New York City & New Jersey High Hoops

IS8 Nike Tip-off Classic, 2002

Bring your game not your name.

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IS8 -- address is 108-35 167 th St. Jamaica, Queens just off  Merrick Blvd on 167 St and 108th Avenue.

10/21/02 John P Miciotta: 'The Panthers opened up a 15 point lead at the half and then used terrific defense and rebounding to hold off the Future Stars 84-68. Charlie Villanueva won tourney MVP honors with a strong all around game, but the difference in the game was the play of the Panthers' experienced guards. Daon Merritt, who was named IS8 Player of the Year, controlled the tempo and broke down the Future Stars' defense for scores himself, or for kick out assists. Cameron Tyler took full advantage, scoring with treys and pretty drives in transition. He has improved his strength this summer and by doing so has become a much better finisher in traffic and a better jump shooter. He must continue to become a more complete player by improving his defense and making better decisions with the ball. If he can do that, his stock will continue to rise.

Prior to the second quarter spurt that broke the game open. Future Stars stayed in it thanks to terrific outside shooting by Kevin Johnson and Alan Shepherd but Villanueva's board work and activity at the rim created foul problems for all three of the Future Stars' post men John Kelly. Arturo Dubois, and Derrick Caracter. Charlie's board work was particularly important because Rashawn Clarke, who was a force on the glass the whole tournament for the Panthers, left the game early with a back injury. Although he was able to return, and should be OK, the normal life in those legs was decidedly curtailed.

Caracter and Shepherd led a third quarter rally that brought the lead down to 12 after the Panthers had built it to as much as 20. At that point Tyler contributed to key baskets and Merritt was terrific making sure his team got good shots and milked the clock in order to protect the lead.

Mt. Vernon's super frosh Jon Mitchell was named Rookie of the Year and in the opinion of this observer established himself as the second best freshman in our region behind Caracter.

Finally I'd like to close with a note of congratulations and thanks to Pete Edwards and his able lieutenants Hassan and Anthony. This was another great tourney and their assistance in covering it was much appreciated.'

10/21/02 Peter F. Edwards - IS8: 'Panthers defeated the Future Stars. Panthers have won the tournament 3 times in a row. Charlie Villanueva was the MVP. All tournament teams: 1st Team Charlie Villanueva - Panthers,  Gary Forbes - Riverside Church,  Jerome Richardson - Bedford YMCA.  Keith Benjamin - Mount Vernon,  Antione Aquidio - Huntington.  2nd Team  Marlon Smith - Gauchos,  Benny Utley - Bedford YMCA,  Sean Banks - SONDAY Express,  Rashawn Clark - Panthers,  Allen Shephard - Future Stars.   3rd Team  JR Smith - Playza Club,  Yada Gaines - SONDAY Express,  Donnel Cummings - 1st Presbetarian Church,  Zarret Rogers - Hoop Street Gang,  Eugene Harvey - Rebel.  Player Of The Year - Daon Merritt - Panthers.  Rookie Of The Year - Jon Mitchell - Mount Vernon.'

10/20/02 John P Miciotta: 'The Panthers earned the right to play for their third straight IS8 Tip off Classic tomorrow, with a convincing 90-71 win over Riverside's "A" team. Daon Merritt hit for a game high 27 points and Cameron Tyler added 19 to lead the way, but the Panthers got important contributions from several other sources. Rashawn Clarke was a terrific force on the glass while Ramel Bradley and Joel King provided great defensive effort on the perimeter (by Bradley) and in the paint (by King). The Church simply could not find a second scorer to complement Gary Ervin, who nearly matched Merritt with 23 points of his own.

The Panthers will meet Riverside's Future Stars tomorrow who beat Bedford Y handily in game two. Although this team is indeed loaded with future stars it was a quartet of experienced players who led the way. Alan Shepherd played his usual terrific transition game and displayed improved outside shooting range. Louie McCroskey continued to build on his fine summer, hitting the jumper and playing solid defense. And Kevin Johnson, the little dynamo guard, ran his team beautifully and made enough shots to keep the Y's defense honest. That perimeter trio's effort was augmented well by a pair of inside players. Senior John Kelly from DePaul High in New Jersey stepped in for a foul plagued Derrick Caracter and was tremendous running the floor getting stickbacks, scoring inside and hitting a really nice turn around banker from the right block. He's a hard worker who is easily a mid division one prospect who could go higher. Kelly teamed with Rice junior Arturo Dubois to dominate the glass. Pete Edwards describes Dubois game as "sloppy but effective" and he is correct on both counts. Sure the kid runs with a bit of a forward lean, and doesn't jump high but with his timing and good hands he's a guy who always seems to be around the ball. And with his soft touch he converts many of the chances he earns with his hustle.

For the Y in this game it just seemed that they couldn't bounce back from their emotional win over SONDAY. They are normally so quick to the ball but today, save for the second quarter that saw them cut a 15 point deficit to 8, Future Stars controlled both boards and got to most of the loose balls. As always Benny Utley and Jerome Richadson led the Y, who also got some solid minutes from soph Saiquan Stone, who did lots of subtle things moving without the ball but must finish more strongly in order to succeed at IS8 and indeed at the varsity of high school basketball when he moves up. The Future Stars know that the Panthers will come loaded for bear to defend their title. In order to knock off the champs, McCorskey, Shepherd, Kelly and Johnson must help the youngsters play with the maturity and poise they will need to play a team that is well balanced and is led by a point guard in Merritt who plays every game refusing to lose, and gives his teammates that same attitude.'

10/19/02 Brooklyn Scout: 'Future Stars held off the Bedford YMCA 97-85 in the second semifinal of the IS 8 Tip-Off Classic on Saturday. Using their height advantage and hot early shooting the Future Stars opened the game with a 15-0 run and led 25-10 after the opening session. Bedford, the only #2 seed in the final four, staged a furious rally in the second quarter that got them within 44-40 just before the half.

The Future Stars regained the momentum early in the second half with a balanced attack that produced five scorers in double figures: Allen Shepherd (21 points), Louie McCroskey (20), John Kelly (14) Arturo Dubois (11) and Kimani Blaize (10).  Bedford got two outstanding performances from Jerome Richardson (36 points)  and Benny Utley (33), who combined for 36 of their team's 45 points in the second half. Richardson, one of the most improved and outstanding players in the fall tournament, had a spectacular reverse dunk and blocked a dunk attempt by Future Stars phenom Dereck Caracter.'

