Author Archives: delgrecowilson

St. Joseph’s Defeats a Resilient Lafayette In Home Opener

November 15, 2022 By in Uncategorized Leave a comment
St. Joseph’s Defeats a Resilient Lafayette In Home Opener

I went to the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena at 54th and City Avenue to watch a St. Joseph’s home game for what seems like the 1,023rd time. Over the past 40 years, I have made my way inside the cozy confines of this facility to watch the Hawks take on any and all comers at least twice as many times as I have visited any other arena. For years, Hagan, previously known as Alumni Fieldhouse, was my favorite basketball place.

The faces have changed… Bryan Warrick, Tony Costner, Bob Lojewski, Geoff Arnold, Bruiser Flint, Mo Martin, Rodney Blake, Rap Curry, Bernard Blunt, Mark Bass, Terrell Myers, Rashid Bey, Yah Davis, Naim Crenshaw, Marvin O’Connor, Delonte West, Tyrone Barley, Pat Carroll, Tasheed Carr, Tay Jones, Langston Galloway and Charlie Brown ain’t dere no mo…

It’s a different experience.

Billy Lange, Head Coach, St. Joseph’s University

I arrived about an hour before the jump ball and I parked about 100 feet from the entrance. For decades, I had to park 2 or 3 blocks from the arena. The crowd, in comparison to the Hagan I have grown accustomed to, was sparse. The student section was noticeably thin. Lines at the concession counter were nonexistent. The band was down more than a few pieces…

The JUICE just wasn’t there.

Now… don’t get me wrong, there were some fantastic players in the building. John Linehan is one of greatest on ball defenders in the history of college basketball. He still holds holds the 4 year NCAA career steals record. One of the 5 year Covid guys surpassed his total, but did so with an asterisk in about 30 more games. Mike Jordan is a 3 time 1st team All-Ivy Leaguer and a member of the Big 5 Hall of fame. Tasheed Carr was a very good point guard for some solid Hawk teams. Lynn Greer I is a certified CIAA legend and Lynn Greer II ranks with Rogers, Lear and Macon among the greatest Temple Owls of all-time.

Unfortunately, Linehan and Jordan are coaching these days, while Carr, LG1 and LG2 are relegated to spectator status.

The guys on the court, for both squads, played hard and truly competed ’til the final buzzer sounded. In the end, just like so many other times over the past century, the HAWK REFUSED to die.

But it just wasn’t the same… I know it… You know it… We all know it…

The question becomes: Is the Hawk program headed back to prominence? Does Billy Lange have them on the right track?

Since, then President, Mark Reed and first year Athletic Director, Jill Bodensteiner stunned the Philadelphia basketball community and decided to move on from, long time head coach, Phil Martelli, the Hawks are 23-61 (.274) overall and 10-38 (.208) in the A10.

The road, post-Martelli, has been rough, to say the least.

Looking back, it’s fair to say Martelli’s dismissal was handled in a rather clumsy manner. As a result, a close knit Hawk community was fractured. On a positive note, it appears that some of the wounds are beginning to heal. Martelli’s successor, Billy Lange inherited a decimated lineup. The bungled transition left SJU with a hastily assembled roster with just a couple of proven A10 caliber players, Ryan Daly and Taylor Funk.

The resulting 6-26 record that first year was to be expected. In one fell swoop, an Uber came to 54th and City Ave and picked up Fresh Kimble (transfer to Louisville), Charlie Brown Jr. (NBA) and Jared Bynum (transfer to Providence).

A Lyft on it’s way to City Avenue containing Bones Hyland (committed to VCU), Hakim Hart (committed to Maryland) screeched to a halt and made a quick u-turn. The driver turned off his cell phone and unplugged his GPS.

Two NBA players and 3 high major starters… Gone… In the blink of an eye…

6-26

Figuratively speaking, Reed and Bodensteiner gave Lange a new house, but before he could move in vandals ripped out all of the copper pipes… They also stole the furnace, water heater, stove, dishwasher and the refrigerator…

Nonetheless… Immediately after closing, Lange moved in… It was the worst time of year to be in the market for new appliances, all that fly high end Viking and Wolf shit was on back order. Lange had no choice but to run out and grab some leftover Maytag and Frigidaire stuff to get by…

St. Joseph’s muddled through their worst season since 1974–75.

Mike Jordan, Lafayette Head Coach (r) and Delgreco Wilson, Black Cager Sports Media (l)

Given ample time to plan and execute a recruiting strategy, Lange was able identify and land an absolute steal. He brought an NBA level talent, Jordan Hall, from Neumann-Goretti to 54th and City Ave. Hall teamed with Martelli holdovers, Daly and Funk, to give St. Joseph’s a fighting chance on most nights. Despite the unexpected disappearance of opening day starting point guard, Greg Foster, after just a handful of games, the Hawks finished the 5-15, 3-9 in a truncated A10 season.

The Hawk was not dead… But, he took more than few standing 8 counts under Lange those first two seasons.

Year 3, Lange was able to get another steal when he convinced Erik Reynolds to come up I-95 and join the Hawks. But, perhaps, his most impressive accomplishment in this area was re-recruiting Jordan Hall after he had announced his transfer to Texas A&M. The Hawks were able to get squeeze out 11 wins in Lange’s 3rd season.

The team showed signs of improving. One step forward…

Then another Lyft showed up and carried Rahmir Moore to Wagner in the middle of the season. Another Uber SUV arrived at the end of the season and this time Dahmir Bishop (transfer to FGCU), Jake Forrest (transfer to Bucknell), Taylor Funk (transfer to Utah State) and Jadrian Tracey (transfer to Florida SouthWestern State) hopped in and sped away from Wynnefield. Hall took his considerable talents to the San Antonio Spurs.

Two steps backward?

John Linehan, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph’s University

That brings us to the home opener in year 4. The Hawks opened the season against the Houston Cougars. Ranked #3 in the nation at the time, Kelvin Sampson’s team is big, athletic, strong, fast, mean and fiercely competitive. Lange’s boys weren’t ready for that smoke… Houston jumped out early and led wire to wire as they spanked the Hawks.

Basically, Sampson told Lange, “Go get me a switch… and, it betta not be a lil’ one.”

