November, 2003

11/30/03 NY Times: Coaches Aim to Recruit for Today; Players Have Eyes on Tomorrow.

11/30/03 Metro Hoops: Bergen County Players Watch.

11/30/03 Rodrick C. Bussey Brooklyn-Queens Warriors(Scholars Through Sports Foundation): 'I have three players who continue to be overlooked as D 1 prospects. All 3 are seniors. Marques Damon is a 6'1" point guard who plays for Benjamin Banneker. Marques was an important piece in Banneker's PSAL runner-up team last year. Jamaal Smith of LaSalle Academy is a 6'1" 1 or 2. Both of these players have scored over a 1000 on their SAT's. Greg Willis is a scoring machine who plays for Health Professions. Greg stand 6'6". All three of these kids can play! These players competed against Student-Athlete Broncos, Westchester Hawks, L I Lightning, Connecticut Uptempo, New Jersey AllStars and the PA Red Storm during the AAU season and they excelled against that competition. Don't take my word, go out and view one of their games. Local D 1 ( Hofstra, St. Francis, Wagner, Fordham,Sacred Heart, Quinippiac etc.) give these student-athlete's a serious look. If you have any other questions, contact me via e-mail (JAPRCB@aol.com) or telephone (718) 275-3673.'

11/29/03  Love2Ref: 'At all PSAL sports contests, each team must have an AED (defibrillator) device with them. This has been a state law for several months and has been the subject of many articles on the PSAL Website. Specific to boys and girls basketball, each team must have it's issued AED with them. It is the officials' responsibility before the game, to check. Any team without it must be reported to your assignor or the PSAL office. The game may be played if only one team (either home or visitors) has it. You must report the team that doesn't. If neither team has one, the game is not to be played. This rule applies to scrimmages, non-league, and league games.'

11/29/03   Coach Eric Rock Eisenberg: Kudos & more.

11/28/03  Brooklyn Scout: 'JUCO report from Big Apple Sports. Web note: I don't envy the Globe Tech coach. His sarting line-up includes a Shakiem, Shaheem and Shaheem.

11/28/03 Rich Kosik aka BooksNball: Kudos & more.

11/28/03 Roberto Diaz, Asst. Coach John Bowne HS - 'The eligibility is based on the two ending periods of January and June reports cards from which a 4+1 rule must apply to each semester ending report card for a combination of 8+2 at the end of year calendar. The four + 1 rule basically means four major classes (English, math, Social Studies, Foreign Language or Science) plus a gym class. A student athlete who didn't meet those standards, will have to wait until the final report card in January before he can gain eligibility to play. He is allowed to practice with the team as long as he is listed as Inactive under the team roster until the next report card that counts is given out, meaning January. If at that time he is not activated back on the roster, he would be dropped of the inactive roster, and he would no longer be allowed to practice with the team. In addition, summer school credits become part of the June report card, so a student athlete could gain his eligibility based on those credits he might have been missing by attending summer school.

A student athlete can also gain eligibility at the distribution of the report card distributed closest to December 1st. In order for that to happen, the student athlete will have to have passed a combination of 8 classes in total during the prior school year and two gyms but the 8 classes weren't distributed as 4 and 4 it would have been more like 5 + 3. (5 in one semester and 3 in the next semester or anything that wouldn't equal 4 in each semester.) He would become eligible this upcoming report card as long as he got the 4+1 again. So the key is to maintain the four major classes plus one gym every semester. Let's hope most players will aim to pass all of their classes and with above average grades and not just aim to pass to be able to play!'

11/27/03 Insiders Hoops: Bull City Classic Preview - Tello Palacios among the stars on the schedule.

11/27/03 Web note: The PSAL second marking period ended yesterday.

Coach Will Stasiuk: 'Every school has a different date for the end of each marking period,.though  many chose yesterday as the last day of the 2nd marking period. A player can lose or regain eligibility at this time.  However, what is important to note is that eligibility is not established until the day that report cards are officially distributed to the students, ie the marking period ends, but teachers then have to submit grades by a set date, grades are then entered into a database where report cards can be generated and then distributed. The whole process usually takes 7 days or so.'

Bryan Griffith (N.I.K.E.-1 and Big Apple Sports), as an asst under Bob Sherman (South Shore HS) I was told that the players who are ineligible at start of semester became so from the previous semester so therefore they must be ineligible for the "calender" year, but those that are eligible to start the season can become ineligible because of grades. I hope this is the correct interpretation, at least it is the way I understood it.'

Coach Tiny Morton: 'A player has to attain 8 credits and 2 gym classes the year before meaning Jan. and June report card. If they didn't meet the 8 and 2 because of credit classes, then they are ineligible until January. If they didn't get the 2 meaning gym, they can be eligible if they pass gym in September. These rules to me, are more difficult than the Catholic rules. But I like them because if a student plays four years, then they should graduate or be very close to graduating.'

11/27/03 Tom Rennard: 'The Jersey Shore Lightning AAU team out of Asbury Park N.J. will be hosting two tournaments. Our Girls tournament will be on Jan 24-25 for teams U9 to U14. Our Boys tournament will be Feb 7th and 8th for teams U9 to U14. Games will be played in area gyms with the Semi's and Championships played at the world famous Convention Hall on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. For more info or to receive a registration form please call Tom Rennard at 732 739-0529 or Loren Jackson at 732 768-3729.You may also go to www.eteamz.com/jerseyshorelightning/ for more info.'

11/26/03 The site www.nychsaa.org for Catholic High Schools' Athletic Association sports is now functional. It contains news, schedules (the master list for boys varsity basketball by date and/or any of their 33 teams), standings and links.  At a minimum it will be updated weekly and though the current emphasis is on basketball, it will eventually cover all sports, except football.

