The View From Centercourt

Jamestown wins crucial rematch

The first 60 seconds couldn't have gone any better for the Spartans.  Junior sensation Sterling Taplin blocks the opening shot attempt of the game taken by Jamestown's Tommy Campion.  David Berkun streaks the other way and Taplin delivers a pass in stride for the assist. After a stop, BANG, Taplin bombs a '3', and it's 5-0 North.  Would this be another dominant showing from the Spartans?  Not if the Jamestown bigs had anything to say about it...and they had a lot to say.

 

The Red Raiders looked inside early, stayed with a good thing, and eventually pulled away from the Spartans, winning the highly anticipated rematch of ECIC I foes, 55-46.  If Jamestown wins the remainder of its league games, they would capture a third straight ECIC I title, lock up the top seed in Class AA, and avoid a potential semifinal game against top ranked Niagara Falls.

 

After the quick start from North, the Red Raiders scored eight straight in response,  taking the lead and forcing a momentum squelching timeout.  By the end of the first quarter, the teams were locked at 13.  Williamsville North sank three treys in the quarter (Taplin 2, Berkun), while Jamestown got 11 of its 13 points from the towering tandem of sophomore Branden Kellam and junior Quinn Lee Yaw.

 

Aman Washington drained a pair from downtown for the Spartans in the second quarter, to offset another six points from Kellam.  The teams were still llocked in a tie, 21-21, until Tommy Campion scored his first points of the evening, a 3-pointer with just two seconds left in the half, to give Jamestown a 24-21 advantage at intermission.  

 

After being held scoreless in the second quarter, Taplin scored the first four points of the third quarter to give the Spartans a one-point lead, 25-24.  It would be the last time Williamsville North held an edge on the scoreboard.

 

Jamestown used a 10-0 run to gain some separation from the Spartans.  Campion collected back-to-back buckets to spur the surge, followed by a transition basket from Zack Panebianco.  Then, Kellam and Lee Yaw put an exclamation point on the run.  First, Kellam zinged a halfcourt pass to Lee Yaw, who got up high and finished with authority.  On the next trip down the court, Lee Yaw flipped a slick pass inside to Kellam, who finished nicely.  Suddenly it was 34-25 Jamestown, the same nine-point advantage the Red Raiders would have at the final buzzer.  North was never able to get any closer than six points the rest of the way. 

 

With 2:33 remaining in the game, Taplin popped a 3-pointer, drew a foul, and converted a four-point play.  Shortly after, it was announced that the '3' had boosted Taplin into the record books.  He became the all-time leading scorer at  Williamsville North, in just his junior season, surpassing Darren Brown's mark of 1,318 points that has stood since 1986.

 

Kellam finished with a career-high 25 points and also grabbed eight boards.  Campion and Panebianco each added nine points, while Lee Yaw scored eight points to go with his 16 rebounds.  Jamestown held a distinct advantage on the glass in the game, outrebounding North, 38-20.

 

Taplin's team-high 20 points paced Williamsville North, while Berkun scored 11 points and Washington added nine points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

St. Joe's defeats Timon/St. Jude

Timon fans were silent for nearly the entire first quarter against St. Joe's on Monday night. Despite making a lot of noise for the rest of the game, they were also pretty quiet as they left for the evening.

 

Jaylen Morris scored a team-high 17 points and sank a 3-pointer with 1:13 remaining to break a tie game and the Marauders held on from there, defeating host Timon/St. Jude, 61-57, in the first MMA league meeting between the two ranked large schools this season.  With the victory, St. Joe's extended its win streak to six games against the Tigers.

 

The lead changed six different times in the opening quarter, but it wasn't until Layne Collins swished a '3' from the corner with 15 seconds left in the stanza to make it 12-8, that Timon's student section, known as The Militia, made any noise.  There was a Silent Night theme in effect, where no cheering takes place until the home team's tenth point is scored.  Once Collins' shot went in, The Militia went ballistic for several minutes and even sang a stirring rendition of Silent Night as they swayed arm-in-arm.

 

The instant energy from the crowd gave Timon a brief boost, as they extended to 16-11 lead early in the second quarter, its largest lead of the game.  However, St. Joe's managed to turn the tide over the final six minutes of the first half.  The Marauders outscored Timon, 21-8 during that span, led by eight points from Louie Oliveri and six points from Justin Hollins.  During the run, Oliveri went to the bank to get a 3-pointer to fall, and the smile on his face indicated that he hadn't warned the teller.  St. Joe's was up 32-24 at halftime.

 

Morris scored a pair of buckets in the first minute of the third quarter, helping the Marauders to an 11-point lead, 38-27.  The Tigers responded with a 12-2 run to pull within a point, ignited by a Donte Williams' trey and aided by five points from Bryant Fulton.   Morris scored the last basket of the third, as St. Joe's held a 42-39 lead, and then the first field goal of the fourth quarter.  Baskets from Oliveri and Mark Cerza pushed the St. Joe's advantage back to 48-39, with just over five minutes remaining.

 

Once again, a 12-2 run led by seven points from Fulton, bailed Timon out of a deficit.  The Tigers regained the lead for the first time since midway through the second quarter, when Manny Welch bombed one in from long distance, making it 51-50, with 3:08 left in the game.

 

They say good shooters keep on shooting, a theory Jordan Glover must scubscribe to.  After going 0-8 from the field in the game, Glover buried a '3' to take the lead right back for St. Joe's, just 16 seconds after they had lost it.  Timon sophomore Derick Simpson came back and evened the game at 53 apiece, but the Tigers would never regain the lead.

 

Morris had five assists and five rebounds along with his team-high in points, Oliveri scored 14 points, and Dylan Hall added eight points and eight boards for the Marauders.

 

Fulton finished with a game-high 19 points for Timon in the loss, while Williams and Simpson added 15 and 11 points respectively.

 

The rematch is Friday, February 8th at St. Joe's, with a 7 pm start time scheduled.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt

 

 

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 6

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA) - In desperate need of some competition.  The Wolverines are winning league games by an average of 46.2 points per game, with their closest league game being a 20-point win, and somehow that happened at Niagara Wheatfield.  Most of that was without three-year starting point guard JJ Wilkes.  Finally, 55 days after Falls last played in a competitive game, they travel to Rochester to face two of the top three Class AA programs in Section V, Webster Schroeder and Bishop Kearney, this weekend.

2. Canisius (MMA) - After a long break, the Crusaders are back in action with four games this week and finish with a bang.  After visiting Timon Friday night, they travel to Rochester on Saturday to face the top team in Section V, undefeated Fairport.

3. Williamsville North (AA) - If the Spartans can win out in ECIC I, they will be the champs and likely the top seed heading into Class AA sectionals.  However, the same can be said for...

4. Jamestown (AA) - the Red Raiders.  As luck would have it, these two meet up again Tuesday night in the game of the week.  Hopkins Road will be hoppin and the atmosphere at North will be incredible...I can't wait for this one!

5. St. Joe's (MMA) - After dropping three of four games, the Marauders pounded on Walsh.  Now a pair of road games are ahead, beginning with an important trip to Timon tonight, before visiting Nichols on Thursday.

6. McKinley (A1) - Found out first hand last week that Oracle Charter was a legitimate threat to subplant Middle College as the Class C1 champs.  Still, the Macks own a 17-point win over Timon and a 26-point win over Clarence, the next two teams below.

7. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - In a week of tough schedules, the Tigers may have the toughest one.  They host St. Joe's tonight and then go back-to-back with Canisius and Rochester East.  Sprinkle in a midweek matchup with Niagara Catholic to keep them from resting.  

8. Clarence (AA) - The Red Devils were so close with Jamestown until the fourth quarter got away from them.  With the Jamestown and North games now in the rearview mirror, the focus for Clarence now becomes redemption in sectionals.