10/19/02 Peter F. Edwards - IS8: 'Panthers defeated Riverside & Future Stars defeated Bedford YMCA.'

10/19/02 Antonio Cannon: 'Great game between Panthers and Riverside today. Gary Irving, played for Riverside and Ramel Bradley played for Panthers. Riversides offense disappeared down the stretch, with the exception of Gary Irving. Future Stars were too big and strong for the Bedford Y to handle on both backboards, that was the difference in that one.'

10/19/02 John P Miciotta: 'Again I must apologize to our readers as I had to leave midway through game 2. SONDAY had been ahead over Bedford Y for much of the first half thanks primarily to Tariq Atkins. However, they were having tremendous difficulty containing the quickness and rebounding of Benny Utley, Jerome Richardson and Etienne Brower, and the last update I got waiting for my lift home had the Y up for with 2:46 left.

A word must be said here about Brower, the 6'7" senior from West Hempstead High who has just come to the attention of basketball observers beyond Long Island this past summer. Several web publications have written favorable evaluations of his play, but invariably they have contained the caveat that he plays in a high school program and league that is not as competitive as some other leagues in the metropolitan area. That may indeed be true but it should in no way discourage programs from recruiting him. He will face no faster or more physical competition than the kind he's seen at IS 8 these past few weeks. Not only did he hold his own, but to this observer his confidence grew and his game improved as the tournament moved along. Simply put he looks better and better every time I see him, he's deceptively athletic, mixes it up aggressively and runs the floor really well. His shooting and passing are improving and will get better as he plays more. Also, he seems to pick things up quickly, and adjust to the speed of the game as he plays.

The winner of the Bedford Y-SONDAY game will face Riverside's Future stars in tomorrow's second semi-final game.

Arturo Dubois followed in his own miss to give the Future Stars a 64-62 win in a sloppily played but tough physical match-up

Keith Benjamin, who had struggled all evening, hit an off-balance runner in the lane, was fouled and made the free throw to tie the game at 62 and set the stage for Dubois heroics. Desean Gist shoveled a nice pass to Dubois on the block. He had his first shot deflected but was able to gain control of the rebound with his soft hands and gently lay the ball in as time expired. For Mt. Vernon, which went further into the tourney than any "school team" if you will, in IS8 history. Jon Mitchell was the star. While the battle between him and fellow super frosh Derrick Caracter never materialized because of Caracter's foul trouble, Mitchell showed a complete inside outside game. For Future Stars point man Kevin Johnson, wing man Louie McCorskey and forward Alan Shephard led the way and kept them close until their final push as Mount Vernon held the lead for much of the game.'

10/19/02 Brooklyn Scout: 'Bedford YMCA reached the final four of the IS8 Tip Off Tourney with a hard-fought 86-80 decision over SONDAY Express in the second game of the Friday night quarterfinal doubleheader. Sundiata Gaines and Sean Banks, each of whom finished with 19 points, helped  SONDAY maintain the early lead, 19-17 after one and 40-38 at the half. Bedford stayed close behind Jerome Richardson's game-high 24 points (including 5 threes) and the fourth quarter began with the teams deadlocked at 61-61.  Reggie McCuller (18 points) and Benny Utley (17) helped Bedford establish control midway through the final period and hold off a late SONDAY rally with clutch foul shooting down the stretch.'

10/18/02  CAnova31: 'Charlie Villanueva did arrive to the IS8 game yesterday. He arrived during halftime and finished with 16pts and 12 rebounds.'

10/18/02 Sterling Nunnally, Panthers: 'Last night the panthers beat Tim Thomas Playaz by about 15 points. In the first half everyone contributed, Sammy Mejia, Daon Merritt, Rashawn Clark, Cameron Tyler, Joel King and Danny Green. At the end of the half we led 48-44. Charlie Villaneuva arrived at the beginning of the second half and we began to open up a lead towards the end of the third quarter. This win was a total team effort.

However, the best part of the evening was looking in the stands and seeing the parents of former players cheering us on. Steve Claxton, the father of Speedy and Mike was there. Curtis Sumpter's mother Priscilla Robinson was there along with Jackie Gates who is Ontae Gates mother. If this was not enough, as I was driving Sammy Mejia back home, Paul Fraser who is Jason Fraser's uncle called and said that he was sorry he missed the game since he had to work but that he would be there on Saturday. Finally, I received a call from Marlon Bottoms, who is the guardian of Pete Edwards' favorite player Eric "Hard Playing" Ferguson asking how we made out since he was also at work. After hearing that we won, he also said that he would be there on Saturday. One of the reasons that I am proud to be associated with the Panthers is because of the family atmosphere that we encourage with the players and their parents. To often, I have heard coaches refer to players as "my kid" , this is totally ridiculous. These players have parents and guardians who are going to be a part of their lives regardless of what happens in basketball. Allof us need to understand that the only obligation any player has is to be the best young man that he can be so that his family can be proud of him. Pete Edwards said it best when he was awarding Curtis Sumpter the television at the end of the Spring tournament when he stated that the way Curtis conducted himself is a tribute to how he was raised by his parents Leon and Priscilla Robinson.'

10/18/02 John P Miciotta: 'First of all with apologies to our readers I had to leave at half-time of game 2 with the Panthers leading Playaz Club 48-44 and awaiting the arrival of Blair Academy's Charlie Villanueva. To their credit they were able to forge a lead despite Villanueva's absence against a Playaz Club team that was loaded for bear, thanks to a great team effort lead by Daon Merritt, Sammy Mejia and Rashawn Clarke. They also got a terrific lift from sophomore Daniel Green off the bench, who did a terrific job rebounding against the taller Playaz, who this evening featured both Terrence Roberts and a much more assertive Daryl Watkins.

For the Playaz Watkins was aggressive blocking shots and rebounding while Roberts, who Pete Edwards told the crowd was headed to Syracuse next fall showed his terrific face up game from the power forward slot. Jamar Nutter, a natural off guard, did as well as one could expect running the point, but the absence of a pure point man showed defensively as well as offensively as the Playaz struggled to contain the quickness of Merritt and Mejia. This game had the makings for a terrific finish because it pitted two athletic teams against each other who went right at each other with no holds barred.

The evening's first tilt saw Riverside use a decisive fourth quarter spurt to pull away from Huntington 74-51. Courtney Johnson, from long range, and Gary Forbes, from everywhere, took care of the scoring for the church but Riverside's ability to open the game up coincided with the arrival of Tyrell Biggs. He provided a presence inside that contested the Huntington duo of Mike Moseby and Terrence Moore on the boards. Also, with him protecting the basket on defense the Church's guards picked up the defensive pressure and held Antoine Agudio in check. If Biggs can improve his conditioning and stamina he will be recruitable at the highest levels because of his ability to score in the post.'