11/26/03 Coach Willie Negron: 'Monroe Campus edged JFK 56-54 in a PSAL Bronx game today. Darian David (19), Riccardo Buckeridge (14) and  Matthew Little (13) were best for Monroe while Amaury Fermin and Devon Rhoden had 15 and 14 for the Knights.'

11/26/03 Boone: 'As a former PSAL player who starred at Erasmus Hall HS from 1978-1982 I'm always proud to see and hear of the success of our many student athletes. Since my return back to Brooklyn 4 years ago, I've had nothing but joy, once again, in being around the NYC basketball community. As a supporter of all our athletes, and a personal mentor to Gary Forbes I want to congratulate him on being named ACC rookie of the week for his outstanding performance in his opening game for the University of Virginia. I attended his first game and was very impressed. He led the team in scoring and rebounding: 21 points and 9 rebounds respectively. I also want to congratulate Quincy Douby at Rutgers University and all the others who are in college. To all our current student/athletes in the PSAL, CHSAA and Prep programs keep up the good work. Much respect to our coaches on the HS and AAU level as well.'

11/26/03 Metro Hoops: 'On Saturday, December 6th Metro Hoops Developmental League will be conducting a free open gym at Rutgers University (Piscataway) for players who love to play with and against a higher level of competition and have a desire to move their game to the next level. Players in the 4th through 9th grades play against some of the top players in the metro area. They are instructed by some of the area's finest coaches. 4th, 5th & 6th graders session starts at 6:00 pm. 7th, 8th & 9th graders start at 7:30 pm. Each session consists of 30 minutes of instruction and 60 minutes of competition. To register fill out the application or call (732) 208-1858! Or email us at talentscout@metrohoops.com.

Click here for additional information about the Metro Hoops Developmental League and directions!'

11/26/03 Mt Vernon is our # 4 team in the region and thanks to coach Ron Dennis we have a profile for St Johns Prep in Queens on the team page.

11/26/03 Daily News: NYC & NJ Top 10

11/26/03 Gary Sims: 'Don't miss this event! For the 8th year in a row on December 19th and 20th, The Boys' Club of New York will host one of the largest Prep School Basketball Tournaments in the country. The two-day tournament will take place at New York's Basketball City where fifteen schools from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire will gather for two days of competition and play. BCNY's Academic All-Stars will round out the field. The teams will be divided into two divisions with each team playing a minimum of three games. The BCNY's Holiday Classic has hosted some of the most talented teams and players in the country. Luol Deng (Duke), Charlie Villanueva (UConn), Steve Hailey (Boston College), Sam Kaplan (Yale), and Carl Elliot (George Washington) all 2002 Holiday Classic Alumnae, are sure to be players to watch this year. For more tournament information contact Shay Gattis at (212)677-1108 x152 or (917)405-5309 or email him at sgattis@admin.bcny.org.

11/26/03 Robert White, www.NyHoops.com: 'Our praise goes to the Daily News for thier informative and entertaining preview. Keith and I were so into it reading it yesterday we were distracted from the Christ the King vs Cardozo scrimmage. After reading the Post's preview we had thought that the daily papers did not care about High School Basketball. Thank you Julian Garcia, Kristie Ackert and co. You proved us wrong!'

11/25/03 Thanks to the efforts of Kristie Ackert the Daily News high school hoops preview print stories are now online:

No regrets for Sebastian Telfair.  How they see it -- opinions about the state of basketball in the city.  Fresh faces on the sidelines -- Edwin Gonzalez, All Hallows,  Khalid Green, Bishop Loughlin,  Chris Matesic, Bayside  and Todd Myles, Robeson -- new area head coaches are a study in contrast.   For Curtis Stinson, growth came from AAU.  Theo Davis -- From Canada to Queens.  Manhattan transfers, and Queens and Brooklyn . . . new rule that allows public school students to transfer to any other public school in the city, for any reason at any time.  Caracter building at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.

11/25/03 Coach John Mathis, JFK Bx: 'The JFK Classic is on Sunday, 2/8/04 at JFK High School, a few blocks south and west of the 231 St & Broadway IRT #1 station. We've got five teams - us, Robeson, Columbus, Monroe and Our Savior Lutheran - but Cardozo had to cancel. We're looking for a sixth team, public or private from anywhere in the region. Call me at home (718) 443-8930.  We're also looking for a game or more for our girls team during the Christmas break. Call Coach Glenn O'Neal at (718) 562-5500 x 375.

By the way - Columbus is as good as advertized. They beat us easily last week. They're well-rounded, nice size and they shot very well against us. I was missing my star junior point guard, Amaury Fermin, but even with him we would have struggled. It's been a while since I lost that badly to a Bronx team!'

11/25/03 It's PSAL Tuesday here at High Hoops as we feature Lincoln, our # 5 team in the region and Monroe Campus, last season's surprise 'B' champs on the team page.

11/25/03 Daily News: Full-court pressure on HS players. Torn between school teams, AAU programs.

11/24/03 PrepNation: National Prep Basketball Poll - Preseason includes # 4. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (26-1), G Keith Benjamin headed to Pittsburg. # 6. New York, Rice (19-8), Kansas recruit G Russell Robinson a clutch player.  # 7. Philadelphia, Cardinal Dougherty (24-3), nifty PG Kyle Lowry runs the show.  # 11. Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond (26-4), Division I prospects Brian Laing and Gavin Grant are back. # 21. Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln (31-4), boasts Louisville recruit G Sebastian Telfair.