9. Amherst (A2) - They've had their share of close league games this season, and won them all. The Tigers are now 12-1 heading into a key ECIC III contest with East Aurora on Tuesday.

10. North Tonawanda (AA) - That's right, the Jacks!  The losses for NT this season: Twice to Falls, Ken West, Amherst, and Oracle Charter.  Not a bad loss in the bunch.  Then on Friday, they score a stunning 21-point victory over Kenmore West, who has been a staple in the poll all season.  Sweet Home has had its eye on this spot all season, but they had a chance with Kenmore West earlier this year and lost by 16.  

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - The Huskies hope to be back in Olean by Monday after the 8:45 pm game on Saturday night at Rochester East.  Much like Niagara Falls, it will be the first competitive game (with Eckstrom playing) for Olean in 50 days!

2. Silver Creek (C2) - The Black Knights can effectively lock up another CCAA II title with a win at Portville this Tuesday night.

3. Oracle Charter (C1) - Hello!  The Phoenix is 14-1 and now boasts wins over McKinley and North Tonawanda.  There have been a couple very good charter schools the last two seasons in Tapestry (Class C finalist in 2011) and CSAT (B2 champ last year), but Oracle is the most complete charter school I've seen in WNY.

4. East (B2) - Did not play last week, following the win against East Aurora in the MLK Classic.  Wins this week against Bennett and South Park would keep the Panthers a game behind McKinley in the race for the Yale Cup.

5. Middle College (C1) - Host McKinley on Friday night in a must-win if they want to keep hope alive for the Yale Cup.

6. Nichols (MMA) - The Vikings picked up a great win over rival MMA small school St. Mary's on Friday.  Chris Miner took the lead in that game for a team with multiple players capable of stepping up.

7. Cleveland Hill (B2) - Unbeaten in ECIC IV and 12-1 overall, the Eagles have a pair of roadies this week.  They travel to Alden tomorrow, and then it's off to Lackawanna on Thursday....

8. Lackawanna (B1) - The Steelers are having a very good season, and they're hoping it gets even better on Thursday.  The Steelers only league loss was at Cleveland Hill, in a game they were in until the final quarter.

9. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers went cold late in the game at Nichols.  They'll look to get back into the win column tonight at Niagara Catholic.

10. Maple Grove (C2) - Had its nonleague game with Randolph postponed due to weather last week.  Only loss on the season came at Olean.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Top games of the week ending 2/3/13

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, January 28th

St. Joe's @ Timon/St. Jude - 7 pm

St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 29th

South Park @ McKinley - 6 pm

I-Prep @ Olmsted - 6 pm

Newfane @ CSAT - 6:30 pm

Jamestown @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

Clarence @ Frontier - 7:30 pm

East Aurora @ Amherst - 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Portville - 7:30 pm

Frewsburg @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

Sherman @ Brocton - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, January 31st

St. Joe's @ Nichols - 6:30 pm

Roy-Hart @ Akron - 6:30 pm

Cleveland Hill @ Lackawanna - 7 pm

Lake Shore @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, February 1st

East @ South Park - 6 pm

MST Seneca @ Burgard - 6 pm

Lafayette @ Olmsted - 6 pm

Canisius @ Timon/St. Jude - 7 pm

McKinley @ Middle College - 7 pm

Lockport @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm

Portville @ Frewsburg - 7:30 pm

Olean @ Rochester East - 8:45 pm

 

Saturday, Feb 2nd

RAP Invitational @ Rochester East 

Canisius vs. Fairport - 5:15 pm

Niagara Falls vs. Webster Schroeder - 7 pm

Timon/St. Jude vs. Rochester East - 8:45 pm

 

Sunday, February 3rd

Niagara Falls @ Bishop Kearney - 2:45 pm

 

Game of the Week - Jamestown @ Will North on Tuesday, January 29th

- In a week loaded with marquee matchups, particularly the three-day span of games in Rochester, there are none with greater Section VI postseason implications than the rematch between North and Jamestown.

In the first duel between the two ECIC I favorites, the Spartans went into a packed James F. McElrath Gymnasium and delivered a clear message that they felt the league was theirs for the taking.  Williamsville North controlled most of the game and for its efforts, got to celebrate a 14-point victory on the long ride home. Jamestown had been unbeaten entering that game and also saw a 23-game home winning streak snapped in the loss.

The past couple seasons have produced an exciting game when the teams met in Williamsville.  Two season's ago, the Spartans defeated Jamestown on their home court.  Last year, North looked like they were about to do it again.  Sterling Taplin sank a pair of free throws with just seconds remaining to put his up by a point, before Tommy Campion drove the length of the court and finished a wild layup to give the Red Raiders a one-point win.

Since the teams last met, each has lost to an out-of-town opponent, but neither has lost to a team locally.  Both will enter the contest with a record of 11-2, and despite the Spartans owning a convincing head-to-head victory less than four weeks ago, they trail Jamestown in the Buffalo News large school poll.  The Red Raiders are currently ranked third, while Williamsville North is two spots behind them at number five.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

The Phoenix has risen

Man did I hit the jackpot last night.  I was really looking forward to the MMA small school battle between ranked small schools, Nichols and St. Mary's at 7:30 pm.  I decided to check on any games starting early to try and squeeze in a double-header.  I found no Yale Cup games were scheduled, and just before making dinner plans, I noticed Oracle Charter was at McKinley at 5:30 pm.  Perfect I thought.  McKinley and Nichols are only a mile apart.  The only problem was the Macks were coming off a loss to Canisius and Oracle's toughest opponent was Clarence who routed them, the same Clarence team McKinley had unloaded on.  I didn't have super high expectations for the game, but decided to go anyway.  I tweeted that the game of the week was St. Mary's at Nichols, and made no mention of the game I was attending prior.  Turns out, my game of the week wasn't even the game of the night.

 

Oracle Charter went into Mack High on Friday night and scored the most staggering upset of the 2013 basketball season, defeating the defending Class A1 and Yale Cup champions, 80-75.  McKinley entered the game as the sixth-ranked large school in WNY, while The Phoenix, a Class C1 small school, has never been ranked in their four-year existence.  

 

It was obvious right from the opening tip that it was going to be a fun and competitive game, and as the minutes wore on, the action just kept getting better and better.  I dubbed it last night, without hesitation, the best game I've attended this season.  The Phoenix brought a ton of fans and filled their side of the bleachers next to the McKinley fans, who always represent their team well.  Both sides were rowdy and raucous all night.  The game had 12 ties, 25 lead changes, dunks, big shots, and big swats.

 

Late in the third quarter, the Macks' Lovell Smith threw down on a breakaway to tie the game at 46 apiece.  Oracle would score the final five points of the quarter and then the opening bucket of the fourth quarter to take the largest lead either team had in the game, 53-46.  The Macks quickly responded with a 19-7 run over the next three minutes, sparked by Smith, Reyjzon Jordan, Daequan Warren, and Marcus Morris.  With just 3:30 remaining in the game, McKinley was up 65-60.

 

My thinking at this point was that experience was about to win out. The Macks have been in this position repeatedly over the years, even just during this season.  They play in the Yale Cup and scheduled multiple ranked large schools for nonleaguers, including the top three MMA schools.  Oracle Charter on the other hand, had never been near a situation like this.  They entered the game 13-1 and the closest game all season was an eight-point win at City Honors.  Surely the battle-tested Macks were about to take over in the final minutes and the inexperience of The Phoenix would be their undoing.  My thinking was wrong.

 

Oracle Charter stared down its largest deficit of the evening and then conquered it.  Leon Johnson came off the bench to score four points just 15 ticks apart to pull his team within a point.  A McKinley bucket from Smith put the Macks back up by three, 67-64, and that's when the fireworks began.