10/14/02 John P Miciotta: 'Today's IS8 action was typical of tournaments past. The action was fast and furious. All except the first and last games were tight. And both established stars and relatively unknown players made the most of their chance to shine on Pete Edwards' great stage.

I arrived just as the first game ended, so while I missed Future Stars' 87-64 win over Hoop Street Gang I was treated to what had to have been the days' most surreal sight. As I rolled in, there was freshman prodigy Derrick Caracter walking out. Trailing behind him was one guy with a boom microphone, and another with a tv camera. Derrick apparently will be profiled on an upcoming installment of "60 Minutes 2". Too much attention for a 14 year old high school freshman?? Perhaps. With that said let's hope and pray the young man and his family can keep things in perspective because what counts is much more than just the future of a basketball player; more importantly the future of a young man, with a heart and mind and soul depends on what happens during these his high school years. How he copes with this unprecedented scrutiny will determine not only what kind of ballplayer he becomes but what kind of young man he grows into. By all accounts he has a great support system that will help him prepare for the challenges he'll face as a young adult. (Web note: The Future Stars won despite a 31 point performance from the Gang's Zarrett Rodgers.  Derrick had 16, John Kelly 15 and Arturo Dubois 12 for the Stars.)

In game two Huntington pulled away late in the fourth quarter for an 82-68 win over the L.I. Gaels. A pair of relatively unknown seniors led the way as Antoine Agudio, a 6'3" guard from Walt Whitman High hit for 39 points and Mike Moseby, a 6'5" inside player from Deer Park HS was a force on the boards and is definitely a recruit Division II programs should eye. For the Gaels, a trio of small guards, senior John Ager, junior Devon Brown and soph Aleek Pauline, shot the ball well and combined with forwards Tyson Johnson and Bill Clarke to keep the Gaels close. Agudio really took charge in the final minutes however and helped Huntington survive and advance.

Game 3 saw Bedford Y garner a well earned 74-68 win over Connecticut All-Stars. The "Y" got a lift from the arrival of Quincy Doubie, but it was a pair of players who have been mainstays for them at IS8 who led the way. Benny Utley may be the most complete scorer in the tournament and Jerome Richardson gives the team whatever it needs to win, be it help on the boards or heady ball handling down the stretch. Also contributing to Bedford's cause was 6'7" Etienne Brown, who was very active on the boards, ran the floor well and made several key baskets. His grades at West Hempstead High make him recruitable by Ivy and Patriot League programs and his athletic ability will allow him to have an immediate impact if he chooses to attend one of those schools. Connecticut featured a fine quick point guard Torre Thomas and 6'6" junior forward Dave McClure, who is simply one of the best players in the class of 2004. He is an efficient and smart player who controls a game without trying to show off individual skill or athletic ability. His hands, head, nose for the ball and jump shot make him an elite player nationally. He's deceptively wide and strong in the lower half of his body which is why I have, perhaps hastily, labeled him a forward. Make no mistake though his skills are as good as those of any guard you will see.

The fourth game saw SONDAY I play a flawless third period to break open a close game and beat the Gauchos 92-70. The decisive spurt was triggered by a terrific defensive effort that saw SONDAY allow only 4 points in the quarter. Tariq Atkins, who finished with a game high 25 points, and Sean Banks, who had with 22 took care of the scoring, while Justin Marshall bounced back from a listless first half to do a terrific job on the boards and blocking shots. For the 'chos Russell Robinson and Marlon Smith did most of the scoring but they were shut down in that third period until after the game had been decided. Freshman Curtis Kelly had some good moments playing against older guys but could not sustain the effort against bigger and stronger players.

Game 5 proved to be the day's best as LPAC,which dressed only 5 players, nearly pulled off a huge upset of Playaz Club. They were up double digits in the third quarter before getting caught and passed thanks mainly to a 3 point barrage by JR Smith and losing 78-77. As LPAC built its lead, Theodore Roosevelt's Ed Berrios and Our Savior Lutheran's Jamel Womack controlled the game from the back court while Emilio Gomez, a long armed 6'7" forward with great timing controlled the paint with blocked shots and rebounding. Smith would not let the Playaz lose, scoring at least 20 of his game high 35 points in the late third and early fourth period as they mounted their comeback. Daryl Watkins, who was outplayed by Gomez for 30 of the game's 32 minutes did make some plays down the stretch but it was Smith's hustle effort and shooting that allowed the Playaz to steal a win and move on in the tournament.

The day's final game saw Charlie Villanueva and Rashaun Clarke blitz Rock Steady early and then hold on for the win. The Panthers also unveiled another potentially fine big man. Joel King a 6'10" center who has transferred from the UN School to Poly Prep is a project who needs time to develop but did a nice job persuing rebounds and being a force in the paint. He is the son of tennis star Yannick Noah, and appears to share with his dad, who is a clay court specialist, good running ability. If he continues to work hard get stronger and improve foot work he could be very good.'

10/14/02 Brooklyn Scout: 'Bedford YMCA advanced to the quarterfinals of the IS 8 Tip-Off Classic with a 74-68 win over the Connecticut All-Stars Sunday afternoon. Bedford took control early with a 21-13 first quarter margin before the All-Stars rallied behind Dave McClure (13 of his team-high 23 points in the first half) to make it 35-all at the half. The All-Stars continued their momentum after intermission, pulling ahead 44-37 before Bedford regained control and took a 55-52 margin into the final period. Benny Utley led the winners with 26 points while Jerome Richardson contributed 19 points and Quincy Douby had 17 on an "off" shooting day. Bedford also received strong defensive play from Etienne Brower inside and Saiquon Stone on the perimeter.'

10/13/02 L.P.A.C. continues to make noise at IS8.  Last April it was their star, Sammy Mejia who won the Most Outstanding Player award.  This afternoon, after going 4 - 0 in the regular season, only five of them (from left to right - Emilio Gomez, Jamel Womack,  Eliziel Padilla,  Danny Mena and Ed Berrios)  suited up, but they gave a marvelous team effort against a loaded Tim Thomas Playaz squad before finally running out of gas in the final three minutes, losing 78 - 77. The view from the benches below tells the story -- Jimmy Salmon had five Playaz reserves while Ruben Tavarez had two water bottles.   Huntington, the Future Stars, Bedford Y and S.O.N.D.A.Y. Express I were also winners today, as the Panthers and Rock Steady are playing for the last quarterfinal spot. More later.