Northeast --  1. Mount Vernon, N.Y., 26-1,  2. New York, Rice, 19-8,  3. Philadelphia, Cardinal Dougherty, 24-4,  4. Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond, 24-4,  5. Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln, 31-4,  6. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 20-5,  7. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick, 27-4,  8. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep, 24-4,  9. State College, Pa., 25-6 and 10. Charlestown, Mass., 22-4.

11/24/03 If you took the top six teams in the region - alphabetically they are Lincoln, Mt Vernon, Our Savior New American, St Anthony, St Benedict and St Raymond - and got them to play each other twice, once at home, once away for a total of ten games for each team, I don't see anyone going 10 - 0 or close to it. They're all too good, too competitive. You can make a case for any of the six being ranked number one. Lincoln, Mt Vernon and St Rays will each be looking to be New York State champs, St Anthony will be favored for Jersey's TOC, St Benedict for Jersey's Prep title and OSNA is playing in a national tournament almost every weekend of the season. Our Savior New American is our team # 6 on the team page.

11/24/03 NJO: Robert Vaden scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the second half as Bridgton Academy of Maine defeated Life Center, 89-70, at The War On The Shore yesterday in Milford, Del.

11/24/03 Coach Eric 'Rock' Eisenberg: 'I wanted to bring a high quality young man to the attention of our "Family". His name is Brendon Luckain and he is a 6' 190 pound combo guard at Tilden H.S. Brendon has an 80 gpa and a 900 SAT on his first take. So far in this year he is averaging 14 points 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He also has 10 steals and is the most intense player I have ever coached. This "Kid" is a steal for any D2 or D3 program in the country. I hope that we can progress far enough as a team to get Brendon and some of our other seniors a chance to be seen by some of our local schools.'

11/23/03 Coach Dingle: 'Tryouts for one of Long Island's premier AAU basketball clubs with a state of the art basketball facility: Island Garden Basketball, home of the Long Island Lightning. The Long Island Lightning-Dingle team is seeking boys whose grade as of September 2003 is 10 and under, 4th grade, born on or after September 01, 1993. Grade exception: a player who is in the 4th grade and who was born on or after September 1, 1992.  Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 29-30, 2003. Place: Scanlan High School. Transportation: Q44 bus. Scanlan High School, Bronx, NY  Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm. For information and questions contact: Coach Dingle (646) 773-4878 or e-mail ddingle7@yahoo.com. Please note: student athletes skill level should be intermediate, competitive or highly competitive.'

11/23/03 NY Post: Lincoln Shoots a '3'.

11/23/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Quincy Douby scored a game-high 17 points in his debut at Rutgers last night. The Scarlet Knights defeated Lafayette 71-65. This is a preview article on Douby covering his Brooklyn background: Courier News: Appearance of Rutgers' Douby is deceiving.'

11/23/03 NJO: Jack McClinton scored 27 of his game-high 35 points in the second half as South Kent of Connecticut rallied to defeat Blair, 100-87, at the War on the Shore yesterday in Milford, Del.

11/23/03 Dr. Mackey, Asst. Dir. of F.T.G.O.T.N: '"For the Good of the Neighborhood" shall hold a Holiday tournament in Flushing, Queens, starting Sat. Dec 20, 2003. It shall host six (6) teams, aged 14 and under.(No one can turn 15 before 1/01/04) Co-sponsors include Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Everlast and Avirex. Registration $125.00/team + $50.00(Refundable Forfeit fee). Ref. fees are $25.00 /team /game. Top four (4) make the playoffs. Contact Mr. Tyrone Green (917) 505-5702 or me (917) 505- 1849 for details and registration. No spots held without registration fee. (Cash or money order only).'

11/23/03 Pete Edwards: 'Will Poole named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week. The senior had two interceptions at Arizona. Thought u might want to know IS8 alumni now playing football.'

11/23/03 Rich Kosik: Have to absolutely recommend the new "High School Hoops" magazine put out by the Sporting News (now on newsstands) for $6.98. It is absolutely a fantastic read about the coast to coast high school scene. Featuring: Top 100 Players, Underclass studs, Top 10 ballers from every state in the East Power 50 teams & Top 20 teams in East & southeast. Special feature is the Top Ten Hoops Hot Spots, with NYC #1.

No matter if you know a lot about high school hoops or are new to the scene, this magazine will bring you up to the "very knowledgeable" level in a short time. I've read it cover to cover & still go back to check things out. Enjoy! Now get out and see some games & support H. S. Hoops on both sides of the Hudson!'

11/22/03  Brooklyn Scout: 'JUCO report from Big Apple Sports.

11/22/03 Rob Williams: 'Royal Ivey is Hollis' home grown, and Cardozo cultivated, now Texas reaps the harvest.'  Dallas News: Royal Ivey has gone from unrecruited to indispensable.

Web note: We didn't completely ignore Royal during his high school days. If you type Ivey in the search engine above, you will find 14 references.

11/22/03 InsidersHoops: Top 10 Prep Players includes # 1. J.R. Smith, # 8. Joakim Noah and # 10. Ramel Bradley.

11/22/03 NJ Hoops: Blair began the 2003-04 season without All Americans Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva, and the result was the same as most of the Buccaneers games as Blair topped Notre Dame Academy 80 - 66 tonight at the War at the Shore in Milford DE.

11/22/03 Coach Eric 'Rock' Eisenberg: 'I wanted to thank everyone for coming out last night to the First annual Bob Kronisch Memorial Classic at Tilden High School. The PSAL was represented by Mel Goldstein and Artie Leitner. The Referees were represented by Hall of Famer Nick "The Quick" Gaetani, Dr. Jeff Krantz and many others. The coaches were out in full force led by Artie Lagreca. Our guest of honor Bob's brother Bart received a rousing round of applause from the great crowd as he received a plaque in his brother's honor presented by Nick Gaetani. All in all it was a great night.