 

Jamarr Cunningham pulled up from long-range and went glass from downtown on the left side to tie the game.  He then turned and held a pose for the crowd.  After a McKinley free throw, Eric Waters hit another '3' for The Phoenix to put them up, 70-68.  After two more charity tosses by the Macks, Cunningham did it again.  From the same spot, off the glass, another 3-pointer less than a minute after the prior one, and another pose for the crowd, which was coming unglued.  Oracle now led, 73-70.

 

After seeing its deficit increase to 75-70, McKinley got a basket from Morris, forced a turnover, and then got its own long range bust from Jordan to tie the game, 75-75, with 61 seconds remaining.  However, in the final minute, the Macks were unable to get a shot to fall, while Oracle Charter managed three free throws and a layup to secure its biggest win in program history.

 

Cunningham scored 11 of his 17 points in the final stanza for Oracle Charter.  Waters and Gerald Bibbs shared team-high honors with 18 points each, while Julius Allen finished with 13 points and did an excellent job running the point.

 

Morris had a game-high 24 points for McKinley, while Smith scored 18 points, Jordan netted 12 points, and Warren added 10 points in the loss.

 

Despite its 13-1 record, I've never cast a poll vote for Oracle Charter.  My reason was due to the competition they had faced.  I did watch them defeat North Tonawanda at the start of the season and thought they were a very good team.  At the time, I didn't realize just how well NT would continue to play all season (currently tied for second in the NFL).  Also, they had lost handily to Clarence, a team Fredonia took to overtime on the road.  My logic was that Fredonia deserved a vote before The Phoenix did.  Now, we can throw all that  logic out the window.  Oracle Charter doesn't just deserve a vote, they deserve a high vote.  The Phoenix is talented, balanced, athletic, well coached, and they even defend.  That's bad news for the rest of the teams in Class C.  Oracle Charter will most certainly be heard from in the sectionals this year, and they appear to be on a collision course for a C1 final date with Middle College at JCC on Friday, March 1st.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Random Smatterings IV

Time in

 

In Middle College's loss to East, the Kats' Keir Anderson was sporting a pair of argyle socks as part of his uniform.

 

During Newfane's loss to Akron, there was a point heading into a timeout situation when an Akron player got frustrated and yelled at a teammate for not coming to the ball.  Newfane's student section, The Blue Zone, then held up a sign for the Akron player that read "You Mad Bro?!?"

 

St. Joe's JV head coach and varsity assistant, Jack Herlan, gets more miles out of one piece of gum than any other coach in this area.

 

Some teams rarely discussed, but worth mentioning this season include North Tonawanda, Lafayette, and Burgard.  North Tonawanda's only losses in the NFL league have come to Niagara Falls and Kenmore West, both top ten large schools from Class AA.  The Jacks are a young team this season, but are quietly putting together a nice season.  Lafayette has just one league loss to date and Burgard has an overall record of 8-3.

 

East big man, Tyree Tyson, has already blocked 64 shots this season.  He probably rejected someone while I was typing this.

 

Speaking of East, the whole "slow start" thing really seems to serve them well.  Here's how they've started and then finished the season the past three seasons:

2012 - Began 0-4, finished season by playing for Class B1 title.

2011 - Began 2-2, finished season by winning overall Class A title.

2010 - Began 1-2, finished season by winning Class A2 title.

** In 2009, East began 3-0.  That was the Dallas Gary/Dominique Jackson season when they were upset by Cheektowaga in the Class A2 quarterfinals.  Good news for the Panthers - they started 0-2 this year.

 

In Barker's 52-40 loss to Roy-Hart, only three Raiders scored in the game (Haight 17, Luckman 13, & Sweeney 10).

 

Darnell Carson of CSAT eclipsed the 1,000 point total for his career in a win over Wilson.  It was just his 51st career game.  Jared Keppel of North Collins also surpassed the 1,000 point total for his career in a loss to Clymer.

 

Since McKinley hasn't been turning out Olympic champions for gymnastic rings, it might want to consider having those rings that hang in the gym raised.  Those rings block at least one 3-pointer a game from the corner in front of the visitors bench.

 

Hinsdale continues to appear in the Buffalo News Scoreboard, even though Section V annexed them last year.  The problem is, their scores never get reported, so we're teased with knowing Hinsdale battled the likes of Scio or Belfast, but never get the results.  Well Bobcat fans, I did some research and can report Hinsdale is 1-10 and set to host Canaseraga tonight. 

 

I don't remember a bigger regular season game in recent years between a pair of MMA Class B schools, than the one tonight between Nichols and St. Mary's.  It should be the biggest game played at Nichols since they defeated Canisius to end the 2010 regular season.  Looking forward to it.

 

If we were going to assemble a basketball Dream Team, using only head varsity coaches in WNY based on their playing ability, which 12 coaches would make the roster?

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Keep checking back

Unfortunately, circumstances will require me to take a brief hiatus from the WNY Hoops scene.  Nothing serious, but I figured those who visit this site regularly would quickly start to wonder what was up.  This is the reason there was nothing on this site today about a pair of excellent games I attended last night.  I will be unable to attend the MLK Classic tomorrow, which trust me, was a difficult realization for me.

 

Please keep checking back, and as soon as I'm able to, I'll return to covering WNY high school basketball.  Obviously, your comments are encouraged to keep the conversation going.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Akron win is Deja Vu for Panthers

As Newfane's lead over Akron began to evaporate on Tuesday night, I heard someone say, "this is like CSAT all over again".  He was referring to the Panther's home loss to CSAT just 11 days earlier, when Newfane built a 43-26 lead before halftime, only to have the Eagles come soaring back with a 33-7 run, and stun the defending league champs.  As it  turned out, he was right.

 

Akron used a 32-10 run spanning through three quarters, to erase an 11-point deficit, earn a nine-point lead, and then hang on for the win, defeating host Newfane, 53-50.  The win keeps Akron a game behind CSAT, who they host on Friday, for the N-O league lead.  For the Panthers, currently ranked 10th in the Buffalo News small school poll, it was their second league loss and second straight home loss.

 

The Panthers got out to a six-point advantage after one quarter, 15-9, aided by a steal & score from Reid Weber in the stanza'a final seconds.  Five minutes  into the second quarter, Newfane owned its largest lead of the game, 22-11.  That's when things began to slowly unravel for Newfane.  

 

Akron closed the first half on an 8-2 run, sparked by four points from Steve Poodry off the bench, making it 24-19 at the break.  Midway through the third, the Tigers rattled off 10 straight points, and grabbed a lead they would not let go of.  The score was 34-32 Akron heading into the fourth quarter.

 

The Tigers extended to their largest lead on the night with nine unanswered to start the final frame, 43-32.  With just 1:43 remaining and Akron leading 47-38, Newfane's Bryan Geise was assessed a technical for reacting to a player who fouled him.  Austin Mietz hit a free throw from the 'T', making it 48-38.

 

Geise did his best to atone for the technical, as he first converted a traditional three-point play with 1:10 remaining and then buried a 3-pointer just nine seconds later, cutting it to 48-44 in the final minute.  After the Tigers hit a pair from the free throw line, Newfane's Connor Sears hit a '3' to make it a three-point game.   It would all be too little, too late though. 

 

Trailing by four points with five ticks on the game clock, Sears went to the line for three charity tosses.  Hit sank the first two, then purposely missed the third.  Everything was beautifully executed, except securing the rebound.  That distinction went to Connor Ladd, of Akron.  Ladd was fouled and made one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds left. The Panthers got a desperation attempt from '3' off just inside of half court and the final horn sounded.  It was off the mark.

 

Mietz led Akron with a team-high 17 points, which included all nine Tiger points in the first quarter.  Poodry added 13 points in the win.

 

Sears scored a game-high 22 points in the loss, while Geise chipped in 13 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 4

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA) - Big week ahead for Falls - Lew-Port & North Tonawanda visit.

2. Canisius (MMA) - After pounding on St. Mary's, the Crusaders put away their rivals before a capacity crowd at the Koessler Center.  They face a pair of similar teams this week, traveling to Aquinas on Thursday and facing McKinley on Saturday in the MLK Classic.