10/12/02 John P Miciotta: 'A brief recap of Friday's action at IS8 -- Friday saw a pair of one sided affairs as Riverside "A" and Mt. Vernon garnered easy wins over JYO respectively. For the church Gary Forbes led the way while Mt. Vernon got a dominant inside effort from Dexter Gray and Jonathan Mitchell.'

10/11/02  IS8 second round games tonight feature the Church vs JYO at 6:30 and Mount Vernon vs Rebel at 8:00. No games tomorrow.  Sunday's match-ups  are the Future Stars vs Hoop Street Gang @ 9:30,  Huntington vs LI Gaels @ 11:00, Ct. All Stars vs Bedford Y @ 12:30,  SONDAY Express I vs. Gauchos @ 2:00,  LPAC vs Tim Thomas Playaz @ 3:30 and  Panthers vs. Rock Steady @ 5:00.  Winners play in quarterfinals next Thursday and Friday.

10/11/02 John P Miciotta: 'Tonight's opener at IS8 saw Bedford Y break open a close game in the third quarter and cruise to a double digit win over SONDAY 2. Benny Utley led Bedford Y with 39 and Jerome Richardson was a terror defensively and on the boards. For SONDAY2 Chris Martin was high scorer, but needed too many shots to post those good numbers. Jamel Bedford is a rangy 6'4" swing man who showed good quickness and good slashing ability but he and his teammates just could not do enough to contend with Bedford Y's terrific pressure defense and athletic ability at the rim.

Although the Panthers "B" team was able to match the Gauchos' athletic ability, they could not find an answer for the poise and outside shooting ability of Marlon Smith and Russell Robinson, who led the 'chos to an easy win in the nightcap. Smith showed great maturity and while he still is a "score first" point guard, his shot selection was much better, and he made good decisions as to when to attack pressure and when to back the ball out and set the offense. Robinson played his typically intense defense and showed an improved outside shooting stroke. They were assisted on the perimeter by Xaverian's JR Mitchell, who is exceptionally strong and can defend both wing positions. In the paint, the ever improving Shagari Alleyne blocked and altered shots and showed continued improvement catching the ball. Young big man Taj Gibson was also a factor inside.

For Panthers "B" a trio of sophomores showed they have made significant progress during the summer. Antonio Pena, the 6'7" soph from Lincoln High showed a vastly improved outside shot with range out to the arc. Xaverian's 6'8" lefty Mike Davis showed improved quickness, running ability and shot blocking. Very early in the game, he also made a nice drop step for a lefty jump hook. It was a move that could be a "go-to" move for him if he can master it consistently. Finally the most impressive soph for the Panthers was Chris Lowery, who has transferred from Banneker to join a talented Xaverian program. At 6'4" he has always been a terror around the basket but today, he showed terrific wing skills shooting and defending. He had two high-flying dunks in transition, but the real impressive things were how well he shot the ball and how well he defended on the wing. He elevates so well on the jumper that his shooting ability will project well to college three years from now. In fact, if his improvement continues look out, he will be one of the elite players in the class of 2005.'

10/11/02 Brooklyn Scout: 'Benny Utley exploded for 22 third-period points to propel Bedford YMCA into the second round of the IS Tip-Off playoffs with a 94-75 win over SONDAY Express II Thursday night. With Bedford up just 40-39 at the half, Utley took over with an assortment of drives and three-pointers to finish with 39 points. Jerome Richardson added 19 points and several key blocks for the winners while Chris Martin led SONDAY witth 24.'

10/10/02 Pete Edwards:  'The eight IS8 winners in the first round are Rock Steady, Playaz Club, LI Gaels, JYO, Rebel, Hoop St. Gang, Bedford Y and Gauchos. They will play the division winners -- LPAC, Panthers, Huntington, Riverside, Mount Vernon, Future Stars, Connecticut All Stars and SONDAY tomorrow night and Sunday in the second round.'   

10/6/02  The baseball season is over as of last night and the regular season ends today at IS8.  Refs Ralph Potter and Cornell Hampton (pictured) posed at halftime of the morning's first game as Amityville took Exodus 72 - 55 behind A J  Price (20), P J Smith (18) and John Bornheim (18).  Only Nana Sanders with 17 was efective for Exodus.   The Panthers, Huntington, Riverside, Mount Vernon, Future Stars, Connecticut All Stars and SONDAY are division winners who'll play next Friday and Sunday.  Rock Steady Beacon and the Playaz are in the Monday games.  Real Scout and JYO vs Holy Cross are in Tuesday games.  Rebel vs Queens Rimrockers and First Presbyterian vs. Hoop Street Gang are the Wednesday match-ups while Bedford Y vs SONDAY II and the Gauchos are in Thursday's games. It's 6:30 and 8:00 starts for each weeknight, no games next Saturday (an SAT day), six second round games next Sunday at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, 3:30 and 5:00.

9/30/02 John P Miciotta: 'While Sunday's games at IS can hardly be called artistic successes, all but one was a close game and each produced some outstanding individual performances.

The day's second game, which began as I arrived saw AJ Price lead Amityville to a win over and undermanned White Plains Tigers squad. While he received some help from Derrick Delony, it was Price's total package that the Tigers just could not defend. Better strength has allowed him to elevate better on his jump shot and finish plays in the lane. Those things, coupled with the combination of quickness and control that has always been the hallmark of his game, make him clearly the region's second best point guard for the class of '04 in this region. Only Sebastian Telfair is better.

The third game of the day was the best. It pitted two of the tournament's most athletic teams, Mt. Vernon and Playaz Club, and the team's fought tooth and nail with Mt. Vernon garnering a two point win. Mt. Vernon was lead by a trio of underclassmen who all have bright futures. Keith Benjamin is a 6'2" junior with great explosiveness, a great stroke, and great elevation on his jumper. His combination of quickness and size is good enough that he can both guard positions. That coupled with his offensive tools make him compare very favorably to former Mt. Vernon and current UCONN guard Ben Gordon. They also mean that he is almost certainly recruitable at the highest levels beginning next summer. Dexter Gray is a 6'6" forward with good post moves, long arms and a soft touch around the basket. Right now he's a solid mid major prospect who can move up if he improves his perimeter game. Freshman Jon Mitchell is a strong 6'4" base liner who scores in traffic and rebounds well. These three along with good overall depth will make Mt. Vernon formidable once again in High School hoops in New York. Despite a tough loss, the Playaz managed to unveil another terrific sophomore prospect to go along with juniors Brandon Costner and Taj Finger. And in fact, Shane Clarke may be the best of the group. At 6'7" he glides effortlessly up and down the court, attacks the rim and shows good facing up skills. If those skills and improved shooting become more constant parts of his game he will be a terrific get for a major college program.