As far as the games went Boys and Girls defeated St. Edmund Prep 67-47 in a game that was close for 3 quarters. In the second game Tilden blew a 9 point lead to a well coached and never say die FDR team and then rallied for a 57-54 win behind Brendon Luckain's triple double and game winning steal and layup. In the nightcap Coach John Sce's "Running Utes upended Coach Brett Tawils South Shore Vikings by a 55-40 score sending notice that New Utrecht is back in the hunt as a PSAL power.'

11/21/03  War on the Shore begins tonight in Milford, Delaware with Blair Academy and Life Center Academy among other top prep teams.

11/21/03 Lawrenceville Prep is our # 7 team in the region and on the team page.

11/21/03 Coach Rudy King: 'Brooklyn Bridge tryouts -- The Brooklyn Bridge Basketball Program will be conducting winter 2003-04 tryouts on November 22 & 23, 2003 @Brooklyn Hoops located at 4400 Glenwood Road (Brooklyn, NY) between Troy Ave. & East 43rd St.  On Saturday, Nov. 22 -- Ages 5-8 (3pm - 4pm), Ages 9-10 (4pm - 5:30pm), Ages 11-14 (5:30pm - 7:30pm). On Sunday Nov. 23  Ages 9-10 (3pm - 4:30pm) and Ages 11-14 (4:30 - 6:00PM).

Parents, we strongly suggest that all student athletes arrive at least (30) minutes before the scheduled tryout to register. All student athletes trying out must have basketball shorts or sweats (no pockets), tee-shirt, socks and sneakers. Jeans, boots and cut-offs are not permitted. Visit www.leaguelineup.com/thebridge for more information.'

11/21/03 InsideHoops: Ron Naclerio Interview.

11/21/03 Newsday: High School Tournaments.

11/21/03 Tony Ramos: 'St.Maty's Nativity will be hosting its 1st Annual Double Elimination Christmas Tournament. The tournament will run from Dec.19th until Jan.2. There are two age groups we will be having they are: Coed Pee-Wee Division Ages 9under can't turn 10 until Jan.1st 2004  Entry Fee $120.00. Boys: Bantam Ages 11 under can't turn 12 until Jan.1st. 2004 Entry Fee  $150.00 Birth certificates and rosters are needed at coaches meetin being held on Friday December 12 @ 830pm. All entry fees are due by Dec. 5th. For more information contact: Tony Ramos (718)219-1979 & (718)527-2932 or Weston Curry (718)230-0626 & (917)62656-59.'

11/20/03 InsidersLouisville: Telfair signs LOI..

11/20/03 Joe Walsh is the All Hallows assistant coach and junior varsity coach. He has generously contributed to our Gaels team profile. We also have Christ the King as our # 8 school on the team page.

11/20/03 USA Today Super 25 boys' basketball rankings --  # 4. St. Anthony, Jersey City (21-5). Returning starters: 3. Outlook: Guard-oriented team led by 6-2 Otis Campbell, 6-3 Marcus Williams and 5-11 Ahmad Mosby, who teamed to win And One national title in June. # 6. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (26-4). Returning starters: 3. Outlook: 6-7 Gavin Grant (10 ppg, 7 rpg) and 6-5 Brian Laing (15 ppg) lead the way. # 14. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (26-1). Returning starters: 3. Outlook: G Keith Benjamin (15.6 ppg) and 6-5 Dexter Gray (13.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg) provide leadership. Upgraded schedule includes trips to Hawaii, New Jersey and Delaware. # 17. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (31-4). Returning starters: 2. Outlook: The defending New York State Class A Federation champions are paced by Super 25 guard Sebastian Telfair (27.1 ppg, 7.5 apg). # 19. Rice, New York, N.Y. (19-8). Returning starters: 2. Outlook: G Russell Robinson averaged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists as a junior.  # 23. Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech (23-5). Returning starters: 4. Outlook: Gs Courtney Nelson, Jason Wilson and DaShawn Dwight are four-year starters.

Regional rankings East: 1. St. Anthony, Jersey City (21-5),  2. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (26-4),  3. Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md. (20-1),  4. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (26-1),  5. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (31-4),  6. Rice, New York (19-8),  7. Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech (23-5),  8. Our Savior New American, Centerreach, N.Y. (31-7),  9. Cardinal Dougherty, Philadelphia (24-4) and 10. Archbishop Spalding, Severn, Md. (26-7).

11/20/03 Coach Wendell Saunders, Banneker: 'The schedule for the Banneker's "A"B" For Real Invitational Classic has been set. Two days of baskeball begin as early as 9:00 am with the last game at 4:30 pm. The schedule goes as following: -- Saturday, Nov. 22 9:00 am Environmental Studies vs. Prospect Heights, 10:30 am Landmark High School vs. Thomas Jefferson, 12:00 pm Global Studies H.S. vs. Justice Academy, 1:30 pm Family Academy vs. Park West H.S. 3:00 pm H.S. Lab Museum vs. Walton High School and 4:30 pm Susan Mc Kinney vs. Benjamin Banneker.

Sunday, Nov. 23 -- 9:00 am Prospect Heights vs. Thomas Jefferson, 10:30 am Landmark H. S. vs. Environmental Studies, 12:00 pm Univ. Neighborhood vs. Family Academy, 1:30 pm Global Studies H.S. vs. H.S of Lab Museum, 3:00 pm Justice Academy vs. Park West H.S 4:30 pm Walton H.S vs. Benjamin Banneker.