3. Williamsville North (AA) - I was thinking about how well the Spartans played Falls in the Class AA semifinals last season. Then thought how impressively they handled things at Jamestown.   I think it's time everyone just accepted this team as a legitimate contender.

4. Jamestown (AA) - Since losing to North, the Red Raiders have posted a pair of 20-point wins in ECIC I.  They'll get a nice test this weekend at the rescheduled Irondequoit Tournament.

5. St. Joe's (MMA) - If you saw the game, you have to give St. Joe's credit for the way they battled after losing its two-year starting backcourt.  Let's just hope they're better soon.  The Marauders have some Section V business to attend to - they host Bishop Kearney Thursday night and travel to Aquinas on Saturday.

6. McKinley (A1) - The Macks are ready for a challenge this week after winning their last four games by an average of 37 points.  If they don't get it from Middle College on Thursday night, I'll bet Canisius gives them a game on Saturday.

7. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - Slid the Tigers up a spot this week.  They handled Nichols to start last week, and the team I had in front of them had a much tougher time against McKinley than they did.  Batavia visits this Wednesday night.

8. Clarence (AA) - I know they were disappointed with their showing at McKinley.  Looks like West Seneca West found that out too, as the Red Devils beat them, 92-36, just two nights later.

9. Kenmore West (AA) - The Blue Devils struggled to keep up at Niagara Falls, especially with Quinton Campbell missing a lot of minutes in foul trouble. 

10. Amherst (A2) - After cruising past Pioneer and Cheektowaga last week, the only thing the Tigers have to keep busy with this week is a visit from Springville.

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - Sam Eckstrom returned to the Huskies lineup, and Olean returns to the top of the poll.  

2. Silver Creek (C2)- The Black Knights finally got a close game this year, an 86-79 win at Randolph.  It was the first time Silver Creek won by less than 21 points this season, and it took nine 3-pointers and 39 points from the Cardinals' Bryce Morrison.

3. Nichols (MMA) - No shame in losing at Timon and the 11-point loss to Aquinas was no surprise (Aquinas beat East by 13).  The more telling result for me was the way they showed up and put Niagara Catholic away by 15.

4. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers picked up a convincing road win at ECIC II large school, Iroquois.  We still have another week to wait for round one versus Nichols.

5. East (B2) - For now, the Panthers stay behind St. Mary's because of 13-point loss against them at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase.  But they are on a roll, and the win at Middle College last week was a big one.  

6. Middle College (C1) - The Kats never trailed in the second half against East, but managed just two points over the game's final six minutes and lost at home in OT.  They will find out a lot about themselves this week, with games against Hutch-Tech, McKinley, and Sweet Home in a five-day span.

7. Cleveland Hill (B2) - The Eagles pullled away from Lackawanna in the fourth quarter, and then beat defending league co-champ, Tonawanda.

8. Lackawanna (B1) - They were even with Cleveland Hill through three quarters before bowing out.  The Steelers only other loss was at Batavia.

9. Maple Grove (C2) - I'm a little late in voting for the Red Dragons.  I had East Aurora here last week, and Maryvale ranked 10th.  But a look at Maple Grove's resume shows they're 8-1 with a 10-point win over East, a 20-point win over Randolph, and four wins by at least 40.  That lone loss - at Olean.

10. East Aurora (B1) - I moved them down a spot to make room for Maple Grove's poll ballot debut.  I promise to move them back up if they beat East on Saturday at the MLK Classic.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 1/20/13

Here's a list of what I think are the top games this week:

 

Monday, January 14th

Sherman @ Clymer - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 15th

MST Seneca @ Olmsted - 6 pm

Akron @ Newfane - 6:30 pm

Hutch-Tech @ Middle College - 7 pm

Sweet Home @ Williamsville South - 7 pm

Lake Shore @ Depew - 7:30 pm

Randolph @ Frewsburg - 7:30 pm

Cassadaga Valley @ Portville - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 16th

Oracle Charter @ City Honors - 6 pm

Batavia @ Timon/St. Jude - 7 pm

 

Thursday, January 17th

Middle College @ McKinley - 6 pm

Williamsville South @ Iroquois - 6:30 pm

Maryvale @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ Aquinas - 7:30 pm

Cheektowaga @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm

Maple Grove @ Westfield - 7:30 pm

Lancaster @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Bishop Kearney @ St. Joe's - 8 pm

 

Friday, January 18th

CSAT @ Akron - 6:30 pm

Randolph @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

Nichols @ Frontier - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, January 19th

Cheektowaga @ Hutch-Tech - 4 pm

 

MLK CLASSIC @ City Honors HS 

Session I

City Honors vs. Lackawanna - 11 am

East vs. East Aurora - 12:45 pm

 Session II

Middle College vs. Sweet Home - 4 pm

McKinley vs. Canisius - 5:45 pm

 

Sunday, January 20th

 Irondequoit Tournament

Jamestown vs. Edison Tech - 4:30 pm

Eastridge @ Irondequoit - 6:30 pm

 

Game of the Week - Canisius vs. McKinley on Saturday, January 19th

- Last season at the MLK Classic, these two squared off in the headliner and  Canisius won, 76-65.  The Crusaders went on to win the Manhattan Cup, while the Macks claimed another Class A1 crown.  Both teams brought back most of their key players from a year ago.

As of right now, Canisius is the second-ranked large school, while McKinley sits at number four.  The Macks own a pair of wins versus top ten schools in Timon and Clarence.  The only top ten large school Canisius has faced at this point is St. Joe's, who they defeated on Saturday.  The Macks lone loss this year came at the hands of the Marauders, when a shot went in at the buzzer.

 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Crusaders take the first battle vs. Joe's

The greatest rivalry in WNY high school basketball resumed yesterday, the first of at least two games between Canisius and St. Joe's to be played at the Canisius College Koessler Center this season.  Below are some game notes and thoughts from yesterday afternoon's 77-65 triumph for the Crusaders.

 

- I arrived early enough to see the entire JV contest.  The future is bright, as always, for both schools.  I feel like I see enough games to state what might already be obvious to many, but both of those JV teams would beat at least half of the 105 varsity teams that compete in WNY.

 

- Moving this rivalry to the Koessler Center was a good idea, considering the venue was sold out before the varsity contest had started.  Capacity there is nearly 2,200.  Buffalo State holds 3,500.  If we're really trying to accomodate the most fans as possible, maybe an even larger venue should be considered.  Either way, how great is it that a single high school basketball game draws so much local interest?

 

- Adam Weir eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in his three-year varsity career.  I was happy for him that he was able to accomplish that milestone against his rival, before a capacity crowd, and on the same court that he'll call home after high school.  He carries himself with class on the floor and acts like he's been there before in all the game's big moments.  His game has really evolved over the past three seasons.

 

- St. Joe's got off to a good start and led by five points twice in the opening quarter.  The score was 13-8 after eight minutes.

 

- The Marauders backcourt tandem of Jordan Glover and Jaylen Morris that has started and led the team the past two seasons, collided with each other with 3:19 remaining in the second quarter.  Neither player was able to return to action for the rest of the game.  It's a shame that two seniors had to miss out on finishing a game that is so highly anticipated and lose out on the experience.

 

- Obviously, losing the two players that handle the ball the most, at the same time, had a major effect on how the Marauders played the rest of the way.  But I think it would sell Canisius short to assume a different result without the collision.  The Crusaders were amidst a 12-3 run prior and had stolen the game's momentum, leading 20-17.  There was a long break in the action, which totally changes the pulse of the game, in and of itself. Who knows how the game would have continued on without the injuries.

 

- When the action resumed, Canisius closed out the half on a 7-2 run.

