850, Nate Satterfield 845.893.0726, Doug Rogers 845.639.0082, Larry Milligan 845.426.0018 or Lenny Rinaldi 845-627-0777.'

5/16/03 Anthony Nicodemo: Teaches Hoops Presents "Westchester's Best" Boys High School Varsity and JV Summer League. Games will be played Mondays- Thursdays beginning June 30 and ending on July 31. Each team will play 2 games per week for a total of 10 games. Game times will be 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. All games will take place at Briarcliff High School, located off the Saw Mill River Parkway. Certified officials, playoffs and awards to the winning teams are also included. For a list of teams that have commited go to www.teacheshoops.com or call 914-238-0278 for more info.

5/16/03 Pete Edwards: 'IS8 time changes - Games on Saturday will be played at 12:30PM & 2PM. The 1st game will feature the winners from tonight. The 2nd game will be the Juice Allstars vs Starret City.'

5/16/03 Mike Neely. 'Staten Island Stingrays Hoop it Up Memorial Weekend Classic. Location: Staten Island New York. Dates:May 24th and May 25th. Host Club:Staten Island Stingrays. Contact: Mike Neely. Email: mneely@tullib.com or mneely@si.rr.com/mmmpj@mailcity.com. Phone:212-208-2150 or cell # 917-667-8907. Age groups:11u and 17u (only). Cost: $325.00 for 11u, $350.00 for 17u. Deadline:Monday May 19, 2003.

Notes: Each division will play a guarantee 3 games with a championship game in both divisions. All games will be played at 1 location : St .John's University College S.I. Campus (full court). 11u will play 2/14 min halves (stop time), 17u will play 2/16 min halves (stop time). All high school refs will be used. Last year sold out quick so reserve early.'

5/16/03 Antonio Cannon, Sr: 'T.K. Allstar Basketball will be hosting a series of Tournaments Starting June 6th, as follows: H.S Girls June 6-8. J.H.S. Girls June 13-15. 11u Boys June 20-21. 14U Boys June 27-28. Unlimited Men July 4-6. In addition, we will host Unlimited women, and H.S. Boys in a Friday night only competition, begining Friday June 13- Ending Friday, July 11th. AAU teams welcome, Individual Trophies given to the first and second Place teams. All competitions will require a $350 entry fee includes ref. fees. Please make checks payable to T.K.Allstar Basketball and forward along with your roster, to T.K. Allstar Basketball, 98-30 57th Avenue, Unit#10G, Corona, NY 11368. Call Antonio Cannon, Sr. for additional information @ (212) 798-4127, (718) 592-9208 or(646) 239-7440. All proceeds will go towards sending our14u team to the division-ll National Tournament in Coco Beach, Florida July 13-20.'

5/16/03 Travis Berry: 'Riverbank State Park will host the Eleventh Annual High School Basketball Invitational Classic featuring eight nationally ranked boys' high school varsity basketball teams from the Tri-State area. All games will be played at Riverbank State Park in New York City. This event previously has been a major success with participation averaging 4000 spectators and 200 players per tournament. It is a highly competitive event for top college-bound Tri-State area players to showcase their talent to the media and college recruiters. Starting on December 13 & 14, 2003 at 1, 3, 5 and 7p.m.. We are looking for top High Schools who would like to be apart of this event. If you are interested please contact: Randy McGhee or Travis Berry. Business (212) 694-3638, Fax (212) 694-3650 or Randy.McGhee@oprhp.state.ny.us or Travis.Berry@oprhp.state.ny.us.'

5/16/03 Tyrone Hester, Morris Brown Warriors : 'The Morris Brown Warriors are looking for players for its 14u and 16u teams. Anyone interested please email me back at enyce456@hotmail.com.'

5/15/03 Daily News: Rams finally land new hoops coach - Wagner coach Dereck Whittenburg.