11/20/03 NJ Hoops: War on the Shore tips off Friday in Milford, De. with Blair Academy and Life Center Academy.

11/19/03 ESPN: The December 11 high school boys basketball match-up between Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, New York) and Edgewater High School (Orlando, Florida) will be televised live on ESPN2. The game will take place at Rose Hill Gym at Fordham University at 7:00 PM (EST).

11/19/03 Bob Cerrato: 'The Turkey Shoot Tournament at Hoop Heaven Nov. 22/23 has openings available for the following: Boys 10, Boys 11, Boys 12, Boys 15 and Girls 16.  3 game guarantee.  If you are interested please call me at 973-615-7332.'

11/19/03 Thanks to Jeff Goldberg we have a Seton Hall Prep profile and they are our # 9 team on the team page.

11/19/03 NY Post:  New challenges for Grady, coach Mark Seltzberg.

11/19/03 Journal News: Yonkers seeks funds to save athletic programs.

11/19/03 Jay Gomes: 'The schedule for the Tip-Off Classic. Two great days of hoops. I beleive it was listed on your schedule as December 23. Boys High School Games December 20, 2003 at Caldwell College, Caldwell NJ  1:00 Peddie vs. St. Anthony's, 2:45 Neptune vs. Linden,  4:30 Bloomfield Tech vs. St. Patrick's,  6:15 Camden Catholic vs. Paterson Kennedy, 8:00 South Plainfield vs. Elizabeth.   December 21, 2003 at Seton Hall University, South Orange NJ  12:00 CBA vs. St. Joseph's Montvale,  1:30 Hudson Catholic vs. Bloomfield Tech,  3:00 St. Patrick's vs. Irvington, 4:30 Don Bosco Prep vs. St. Joseph's Metuchen,  6:00 St. Raymond's NY vs. Paterson Catholic,  7:30 Scotch Plains vs. Cranford.'

11/19/03 Coach Ken Kelly, Columbus: 'We begin our season on November 19th with a home game against county rival, JFK.'

11/18/03 Coach Ron Naclerio, Cardozo High School: 'I've just lost a non-league game and need to add one to my schedule between February 17th and February 23rd. We will play home or away, in the city, Long Island or New Jersey. If interested please leave your phone number on my beeper at (917) 404-1950 or email at naclerioron@yahoo.com.'

11/18/03 Vincent Davis: 'Pro Style 2K 4 "Winter League" Basketball welcomes the Jersey Hot Shots, Head Coach: Jim Burke, Asst. Coach: Phil Dyer & Asst. Coach: Tom DeCataldo,  All NYC, Head Coach: Paul Foley & Asst. Coach: Bill Coachman and the Rockland Marauders,  Head Coach: Ed Simmons & Asst. Coach: Dereck Dawson.

Pro Style begins in January, 2004. Late registration begins December 1st. Register your team(s) now. For more information call (718) 654-1440, email : PRO STYLE 2K 4@aol.com. Web site: www.eteamz.com/PRO STYLE.'

11/18/03 Coach Ron Naclerio has kindly supplied the roster and schedule info for his Cardozo Judges team, who we have ranked as # 10 on our top 21.  Coach Kevin Diverio has done Ron one better, providing the complete team profile for his Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (the top football team in the region and  ranked by us as # 22 for basketball).  Thanks to both coaches their teams are now profiled on the team page.

11/18/03 InsidersHoops: Prep School Countdown: No. 5 St. Benedict's. Coach Dan Hurley's Group Moves Over to Prep Poll.

11/18/03  I've updated the calendar page for the Iona Prep Holiday Tournament on December 12 and 13th.

11/18/03  Mike McGrath: 'Boys’ youth basketball coaches…a few openings are still left for the Iona Prep Fathers' Council Holiday Tournament. Location: Iona Prep, 255 Wilmot Road, New Rochelle, NY. Divisions: Boys Junior Varsity (Grade 5, 6, and 5-6 Teams) and Boys Varsity (Grade 7, 8, and 7-8 Teams - AAU teams or their equivalents are not allowed to participate).  Format: double elimination. Cost per Team: $150.00.  Dates: December 19-30, 2003. Immediately contact: Mike McGrath, 1255 North Avenue (6-L), New Rochelle, New York 10804.  718-817-5660 (work), 914-576-5242 (home), 914-772-7183 (cell number) or mimcgrath@fordham.edu.'

11/18/03  Coach Rock Eisenberg: 'I wanted to send a big thank you out to Coach Ron Vernon who came in on Saturday and worked out our big men. In my opinion there is no finer coach of post play in the city than Ron, the legendary former coach at New Utrecht High School.'

11/17/03  Rice is our team # 11 in the region and thanks to coach Louis Xifaras we also have a profile for the Mnsgr. McClancy team on the team page.

11/17/03 Courier News: Seton Hall's "other" recruit, Brian Laing, is a keeper.

11/16/03 NY Hoops: Xaverian/Lincoln Scrimmage.

11/16/03 NY Times: Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers.

11/15/03 NY Post: Nyan Boateng Keeps Drawin' crowds.  Web note: I know it's not basketball, but Nyan deserves the mention!

11/15/03  Brooklyn Scout: 'JUCO report from Big Apple Sports.

11/15/03  Metro Hoops: Top 25 Seniors in New Jersey.

11/14/03  Paterson Catholic is our team # 12 in the region and thanks to coach Mario Beras we also have a profile for the Frederick Douglass Academy team on the team page.