No shame there, Houston has since ascended to #1 in some polls for a reason. They are serious Final Four contenders.

The Hawks, while showing signs of improvement, are not National Championship contenders just yet. St. Joseph’s faithful are hoping to make it to middle of the A10 pack. As noted earlier, the question becomes: Are the Hawks on the road back to prominence? St. Joe’s could normally be counted on to make an NCAA tournament appearance every 3 or 4 years. Will Lange go dancing in the foreseeable future?

Mike Jordan’s Lafayette squad provided a more realistic opportunity to gauge this year’s version of the Hawks than Sampson’s Cougars.

Coming into the game, the Leopards were 0-2 with tough road losses to Miami (ACC) and St. John’s (Big East). After facing such stiff Power 5 competition to open the season, Jordan was looking to grab a win in his hometown against the Hawks. For the first 10 minutes, it was a back and forth affair with 6 lead changes. With 9:48 remaining in the first half, St. Joseph’s took an 18-17 lead that they would never relinquish.

First impression, Jordan has the Leopards running some really good shit!

The ball really moves… pass, pass, pass, pass, drive, kick open look. Time after time, Lafayette was able to get very clean looks at 3 point shots. Their sophomore point guard CJ Fulton played an outstanding floor game. He was able control the pace throughout much the contest. Fulton moved the ball ahead in transition with regularity, broke down Hawk defenders off the dribble to find shooters and bigs underneath, and hit the weak side shooters in the hands consistently. He plays with excellent pace and timing out of ball screens. Fulton also and got all the way to the rim in the half court a couple times and converted uncontested layups. He finished with 15 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 5 steals. Fulton is really tough and will be problem for Patriot League opponents for sure.

Ultimately, however, it came down to the Jimmys and Joes…

Cam Brown and Eric Reynolds, St. Joseph’s

The Hawks were able to pull out the victory because they have two bonafide A10 players. Cam Brown entered this, his senior, season with over 700 points and 300 rebounds under his belt. He is a big, strong experienced wing with a smooth shooting stroke. Against Lafayette, he added 20 points and 12 rebounds to those totals. Reynolds started 29 games last season as a freshman and actually led the team in scoring in A10 play at 14.4 ppg. Last night he dropped 21 points while shooting 7-13 overall and 5-10 from behind the 3 point line. Reynolds also dropped 4 dimes and had 2 steals.

Brown and Reynolds were very good… They looked like good A10 players… Lynn Greer III, playing in just his 12th college basketball game struggled from the field (0-8, 0-3 3FG) but he had 5 assists and knocked down 2 clutch free throws with 11 seconds left in the game to extend a 2 point lead to 4. He also spoon-fed Ejike Obinna with a couple of soft perfectly placed alley-oop passes for dunks. Sophomore forward, Kacper Klaczek playing in just his 13th college game contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a blocked shot in 35 minutes. He looked much more comfortable shooting and handling the ball from the perimeter than he did in limited action last season.

This year’s prized rookie, Christian Winborne, had 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and, most importantly, 4 steals. His last pilfer came with 1:20 left in the game and SJU leading 59-54. His effort was greeted with boundless enthusiasm by, Linehan, the best ever in that category. Winborne is an explosive high major athlete learning his way around college basketball. Playing with Reynolds and Greer will allow him to share playmaking responsibilities as he gains an understanding of how to contribute to wins on Hawk Hill. Another good get for Lange.

One of the most promising and intriguing young players in the Big 5 and the A10 is St. Joseph’s rookie PF Rasheer Fleming. With his sprained ankle in a boot, Fleming was unavailable against Lafayette. His combination of length, athleticism and energy will make it tough to keep him off the floor when he returns to action. Somehow, someway Fleming is gonna play starter minutes this year,

After watching St. Joseph’s in action against a pretty good Patriot League team, one would have to conclude that Lange has the Hawks headed in the right direction. There are some solid A10 players on the roster, the young guys Winborne, Fleming and Christ Essandoko (current redshirt) have to potential to be very good A10 players.

Seated directly behind the Hawk bench were prized recruits Shawn Simmons, Anthony Finkley and Xzayvier Brown, all of whom will don Hawk uniforms next season. Intermingled with the ’23 Hawk commits were some of the top ’24 prospects in the mid-Atlantic region. Deuce Maxey (Wood), Thomas Sorber (Ryan) and Khaafiq Myers (Neumann-Goretti) were enjoying the sights and sound of Hagan Arena.

Lange is shopping for Viking and Wolf appliances these days…

So, yes… The Hawks appear to be headed in the right direction.

But, will they get there on time?

Who knows?

President Reed is now leading Loyola University of Chicago and the Athletic Director, Jill Bodensteiner, has taken an extended leave of absence.

With the win last night, Lange is now 23-61,10-38 in the early stages of year 4 at the helm. By any reasonable assessment, that’s not good. Indeed, that is historically bad. But, he was dealt a really fucked up hand when his walked in the door.

Apparently, the folk that fired Martelli and hired Lange, will not be assessing his progress. Will a new President and athletic director look backward, emphasize the struggle to compile wins and go in another direction? Or, will they look at the recruiting momentum and give Lange an opportunity to coach the talented kids he’s landed and perhaps even grab a few more?

I don’t have a fucking clue… Neither do you…

It’s a different experience.

Who Knows What’s Best for Black Students? Parents or Bishop Canevin HS Adminstrators?

November 14, 2022 By in Uncategorized Tags: 7 Comments

Imagine… You’re a hardworking Black father in Pittsburgh. You graduated from an HBCU, Cheyney University, you value education. You are a hands-on parent. You are heavily involved in your children’s lives… All 11 of them… You decided to enroll your 14 year old son in a Catholic High School because you are looking for a better educational setting. You and his mother were raised, and continue to reside, in a solid working class, predominantly Black, section of of the city. As parents, you are seeking a school that will provide discipline and a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. After months of carefully considering traditional public school, magnet school, charter school and independent school options you decide to make some financial sacrifices and enroll your son in what you think is a good Catholic High School, Bishop Canevin.