5/15/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Carl Lee, a 6-6 forward at Fresno (CA), has signed a letter of intent with Idaho State of the Big Sky Conference. Lee was an All-Central Valley Conference selection during 2002-03 with averages of 17.6 points and 7 rebounds for Fresno, which compiled a 38-2 record and reached the state JUCO title game. He connected on 61% of his field-goal attempts and 58% of his free throws. Lee, who attended Queens (NY) Newtown HS, received honorable mention All-Conference as a freshman in 2000-01 before sitting out the following season to concentrate on his academics.

5/15/03 Abdu-Allah Torrence: 'CAS Warriors 10 and under tryouts will be held May 31, June 07 and June 14, 2003 from 9-11 am at I.S. 90 located on 168 St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Edgecombe Ave. All children who are trying out cannot turn 11 until after September 1, 2003. Tournaments the team will be participating in are UDC and Nike MetroSwoops. For any other information, you can call (212) 923-1630.'

5/14/03 Breakdown's Top 25 Summer Teams includes # 1 Tim Thomas Playaz (NJ) with JR Smith, Sean Singletary, Dave McClure, Alex Galindo, Dave McTaji Finger. Won Spring Fling & Jam Fest; Wins over NY Gauchos, Riverside Church, Bronx Ravens. # 2 Riverside Church (NY) with Derrick Caracter, AJ Price, Tyrell Biggs, Keith Benjamin, Arturo Dubois. Won Boo Williams; Wins over Nike Team Florida, Philly MJC, Team Breakdown, Houston Hoops, BABC, Georgia Elite, Illinois Warriors. # 3 Gauchos (NY) with Russell Robinson, Sundiatta Gaines, Ronald Ramon, Mike Davis, Curtis Kelly, Richard Forbes, Won Kingwood; Wins over Team Texas, Nike Team FL, DC Assault, Long Island Panthers, Arkansas Wings. # 9 Juice All Stars (NY) with Sebastian Telfair Wins over Atlanta Celtics, Long Island Panthers, NY Ravens. # 22 NY Ravens (NY) with Gavin Grant, Brian Laing. Win over Philly MJC.

5/14/03 IronMan Basketball Tournament 5 Games Guaranteed, 1 or 2 Day Schedule Options, Boys and Girls -- 13U, 15U, 17U, 18 and Over, Legends Bracket. Choice of weekends in June, July, August and September. Get Your Application or Register Online Here. Tournament Location: Jacob Riis Beach, Gateway National Recreation Area, Far Rockaway, New York. Contact: Nickelodeon Sports Foundation, 163 Third Avenue - PMB 149, New York, New York 10003. Michael McLeggan 718-778-5594 or Cecil Herbert 718- 781-2613.

5/13/03 Coach Dingle, Long Island Lighting: 'My 14u AAU team won the 15u divison in the Team Next tournment We went 4-0. We also have few players on my team who belong in the top 10 rankings for 8th graders. We are the top 14 AAU team in New York and we placed 10th last year at the 13 AAU nationals. The players on our team are Malcolm Pope jr, Cory Fisher, Melquan Bolding, Joshua Spivey, Darius Gabriel, Kashif Pratt, Brandon Walters among others. So far this year we are 18-0. We will be playing in the 14u championship on Memorial Day at the Island Garden. If you have time to check us out we will be busy from now until August with the 14u BCI nationls, the 14u AAU nationals and a few other weekened tournments.'

5/13/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Wilder Auguste, a 6-6 power forward at Neosho (KS), has signed with Sam Houston State, the 2003 Southland Conference champions who lost to Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Auguste averaged 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds for the 23-9 Panthers in 2002-03. He recorded eight double-doubles this season and scored his career-high of 25 points against Jayhawk Conference champion Coffeyville (KS). The native of Haiti is a graduate of Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus HS.