Game four was the day's most one-sided affair with Riverside's "A" team cruising past Rock Steady. Wings Academy's Garfield Johns and Rice soph Marques Cox controlled the game from the back court and got help up front from Peedy Nelson for the win. Johns showed an improved outside shot to compliment his terrific slashing game. Cox, who last season provided a steady hand for the Raiders freshman runners up, demonstrated improved strength and quickness that will allow him to take better advantage of his great poise and feel for the game. For Rock Steady Kaimandre Owes of Cardinal Hayes had a terrific floor game and did some nice things in transition while Vernon Goodrich, a 6'9' center from Erasmus Hall HS in Brooklyn who is prepping at Milford Academy showed good potential. Offensively he needs lots of work, but he has good lateral movement, is quick off his feet, has good timing, and keeps blocked shots in play. If he can improve his his ability to catch the ball, refine his shooting, and learn how to use pivot feet properly he can be very good. Keep in mind however that's an awful lot of work for a player and coach to get done.

The day's final game saw SONDAY win by one over Bedford Y, in a game both teams seemingly tried to give away with missed free throws and foolish turnovers. For SONDAY good work by Justin Marshall and a late lift from Sean Banks, who duplicated Derrick Caracter's fourth quarter entrance from Saturday, keyed the win. Jerome Richardson, Benny Utley and Etienne Brown played well for Bedford Y.'

9/29/02 John P Miciotta: 'Saturday was a day that saw three upsets at the IS8 tip off classic. And the biggest one came early as Real Scout, playing without Sebastian Telfair used a terrific defensive effort and clutch scoring to beat the Playaz Club 74-72. Although Jimmy Salmon's team was without some key senior players, that fact should take nothing away from what Nate Blue's team accomplished. In the early going it appeared that the Playaz super wing men Jamar Nutter and JR Smith would take control of the game early. They built the lead to 11 twice in that first half and in doing so both Nutter and Smith showed their complete scoring arsenals. Nutter was deadly from 15' and in, and scored consistently in the post, while Smith finished beautifully in transition and took the ball strong to the rim with a quick and long first step. Also for the Playaz the absence of seniors Terrence Roberts and Daryl Watkins gave them the opportunity to showcase two young big men with bright futures. One is Brandon Costner, a 6'7" sophomore lefty from Seton Hall Prep. He displayed terrific hands, good timing and a knack for rebounding that reminded this old timer of his dad, former St. Joe's (PA) and Overbrook High star Tony Costner. The second big kid was 6'8" junior Taj Finger of Fairlawn (NJ) High in . He has some work to do in the weight room, but runs the floor well and has a great knack for shot blocking. If both these kids work hard there's will be names to know on the recruiting trail in the next couple of years.

For Real Scout, which battled back from at least two 11 point deficits, Curtis Stinson and James Barrett did most of the work. Stinson's game was typical of him, scoring in transition and with great hustle. Barrett, who has mainly been an inside player at 6'5" showed improvement running the floor and better finishing ability in transition. And it was only fitting that those two combined on a perfectly executed pick and roll that resulted in Barrett scoring the basket that gave Real Scout the lead for good. Nate Blue's team also got terrific performances from McClancy's Wes Matthews and former Rice guard Kenny Eusey. Matthews made two key second half baskets while providing a big assist to Barrett on the glass, while Eusey scored 9 quick points on three treys to open the second half and rally his team to a tie after they had battled for much of the first half. Without their star, Telfair, they played great together and got a tremendous win.

The game between the Queens Rim Rockers and Jersey Jaguars pitted a very young QRR group against the more experienced Jaguars. In the end the youth of the Rim Rockers won out because of a decided advantage in quickness and speed. McClancy's Keenan Dolivera and St. John's Prep's Anton Rollison repeatedly broke down the Jaguars defense for easy baskets in helping them to a big first half lead. Shayle Keating, Danny Falcon and the Jaguars used their superior size to cut the deficit to two but a great team effort on the boards by the Rim Rockers held the Jaguars at bay. Jamel Ferguson and Stephen Wood also deserve credit for their ability to keep balls alive with their quickness and get to rebounds with great second and third effort. They complemented Rollison and Holivera beautifully and helped the Rim Rockers garner a big 9 point win.

The day's final contest saw a bit of deja vu from last spring's tournament as Rebel upset Riverside's Future Stars. The game started out sloppily for both sides as the point guards for each team. Eugene Harvey for Rebel and Desean Gist for the Future Stars, struggled getting started. Riverside took the lead by as many as 7 points thanks to terrific inside work by forwards Allen Shepherd and Brian Johnson. Rebel used a late rally sparked by Bayside's 6'4" junior forward Ryan Leak to close to within one at the half, before building a nine point lead of their own, and then holding on for a 65-62 win. The efforts of Leak and Boys High's Quentin Merritt were key in offsetting the Church's height advantage inside. That included a sudden fourth quarter appearance from super frosh Derrick Caracter who arrived just before the final stanza began. The inside play of Leak and Merritt combined with the return to form of Harvey would not have been enough to give Rebel the win however were it not for the stellar play of St. Francis Prep guard Brian Geffen. Simply put, he made every key play down the stretch and gave his team exactly what it needed to win in the final moments; key shots, two wonderful assists, and flawless direction as they went to a spread offense to run out the clock. Despite their early struggles the Rebel team was typically tough and unselfish, and got themselves a well earned victory.'

9/29/02 Nathan Blue: 'Saturday Tim Thomas Playazs Club (NJ) did what they've been doing for the last couple of years in I.S.8..playing doubleheaders. In their 9:30 game they played against a young F.Y.A. Team. FYA lost but played hard throughout the game. In the 11am game. They played against Team Real Scout. The only big name players on the TTP (1-1) crew that I noticed was JR Smith (yp 3 nationally class of 2004) and Jamar Nutter (Seton Hall University commit). Team Real (3-1) Scout was a little too deep and just made the right plays as the game wore down as the won by 2 points. Team Real Scout had Kenny Eusey, Curtis Stinson, James Barrett, Rain Rickert, Otoja Abit, Andrew Wright, Jamal "Tank" Dart, Wesley Mathews aka Mr. Versatility, and Domonic Lewis.  Leading scorers James Barrett (TRS) had 28 pts and Curtis Stinson (TRS) added 19pts. Jamar Nutter (TTP) had 24pts and JR Smith (TTP) added 14pts.  