You and his mother feel good about the decision. You have decided to place your child’s education in the hands of the Jesuits that run Canevin. This is a research-based decision on your part. After all, you learn that Jesuit educational institutions are universally lauded for their track record of preparing students intellectually, morally and spiritually for lives characterized by solidarity, service and professional success. You and his mother are beyond pleased that your child will be receiving a “Jesuit education.” After all, the goals and values expressed by the teachers, administrators and staff at Cavenin are very much aligned with your own.

Your son is inquisitive, bright and eager to learn. With the high school decision made, you and his mother even begin to contemplate Jesuit colleges. Four years of high school can go by rather quickly. A quick internet search and you discover Boston College, Georgetown, Saint Louis, San Francisco, Holy Cross, Fordham and Marquette are just a few of 28 highly regarded Jesuit colleges and universities across the United States.

You begin to think, “maybe… just maybe… we can have our boy spend 8 years with the Jesuits… He’ll be straight educationally.”

But…

Then he actually enrolls and begins to take classes. While he is able to maintain his grades, you notice subtle changes in his demeanor. Something is a lil’ off… Initially, you and his mother assume the changes can be attributed to his adjustment to a new school setting and the challenges of high school academics. Then one day, your son informs you…

“Dad… They called me nigger.”

“What?”

It’s Pittsburgh and it’s 2022, you and his mother did not expect nor did you plan for the possibility that your son would be subjected to such racial trauma as a high school freshman. You spend countless hours wondering if somehow it was your fault for enrolling him in this predominantly white Catholic School. Did we make a mistake choosing Bishop Canevin?

While traditional public schools in Pittsburgh lack the high standardized test scores and college acceptance rates of Bishop Canevin, your son would not be subjected to this type of racist behavior.

Shit adds another layer of stress… You and his mother now have a whole new host of concerns and worries. Your boy is just beginning his high school career and already you are worried about how racial incidents will impact his ability to have relationships, concentrate on school work, and feel safe.

You and his mother decide to immediately report the incident to school administrators.

As Black parents of school age children, you understand that racial discrimination can be harmful to a boy’s mental health. You are very much aware of the fact that perceptions of racial discrimination have been linked to lower life satisfaction levels, decreased self-esteem, increased depressive symptoms, as well as increased anger and anxiety among Black adolescents. You don’t want your son to begin exhibiting any depressive symptoms, conduct problems or decreased self-esteem.

This is a tough situation… You and his mother decide to stick it for the school year and attempt to work through it with the school officials.

Bishop Canevin administrators listen to your concerns and say all the right things. They say they want to ensure that your son has an affirming and safe school environment that celebrates him for who he is. They seem to recognize that they have an obligation to ensure that your son is not denied opportunities, treated differently, discriminated against, or harassed because of his race, color, or national origin.

On the surface, at least, it seems like they get it…

Nonetheless, after the school year is over, you and his mother begin to rethink the Catholic School placement. In addition to this and other racial incidents, the cost is proving to be problematic and perhaps even prohibitive. Once again, you weigh all the pros and cons of the traditional public, magnet, charter and private schools in the region. After carefully considering all of your options, you decide to remain committed to a faith-based educational setting.

You and his mother settle son to a small predominantly Black Christian school, Imani Christian Academy, serving students from low-income, under resourced school districts. Unlike Bishop Canevin, where more than 75% of the students were white, most of the students at Imani Christian are Black inner-city youth. Many come from single-parent homes or are being raised by a grandparent or guardian.

You and his mother have concluded that Imani Christian can provide a stable and nurturing environment for your young Black son.

Moreover, Imani Christian’s tuition is significantly less than the Canevin’s. That matters… At a the end of the most recent school year, you had a balance exceeding a couple thousand dollars. The financial struggle is real. Overall, you have determined that Imani Christian is the better educational buy for your family. Imani Christian delivers higher returns at a lower cost. So much so, that you can actually afford to begin paying down the debt at Bishop Canevin and pay tuition at Imani Christian.

Clearly, you and your son’s mother exercised your parental prerogative in a thoughtful and considerate manner. This is what we constantly encourage Black parents to do when it comes to their children’s education.

There are, however, some folk that think are better suited to make educational decisions for your son than you and his mother. The white educational and administrative elites at Bishop Canevin have decided that your son should remain there despite the racial animus and the financial burden your family is enduring.

They understand that you and his mother have chosen to transfer your son… They disagree with your decision. Not only do they disagree, they are going to take actions that will negatively impact your son’s educational experience after he is no longer attending Canevin. The Jesuits at Canevin decided your son would not play varsity basketball as a sophomore.

You and his mother are flabbergasted… You have no say over where Bishop Canevin administrators send their children to school. You do not get to decide if their daughter can play tennis or field hockey… Why do they get to make such a decision for your boy? Why do the Canevin Jesuits want to harm your boy?

Cavenin administrators sat directly across from you during meetings and mediation attempts surrounding the racial incidents. They acknowledged what happened. They see the ledger, they know you’re struggling with the tuition payments. They know all of this and, yet, they have determined that you and his mother should not send your son elsewhere. You should not seek an alternative placement for your son. They even go so far as to publicly declare that your decision to transfer is not based on all the aforementioned factors that kept you awake at night.

Canevin administrators basically, said fuck you and your wife…

They know your son was called a nigger here… They know school costs are problem for you… But, they have decided those factors did not influence your transfer decision. They determined that your concerns about racial incidents involving your son and their impact on his educational, social and emotional development are not important. At least not important enough to lead you to transfer. They have also determined the financial stress you endured is irrelevant.

Why would any Black family entrust the Administrators at Bishop Cavenin with their Black child’s educational development? They have demonstrated a willingness to usurp Black parental prerogative.

Although, the Bishop Jesuits were not at the kitchen table when you and his mother made educational decisions, they are effectively exercising a veto. Furthermore. their veto was enforced by administrators within the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). The Bishop Cavenin Jesuits and WPIAL think they know, better than you, what’s best for your Black son.

Shit… he’s the only member of last year’s state championship team that has not received his ring. You have no choice but to conclude, they just don’t like your son… Maybe… just maybe they don’t like boys like him.