5/13/03 This Thursday evening at IS8 the Juice All Stars play the Riverside Church Future Stars at 6:30 and Starett City plays SONDAY Express at 8:00 PM. On Friday the Jersey Jaguars meet Mt Vernon at 6:00 and the Panthers go up against the Gauchos at 8:00. The Friday winners play at 11:00 and the Thursday winners play at 12:30 on Saturday. The IS8 championship game will begin at 11:00 this Sunday. Earlier info on the IS8 Nike Spring High School Classic, 2003 page.

5/13/03 NY Post: Rams narrow the list to 3 - Wagner coach Dereck Whittenburg, Maryland assistant Jimmy Patsos and former North Carolina and Notre Dame assistant Fred Quartlebaum.

5/13/03 PrepStars Top 25 AAU Poll has # 1 Gauchos, (Bronx, N.Y.) ‚ (16-3) *NR, # 2. Riverside Church (New York, N.Y.) - (12-2) *1, # 11. Tim Thomas Playaz (Paterson, N.J.) - (26-2) *5, # 21. Juice All-Stars (Brooklyn, N.Y.) - (5-1) *23 and # 25. Long Island Panthers (Long Island, N.Y.) - (18-2) *NR. Others to watch - New Jersey All-Stars (Burlington, N.J.); Albany City Rocks (Albany, N.Y.) ; New York Ravens (N.Y.); New York Elite (N.Y.). Details updated on the team page.

5/12/03 Antonio Cannon, Sr. T.K. Allstar Basketball: 'The T.K.Allstars went 5-0 in the 14u Boys AAU regional Qualifier tourney this past weekend @ Island Garden. We went 3-0 in our pool against L.I. Lighging- Harkins, L.I. Lighting Butigian & L.I. Lighting Beispel. We advanced to the playoffs and defeated the Rockland Rockets 81-63 with four players in double figures Justin Davis -22 pts, Deytwan Hill - 21 pts, Victor Caputo 13 pts, and Jerell McKie 11pts. We defeated L.I. Lighting Romanelli 95-75 in the semi final game. Justin Davis-26 pts, Antonio Cannon -20 pts, Deytwan Hill 19pts, Jerell McKie 13 pts, Delawn Miller 11 pts. The win secured our spot in the National AAU Tournament in Coco Beach, Florida. The championship game against Game Over Scan from the Bronx, will be played May 26, the site and game time has not been established. Anyone interested in sponsoring or contributing to our team, please contact me @ (212) 798-4127 office (718) 592-9208 home, (646) 239-7440 cell.'

5/12/03 Steve Purcigliotti: 'A great day and a great weekend for the Westchester Hawks Purcigliotti (17U Boys).They went 3-2 at the regionals including an 81-77 upset of the Gauchos. Tate Sherman's 3 point shot with 30 seconds left broke a 77-77 tie. They will play the NYC Rise Panthers sometime this week with the winner advancing to the Nationals in Orlando. Congratualtions also to the Westchester Hawks Karger/Diasparra (17 U) for clinching a spot in the Nationals for a third straight year. Congrats to the Westchester Hawks Jennings (16 U) for also qualifying for nationals!'

5/12/03 InsidersHoops: Playaz Capture SIT Title. Alex Galindo put together a great weekend at the Southern Invitational. When it was over, he walked away with a title and the MVP trophy.

5/12/03 NJO: 'Blair's Charlie Villanueva announced yesterday that he will enter the NBA Draft but not retain an agent, thus maintaining his college eligibility if he subsequently decides to remove his name before the draft.'

5/12/03 Washington Post: First College, Then High School. Some Players Making Commitments Before 1st Varsity Game.

5/11/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - "Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Without you, we wouldn't be here!" Web note: There is a High Hoops Mothers Day page for 2003.

5/11/03 Coach Sly Johnson, Manhasset All Stars: '... two players you had a chance to see at ProStyle for my 16.U team: Jonathan Fountain (Manhasset High School, 10th grade) and Jon Han (Lawrence Woodmere Academy - class of 2004).