In the other games: Queens Rimrockers shocked the NJ Jaguars. Anton Rollerson, Keenan Doliveria, Jamel Ferguson and Nick Hamilton played a good defensive game. Due to the fact that Jamel "Horse" Lynch couldn't play Pete Caris picked up the offense to the tune of hitting about 5 or 6 threes.  This win put QRR in the playoffs.  

Rebel shocked the Future Stars: Eugene Harvey, Quenton Merrit and Brian Geffen made tuff shots when it counted. Plus throw in the fact that DC (Yeah you know who the big fella) came in late. Make that the 4th quarter and they were down  10pts. I'm not making excuses but ...if DC were there from the tap.....we all know who would have won that game. Okay DC is Dereck Caracter but that's the last time you'll hear that from me. '

9/29/02 Louis Xifaras: 'Queens RimRockers beat Jersey Jaguars 71-62 Saturday afternoon at I.S. 8. Leading scorers were Pete Caris with 16, including some clutch 3 pointers, Keenan Doliveira (junior-McClancy) with 13 and Jamel Ferguson (junior-St. John's Prep) with 11. A superb defensive effort by McClancy freshman Steven Woods (7 points) and strong rebounding by St. Francis Prep junior Ian Rogers (8 points) helped QRR maintain an early lead. Anton Rollison (senior-St. John's Prep) seems like he takes 2-3 charges every game he plays, scored 9 points. Other contributors were Vernon Teel (sophomore-Flushing), Nick Hamilton (junior-McClancy) with 7 points, and Adedoyin Otukoya (senior-Elmont). With our 3 big men Mohamed Lo (freshman-McClancy), Yannick Messam (senior-flushing), and Kuwam Are (senior- Telecommunications) not able to make the game, we were severely undersized, but pulled out the important victory. Our record is now 1-2 and our final game is Friday, October 4th, 2002 at 6:30pm vs Riverside Church A.'

9/26  All playoff weeknight games start at 6:30 and 8:00 PM. The eight division winners will each get a bye in the playoffs. The next 16 teams will play first round games Monday 10/7/02 through Thursday 10/10/02, two second round games on Friday, no games on Saturday (SAT tests that day) and six games on Sunday, starting times 9:30 and every hour and a half until 5:00 PM.  The quarterfinals are Thursday and Friday 10/17 and 10/18, the semis are at 11:00 and 12:30 PM Saturday the 19th and the championship game is the following Sunday at 11:00 AM.

9/22 Connecticut All Stars 78, Amityville 71. In Sunday's first game the All Stars became the first division winner with their victory. Torrie Thomas (game high 30) never slowed down as Danny Powell (19) and Mike Trimboli (12) each contributed. AJ Price scored 23 driving to the basket at will, but only Derek Delony with 12 was able to offer much help for Amityville.

9/21 Hoop Street Gang 87, Flyers 71. In Saturday's first game the Gang's Rah Chase (25) and Tom Oswald (15) helped down the Flyers despite the efforts of John Hauser (26), Dan Nawrocki (18) and Dan Dreyer (10).

Gauchos 66, Running Hustlers 54. The Gauchos stopped the Hustlers behind Marlon Smith (24), George Skeljia (18), Chris Bernard (9), Jr Mitchell (9) and Carl Gervaise even though Joseph Harvin and Shahee Martin each scored 17 for RH.

Future Stars 90, L I Gaels 75. Arturo Dubois had 28, Alan Shephard 26 and Brian Johnson chipped in with 13 offsetting four double digit scorers for the Gaels - freshman Tyson Johnson (21), J Hargar (15), B Clark (14) and Tim Wohl (11). Mamadou Diakhate did not play for the Gaels who couldn't compete without him.

Riverside Church 63, Jersey Jaguars 50. The Jaguars are primarily from Don Bosco Prep but they went against teammate Terrell Biggs (10) in this one. The other Church starters - Gary Ervin (13), Peedy Nelson (13), Willie Irick (12) and Courtney Johnson (9) shared the ball and the victory, while the Jaguars' Dan Gentile (9), Mike Wasilenko (9), Shayle Keating (9) and Danny Falcon (6) each came up a little short.

Huntington 70, Rebel 58. Huntington's Antonio Aguido scored 32 and was  helped by Mike Moseby (12) and Brandon Serrano (7). For Rebel Brian Geffin and Quentin Merritt had 19 and 15, but while Eugene Harvey was entered in the scorebook he did not play.

9/20 LPAC 66, SONDAY Express II 51. LPAC surprised SE II in Friday's first game led by their backcourt of Moses Gonzalez (19) and Ed Berrios (13). Francisco Armbode (14) and Danny Mena (7) added to the scoring, while Terrence Portis (16), Chris Martin (15, all in the first half) and Brian Beckford did most of SONDAY's scoring.

LI Panthers 95, Bedford Y 82. No Mustafa Shakur for the Panthers but the hotshot point guard from Philly was not needed, as Daon Merritt exploded for 34 points and got help from Cameron Taylor (18), Rashawn Clark (14), Lamont Hamilton (11) and Danny Green (6). Bedford Y got nice games from Benny Uteley (21), Jerome Richardson (16), Ricky Smith (12) and Eugene Lawrence (8).

9/19 Connecticut All Stars 94, Exodus 45. The All Stars had six players who each scored in double digits: Dave McClure (20), Torrie Thomas (18), Mike Trimboli (17), Graig Austrie (17), Ryan Shields (12) and Danny Powell (10). Gennaro Henderickson (19), Tyson Holley (13) scored for Exodus.

First Presbyterian 73, Queens Rimrockers 62. Jesse Harrison (18), Donnell Cummings (17) and Fred Munroe (17) were too much for QRR as only Jamel Ferguson (17) and Mohammed Lo (12) got to double digits.

9/22/02 Louis Xifaras: Queens RimRockers opened up the Fall 2002 I.S. 8 season with a loss to 1st Presbyterian Church. The very young QRR team was led in points by Jamel Ferguson (junior - St. John's Prep) with 24 points and Mohamed Lo (freshman - McClancy) with 20 points. Great defensive effort by Anton Rollison (senior - St. John's Prep) helped keep QRR in it until the end.