11/14/03 NY Post: St. Ray's Ricky Torres has MRI

11/14/03  Galen Smith: 'Let your child train and play against the some of the best young talent (Saturday evenings) in the Metropolitan at the Metro Hoops Developmental League?

The Metro Hoops Developmental League is a winter basketball league for the talented players who love to play with and against a higher level of competition and have a desire to move their game to the next level. (All players get equal play time!) And at each session, players in grades 4th through 9th play against some of the best young players in the metro area, and are instructed by great coaches, former college and pro players. Our system focuses on providing each individual with the basketball skills necessary to excel, the physical capabilities to perform these skills at a high level. Each session consists of 30 minutes of instruction and 60 minutes of great competition! For additional information call us at (732) 208-1858 or go to www.metrohoops.com for additional information.'

11/13/03 NY Hoops: News.

11/13/03 Nick Blatchford, Director of CAS/New Heights Warriors Basketball Club: 'Congratulations to Manny Quezada, who committed to Rutgers University yesterday. Manny is an outstanding student-athlete who has spent the past three years at St. Albans School in Washington, DC. Manny is originally from Washington Heights and has been a member of the CAS Warriors Basketball Club for 3 years. He has flourished as a ballplayer and student and is ready to take his game to the Big East. He looks forward to playing for Coach Waters and flourishing at the next level. Enjoy your senior season, Manny and good luck at RU!'

11/13/03 Blair Academy is our # 13 team in the High Hoops' top 21 and we have a profile for Hillside on the team page.

11/13/03 Daily News:  Manny Quezada, Bryant Dunston go local.

11/13/03 NJ Hoops: Seton Hall gets Letters of Intent - including one from Brian Laing.

11/12/03 Coach Glen Steinberg: 'Weyinmi Efejuku, guard out of Rice, has been playing with my Warriors team for many years now, he has not committed to any college, verbally or otherwise.'

11/12/03 John Cella: 'Archdiocese of Newark Scholarship Fund for Innercity Youth is sponsoring a triple header at St Peter's College on January 4, 2004. Am not sure of the pairings but is features 6 of NJ's best: St Anthony's, Hudson Catholic, St Benedict's, St Patrick's and Christian Brothers Academy. Games at 1:30 3:15 and 5 o'clock. Tickets @ $8, $12 and $25 for reserved.'  Web note: This is already on the site's calendar. Go to the calendar page, change the month to January, the year to 2004, hit the go button and double left click on the Scholarship Basketball Festival entry for the matchups.

11/12/03 Once again this year coach Rob Pavinelli has supplied a team profile for his St Dominic Bayhawks. Thanks, coach. Also on the team page is a profile for Xaverian. We have them ranked as our # 14 team in the region and John P Miciotta contributed mightily to their profile.

11/12/03 InsidersHoops: Prep School Countdown: No. 11 Blair Academy. Joe Mantegna's Squad Will Have New Look.

11/12/03 NY Post: ESPN airing Railsplitters and Sebastian Telfair on December 11 against Orlando's Edgewater High School. The game will be played at Fordham University at 7 p.m.

11/12/03 Mario Beras: 'City-Wide Millennium Boys & Girls Tournaments. Cost: free! Sponsored by the Parks & Recreational Dept. Looking for Teams in all boroughs. Divisions 8 - 10yrs, 11 - 13yrs, 14 - 16yrs. 3 Regular Season Games Guaranteed (12/6 - 1/19) plus Borough Playoffs & Finals, plus City-Wide Playoffs and Finals. Winners receive trophies & braggin' rights.  For further information: Queens - Jessica Cherry (718) 520-5918,  Brooklyn - James Heaton (718) 965-8942, Bronx - Hugo Chance (718) 402-5160, Staten Island - Joe (718) 816-6172. Indoor locations: Lost Battalion, Far Rockaway, Roy Wilkens.'

11/12/03 Coach Rock Eisenberg: 'Tilden High School is looking for one or two tough games to add to our schedule due to some late changes. We will play on Friday or Saturday nights away or home. The games will have to be over Christmas or in January due to our PSAL schedule. Please call me at 917-714-2294 or at 718-336-8086 ASAP.

The Bob Kronisch Memorial Classic will be held Friday Nov. 21st at Tilden High School. The matchups are 4:30 PM Boys and Girls Vs St. Edmund prep, 6pm Tilden Vs FDR and 7:30 PM South Shore Vs New Utrecht. Admission is $5 at the door.'

11/11/03 John P Miciotta contributed to the Bloomfied Tech profile; they are our # 15 team in the region -seven done, fourteen to go on our top twenty-one teams. Terence (t-bone) Johnson provided the Linden Tiger profile.  Thanks to both of you the profiles are on the team page.  Those two are at the top, eleven more are listed alphabetically.

11/11/03 John P Miciotta: 'According to published reports David Whitehurst the athletic 6'3" combo guard from Lawerenceville (NJ) Prep has committed to coach Fran Dunphy's fine program at the University of Pennsylvania. Whitehurst's basketball abilities made him recruitable by mid and perhaps some high major programs, but to his credit he has made a terrific choice to pursue an Ivy League degree and play for the Quakers. We at High Hoops extend our congratulations and wish him good luck '

11/11/03 Journal News: Slam Dunk Challenge scheduled for December 19 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, goes for local flavor this year

11/10/03 Terence (t-bone) Johnson: 'Any coach interested in having their forwards and centers taught the fundamentals of rebounding,reverse pivot, jump-hook, drop step, post defense, sitting down properly in the post, boxing out, post moves, swim technique, flashing to the ball, elbow jumper, up and under move, running the lanes correctly and much much more, should contact Vincent Robinson at 973-687-4987 or E-mail at vincentbigmaninstructor@yahoo.com. My fee is $200 a day (4hours) or $50 an hour. Former coach at Irvington High School. Also have numerous college coaching contacts from Division 1 to 3!'