5/10/03 They've played four of six playoff games at IS8 this afternoon and SONDAY Express (pictured here in red), the Jersey Jaguars, Starret City and Mount Vernon have advanced to the elite eight over Connect Talent, Rebel, Riverside Church and Wide World Entertainment. It's the first time any of us (including Tom Konchalski) can remember the Church team being eliminated this early. Last night the Juice Al Stars took the Panthers B 78 - 70. More scores and details later on the IS8 Nike Spring High School Classic, 2003 page

5/10/03 Coach Saunders, Benjamin Banneker: 'Gary Forbes as you know is going to UVA. My other two seniors Andy Walker, is going prep school and Nana Saunderson is going to Farmingdale.'

5/10/03 Daily News: Charlie Villanueva choosing among four - UConn, UCLA, Kansas and the NBA.

5/9/03 Coach Tony Bergeron: 'Legendary Bronx coach Bingo Cole is holding his First Annual 14 under Tri-State Basketball Tournament May 30th-June 1st at the Southeast Bronx Neighborhood Center (Forest Houses) located on the corner of 163rd and Tinton. The entrance fee is $275. The winning teams players will be awarded individual 6-foot trophies. For information and registration contact Coach Bingo @ 646-208-4146.'

5/9/03 The IS8 first round games are done. The second round featuring the eight first place regular season teams begins with two games tonight and six tomorrow. Tonight's matchups are Juice Allstars vs. Panthers B @ 6:30 and Phil Ballers vs Future Stars @ 8:00. Tomorrow it's Mt Vernon, Wide World Entertainment @ 9:30, Riverside Church, Jersey Jaguars @ 11:00, Starret City, Rebel @ 12:30, SONDAY vs, Connect Talent @ 2:00, Rock Steady, Gauchos @ 3:30 and Panthers, LPAC @ 5:00. No games Sunday on Mothers day. The final rounds are next weekend. There are earlier stories on the IS8 Nike Spring High School Classic, 2003 page

5/9/03 Daily News: AAU event features city's best - The New York Ravens AAU team, comprised of St. Raymond's players, will play host to the Juice All-Stars, comprised Lincoln players, at the St. Raymond's gym Saturday at 7:30.

5/9/03 NY Post: Bergtraum shooting guard, Sam Jenkins, inked by Adelphi.

5/9/03 FayettevilleOnline: Darryl Watkins no longer on Tar Heels' wish list.

5/9/03 Syracuse.com: 'Highly rated center reconsidering SU. Six-foot-11 Jersey star Darryl Watkins' list is down to either SU or Rutgers.'

5/8/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Henry Rivers, a 6-8 post player at Southeast Nebraska CC, has signed a national letter of intent with Stephen Austin, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Southland Conference. Rivers averaged 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds during the 2002-03 season, earning first-team honors in NJCAA Region IX. He also received all-conference honors in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference during each of his two years at SCC. A graduate of Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony's HS, Rivers was listed among the nation's top 25 JUCO sophomores in the Street & Smith's preseason rankings. For more JUCO signings and commitments: www.eteamz.com/bigapplesports.'

5/8/03 Louis Xifaras: '2003 Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School Summer Basketball Day Camp Boys ages 7-15 Monday Thru Friday August 11th - August 15th 9:00am - 3:30pm at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, 71-06 31 Avenue East Elmhurst, NY 11370. 718-898-3800. Lecturers and Coaches: The Staff will include coaches from all levels who have been selected because of their expertise in teaching fundamental skills. Don Kent, Camp Director Monsignor McClancy Head Varsity Coach, CHSAA Coach of the Year: 1980, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994. Brother Joseph Rocco, Assistant Director, Brother Aidan Camp Coordinator, Lou Garnes, St. Rita's CYO / St. John's Prep, Brother Robert Connolly, Assistant Director, Fran Rocco Assistant Program Director, Gene McDonnell Freshmen Coach, Nick Melito Junior Varsity Coach, Louis Xifaras Assistant Freshmen Coach. Bus will be available from Breezy Point, Belle Harbor and Howard Beach for $40.00 for the entire week. Payable with application form. Each day a hot lunch item is available for those who wish to purchase lunch. Cost: $160.00 (includes all insurance, basketball awards, regulation size basketball, special presentations and souvenir camp tank top t-shirt. What to bring: Shirts, shorts, socks, sneakers, towel, lunch, gym lock. Special features: Supervision by counselors at the camp, individual instruction, individual insurance provided for campers, foul shooting and one-on-one contests. For camp application, call: Monsignor McClancy at 718-898-3800 or Don Kent at 718-499-0932.'