Black parents… Stop sending your talented Black students to Bishop Canevin. If you decide to leave, they will feel they have some say in your future…

Real shit…

Temple Knocked Off Nova & Changed the Sheets

November 12, 2022 By in Uncategorized Tags: Leave a comment

Last night, Temple Head Coach Aaron McKie and the Owls broke out the 1,000 thread count Egyptian linen. This was after they painstakingly scrubbed the mattress and emptied a few cans of Febreze to counter the lingering stench. You see… On Monday, in a season opening “buy game” against tiny Wagner, Temple SHIT the bed.

After leading Wagner by 3 at the half… Temple was up, at home, by 15 (57-42) with 7:38 left in the game. With 1:49 remaining, Temple was up 8, 67-59. With 0:43 left Temple was still up 5, 69-64. Somehow, Wagner managed to force the game into overtime and eventually come away with a 76-73 victory. Wagner picked up a nice check and a huge road win against a strong American Athletic Conference team.

The sheets were heavily soiled… You couldn’t even wash ’em… Just throw ’em in the trash…

This was not the way anyone expected the 2022-23 campaign to begin on North Broad Street. Plenty of folk figured the Owls could be 1-1 after two games. But nobody… I mean absolutely nobody had the Owls losing to Wagner and bouncing back to knock off mighty Villanova. Wagner, led by first year Head Coach, Donald Copeland has been a very strong NEC program for several years. They deserve respect and shouldn’t be taken lightly. But coming back from 15 down late in the 2nd half to defeat Temple on the road?

Naaaah… Didn’t see that coming… WTF?

Damian Dunn and Khalif Battle in post-game press conference

Next up… Villanova…

Seems like the Wildcats have been steamrolling Big 5 opponents since Eisenhower was in the White House. Villanova’s Big 5 record over the past decade or so has to be something like 73-1. Their ascension to “blue blood” status has correlated with the demise of the venerable Big 5. Most nights, it feels like me and about 4 or 5 of my fellow fifty-sumthins are the only Big 5 fans left.

But guess what?

A fucking classic Big 5 game broke out on Broad Street tonight. The cast of characters was different, but the storyline was very familiar to Ol’ Heads. Playing the role of John Pinone was Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniels portrayed Stewart Granger. For Temple, Damian Dunn did a great job as Terrance Stansbury and Granger Hall was played by Jamille Reynolds.

What a night!

Khalif Battle

No cap (as the kids say), I regret not sneaking in some streamers and tossing them on the court after the first made baskets. At several points during the game, I closed my eyes and pretended that I was in the Palestra with my ass hurting from sitting on 95 year old HARD wooden bleachers with about 57 coats of grey paint serving as a cushion.

From the time I discovered the Big 5 in the late 70’s til around the time Jay Wright convinced Kyle Lowry to go from Norf Philly to the Main Line, anything could happen in a Big 5 game. It didn’t matter what the records were… It didn’t matter what the rankings were…

Anything could happen… Comebacks, overtime games and buzzer beaters were the norm…

Big 5 basketball was lit!

The 3,000-4,000 Temple students that stormed the court TWICE after the game probably would not believe I saw Penn play Michigan State in the Final Four. To those kids, I would be something akin to Commander McBragg, if I asked “Did I ever tell you about the time I watched top-ranked Temple go into the Dean Smith Center, and beat the shit down the legs of North Carolina with a 19-0 run that erased a five-point Carolina lead at the start of the second half and depart with an 83-66 shellacking in front of 21,444 stunned Tar Heel faithful?” Coming of age during the Jay Wright era, the 18-22 year court stormers would think such tales were filled with unlikelihoods and outright impossibilities.

But that was the Big 5 I grew up on… Michael Brooks and Lionel Simmons were the best players in the nation and they plied their trade at 20th and Olney. St. Joe’s guard Mo Martin was as good as anyone else in the country. Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney impersonated Clyde and Pearl for about 3 years on 33rd Street.

It was truly a different era.

Temple, under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney, would routinely dominate wire to wire and you wouldn’t see so much as a high five amongst the Owls. No celebrations… Kicking ass is what they were supposed to do.

You could turn on a Temple-Villanova game and witness Howie Evans scoring 17 points while dishing out 20 assists with ZERO (0) turnovers to lead the Owls to victory.

Maaaaaan… I desperately miss shit like that…

That’s why last night’s game meant so much to me. For one night, at least, the Big 5 was back. For more than a decade, the Big 5 has not been the Big 5. With Wright at the helm, the Wildcats transformed the Big 5 into Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Everybody knows Gladys… People pay to see Gladys… The Pips? Not so much…

But last night, we had two headliners. Just like back in the day.

Eddie Kendricks AND Curtis Mayfield…

The Big 5 was BACK…

I think… Maybe… Kinda… Sorta…

Well at least the sheets are fresh and clean…

As for the game itself, I feign objectivity… I had a lot of favorites on that court… Eric Dixon and Chris Arcidiacono are my young bucks. I am proud of the careers they have put together with the Wildcats. Both were subjected to a rather high level of scrutiny when they decided to play on the Main Line. Both have had to rumble for every minute of playing time and earn their position as front line players in the Wildcat program.

Dixon has evolved to a point where he is a magnificent college player on the offensive end of the court. He is extremely strong with exceptional low post footwork and feathery soft shooting touch. Very few teams will be able to curtail his scoring with a lone defender. His quick 2 fouls helped Temple extend the lead in the first half. Villanova is a vastly different team with Dixon on the bench. Neptune realized this and gambled that Dixon could play spot minutes without picking up a 3rd foul before halftime. The strategy worked. Dixon was able contribute offensively, while avoiding another foul, and helped Villanova claw their way back into the game.

Arcidiacono has had to endure the inevitable comparison to his legendary older brother Ryan. Many implied and some outright asserted that Arcidiacono’s scholarship was some sort of gift or favor to the family. I call bullshit… Chris is a player… A winning basketball player… If we held a 100 meter dash featuring all the players in game he would come in near the back of the pack. If we held a high jump contest, he would finish near or at the bottom. But this ain’t the Olympics.