 

- Because of the injuries to Glover and Morris, the Marauders spent the rest of the game with forwards playing guard.  A lot fell on the shoulders of Louis Oliveri, a starter that past two seasons.  He responded by scoring 21 points, many of which he was forced to create on his own.

 

- Two players who really stepped up nicely for St. Joe's were Mark Cerza and Dylan Hall. Both played the best game I've ever seen from them. Cerza finished with 23 points and Hall added 11 points.

 

- Matt MacDonald has been much more involved with facilitating the offense this season, in addition to knocking down shots.  He's smart and patient in half court sets, and is great at delivering a pass to a cutting teammate.

 

- Weir led the Crusaders with 22 points and MacDonald scored 21 points.

 

-  The largest Crusader lead of the game came with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. Weir threaded a pass into the post for Jamel Mosley, who converted to give Canisius a 60-40 lead.

 

- Speaking of Mosley, he was a big factor in the paint, rejecting and altering shots all afternoon.

 

- St. Joe's was already extremely short-handed at the guard spot with Glover & Morris out, and then reserve guard Justin Hollins was forced to the bench in the third after picking up a technical foul. Then when he returned in the fourth quarter, Hollins was disqualified with 5:30 remaining after getting a second technical.  He got it for celebrating/taunting in the face of a Crusader after a steal & score, as St. Joe's was amidst a 6-0 run that occurred in less than 20 seconds, cutting the Canisius lead to 60-46.  Hollins could be such an impact player for the Marauders, especially yesterday, but he has to think of his team before thinking of himself and reacting.  Instead of yelling in the opponents face, knock down the & 1, and then get back and D-up.  There's an entire section filled with rowdy St. Joe's fans - let them do the yelling...just give them something to yell about.

 

- Finally, because it would have been a Canisius home game, they had the home announcer and I'm assuming they also ran the concession stand, because the pizza was from Mister Pizza.  I ate before I came, thinking the Koessler Center would be selling the same lousy pizza they always carry.  When I saw people floating around with Mister Pizza, I ate again.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

East finishes strong to beat Kats

East starts slow.  That's become something we hear and say every season.  They began the year 0-2, losing by 13 against St. Mary's and a 10-point loss to Maple Grove.  Since, they've gone 7-2, with the two loses coming to Aquinas and McKinley.   Last night, the Panthers trailed at halftime against Middle College and never led in the second half.  But they kept hanging around, and as the game inched closer to the end, I began to sense they would wind up winning. East started slow and then did its East thing.

 

The Panthers trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, but came back to tie the game, force overtime, and dominate the extra session, defeating Middle College 61-52. With the win, East remains just one game behind McKinley in the race for the Yale Cup.

 

The Kats opened the second half on a 11-3 run to extend to their largest lead, 36-25. East trimmed the Kats lead to six points before the quarter ended and with five minutes remaining in the game, Middle College was still in front by five.  A 9-3 run over the next three minutes by the Panthers tied the game at 50 apiece.  Over the final 2:24, neither team could muster up so much as a free throw, and it was on to OT.

 

Percy Bryant score the first bucket of overtime for East and after Johnathan Lewis got a circus shot to fall moments later, it became clear that the Kats had used up all nine lives already.  The Panthers outscored Middle College, 11-2 over the extra four minutes.

 

I won't try to sell you on it being the prettiest game, and the large court at ECC really seemed to magnify a lot of that.  But it was competitive and intense, and there were plenty of exciting moments.  Middle College got a serious slam from Bri'an Brown in a half court set for its only overtime points and Keir Anderson showed off his skills multiple times dribbling around defenders and finishing near the basket.  Anderson also swatted a shot, reminiscent of the type of blocks East's Tyree Tyson often provides, to fire up the crowd.   Bryant also displayed an "And 1" type  handle and a smooth touch from downtown.  The game's top highlight may have come on a play that was whistled as a foul, when Tyson appeared to cleanly reject an attempted dunk from Brown in the game's early going.

 

Lewis finished with 22 points and six steals, Bryant scored 21 points with five boards and four assists, and Shawn Johnson added 17 points for East.

 

The Kats got 18 points from Anderson, while Brown and Kevin Briggs each netted 12 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Random Smatterings III

At the Kenmore West/Niagara Falls game, a fan sitting front row who disagreed with a call by the refs stood up and offered the refs his iPad, saying "Here you go, I got the instant replay right here".  The NFHS Pep Band then chanted, "Instant Replay".

 

McKinley has an 18-game winning streak in the Yale Cup.

 

In Williamsville North's one-point home loss to Clarence, 70 of its 76 points were scored by underclassmen. 

 

Olmsted played its first nine games with nine different starting lineups. They won six of those games.

 

Jamestown had its 23-game home winning streak snapped in the 62-49 loss to North.

 

If Far West Regional reps were to bear out according to how the teams are ranked in the polls currently, we would have the following teams: AA - Falls, A - McKinley, B - Olean, C - Silver Creek.  Of those teams, only McKinley can rely on league play for real competition this season.

 

During Williamsville North's 62-49 win at Jamestown, there was a sign in the JHS student section that read "Taplin Who".  After the buzzer sounded, Taplin took the sign and proudly held it up for the North fans. He then took a picture with the girl from JHS who had held the sign during the game.  Taplin has since changed his Twitter handle to @TaplinWho.

 

Canisius senior Adam Weir is just four points shy of 1,000 for his career, a milestone he is sure to achieve in the big rivalry game against St. Joe's tomorrow at the Canisius College Koessler Center.

 

Jamestown managed just one team assist in its loss to the Spartans.

 

Newfane's first four wins of the season came against teams with new head coaches:  St. Mary's, Grand Island, Barker, & St. Francis.

 

Ben Drake won his 250th career game as the head coach of Jamestown, when the Red Raiders won at Lancaster on Monday.

 

Silver Creek is the lone remaining unbeaten team in WNY at 11-0.  The Black Knights won their first game by less than 21 points last night, defeating Randolph, 86-79.  The Cardinals were the only team besides OTC/MEC to beat Silver Creek last season.

 

In the Class AA semifinals in 2010, Clarence's Tyler Funk hit a dramatic 3-pointer from the left corner to force overtime against Orchard Park in a game they would go on to win.  It was the first 3-pointer of the year for Funk.  His brother Ryan who currently plays for the Red Devils, has been almost automatic from the same left corner beyond the arc in the three Clarence games I've seen this year.

 

Randolph's Bryce Morrison hit nine 3-pointers and scored 39 points in the Cardinals' loss to Silver Creek, the second highest output of the season by a WNY player.

 

Sam Eckstrom is back in Olean's lineup as of last night against Allegany-Limestone.  The junior came off the bench for 13 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Early speculation on my part is that Huskies' coach Jeff Anastasia is angling to get Eckstrom the Centercourt Sixth-Man of the Year Award at the Prep Talk/BCANY Awards banquet this April.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Waves of Macks drown Clarence

If you've ever played or coached against, or even just watched McKinley, you understand the analogy. Waves of Macks. They just keep coming at you. Relentlessly. It will take everything out of you just to keep your head above water, and with even the slightest break in concentration...whoosh, you're in over your head! Facing McKinley isn't a sink or swim endeavor, more like sink or survive.  

 

On Wednesday night, fourth ranked large school McKinley took advantage of an opportunity to make a splash in the WNY hoops scene and dunked eighth ranked Clarence, 88-62.  Lovell Smith dropped a game-high 26 points, 10 rebounds, & a pair of dunks on the Red Devils, while Reyjzon Jordan scored 21 points to go with eight assists and six steals in the Macks win.

 

In the early going, Clarence ran with the Macks.  The first quarter was thrilling, fast-paced, and equally back-and-forth.  The two teams literally went basket for basket with each other. Both teams led in the quarter.  Only once did McKinley extend to a four-point lead in the opening quarter, and back-to-back 3-pointers from Clarence's Ryan Funk quickly evened that out.  The teams were locked at 18 apiece after eight minutes, in one of the best quarters I've watched this year.