5/8/03 Coach Jake Edwards: 'Show me What you got basketball league is now accepting teams (boys and girls) for the upcoming summer league. For info e-mail shomebball@msn.com.'

5/8/03 Journal News: Jamal Webb, George Skrelja lead all-state selections.

5/8/03 NJ Hoops: 'The Jersey City Boys Club edged the Playaz 60 - 54 tonight in New Brunswick in the final of the state 17 & Under Tournament.'

5/8/03 Inquirer: 'The NJSIAA yesterday decided to wait a year before it determines if it will use a "mercy rule" in boys' and girls' high school basketball.'

5/7/03 Coach Oliver Antigua: ' The NY Ravens will host the Juice Allstars this Saturday, May 10 at St. Raymond high school for boys. The event will begin at 6 pm with the first game between the Bronx 8th grade allstars vs Brooklyn 8th grade allstars. The main game will follow. This game will feature some of the tops players in NYC and in the country. Louie McCroskey (Syracuse) CHSAA player of the year and Sebastian Telfair (# 1 junior in the country) will battle it out for city braggin rights. The teams will have players from the CHSAA city champions St. Raymond's and PSAL city and state champions, Lincoln HS. Admission is $ 5.00 at the door. Music, food and great basketball at 2151 St Raymond Ave ( 1 block off Castle Hill). For more info contact coach Antigua @ 718-824-5050 ext 32.'

5/7/03 Rob WIlliams, Bistate Pythons: ' Class of 2007 update for point guard Justin "JJ" Garvin of MS 158.'

5/7/03 Glenn Bynes: 'Coach Tom Dempsey of Lackawanna College will be mailing out a letter of National Letter of Intent to Eric tomorrow morning. Eric has decided that he will attend Lackawanna College this coming fall. It’s been a long process but finally a decision has been made. Eric is looking forward to helping Lackawanna get back to the JUCO National Championship.'

5/7/03 Louis Xifaras: 'Queens RimRockers Boys 12 and Under tryouts will be held Saturday, May 10th, 2003 at 9am at I.S. 5 gym. Only boys born in the years 1993, 1992, or 1991 will be able to tryout for this age group. For more information or directions, go to our webpage at www.QueensRimRockers.com or call Coach Mark Parisi at 646-522-6646 or email him at CoachRimRockers@aol.com.'

5/7/03 Roberto E. Diaz, NYC Finest - "I must commend Pro Style 2k3, Vincent Davis, Marquitta Harris and the rest of the staff for an excellent job performed carrying out their 2003 season with a large amount of teams involved and still maintaining a tight structure within. It was a pleasure taking part in your tournament and worth paying. Congratulations to all division winners as well as special awards and to those academic achievers"

5/7/03 NY Post: Fordham still searching ... for a basketball coach who, as one source told The Post, "has to want this job."

5/7/03 Updated the players page for links to an alphabetical listing of 21 of the top class of 2008 players on the class of 2008 page and for 6 of the top class of 2009 players on the class of 2009 page.

5/6/03 Journal News: Lincoln senior Darren Johnson has orally committed to play basketball at Manhattan College next season.

5/6/03 The class of 2003 page has been updated for college commitments and a list of prominent seniors still undecided. Send mail to nycnjhoops@aol.com if you have additions or corrections.