11/10/03 Coach Dennis Terry of Longwood has provided a profile for his Lions' team and we have Burlington Life Center as our # 16 team on the team page.  

11/10/03 Anthony Nicodemo: 'Teaches Hoops Westchester's Best Fall League concluded Sunday with two great championships. In the National Division 4th seeded Lincoln Hall defeated 6th seeded Hastings, 51-42. Lincoln Hall was led by Troy Owens (Bronx) 22 points. In the American Division JFK(Somers) took a one point lead with 14 seconds remaining and defeated Danbury (CT), 47-46. JFK senior Pete Courtney led all scorers with 17 points. The Gaels were 9-0 this fall. All winners recieved t-shirts from the Rock and a duffle bag from Nike.'

Earlier results are on the Westchester's Best Fall League page.

11/10/03 Coach Glen Steinberg: 'Doug Elwell 6'5 guard from Monsignor Farrell, Staten Island has been playing with my Warriors team since 7th grade. He is going to be a definite impact player this year as a junior and I am happy to announce he has verbally committed to D1 Wagner under head coach Mike Deane.'

11/10/03 Daily News: Brooklyn's Ramel Bradley is wild about 'Cats.

11/10/03 Wing Lee: 'Jersey Paladins Winterfest Jam Basketball Tournament -- Dates: December 27 & 28, 2003 (Saturday & Sunday). Place Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey.  Divisions boys 12 -14 U & girls 10 -11 U.  Entry fee: $325 per team.  Each team guaranteed to play 4 games. All games officiated by certified IAABO referees. Due to the limited slots, teams will be accepted on a first paid - first accepted basis. Individual trophies awarded to championship teams. Contact: Wing Lee at suburbanrockits@cs.com or paladins88@verizon.net.'

11/9/03 Troy Gaskin: 'Wanted to keep NYC updated with Jarell "Rell" Wingfield of Harlem and James "Goo" Barrett of Brooklyn. Both New Yorkers are freshman at Barstow CC, head coach is David Grossman. Barstow CC won the Cuyamaca College Tip Off Tournament this past Friday and Saturday. The tournament was held in San Diego, CA. 1st game they beat Cuyamaca College 82 to 60. Jarell Wingfield led the way with 20 points and 5 assists. James Barrett had 15. 2nd game they beat Golden Valley for the championship 89-86. Jarell Winfield led the way with 18 points. James Barrett had 14. Rell was tournament MVP........... and Goo made all tournament.

Jarell Wingfield is a 6'3" 195 lbs. combo guard; the Harlem native who never played high school or AAU basketball.....thus nobody has ever heard of him. He attended Martin Luther King, Park East, Westside and Boys Harbor GED program before going to Barstow. His coaches believe he is a very high major prospect. Iowa State already has him on their radar. The kid can dribble, shoot and pass at a very high level.

James "Goo" Barrett is a 6'5" 245lbs power forward. The Brooklyn native played for Bishop Loughlin, Milford and Lincoln HS before attending Barstow CC. He played on the 2003 Lincoln team that won the city and state title this past year. As far as AAU Goo has played with Riverside and most recently, Gauchos and Juice All-Stars. His coaches believe he is a low to mid-major prospect.'

11/9/03 Coach Rock Eisenberg: 'The matchups for the 9th Annual Jerry Gold Memorial Classic played at Tilden H. S. on Saturday Dec. 13th have changed a bit due to some coaches personal schedule. They now are 11:30 am Tilden Girls Vs South Shore, IPM South Shore Vs Fredrick Douglas, 2:30 PM Canarsie Vs New Utrecht and 4Pm Tilden Vs Bergtraum.'

11/8/03 Post-Gazette: Pitt lands top center - 6-foot-9 junior Xaverian Mike Davis.

11/8/03 InsidersHoops: Randell Henke Headlines Trinity Pawling team. Prep School Countdown: No. 18 Trinity Pawling.

11/8/03 Travis Berry: 'We are seeking Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) workers to volunteer their personal time to our 11th Annual Riverbank State Park High School Basketball Classic. This event will take place on Saturday & Sunday, December 20 & 21, 2003. We will host 8 boys basketball teams, approximately 200 kids, managers and coaches participating in the tournament. This event will be magnificent with all the high quality team that are participating from the New York area. The New York media organizations will provide coverage for the two-day tournament.  For further information please contact: Randy McGhee or Travis Berry by emai at Randy.McGhee@oprph.state.ny.us,  Travis.Berry@oprph.state.ny.us or telephone at (212) 694-3637.'

11/7/03 Many, many  thanks to coach Tim Cluess of St Marys, whose Gaels are our # 17 team and to Peddie's coach Chris Potash  (the 22nd best team in the region?) for their team profiles on our team page.  

11/7/03 Wee Francis: 'Wee All-stars are having tryouts this Saturday at Abyssinian, located at Lenox between 143rd & 144th. Ages 10 & under and 12 & under from 11a.m. until 1p.m. Ages 13 & under and 14 & under from 1p.m. until 3p.m. Bring your love of the game and I'll be the judge of the rest!'

11/6/03 Terence (t-bone) Johnson has provided the profile for Scotch Plains, ranked as # 18 on our top twenty-one list and coach Kevin Cullen of Regis has supplied the info for his team.  Both profiles are now on our team page.  