 

McKinley jumped out to a five-point lead in the first minute of the second quarter and held that advantage until about the midway point of the stanza, before surging ahead with 11 straight points to go up 40-24.  The Red Devils managed to get the last five points of the half, all on free throws, and trailed 40-29 at halftime.  As the teams headed to the locker rooms, there was a sense that Clarence was hanging on - that the dam could break at any moment.  It was about to.

 

Less than two minutes into the second half, McKinley had scored 10 unanswered points and had increased its lead to 50-29 . Clarence took a timeout and regained some of its composure, but overcoming a 20-point deficit against the Macks may be an insurmountable task.  It certainly wasn't in the cards for the Red Devils on this night.  If not for a pair of 3's late in the third quarter from Clarence's Bobby Florio, things may have really gotten out of hand.  Instead, the Red Devils continued to battle the rest of the way, and while they never got back into the game, Clarence never quit and had a respectable finish.

 

Florio and Funk led the Red Devils in scoring with 17 points each.  Marcus Morris scored 12 points for McKinley, one of 11 different Macks that got in the scoresheet on the evening.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt

NFHS looks dominant against Ken West

I was recently asked by someone who doesn't really follow the local hoops scene, about who the area'a top teams were.  I replied by telling him the usual suspects were all crowding the top five, with Williamsville North as a team improving its identity as locally elite.  He asked if I thought they'd beat Niagara Falls, and I said that in my opinion, the only team in Section VI that could beat Falls is Falls - that when they play to their potential, they are a cut above the rest.  Tuesday night at the Wolv-Arena, without even playing to its full potential, the separation between top ranked Falls and seventh ranked large school Kenmore West was very apparent.

 

Niagara Falls got a game-high 24 points and 14 rebounds from Canisius College bound senior forward Jermaine Crumpton, and cruised past Kenmore West, 82-56, improving to 5-0 in Niagara Frontier League play.  The Wolverines are currently ranked 5th in NYS Class AA, with Section V's Fairport as the only public school ranked ahead of Falls in the state at number three.

 

Playing without the services of three-year starting point guard JJ Wilkes, who continues to miss time with a sprained MCL, Niagara Falls relied heavily on Crumpton in the early going. He responded by scoring 14 of his points in the opening quarter, including hitting three of four attempts from beyond the arc, to give the Wolverines a 20-10 advantage after one quarter.

 

Crumpton added five more points in the second quarter, along with key blocks, steals, rebounds, and a full court outlet pass that assisted a Steffon Caffee bucket as the halftime buzzer sounded.  Falls was in front, 38-30, at the break.

 

The Wolverines broke the game wide open in the third quarter with an 18-4 run.  Fellow Falls' big man, Tikere Ralands, scored eight of his 14 points in the quarter, all coming in less than a two minute span on the game clock.

 

Ramir Burton scored 15 points and dished 10 assists for the Wolverines, while Vinzell Watkins added 14 points.  

 

Shay Cuadra had a team-high 21 points for Kenmore West.  Quinton Campbell struggled inside against the Wolverines pair of big men, Crumpton & Ralands, and also spent most of the game in foul trouble, finishing with just three field goals and eight points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt

 

Timon too much for Nichols

After getting off to a great early season start and collecting a record of 9-1, including the attention-grabbing win over Olean, the Vikings were ready to find out where they stood in the Monsignor Martin Association.  Having already survived the trip to Walsh, Nichols entered what is probably the toughest place to play in all of WNY, Timon/St. Jude.  The Vikings left with their first resounding loss of the season, and a reminder of just how difficult winning in the MMA was going to be, especially against the big dogs.

 

Timon bettered its record to 4-5 on the season and showed continued improvement, as they disposed of Nichols, 82-59, to open league play with a win.  The Tigers only losses to WNY teams this season have come against McKinley in the season opener, and at Jamestown.

 

After a competitive start to the game yielded a 15-11 score after one quarter, the Tigers dialed up some defensive pressure and broke the game open.  During a five minute stretch in the second quarter, the Tigers went on a 16-3 run to and held Nichols without a field goal, to push the score to 33-16.  Donte Williams and Manny Welch scored all of Timon's points during the run and combined for 20 of the Tiger's 22 points in the quarter.  Williams, who finished with a game-high 24 points, did not play in Timon's two-point loss at Jamestown two weeks earlier.

 

Nichols was never able to get any closer than within 12 points the rest of the game. When the Vikings made it 62-50 in the fourth quarter, Welch came right back with a 3-pointer that spurred a 20-8 run to close out the game and seal the win for the Tigers.

 

Welch finished with 21 points, while Damone Harris added 12 points in the win.

 

Sophomore Cam Lewis led Nichols with 23 points, while Liam Ryan scored 15 points in the loss.

 

Timon hossts Archbishop Walsh on Wednesday night, while Nichols is back in action tonight as they host Niagara Catholic.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

 

 

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 3

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA)  - Host Kenmore West tomorrow night and are still without the services of point guard JJ Wilkes.  That should make for a more competitive game, but the Wolverines have to win that game regardless.  From the small sampling I have at this point in the season, I think Falls is a touch ahead of Canisius.

2. Canisius (MMA) - Handily beat Bishop Kearney back in December, but it was a Kings team without its Division I big man and they played like a shell of the team that had visited Niagara Falls earlier in the month.  Canisius took care of business that night, but its opponent showed little fight.  I'm also not ready to just ignore the loss to Olean and assume the Huskies would beat Falls also.  Crusaders were 1-2 at Jesuit Tournament and didn't exactly put Pittsford Mendon away like they should have.  Rivalry week is here, but first, St. Mary's awaits.

3. Williamsville North (AA) - I didn't think I'd be voting them to this spot after watching them drop a close one at home to Clarence.  But then I watched them control the game at Jamestown in front of a massive Southern Tier crowd.  The Spartans are now 7-1, with double-digit road wins over the top competition in ECIC I and their only loss being by a point.

4. Jamestown (AA) - The Red Raiders were thoroughly outplayed by Williamsville North, but in their defense, they missed so many point blank putbacks and layups in that game that it literally gave new meaning to the term "can't buy a basket".  The rematch on Hopkins Rd on 1/31 will be a must see, and the place will be packed with every casual fan in WNY.

5. St. Joe's (MMA) - They ran Middle College, Aquinas, Cheektowaga, & I-Prep out of the gym, and then needed double overtime to put St. Mary's away. They host St. Francis on Thursday, before the Canisius game on Saturday.  The Marauders better not look past Frannies like they did at the end of the regular season last year.

6. McKinley (A1) - Hard to believe I have to vote the Macks outside of the top five, but that's what the season's results call for right now.  They passed their first major league road test with a win at East last week.  This Wednesday, McKinley hosts Clarence in a top 10 large school nonleaguer.

7. Clarence (AA) - Tough break for the Red Devils to go into Williamsville North, hand them its only loss of the season, and then watch them move up in the poll.  But I had to consider big losses to both Jamestown and North, along with needing OT at home against Fredonia.  Go get a win at McKinley and jump on the cc poll ballot escalator.

8. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - Things are starting to take form for Timon.  A solid showing in Jamestown had them nearly pulling out the tournament championship and upset over the hosts without Donte Williams. They host red hot Nichols tonight.  I'm keeping the Tigers behind Clarence because the win at North has to be rewarded somewhere, in this case it kept them ahead of Timon.

9. Kenmore West (AA) - Only loses to St. Joe's and Timon. Best win was against Sweet Home.  The Blue Devils have a huge opportunity tomorrow night, traveling to Niagara Falls to face a Wolverines team without their top guard in Wilkes.  Arguably the most important game of the season for Kenmore West.

10. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers have had some close calls with Depew, East Aurora, and Lake Shore, but they're still 8-1, unbeaten in ECIC III, and got a solid win at Williamsville South to claim the Jolly Boys tournament championship.