5/5/03 Coach Antonio Cannon: 'The T.K. Allstars 14u AAU team competed in the Pennsylvania YBOA Invitational Sub-Qualifier this past weekend May 2-4. We went 3-0 in our pool, won our crossover game, and were defeated in the championship. Game 1: T.K. 55 - Penn York Bobcats 20 Antonio Cannon Jr. 16pts, Maurice Phillips 9pts. led T.K. in scoring. Game 2: T.K. 73 - Penn York Hurricanes 50 Justin Davis 17pts, Antonio Cannon Jr. 14pts, Deytwan Hill 11pts. Game 3: T.K. 62 Penn Blue Thunder 28 Delawn Miller 19pts Duran Velasquez 17pts Maurice Phillips 14pts. We then played a crossover bracket game T.K. 89 - Penn. SV Wildcats 66 Antonio Cannon Jr. 17pts, Justin Davis 10pts. Deytwan Hill 10pts. We played the championship game. T.K. 66 - Philly Youth Interlock 70 Justin Davis 20pts Antonio Cannon Jr. 17pts, Deytwan Hill 15pts. Justin Davis picked up his 4th foul at the end of 1st half and had to sit most of the second half. We couldn't find anyone off the bench to match his energy!'

5/5/03 They played eight games on Saturday and six on Sunday as eight teams won a Pro Style division championship this weekend. Many thanks to Vincent Davis and Marquitta Harris for their help during the year and congratulations to the Pro Style staff and all the teams for a job well done. The weekend's game summaries and pictures are on the Pro Style 2K 3, Winter League Basketball page.

5/5/03 NJ Hoops: Playaz coast in the semifinals of the NJ State 17 & Under AAU Tournament.

5/5/03 Rodrick C. Bussey Brooklyn-Queens Warriors (Scholars Through Sports Foundation): 'The team competed in ths Sullivan Eagles Shootout in Liberty, New York this past weekend(May 3 - 4). The team ended the weekend with a 4 win and 1 loss record. We lost to a very good Westchester Hawks team. Team MVP Marques Damon (Banneker) had a tremendous tournament. Jamaal Smith (LaSalle Academy) also had a good tournament. Kizmahr Grell (Health Professions) also performed well before being injured. Michael Dodd (Edison) also contributed to our success in the tournament. All 4 of these players continue to be overlooked. They are all 11th graders. We will be competing in the GymRat Challenge during Memorial Day weekend.'

5/5/03 Richard G. Brown, Harlem Lions Basketball, Director of Operations: 'The Harlem Lions are looking for players for its 14u and 16u teams. Anyone interested please email me back at Harlem Lions@aol.com or Mario Beras at BERASM@aol.com.'

5/4/03 The Pro Style championship teams are all decided except for the senior tilt between the Gauchos and LPAC. The Church Superbiddies ran off to 20 - 4 first quarter lead and coasted to a 43 - 20 win over Team Roc behind their MVP, Devantay Grace (pictured left). He brought new meaning to the old phrase 'grace period'. For the Hawks it was the first, second and third when he scored most of his game high 25 points. For Team Roc it was the fourth when Riverside's coach Paul Suber finally rested his star. This Grace is a lot more amazing than the Mets.

The Biddy championship was a Gaucho affair as the Orange (seventh grade team) beat the Black (sixth graders) 55 - 47. Many of the 'chos players were at Island Garden for AAU qualifiers, so the Orange arrived with only five players led by MVP Durand Scott (8), Chris Fouch (17) and Donnell Bryant (14). Anthony Benedict got 14 and the Sportsmanship award for the Black.

The Gauchos also won the Super eights division, a 11 - 9 victory over Kips Bay. They led 8 - 0 after one, 9 - 3 at the half and 9 - 7 after three quarters. Their MVP was Shane Rector and Kips Bay's Daniel Dingle won the Sportmanship award. Meanwhile Abyssinian won the Young Miss division while Harlem USA took the Junior Miss division.