It’s Big 5 basketball…

In one of the best Big 5 games in recent memory, Arcidiacono played 36 minutes and pulled down a team high 10 rebounds. Because that’s what his team needed. Watching him tough it out and fight future NBA guards for a spot in rotation during the transfer portal era has been impressive. Grown man shit is what some call it…

On the Owls, Zack Hicks and Hysier Miller are my guys… McKie has decided to throw them in the deep end of the pool early in their careers. While their stat lines have not been overwhelming, they have been very smart and steady. These are my young bucks and truth be told, I wanted them to experience a Big 5 win last night.

Sometimes, the Pips should get to sing lead.

Aaron McKie, Temple Head Coach

Temple stars, Dunn and Khalif Battle scored 22 and 21 points respectively to lead the Owls, but the defensive effort put forth by Jalil White may have been the most impressive performance of the evening.

Charged with the task of slowing down the experienced and talented Caleb Daniels, White was more than up to the task. Daniels, like Gillespie, Brunson, Moore and a slew of other super talented guards before him, likes to back defenders down deep in the post and score or make plays for his teammates. White possesses enough strength, skill and determination to frustrate Daniels. He blocked or altered almost every shot attempt Daniels made while he was guarding him. When White switched off or was out of the game, Daniels was much more effective.

Reynolds, a 6’10, 285 lb transfer from UCF contributed a double-double in his first Big 5 game. One of the few players with the strength and girth to effectively bang in the low post with Dixon, Reynolds provides the Owls with a legitimate low post presence that has been lacking in recent years.

My only complaint was with the court storming… Temple has more wins than all but 4 other college basketball programs. Temple is supposed to win just about every time they play a basketball game on North Broad Street.

But I understand… Aaron McKie and Mark Macon are mere basketball “coaches” to the kids currently matriculating at Temple… Not two of the baddest muthafuckas to ever lace ’em up in Big 5 history.

Did I ever tell you about the time…

Huh? WTF? Trenton Catholic Prep Fires 2021-22 Mercer County HS Basketball Coach of the Year, Mark Bass

November 9, 2022 By in Uncategorized Tags: , 1 Comment

Fifteen months ago, Trenton Catholic Academy staved off closing for good. The Diocese of Trenton had determined they would no longer provide financial support for the school. Much like other Catholic high schools across the nation, Trenton Catholic Academy faced the ultimate tough choice. Should they close the doors permanently like North Catholic, Cardinal Dougherty, Bishop McDevitt and John Hallahan have done in Philadelphia? Or, do they find a way to continue providing safe, affordable, college preparatory educational programming to families sans Diocese funding? The Patrick School, St. Joseph’s Academy and Wildwood Catholic Academy have recently managed to fight off closure in this way.

The folks in Trenton chose the latter. The school formerly known as St. Anthony’s High, McCorristin High and Trenton Catholic Academy officially re-opened in September 2021 as Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy.

Mark Bass, former Trenton Catholic Prep Head Coach

One of the first decisions they made was to hire one of their own, Mark Bass, to lead the proud boys basketball program. Bass, a member of the Mercer County Sports Hall of Fame and the St. Joseph’s University Basketball Hall of Fame, is an all-time great Iron Mike. To this day, Bass remains entrenched as Trenton Catholic’s all-time leading scorer. He was a star guard for McCorristin (Class of 1991), as the team made back to back appearances in the State Championship game.

As a member of the St. Joseph’s University Hawks, Bass would go on to have a wonderful career in Philadelphia’s Big 5. He became one of the deadliest shooters in the history of St. Joseph’s basketball. After playing professionally in China, Bass would become the longest tenured (20 years) assistant coach in St. Joseph’s history. Bass has the distinction of leading the Hawks to the NIT final as both a player and a coach. He was also instrumental in the development of NBA players Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Dwayne Jones, Langston Galloway, DeAndre Bembry and Charlie Brown.

Hiring Bass to lead a resurgent Trenton Catholic Prep Basketball program was an absolute no-brainer. The accolades flowed after the decision was announced. “Mark is a perfect selection to lead TCPA’s boys’ basketball program,” said John Castaldo, Bass’ head coach while at McCorristin. “He returns to his alma mater with a wealth of basketball knowledge. His past successes as a player and coach will serve him well. His skills in developing and nurturing relationships are outstanding. He was a superb player during his high school and college career, and he has always been an individual of high character and moral integrity. His family support has always been remarkable, and I am confident he will lead TCPA positively into its next chapter of history and traditions.”

Bass did not disappoint.

After watching the Iron Mikes play in late January, Greg Johnson, writing for the Trentonian, noted “In the program’s first year under coach Mark Bass, Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy plays with a toughness on the defensive end that figures to make these Iron Mikes a lethal threat come state tournament time… Ball pressure. Steals. Intercepted passes… TCPA used all of it to swat away visiting Robbinsville, arguably the best team in the Colonial Valley Conference, for a 69-53 victory.”

A month later, Bass and Trenton Catholic Prep defeated Trenton High 72-57 in a raucous CURE Arena for the Mercer County Championship. The decision to bring Bass home continued pay huge dividends. The last time Trenton Catholic had been crowned NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public Champions was 12 years ago in 2009-2010. Three times they reached the sectional title game, 2012, 2015 and 2019. Three times they were turned away.

Trenton Catholic celebrates the win over Trenton

In his first year at the helm, Bass led the the Iron Mikes, ranked No.4 in the state by NJ.com to a 70-55 victory over Ranney in the 2022 South Jersey, Non-Public B title game. For the first time in 12 years, Trenton Catholic would play for a state title.
Unfortunately, the Iron Mikes would have to face a Roselle Catholic team that was the best team in the state and is currently a consensus #1 in the nation.

Tough task… for sure…

In the contest held at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena, Trenton Catholic rallied from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to take a 53-50 lead entering the fourth quarter before falling to Roselle Catholic, 74-66, in the Non-Public B final. As always, Bass represented Trenton Catholic with the class and dignity he has displayed over the past three decades. Following the loss, he stated “I can’t say anything bad about my guys. They played hard, man. They played hard. It was so much energy in that third to fight back, to take the lead. They’re a physical team, and we’re a physical team. But our thing was no turnovers and rebound their misses. But they were getting extra shots, extra possessions and it hurt us.”