 

Small Schools

1. Nichols (MMA) - Only loss is to Sweet Home, whose only loss was to Kenmore West.  Key wins include Cleveland Hill, Maryvale, and now Olean. I realize the Huskies were without Sam Eckstrom, but since when did we consider that team a one-man show? Consider this: The Vikings took the long ride to St. Bonaventure, located in Olean, and didn't exactly win at the buzzer.  They earned a nine-point win and held the lead the entire second half.  Wil Bathurst was limited to just three second half points. Nichols took care of business and earned this bump, at least for this week. Timon, Niagara Catholic, and Aquinas are all on tap this week for these Vikings.

2. Olean (B1) - I have yet to hear that Sam Eckstrom is back in the Huskies lineup. Until I do, I have to operate under the premise of Nichols is better than Olean without him, that much I know for sure.  To the pollsters who keep Olean on top, I ask why even bother to play the game if Nichols had nothing to gain by facing that team without Eckstrom?  I won't assume anyone else could beat Olean under those same circumstances, even though I think the next two would as well.

3. Silver Creek (C2) -  I moved the Black Knights ahead of Middle College because I believe they are better than last year's team that lost at the buzzer to the Kats, and I don't think this year's Middle College is better than last year's OTC/MEC.

4. Middle College (C1) - The nonleague game against St. Joe's certainly got away from them.  Now that they play with the Yale Cup large schools, lots of good games ahead for the Kats. This week includes a trip to South Park and hosting East.

5. St. Mary's (MMA) - Winners of the Akron and Depew tournaments included wins against Hutch-Tech and Lancaster.  Also took St. Joe's to a pair of overtime sessions. 

6. East (B2) - I didn't even have the Panthers ranked when I cast my votes in December.  But since then, they have gotten Percy Bryant back and are a totally different team.  Recent wins against Bennett, South Park, and Franklin (Sec V), and a back-and-forth affair with McKinley.

7. Cleveland Hill (B2) - They won the Maryvale tournament and looked great in doing so.  This team is balanced and athletic.  Wednesday night is a big night for the ECIC IV race because...

8. Lackawanna (B1) - The Steelers travel to Cleveland Hill this Wednesday to battle the Eagles for first place in the division.  

9. East Aurora (B1) - The Blue Devils' last three wins were over Pioneer, CSAT, and Maryvale.  Lost to Amherst on a desparation buzzer-beater.

10. Maryvale (B1) - All four loses are to teams ahead of them on my ballot:  Amherst, Nichols, Cleveland Hill, and East Aurora.  Also own big wins over East Aurora and Lancaster, along with a hard fought victory against Akron.  For now, I'll take them ahead of a pair of Charter Schools - CSAT and Oracle.  

 

Previous 2013 Poll Ballots:  WEEK 1   WEEK 2

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 1/13/13

Here's a list of what I think are the top games this week:

 

Monday, January 7th

Nichols @ Timon/St. Jude - 7 pm

Portville @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

Sherman @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 8th

McKinley @ Hutch-Tech - 6 pm

Middle College @ South Park - 6 pm

Kenmore West @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm

Niagara Catholic @ Nichols - 6:30 pm

East Aurora @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm

Akron @ Roy-Hart - 6:30 pm

Newfane @ Medina - 6:30 pm

Cathedral Prep (PA) @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 9th

City Honors @ Olmsted - 6 pm

Lackawanna @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm

Clarence @ McKinley - 7 pm

 

Thursday, January 10th

East @ Hutch-Tech - 6 pm

Aquinas @ Nichols - 6 pm

Silver Creek @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, January 11th

East @ Middle College - 6 pm

MST Seneca @ I-Prep - 6 pm

Amherst @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm

Depew @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, January  12th

Canisius vs. St. Joe's @ Koessler Center (Canisius College) - 2 pm

 

Game of the Week - Canisius vs. St. Joe's on Saturday, January 12th

- The rivalry between these two has always been huge, but now it will seem even more enormous as the schools will play both regular season meetings at Canisius College's Koessler Center.  Fans who were once forced to stand in the cold hoping someone would leave during the game to open a space, while attempting to peer in through the windows, will now be almost guaranteed a seat for the game.

The two schools last faced each other at the Koessler Center in March 2011, when Canisius won the first of its back-to-back Manhattan Cups by rallying to defeat St. Joe's in dramatic fashion.  The Crusaders and Marauders have split their regular season meetings the past two seasons, where each school was 1-1 at home and on the road.  Both teams will enter the contest ranked in the top five of the Buffalo News large school poll.

 

-centercourt 

@centercourt42

North gains statement win in Jamestown

Coming off a closely contested home loss to ECIC I foe Clarence, the Spartans faced the unenviable task of a road trip to Jamestown - never an easy place to play and never an easy team to face.  But rather than drop a second straight contest and fall behind in the league race, Williamsville North quickly took control of the Red Raiders...and they made it look easy.

 

Williamsville North handed Jamestown its first loss of the season with a convincing 63-49 victory in front of a packed James F. McElrath Gymnasium.  Sterling Taplin scored a game-high 21 points, and along with his Spartan teammates, kept the large crowd so quiet that a handful of North fans could be heard over everyone throughout.

 

The Spartans trailed 6-4 midway through the opening quarter, when Aman Washington sank one from downtown to put North in front.  The basket was part of a 14-0 first quarter run that had his team owning a double-digit lead less than seven minutes into the game.  Jamestown briefly took the advantage back in the second quarter, and held a lead for 17 seconds, before the Spartans closed the half with 3-pointers from David Berkun and Ryan Majewski, along with a bucket from freshman Maceo Jack.

 

In the third quarter, the Spartans had extended its lead on a basket from Taplin to 44-32 with 2:04 left.  Jamestown reponded with an 8-0 run that extended into the early moments of the fourth, and trailed by just four points with seven minutes remaining. But those final minutes, like most of the game, belonged to the Spartans.  Taplin keyed a 17-4 stretch by scoring seven points, that included his now signature up-and-under move and a '3', and also had a slick assist as he threaded a pass inside to Jack.  With over two minutes remaining in the game, the unbeaten Red Raiders trailed by 17 points, Spartan fans were on their feet, and Jamestown's faithful fans were filing out the doors.

 

North sophomore George Attea scored 12 points and  and grabbed seven rebounds.  Jack and Berkun each added nine points. The team effort also included seven points and 11 rebounds from Washington.

 

Tommy Campion led Jamestown with 16 points, Zack Panebianco scored 14 points, and Brandon Kellam netted nine points to go with his 12 boards.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Carson goes off in CSAT comeback

Everything was going so well for Newfane.  They closed the first quarter on a 17-2 run and led, 22-11, after eight minutes.  They increased that lead to 43-26 at halftime.  CSAT standout Darnell Carson was frustrated from being suffocated by Panther defenders.  Newfane standout Connor Sears already had 18 points at the break.  The Panthers even opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run.  And then it all changed.

 

CSAT used a 33-7 run between the third and fourth quarters to erase a 22-point deficit and stun the host Panthers, 75-71, in Niagara-Orleans league action.  The Eagles are 2-0 in league after knocking off the defending champs and number five ranked small school.

 

Carson scored a game-high 35 points and carried his team in the comeback, including a particularly incredible stretch.  Over a 3:44 span, Carson scored 17 of his 25 second half points.  The Eagles switched to a zone in the second half, and it really gave Newfane fits.  Carson thrived defensively at the top of the zone, which created offensive opportunities in transition.  Once he started feeling confident, the 3's were falling, the free throws were going down, and the rest of his team began to feed off the energy.  CSAT played the second half with an even greater sense of urgency than the intensity displayed by the Panthers in the first half, while creating such a deficit for the Eagles.