The Midgets game was a rout with the NYC Rise Panthers gunning down the Springfield Rifles 96 - 67 behind MVP Rob Hampton (16), Malik Boothe (16) and Darius Gabriel (13). The Rifles' Unique Stowe was the Sportsmanship winner with 7 points, many rebounds and steals. Trevon Hughes and Oshamar Planes each chipped in with a dozen points.

Team Roc got their championship in the junior division with a hard fought battle against the Manhasett All Stars, prevailing 87 - 77. MVP Stephen Walker (15), Robert Thomas (29) and Samuel Tribble (20) outdueled the Stars' duo of Tyson Johnson (18) and Sportsmanship winner, point guard Jonathan Ham (18).

5/4/03 G Wilson: 'The NJ All Stars win the 16s tourn using their 15s. Brian Zoubek led the team scoring 37 in the championship game. The team was led by Brian and Blake Wilson, both frosh and Haddonfield. The 15s will play next weekend at the Hoop Group tournament in Virgina. Stay tuned.'

5/4/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Raheem Jones, a 6-6 forward from Ventura, is headed to Cal-San Bernardino, an NCAA Division II program that is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Jones received All-Western State Conference honors in 2002-03, averaging 10 points and 8.8 rebounds a game, while shooting 59% from the field and recording 54 blocked shots. Ventura finished 25-8 this season and reached the third round of the state JUCO playoffs. Jones, who will have three years of eligibility at CSUSB, was a former standout at Brooklyn (NY) Grady HS.

5/3/03 The Pro Style championship games are almost set. It will be Team ROC vs. the Church in the superbiddies, the Gauchos orange vs the Gauchos black in the biddies, the Springfield Rifles vs. NYC Rise Panthers in the midgets and the Manhasset All Stars vs the Team ROC, SONDAY Express winner in the juniors. Tomorrow's schedule has the superbiddies at 10:00, the biddies at 11:15, the super eights with Kips Bay vs the Gauchos at 12:45, the junior miss Harlem USA vs Most Precious Blood at 2:15, the midgets at 3:45, juniors at 5:145 and seniors at 7:00. Game summaries and photos later on the Pro Style 2K 3, Winter League Basketball page.

5/3/03 NorthJersey: 'Paterson Catholic senior Darryl Watkins is making an official visit to Rutgers this weekend, and said "it's a possibility" he could give an oral commitment when the visit ends tonight.'

5/3/03 In the three Friday evening play-off games FYA took Webster PAL 88 - 68, SONDAY stopped the Church 74 - 62 and the Manhasset All Stars beat the Gauchos 74 - 72. Those three teams and first place Team ROC will play in today's Junior semis at 4:00 and 5:30. Details and schedule match-ups are on the Pro Style 2K 3, Winter League Basketball page.

5/3/03 Coach Kenny Pretlow, Riverside Church: 'Our 16 under team needs a big man. We just won the 16 under division of Boo Williams. If interested email me (kennypretlow@msn.com) or call at 917 373 0217.'

5/3/03 G Wilson: 'NJ All Stars advance to the final four in the Midatlantic Regionals 17s playing many underclass players. NJ went 4-0 and will play in the semis on May 17-18. The team was led by sophs Paul Gause and Jaron Griffin. Freshman Blake Wilson hit two 3's in the fourth quarter of the playoff to help the team adavance. NJ All Stars 15's will be playing at King of Prussia at Penn Jersey Panthers Tourn. but will compete at the 16's level.'

5/2/03 Newsday: Long Island basketball college commitments - Mamadou Diakhate, St. Mary's, Eastern Kentucky, Konimba Diarra, Our Savior New American, South Florida, Mike Kienke, East Rockaway, Salisbury State, Dan Nawrocki, Chaminade, Johns Hopkins, Matt Ross, Whitman, Fairleigh Dickinson, Brian Sisti, Northport, Hofstra, Oumar Sylla, Our Savior New American, Valparaiso.

5/2/03 Daily News: Curtis Stinson - Local star waiting on coach Eustachy.