Always gracious, Bass continued, “I’m very proud to win a Mercer County Tournament, to win a sectional. Nobody had us there. To be (ranked) fourth in the state, nobody expected us to be there. But it’s a tribute to the staff, it’s a tribute to these players. They worked and they believed in themselves and it worked out.”

Again writing for the Trentonian, Greg Johnson at the time wrote, “Bass is eager to keep leading the program. After graduating from McCorristin (Trenton Catholic’s former name) in 1991, he coached at St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia for 20 seasons before taking some time off with his family and deciding that high school was the right fit.”

“It went well beyond what I expected,” Bass said. “I’m grateful that the school allowed me to coach them. I’m grateful for the players and my staff. I’m happy here. I went to school there, I’m proud of these guys and I’m looking forward to next year.”
Immediately after the season, Bass focused his energies on completing a Master’s degree in Athletic Leadership at Rider University. He received his graduate degree in August and began to prepare for year two.

Marty Flynn, Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy athletic director, (second from left) helps cuts ribbon

Unbeknownst to Bass, the Trenton Catholic Athletic Director, Marty Flynn had other plans. Winning with discipline and tenacious discipline apparently did not appeal to Flynn. Capturing the county titles, playing for the state championship and sending young men off to college was not enough.

Apparently, Flynn wanted someone other than Bass to lead the program. He immediately named former coach, Eric Elliot (above far left) to replace Bass.

Those involved in college basketball recruiting will readily admit that it has become a year round process. Moreover, the emergence of the NCAA transfer portal as a readily available pool of talent has taken a serious toll on all but the highest ranked high school prospects. The “Fall” season has become an increasingly important aspect of high school basketball. At least it is for programs that are serious and players with ambitions to play beyond high school.

Open gyms and fall events are crucial. College coaches are out there on the streets, trying to identify and recruit prospects. These fall events and fall leagues can get expensive. Most cost between $175 and $350. These fees add up quickly and can become burdensome for parents struggling to make Catholic school tuition payments.

Bass and his players decided to conduct a car wash to raise funds to pay for fall events. This way the program could avoid pestering parents. The car wash raised $600. Bass used the funds to pay registration fees for the COBL Fall event and a fall league.
The Iron Mikes played in the events. The players received scholarship offers. The $600 raised washing cars has resulted in scholarship offers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nonetheless, Flynn reported Bass to the NJSIAA. Let’s be clear here… The Trenton Catholic Prep Academy athletic director sought to have Bass and his players punished for washing cars to pay registration fees for Fall events. After reviewing Flynn’s complaint against Bass, the NJSIAA determined that a two-game suspension was warranted.

Sounds about right for such a minor infraction…

Flynn, however, wanted a pound of flesh. He somehow, someway, determined that termination of Bass as Boys Basketball coach was the appropriate consequence for washing cars and raising $600 to get his kids in showcase events.

Let’s be clear… This is how Trenton Catholic Prep treated one of its greatest alums. Any Black or Brown family thinking about enrolling their student-athlete in Trenton Catholic needs to this know this simple fact.

The boys basketball players at Trenton Catholic have suffered a loss… The families of the players have suffered a loss… The Trenton basketball community has suffered a loss…

The only winner here is Marty Flynn… I’m still trying to figure out what the prize is…

Shameful.

Neptune Leads Nova To Win Over La Salle in First Game at the Helm

November 8, 2022 By in Big 5, La Salle Basketball, Villanova Basketball Tags: , , , Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA: The College Basketball Season got underway today. Which game to watch live? Tough call for me… Donta Scott and Hakim Hart opened up their fourth season at Maryland under new Head Coach Kevin Willard. The Terps faced Niagara at home. Hysier Miller and Zach Hicks began their sophomore campaign at Temple. The Owls faced a tough Wagner squad led by Donald Copeland in his first year at the helm. Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk laced ’em up for Penn State against Winthrop.

Villanova Head Coach, Kyle Neptune

I decided to head to Villanova. I wanted to see if Fran Dunphy’s Xs & Os could overcome a distinct disadvantage in the Jimmies and Joes. Dunphy began his coaching career 50 years ago at the United States Military Academy (1971–72). Bear in mind, Dunphy is the all-time winningest coach in Big 5 history. After a three year hiatus, he’s back to coach his alma mater and lead his third Big 5 program.

Nova’s head coach, Kyle Neptune was 16-16 last year in his lone season at Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Conference before being tapped to succeed the greatest coach in Big 5 history. This matchup against the Explorers was Neptune’s inaugural Big 5 game.

Does the Big 5 matter? Was I alone in considering that aspect of the game? Did anyone else give even the slightest f*#k that this was a Big 5 contest?

La Salle Head Coach, Fran Dunphy and guard, Josh Nickelberry

Serious question… Just curious.

With 580 career wins, it seemed reasonable to give the X & O advantage to Dunphy. Neptune, however, had a rather distinct Jimmy & Joe advantage. Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniel are top notch veteran Big East performers. During his senior year in high school, Dixon was named by USA Today as Pennsylvania State Player of the Year. He was listed at No. 74 by espn.com in its Top 100 Prospects of 2019. Last season, Dixon started every one of Villanova’s 38 games during the run to another Wildcat Final Four. He averaged 9.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per outing. A very efficient offensive player, he shot .498 from the field goal and .486 from behind the 3-point line. Last year he was awarded Most Improved Player by the Philadelphia Big Five.

This year he’s making an early case for best player in the Big 5.

Kyle Neptune and Villanova forward, Eric Dixon

He’s just one of the Neptune’s Jimmies…

And… There are several Joes.

Last year, Caleb Daniels averaged 10.2 points per game and helped Nova win the BIG EAST Tournament title and make it to another Final Four. Daniels was named to the All-NCAA South Regional Team and Second Team All-Philadelphia Big Five.

Brandon Slater started all 38 games last season. He scored 8.5 points and grabbed 3.7 rebounds for the Wildcats on their run to the Final Four.

Highly touted freshman Mark Armstrong was the 2022 Hudson County Interscholastic Player of the Year. He set a St. Peter’s Prep record with 1,776 career points. Armstrong was listed at No. 61 in ESPN’s Top 100 in the Class of 2022.