9/15 Holy Cross Knights 55, Queens Cobras 53 in overtime. Shaun Terry (13), Anthony Clarke (9) and Gary Hawking (7) outdueled Devine Jackson (9), Tony Martin (9) and Brian Spencer.

Connecticut All Stars 66, Tigers 64. The All Stars threesome of Rob Futia (24), Graig Austrie (16) and Torrie Thomas (15) just outlasted the Tiger trio of Quentin Martin (20), Hassan Washington (17) and Dale Cooper (12).

Bedford YMCA 87, Flyers 39. BY's Ricky Smith (22), Jerome Richardson (18) and Benny Uteley (17) had easy sledding against the Flyers' John Hauser (14), Brian Alas (12) and Tom Sologub (8).

9/16/02 In the first two games at IS8 Sunday morning the Holy Cross Knights took the Queens Cobras 55 - 53 in overtime and the LI Gaels, aka St Marys, rolled over the B'Ballers, aka JFK Knights, 61 - 43.  In the low scoring first game Shawn Terry (13), Mike Johnson (9), Anthony Clarke (9), Gary Hawkins (7) and Ramose Modeste (6) each contributed  as the Cobras' Henry Hennip (10), Tony Martin (9) and Brian Spencer (9) gave it a good effort. In the scecond game senior Mamadou Diahkate and freshman Tyson Johnson controlled the tempo for the easy Gaels' win.

9/15/02 Nathan Blue: 'Sebastian Telfiar plays for Team Real Scout in IS8. Brian Laing 6'4 WF led a double digit victory over a talented F.Y.A. Team. In which surprise guest Sebastian Telfair showed. Brian Laing a junior at St. Raymond's HS a top 25 nationally ranked player scored 25pts on a variety of dunks and pull-up jumpshots throughout the game. Jamal Dart (Lincoln), Rain Rickard (St. John's Prep), James Barrett (Lincoln), Wesley Mathews (McClancy), Phil Murphy (Middletown), Otoja Obit (Molloy), and Junior Patricio (Bryant) all had solid games.  F.Y.A had talented players Kojo Mensah (Loughlin) and Kirk Bunn (Loughlin). But the story was the surprise visit of Bassey to Team Real Scout. Telfair showed the reasons why he is the best in the country. Scoring 18pts 11asts, and 4 steals. His attitude on the court was very mature and I feel playing along side some of these players will help his game reach that next level for success. Our next game is on the 25th at 6:30 against Mount Vernon. We then play the next day at 8pm against For the Good of the neighborhood. Then we have Friday off and play Sat at 11am against Tim Thomas Playaz.'

9/9/02 The IS8 Nike Tip-off Classic, 2002 has eight divisions, 34 teams and a 68 game regular season played for five weeks from 9/7 thruough 10/7/02.  The playoffs begin the week of 10/7 with the eight division winners getting first round byes and the next best 16 teams competing in the first round.  Players can not turn 20 this year.

East 1. Panthers, 2. Bedford YMCA, 3. Flyers, 4. Hoop Street Gang.  South 5. Exodus, 6. JYO, 7. Conneticut Allstars, 8. Amityville, 9. Tigers. Midwest 10. Future Stars, 11. Long Island Gaels, 12. Abyssinian, 13. B'ballers.  Southeast 14. Gauchos, 15. Rebel, 16. Huntington Roadrunners, 17. Running Hustlers. West 18. SONDAY Express, 19. Rock Steady, 20. Renaissance Warriors, 21. Knights. North  22. Riverside Church, 23. Queens Rimrockers, 24. Jersey Jaguars, 25. 1st Presbetarian Church.  Mideast 26. SONDAY Express 2, 27. LPAC, 28. Queens Cobras, 29. Panthers (B).  Southwest 30. Players Club, 31. Mount Vernon, 32. Real Scout, 33. Flatbush Youth Association, 34. For the Good of the Neighborhood.  Weeknight games start at 6:30 and 8:00.  Weekend game starts are 9:30,  11:00,  12:30, 2:00 and 3:30.

Rosters  

East 1. Panthers: Panthers - coach Gary Charles, Charlie Villaneuva, Joel King, Victor Fletcher,  Cameron Tyler,  Rashaun Clark, Lamont Hamilton,  Danny Green,  Daon Merritt, Sammy Mejia

2. Bedford YMCA: Bennie Utley, Eugene Lawrence,  Andre King,  Kenny Hayes,  Jerel White,  Etienne Brown,  Jerome Richardson, Lavance Fields, Saquon Stone

3. Flyers:  Dan Nawrocki,  Brian Hurley, Steve Trecario,  Tom Solango,  Tom Paul,  Dan Dreyer,  Dan Montegeri,  Tom Hauser.

4. Hoop Street Gang: Coach Barry Knapp. Rah Chase, Phillip Fleurey, Zarrett Rogers, Tom Oswald, Joseph Mahan, Larry Milligan Jr. JR Inman, Rory Desir,  Abu Ravu, Tom Oswald,  Tim Munch,  Joe Lindsay.

South 5. Exodus:  Diego Aguiar,  Ain Collins,  Walt Murray,  Gordon Henderickson,  Keith McAllister, Tyson Holley,  Thomas Davis,  Melvin Clarida.

6. JYO: Coach Bill Medley, Nick Flagg, Fred Calhoun, Terry McKenzie, Sky Khaleel,  Chris Parker,  Jonathan Rosario,  Kevin Hannoway,  Marlon Grant,  John Miller,  Desmond Frazer,  Cory Simmons, Calvin Rhoden.

7. Conneticut Allstars:  Dave McClure,  Danny Powell,  Craig Austrie,  Rob Fetia,  Torrie Thomas,  Ronald Miles,  Mike Trumbali,  Ryan Shields.

8. Amityville: T Jones,  T Smith,  P J Smith,  

9. White Plains Tigers: Danny Smith,  Deaz Banks,  Quentin Martin,  Hassan Washington,  Dale Cooper,  Charles Alexander.

Midwest 10. Future Stars: Coaches John Rodriquez, Richard Burke. Roster: Derrick Caracter, Jimmy Walker, Desean Gist, Kimani Blaise,  Kevin Johnson,  Arturo Dubois,  John Kelly,  Louie McCroskey,  Brian Johnson,  Terrence Jackson,  Herbie Allen,  Allen Shephard.

11. Long Island Gaels: Gaels (aka St Marys) Coach Greg Barry. Mamadou Diakhate, Devon Jarvis, Bill Clarke, Nate Marner, Devon Brown, Aleek Pauline, LaJohn McFadden, Tyson Johnson,  John Ager.