11/6/03 Journal News: Coaches vs. Cancer Preseason Classic is at the Brewster Sports Center this weekend.

11/6/03 Journal News: Coach Lou Panzanaro returning to Peekskill after all.

11/6/03 Anthony Nicodemo:Westchester's Best Fall League Week 9- 11/9/03 on the Westchester's Best Fall League page.

11/5/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'JUCO report from Big Apple Sports.

11/5/03 Gary Sims: 'NYC JHS Basketball Classic sponsored by the Juice All Stars and adidas will take place on Saturday, December 6th, 2003 at Brooklyn Hoops, 4400 Glenwood Road. For more information contact: Rodney "Black" Houston at (718)735-6438 or Andre at (917)548-1754. Entry fee is $125.00 per team and you must be a JHS student to participate.'

11/5/03 Jeff Weiss is the coach of Lawrence Woodmere Academy, our # 19 team and Bill McNally coaches Poly Prep. Many thanks to both coaches.  Their teams are profiled on our team page.  

11/5/03 InsidersHoops: Prep School Countdown: No. 21 The Hun School.

11/5/03 Advocate Messenger: Bradley reportedly commits to Cats.

11/4/03 Kristie Ackert: 'High School basketball coaches: Please send a copy of your complete schedule and rosters to the Daily News so that we can plan our coverage for the season. Send rosters and schedules to: High School Sports Desk, New York Daily News, 450 West 33rd Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001 or email them to Kackert@edit.nydailynews.com.'

11/4/03 Janice Tillman: 'The Playaz Basketball Club presents the 2nd Annual Freedom Fighters Hoop Challenge. This year's Challenge will be a two day event on Sunday, January 18th and Monday, January 19th, 2004. Games will be held at John F. Kennedy H. S. in Paterson, NJ. The event is in need of  one more boys high school team. Anyone interested in participating should contact event coordinator, Jimmy Salmon at 973.207.4346.'

11/4/03 Coach Tiny Morton: 'Who is Brooklyn Scout that reported about Ramel Bradley? I think you should contact a family member or coach before you report false info. Ramel did not commit as of yet.  I should know because he played for me.  I helped him get into IMG. Also I speak to the Kentucky people every day.  This is not fair to Ramel and his family. Especially if he wanted to visit another school.'

11/4/03 Louisville Journal: UK gets 'point guard of future'. Ramel Bradley reportedly commits to play for Wildcats.

11/4/03 Cincinnati.com: Bradley Commits.

11/4/03 Daily News: Ramel Bradley headed for Kentucky.

11/4/03 St Patrick is team 20 on our top twenty-one list on our team page.  I will update the page each weekday with the top twenty-one going backwards and with ohter teams as well.  The highlighted team(s) will be at the top of the page; the rest will be listed alphabetically. If you have additional team info send mail to nycnjhoops@aol.com.

11/3/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Ramel Bradley, a 6-2 combo guard now at IMG Academy in Bradenton (FL), made a verbal commitment over the weekend to Kentucky. Bradley, who previously attended Park West HS in New York and Mount Zion Academy in Durham (NC), selected the Wildcats from a list that included such schools as Boston College, Georgia, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Miami (FL), DePaul and Seton Hall. The Brooklyn (NY) native, who averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists as a junior at Park West, recently received a 1020 score on the SAT.'

11/3/03 For this month we will be profiling our top twenty-one teams in the region and other teams - one or two teams each weekday. Many thanks to coach Ken Kelly of Columbus whose Explorers are our number 21 team and to coach Rock Eisenberg of Tilden. Their PSAL teams are profiled on our team page.

11/3/03 Anthony Nicodemo:Westchester's Best Fall League Semi-Finals results on the Westchester's Best Fall League page.

11/3/03 Rob WIlliams - Bistate Pythons: 'The Pythons are having tryouts for 15 year olds on Saturdays from 6 PM to 8 PM at PAL Foster Laurie, 199 - 10 112 th Ave. St. Albans. You must register for PAL membership $10, 2 ID photos and a copy of your birth certificate, so arrive early. AAU registration will follow later. You should be a serious freshman or JV player. Be prepared to run and play "D". Contact 917 821 3758 or 718 479 7172 rarc199@aol.com.'

11/2/03 Tyrone Hester: 'The Morris Brown Warriors are looking for travel games for our 14u boys basketball team  If interested, call me at 1-718-217-2669 or email us at enyce456@hotmail.com.'

11/2/03 Jacques Noseal: 'Any one interested in a non-league varsity basketball game can contact me at University Neighborhood High School, 212-96243-41 ext 209.  email -jacquestheripper@msn.com. UNHS is a PSAL participating high school.'

11/1/03 Coach Sly Johnson: 'The Manhasset Allstars Basketball Program has expanded to 12.U, 14.U & 15.U boys teams. We are looking for experience players for our AAU program. Our tryouts are on Friday nights at Great Neck South High School at 7:00pm. If interested, call coach Sly Johnson - 516-314-7397, or e-mail: Slyjohn38@aol.com. website:www.eteamz.com/manallstars.'

11/1/03 Marvin DeBose: DeBose & Pembleton Holiday Tournament Dec. 26-28, 2003 seek boy's teams 10/- 12/ -14/. Host by Phila Positive Image AAU Team. 14-under champs wins teams Nike sneakers. For more details call Marvin DeBose (215) 899-1497 or 215) 685-2890. email- mdebose@runhouse.com web site www.runhouse.com. The Tournament will be held @ Charles Finley Rec. Center Uspal St. & Mansfield Ave.Phila. Pa 19150.'

11/1/03 Insiders Hoops: Prep School Countdown: No. 26 Peddie School.