Keep in mind that Villanova has two (2) NBA Joes in street clothes at the moment. Senior guard, Justin Moore was named Second Team all-BIG EAST and First Team All-Philadelphia Big Five last season. He was the second leading scorer for the Wildcats, contributing 14.8 points per game and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game. Moore tore his right achilles tendon suffered in the final minute of Villanova’s 50-44 victory over Houston in the NCAA South Regional Final. He is currently rehabbing the injury.

Freshman Cam Whitmore was the 2022 Gatorade Maryland Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. He was a two-time Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year who also played in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. Whitmore was ranked No. 21 in the ESPN Top 100 of the Class of 2022.

Now… Keep in mind Whitmore and Moore were unavailable. Maybe… just maybe… Dunphy could scheme his way to an upset in a sold out Finneran Pavillion.

After all, it is a Big 5 game. Anything can happen… right?

Naaaaaah…

The Jimmies and Joes overcame the Xs & Os…

Indeed, there were moments when Eric Dixon looked like he was playing against Quakertown. He finished with 20 points on 8-17 shooting, including 2-4 from behind the 3 point line. Dixon also contributed 4 assists and 3 blocks. Grabbing only 2 rebounds, he’ll need to improve considerably on the boards going forward.

Daniels was magnificent. He finished with 24 points, while shooting an efficient 8-11 from the field and 6-7 from behind the 3 point line. Daniels also pulled down a game high 10 rebounds.

Villanova guard, Caleb Daniels

Dixon and Daniels bussed dey ass…

For the Explorers, Josh Nickelberry scored 22 points while shooting 7-12 from the field and 5-9 from 3. He also pulled down 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

Khalil Brantley probed and penetrated throughout the contest. He managed to score a tough 11 points on 5-12 shooting from the field. He grabbed 4 rebounds and dished 2 assists.

Jhamir Brickus played a listless 34 minutes and did not score a point. Indeed, he only took 3 shots and 2 of them were 3 point attempts. La Salle will struggle to compete against quality opponents if Brickus is not contributing significantly at the offensive end.

Nonetheless, Dunphy kept it within reach… the Explorers were only down 11 with 2:37 remaining.

But it was not to be… Not tonight… The young coach with the Jimmies & Joes got the win. The winningest coach in Big 5 history learned something about his team… Gotta somehow get some of those Jimmies & Joes…

For the first time in the history of the Wildcat program, the Head Men’s Basketball coach is a Black man. Deserves mentioning, didn’t really factor in the game so I placed it here.

#RespeckNova

BCS TV Releases its 2022-23 Scholastic Basketball Broadcast Schedule

November 6, 2022 By in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Black Cager Television (BCS TV) will live-steam and make available on-demand 27 Mid-Atlantic regular season high school games during the 2022-2023 campaign. The schedule, officially unveiled on (November 4), will feature blockbuster matchups and some of region’s top college prospects. This season marks Black Cager Sports 10th consecutive year covering scholastic basketball in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

In addition to highly competitive Philadelphia Catholic League games, BCS TV will stream several preseason matchups featuring highly regarded programs like Westtown, Perkiomen, Olympus (NJ), Salesianum (DE), Constitution, St. Frances (MD) and National Christian (MD). Public League contenders Sankofa and Overbrook square off on January 5. Two heated rivalry games are on tap when Westtown visits greatly improved George School team on January 6 and then we have a PIAA District 3 showdown between Reading and Muhlenburg.

Opening Week on BCS TV features powerhouse Westtown, Perkiomen, West Nottingham and Olympus Prep on November 30. Westtown features Matt Gilhool ’24 (offers from Maryland, Miami, Pitt, Va Tech, St. John’s and West Virginia). The key player for Perkiomen is Thomas Haugh ’23 (Florida commit. The doubleheader will be broadcast on the Black Cager Youtube channel at 4:30 p.m.

BCS TV’s opening week coverage continues on Friday, December 2 when Penn Wood and Nasir Washington ’23 visit Archbishop Carroll and Jake West ’25 in a Delco showdown on the Main Line at 6:00 p.m. All games will be available on-demand on the Black Cager Youtube channel.


Schedule highlights

~ 7 appearances by the defending Philadelphia Catholic League Champion Neumann-Goretti Saints, featuring one of the top back courts in the nation, Robert Wright III ’24 (Baylor commit) and Khaafiq Myers ’24 (offers from Temple, UMass, St. Joseph’s, La Salle, and Wichita St) and high major PF Sultan Adewale ’23 (offers from George Washington, Clemsom, Arizona State, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech)

~ 5 appearances by Archbishop Ryan led by consensus Top 100 PF/C Thomas Sorber ’24 (offers from Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Penn State, Maryland and UMass) and Darren Williams ’24 (offers from Southern Miss, NJIT, Drexel and FGCU)

~ 4 appearances by 2021 Philadelphia Catholic League Champion Archbishop Wood Vikings with Jalil Bethea ’24 (offers from UCLA, Villanova, St. Johns, Syracuse, Rutgers, Kansas, Temple and St. Josesph’s) and Josh Reed ’24 (offer from Albany)

~ 3 appearances by the Roman Catholic Cahillites, featuring a pair of highly regarded St. Joseph’s commits, Xzayvier Brown ’23 and Anthony Finkley ’23

~ 3 appearances by West Catholic with Zion Stanford ’23 (Temple commit) and Budd Clark ’23 (Offers from Coppin, Howard and Delaware State)

~ 3 appearances by Cardinal O’Hara led by Isaiah Pasha ’23 (offers from Delaware, Iona, Xavier, VCU, George Washington and St. Joseph’s) and Aasim “Flash” Burton ’24 (offers from Drexel and UTEP)

~ 2 appearances by PIAA 3A State Champion Devon Prep featuring Jacen Holloway ’23 (Army commit) and Lucas Orchard ‘23 (Monmouth offer)

~ 2 appearances by Archbishop Carroll and Jake West ’25 (St. Francis offer)

~ 2 appearances by Reading and star combo guard Ruben Rodriguez ’23 (Rider commit)

~ 2 appearances by Father Judge led by Kyle Jones ‘23 and Ernest Shelton ’23

~ Philadelphia Public League showdown between Bo Kimble’s Overbrook squad and Sankofa led by long-time Head Coach Isaiah Thomas and featuring Zaki Alston ’23.