5/2/03 Coach Harry Roth: 'The Bayside Titans 15u boys team beat the CAS Warriors tonight 74-60 at IGB in an AAU Regional playoff to qualify for the AAU Nationals in Kingsport Tennessee on June 28-July 5. The Titans were led by the three guard attack of Gilbert Montalvo, Milan Prodanovic and James Mutlu. The three guards combined for 13 three pointers, and led a total team effort on defense to lead the Titans to the victory over the CAS Warriors and a spot in the Nationals.'

5/1/03 Newsday: Catching All the Pitches. OSNA junior Juan Diego Tello-Palacios being recruited heavily.

5/1/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Jason Thomas, a 6-2 shooting guard at San Diego Mesa (CA) JC, has signed a national letter of intent with Cal-Los Angeles, an NCAA Division II program that is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Thomas was among the top JUCO scorers in the state this season, averaging 18 points and 3 assists, while shooting 47% from the field, 35% from the arc and 74% from the foul line. A first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference selection, he had two games over 30 points and scored 24 points with 4 assists in an 84-73 loss to Southeastern Iowa, the NJCAA national champions. As a freshman in 2001-02, Thomas averaged 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists as the sixth man. Thomas, who attended Yonkers (NY) Roosevelt HS and Tuckahoe HS, also drew interest from San Francisco, San Diego, Fresno State and Colorado State.

5/1/03 Louis Xifaras: The Queens RimRockers will be holding tryouts for our Boys 12 and under team (born in 1993, 1992, or 1991 only!) on Friday, May 2nd, 2003 at 6pm at I.S. 141 4th floor gym. Coach Mark Parisi will be the coach of this age group. For more information or directions to our gym, please go to our webpage at www.queensrimrockers.com

5/1/03 This is championship weekend at the Pro Style 2K 3 tournament, semis on Saturday, championships on Sunday. Team Roc has already made the Junior division semis, but there are three Friday night games to decide the other teams - 6:00 pm Webster vs. F.Y.A. 7:30 pm Riverside Hawks vs. SONDAY and 9:00 pm Gauchos (# 5.) vs. Manhasset All Stars.

The earlier Saturday match-ups are 9:00 am Superbiddy C.O.A. vs. Team ROC, 10:00 am - Superbiddy Riverside Hawks vs,Gauchos (Orange), 11:00 am Biddy Gauchos (Orange) vs. Riverside Hawks, 12:15 pm Biddy F.Y.A. vs. GAUCHOS (BLACK), 01:30 pm Midget Springfield Rifles vs L.I. Trotters and 2:45 pm Midget NYC Rise Panthers vs Gauchos (Orange).

The Junior teams play at 4:00 and 5:30. Then it's 7:00 pm senior Gauchos vs. SCAN and 8:30 pm senior LPAC Knights vs. NYC Finest.

The Sunday Super Eights and Junior Miss matchups are set with Super Eight Kips Bay vs. the Gauchos at 12:45 and Junior Miss Harlem USA vs Most Precious Blood at 2:15. The other championships are the Superbiddies at 10:00 am, the Biddies at 11:15 am, the Midgets at 3:45 pm, the Juniors at 5:15 pm and the Seniors at 7:00 pm.

5/1/03 This is the final regular season week for IS8. The playoffs begin next Monday, May 5th with the eight division winners getting byes to round two and sixteen other top teams playing Monday through Thursday in round one. There are no games on Sunday May 11. The top eight play on the following Thursday and Friday, the semis are Saturday May 17th at 11:00 and 12:30 with the cahmpionship on Sunday at 11:00.Match-ups will be decided this weekend. Earlier stories are on the IS8 Nike Spring High School Classic, 2003 page.

5/1/03 Coach Rock Eisenberg: 'Just a short note to let you know that Chris Bernard 6' 1'' guard from St. Edmunds Prep and 6'5'' Brian Williams of Christ The King have signed with Coach Bob Starkman and Broward CC. Also 6'5'' Aaron Harvey of Paul Robeson will sign with Broward this week.'

News Teams Players Links