12. Abyssinian:

13. B'ballers: - coach Johnnie Mathis, Bernard Onyencheyz, Darrell Pitman, Alan Delacruz, Will Anderson,  Albert Guervo,  Louis Herrera,  Omar Boothe,  Ramon Avilo,  Amuary Fernanda,  Brian Annakin.

Southeast 14. Gauchos: Shagari Alleyne, Russell Robinson, Ronald Ramon,  Taj Gibson,  John Palogiannis,  Raymond Wright,  Jabari Samuels, Jamel Webb, Marlon Smith.

15. Rebel: Coach Robert (Rebel) Boyd, Carlos Collazo, Quentin Merritt, Eugene Harvey, Kevin Grey, Ryan Leak, Anthony Dunbar, Brian Geffin.

16. Huntington Roadrunners:  Arthur Robinson,  Mike Moseby,  Terrence Moore,  Antoine Aguido, Steve Harney,  Eric Milkm,  Justin Foster,  Ryan Stapleton,  Kevin Gholson,  Mikel Vickers,  Kaheen Seawright.

17. Running Hustlers: David Rhymes, George Peters, Joseph Marvin, Gerald Shaw,  Jason Pauline,  Graig Dwyer,  Andre Cole,  Aaron Henderson,  Shahee Martin,  Devon ErbyBrandon Lowly. 

West 18. SONDAY Express: coach Artie Cox: Japhete McNeil, Mitchell Beauford, Justin Marshall. Sean Banks, Sundiatta Gaines, Tyrik Atkins,  John Oates, Dave Clark.

19. Rock Steady: Terrell McQueen, Andre Lewis, Kaimandre Owes, Darnell Hunt, Cory Echols, Nate McDonald, Terrell Leach, Tyshaun Spellman,  Kiwa Smith, Lloyd Clinton, Mohammed Animashaun, Aaron Henderson

20. Renaissance Warriors: Coach Darren Quinlan. Paris Jones, Deutsche Wilson,  Rashaun Aingle,  Edgar Acevedo,  Fabian Figueroa,  Henry Gabrerra,  Jamieson Garcia

21. Holy Cross Knights: Ramose Modesto, Bryan Gayle,  Andre Davis,  Gary Hawkins,  Mike Johnson,  Shaun Terry,  TJ Starks,  Nick Rollins

North 22. Riverside Church: coach Kenny Pretlow. Roster: Terrell Biggs, Gary Irvin, Peedy Nelson, Willie Irick, Garfield Johns, Marques Cox, Courtney Johnson

23. Queens Rimrockers: Coaches Dennis Avila, Louis Xifaras, Mohamed Lo (McClancy), Steven Woods (McClancy), Nick Hamilton (McClancy), Keenan Doliveira (McClancy), Anton Rollison (St. John's Prep), Jamel Ferguson (St. John's Prep), Pete Caris, Ian Rogers (St. Francis Prep), Vernon Teel (Flushing), Jamel Lynch (Bishop Loughlin), Yannick Messam (Flushing), Adedoyin Otukoya (Elmont), Kuwam Are (Telecommunications).

24. Jersey Jaguars: Coach Dave Wasilenko, Malik Powell (Dwight Morrow), Shayle Keating (Seton Hall Prep), Jevon Drakeford (Dwight Morrow), Ariel Rodriguez ( St. Joseph Regional), Danny Falcon (Don Bosco Prep), Mike Wasilienko (Don Bosco Prep), Dan Gentile (Bergen Catholic).

25. 1st Presbetarian Church: Larry Williams,  Jener Harrison,  Mike Dodd,  Darnell Cummings,  Fred Munroe,  Rick Singh,  Reggie Lain

Mideast 26. SONDAY Express 2: coach Artie Cox. Hakeem Gooding, Chris Martin, Terrence Portis, Will Harris, Brian Beckford, Adam Walker,  Drew Gladstone,  Jamel Bedford,  Jarred Frye, Dion Mozzelle

27. LPAC: Coach Ruben Taverez. Emilio Gomez, Moses Gonzalez, Ed Berrios, Jose Cabrerra, Eliziel Padilla, Michael Smith, Jamel Womack, Francisco Armboles, Danny Mena.

28. Queens Cobras: Coach Terry Brown. Brandon Rieves, Fred Monroe, Marvin Lawrence, Tony Martin,  Jason Barnes,  Brian Spencer,  Don Richardson,  Andre Laurie,  Sean Harry,  Pete Lowall

29. Panthers (B) coaches Billy Turnage and Shawn Simms.Dwayne Johnson, Victor Morris, Kevin Spann, John Forbes, Mel Peart, Brandon Lawley, Antonio Pena, Mike Davis, David Anderson, James St. Robert, Chris Lowery, Ryan Johnson

Southwest 30. Playaz Club: coach Jimmy Salmon,  Daryl Watkins,  Marques Webb,  Jamar Nutter,  JR Smith,  Art Bowers,  Terrance Roberts, Cedric Jackson, Courtney Nelson.

31. Mount Vernon: coach Bob Cimino. Jonathan Mitchell, Keith Benjamin, Dexter Gray, Chris Dozier,  Bryan Brown,  Stanley Robinson,  Mike Coburn,  Chris Bradley,  Durine Malcolm,  Chris Lowe,  John Smith, Ernie Brown 

32. Real Scout: Coach Nathan Blue, 6'6 Otoja Obit (Molloy), 6'3 Curtis Stinson (Winchendon Prep), Ken Eusey. 6'3 Rainer Rickert (St.John's Prep), 6'4 Brian Laing (St. Raymond's), 6'1 Mike Nardi (St. Patricks), 6'3 Wesley Mathews (McClancy), 6'2 Jamel "Tank" Dart (Lincoln), 6'4 Domonic Lewis (Bronx Regional), 6'5 James Barrett (Grady), Sebastian Telfair (Lincoln),  Kevin Huggins,  Salvador Patricio, Phil Murphy

33. Flatbush Youth Association: Coach Carlton Screen, Max Maynard, Sean Watson,  Jean Medina,  Roland Ampadu,  Kareem McQuick, Kojo Mensah, Kirk Bunn

34. For the Good of the Neighborhood:  Milan Prodonovic,  Daniel Gumb,  Teddy Peterson,  Mike Koch,  Chris Diasperra,  Jamie Arocino,  aaron Miesczyk,  Matt Callabro,  Joe Madkey