 

With 5:oo left in the third quarter, the score was Newfane 50, CSAT 28

With 5:13 left in the fourth quarter, the score was CSAT 61, Newfane 57

 

At that point, Newfane gained some inspiration during a timeout, and came back with a pair of 3-pointers just 25 seconds apart, to regain the lead.  It brought the team and the crowd back to life and spurred a frenzied finish that saw six lead changes and three ties.  But Carson would not allow the Eagles to lose in this one, and he scored what would be the game-winning basket with 21 seconds left in the game.

 

Alex Santos scored 12 points in the win for CSAT.  

 

Sears led Newfane with 25 points, including three 3-pointers, while Alex Intihar added 12 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Clarence settles score with Spartans

Less than a month ago, Clarence hosted Williamsville North, and the Spartans left with a resounding 67-44 win in its ECIC I opener.  Four days later, the Red Devils suffered a 17-point loss at Jamestown.  However, since beginning 0-2 in ECIC I, Clarence has won four straight, evened its league record to 2-2, and got even with the Spartans in Williamsville before a packed gymnasium.

 

Ryan Funk sank one of his four 3-pointers from the corner with 53 seconds remaining in the game to break a 74-74 tie and Tanner Schmidt insured a Red Devils' victory with a blocked shot, as Clarence won a thriller over Williamsville North, 77-76.

 

An exciting and closely contested fourth quarter saw 13 lead changes and three ties over the final 5:41.   After a basket from Sterling Taplin put the Spartans up 71-69 with 3:03 to go, Bryan Jost answered from long distance to make it 72-71 Clarence.  North freshman Maceo Jack then converted a traditional three-point play, putting his team back in front, 74-72.

 

Schmidt scored three tough buckets in the paint for Clarence in the final stanza, with the last one coming with 1:48 on the clock, knotting the score at 74 each.  Nearly a minute later, Funk burried the game-winner from corner.  Spartans sophomore George Attea connected on a pair of free throws to trim the lead to 77-76 and Williamsville North did gain possesion in the final moments with a chance to score the go-ahead basket. However, as Taplin moved in towards the basket from the left side with under 10 seconds on the clock and released a floater, Schmidt was there to reject the shot and the ball was secured by Clarence.  The Spartans had one last chance woth o.9 seconds on the clock, but were unable to get a clean full-court inbound for a desperation shot.

 

Clarence finished with five players in double figures, led by Bobby Florio's 20 points.  Jost scored 18, Funk netted 17, and Schmidt & Emaure Williams finished with 10 points each.

 

Taplin had a game-high 27 points in the loss, Jack added 22 points, and Attea scored 10 for the Spartans.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Morris leads Macks past East

Less than a month ago, East lost by 10 points to Maple Grove to open its season 0-2 (they began the season without the services of point guard Percy Bryant).  On the same night, McKinley demolished Dunkirk, 105-22.  Just a week ago, Maple Grove faced Dunkirk, and beat them 53-50.  So on paper, East was in a world of trouble against the Macks.

 

By the end of the first quarter, it was obvious that the whole "East always gets better later in the season" thing was officially on.  The Panthers spent the opening stanza trading buckets & steals with the Macks and trailed the number six ranked large school, 19-18 after one.  McKinley increased its lead to 37-34 at the half after falling behind by three earlier in the second quarter.

 

In the third quarter, East saw its deficit increase to seven points.  The Panthers then went on a 15-5 run to take a 50-47 lead with 1:37 remaining in the third, with Sean Young scored eight of his XX points during the spurt.  After a couple free throws from the Macks made it a 50-49 game, a storm moved in and it began raining 3's in the final 56 seconds of the third quarter.  McKinley's Marcus Morris bombed in three treys, including a four-point play, in the final minute, and East's Tyree Tyson also saw a '3' fall in transition.  When the skies cleared up and the quarter buzzer sounded, McKinley was up 59-53 heading into the fourth.

 

Just eight seconds into the final quarter, East guard Johnathan Lewis was whistled for his fifth and disqualifying foul.  Morris went to the line and extended the Macks lead to eight, and the closest East would get the rest of the way was the three-point margin they closed it to with a '3' at the final horn.

 

Morris posted a monster stat line, finishing with 32 points (including eight 3-pointers), 15 rebounds, and eight assists.  Lovell Smith added 18 points, 10 boards, and six assists for the Macks in the win.

 

Percy Bryant led all East scorers with 26 points. Tyson rejected so many shots that a referee actually came over to me and asked how many he had as the teams headed to the fourth quarter.  He finished with 15 blocks.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

Who should be #1?

On Sunday night, I'll send an email to Keith McShea at the Buffalo News ranking the top ten large and small schools in WNY.  I'm just one of ten pollsters who's ballot will get tallied to form the polls for boy's basketball.  It's a routine you get into throughout the season, except for the holiday break at the end of December, when the polls take a hiatus for a couple weeks.  During this time, I follow the holiday tournaments, key nonleague games, and early league games, then refer back to my previous ballot and make necessary adjustments based on the results during the poll's holiday hiatus.

 

Since casting my last ballot for the Buffalo News poll published on December 18th, there have been some significant results that could potentially shift the results of the most important area of both polls, the top.  In its season opener, Niagara Falls had knocked off Bishop Kearney, 52-47 in overtime, a win that helped the Wolverines secure the top spot in the poll.  NFHS received six first place votes, while the Canisius had four votes.  Four days later, the Crusaders dropped their opener to Olean, and Falls became a unanimous number one the following Tuesday, receiving all 10 first place votes.  Then on Tuesday, December 18th, Canisius defeated Bishop Kearney, 69-50,  in a highly anticipated game between two of the top schools in the far west region of New York. 

 

One major difference between the Kings team that Falls faced from the one Canisius saw was the absence of Syracuse bound Chinonso Obokoh. The 6-10 forward manned the paint at the Wolv-Arena, but didn't even make the trip to Canisius due to a foot injury.

 

Then over the break, an even bigger result made its way to Twitter and then to the Buffalo News Scoreboard page...Nichols defeated Olean, 66-57.  The same Huskies team that beat Canisius lost to the number seven small school?  

 

Well, not exactly the same team that beat Canisius.

 

We quickly learned that Sam Eckstrom, the 6-7 junior who's name is routinely thrown around as a Division I prospect, was out of the lineup for Olean.  Eckstrom was still recovering from a shoulder injury originally suffered in the win over Canisius, and then later reaggrevated in a subsequent game.   

 

A situation aimilar to this one occured back in 2010, when unanimous number one and then large school, Nichols, lost a pair of games to Timon and Canisius after losing guard Ron Canestro to injury.  That prompted Keith McShea to move Nichols to #3 on the "How The News voted" post that followed, and he offered this explanation for moving them down two spots:

"3. Nichols [10-4] [last week: 1] - Just to make sure everyone realizes this -- with Canestro, Nichols wins at Timon (and Canisius, after my ballot was filled out) and is still No. 1 by a full-court shot. Period. But the reality is that they are without Canestro, and despite Regan being an absolute force lately, they are a different team right now."

 

Canestro later returned to the Vikings and helped lead the team to the Class A Federation Championship after a resounding victory over Dajuan Coleman-led Jamesville-DeWitt in the final.

 

So now my question for all of you is what to do with this information.  Do we assume the games would have gone much differently if the big men with D-I talents played?  Do we rank the teams based strictly on the end results?  Do we create a double-standard, and say Canisius would have won regardless, but not Nichols? Or vice-versa?  Would it be fair to Nichols to rank them behind Olean after they just made a road trip to Cattaraugus County and beat the Huskies at St. Bonaventure?  Did the Nichols win make its game against Canisius on February 5th any more intriguing?

 

Who should be #1 and why?  I would love to hear from some of you as to the rationale behind how you would be voting. Or if you are a pollster, you could tell us how you will be voting.

 

I know how I'll be voting in each poll and when 2013 Poll Ballots - Week 3 is published on Monday morning, you can read the logic I applied to make my decision.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42