~ Highly regarded George School plays perennial power Westtown on January, 6 2023. George School is led by Kachi Nzeh ’23 (Xavier commit) and Christian Bliss ’23 (offers from Manhattan, FGCU, Towson and Delaware)

~ Reading and Muhlenburg square of in a fantastic District 3 rivalry game.

~ Huge rivalry matchup between Coatesville led by Head Coach John Allen and Downingtown West led by Stu Ross and featuring Dylan Blair ’23 (Army commit)

~ Big rivalry game between Trenton Central and Trenton Catholic Prep led by Head Coach Mark Bass

~ Northeast Invitational Tournament. Father Judge vs National Christian (MD) and Archbishop Ryan vs St. Frances (MD)

~ 5th Annual Diane Mosco Foundation Shootout. Reading vs West Catholic, Central York vs Father Judge and North Catholic vs Archbishop Wood

Mainstream Media and the Myth of a Free Press: The Case of Kyrie Irving and Jeff Bezos

November 4, 2022 By in Middle School, NBA Basketball, Racism/White Supremacy, Urban Education Tags: Leave a comment

Almost 6 years ago, I was blessed with a wonderful inquisitive and thoughtful grandson. Kameron has recently embarked on his formal educational journey. He began kindergarten about 9 weeks ago. As he works his way through this thing we call “schooling” it will be important to provide real world context and examples to help him make sense of concepts many consider to be at the core of the American creed.

Already interested in sports, particularly basketball, I will use the world of sports to elucidate ideas that will not be adequately covered under the “approved” curriculum. One such concept is that of the “free press.” The Founding Fathers eloquently put forth the notion that a free and independent press is a prerequisite for a functioning democratic society. From the moment of the nation’s founding, my grandson and his classmates will be taught, Americans have had access to a wide range of competing news sources.

The complex, complicated and brutish truth will not be covered in his classroom. He’s gonna have to get those lessons in car rides and at the kitchen table. There have always been vastly different and distinct rules in place for Blacks and wealthy whites in America.

In school, Kam will learn that “The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

He will also learn that Delaware was the first State to ratify, on December 7, 1787. The teacher will tell him that after New Hampshire became the ninth State to ratify, on June 22, 1788, the Confederation Congress established March 9, 1789 as the date to begin operating under the Constitution.

As a result, Many of Kamron’s non-white peers across the country will mistakenly assume that their ancestors had freedom of, speech, press and assembly beginning in 1789.

Kam won’t…

I will explain that the United States was founded as an explicitly racist/white supremacist nation. As such, the overwhelming majority of Blacks in America had no such rights when the nation was founded. I will share the history of anti-black, anti-literacy laws. Yo Kam… in 1829, 40 years after the Founding Fathers recognized the inalienable rights of white males to freedom of speech and press, Georgia formally prohibited teaching blacks to read. Those caught teaching Blacks to read were subjected to fines and imprisoned.

Real shit Kam…

The following year in 1830, Louisiana and North Carolina passed law punishing anyone teaching blacks to read with fines, imprisonment or brutal whippings. Two years later in 1832, Alabama and Virginia also prohibited whites from teaching blacks to read or write, punishing those daring to impart literacy to Blacks with stiff fines and whippings.

The next year, in 1833, Georgia implemented a law against Blacks from working in reading or writing jobs (via an employment law), and prohibited teaching blacks, punished by fines and whippings (via an anti-literacy law). In 1847, Missouri said fuck it, we don’t want our Blacks assembling, reading or writing. In Mississippi, if a white person was caught teaching Blacks to read they had to serve up to a year in prison.

Virginia law from this era stated: “[E]very assemblage of negroes for the purpose of instruction in reading or writing, or in the night time for any purpose, shall be an unlawful assembly. Any justice may issue his warrant to any office or other person, requiring him to enter any place where such assemblage may be, and seize any negro therein; and he, or any other justice, may order such negro to be punished with stripes.” Kam if they caught me and you reading, any white person could legally whoop our asses. Same thing in North Carolina where Black people who disobeyed the law were sentenced to whipping while whites received a fine and/or jail time.

Kam… a persuasive political or social analyses must grapple with the fact that there are at least two Americas. Your school and most public schools across the country treat these differing and distinct Americas in relative isolation. Anyone daring to teach the actual Black experience could be summarily fired in many states. In doing so… these schools confuse and mis-educate Black and Brown children. Any lesson on “free speech” and “free press” must deal with these autonomous and clashing developmental dynamics simultaneously.

A free speech lesson absent the formal and systematic state efforts to keep Blacks illiterate is a fairy tale. Kam, don’t get me wrong, fairly tales have their place.

It’s just not in a history class.

Kam… there have always been and continue to be multiple orders in the United States. Let me demonstrate how these multiple order come into play with regard to the so-called “free press.” Today, October 3, 2022, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving was suspended five (5) games by the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets franchise.

The Nets issued a statement that read in part that “we are of the view that [Kyrie Irving] is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that “Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material.”

Kam… for now, let’s assume the film is antisemitic… That’s a discussion for a different day and time…

For present purposes, it’s important to note that the mass media (newspapers, magazines, radio, films and television) are controlled by just a few powerful wealthy individuals. How we perceive the political, social and economic world is largely determined by these few individuals.

The issues they cover, like Kyrie posting a link to the video are the one’s that win the public’s attention. Those that are ignored, like Jeff Bezos renting and selling (profiting from) the same video, are deprived of visibility and credibility.

Kam… look at dis shit…

A Jeff Bezos owned newspaper, the Washington Post, reported that Irving was suspended for tweeting a link to a Bezos owned website where the video is rented and sold. At the same time Irving was being publicly dragged for tweeting the link to Bezos’ website. Bezos was also broadcasting an NFL game on his steaming network. Earlier in the day, his name was bandied about as a potential buyer along with Sean “Jay Z” Carter of the Washington football franchise. Moreover, a month ago Bezos was named as potential buyer for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns franchise. He also widely expected to bid for NBA broadcast rights.

Seriously Kam… look at dis shit…

Our “free and independent press” offers very little variety in their approach to this story. Kyrie is a bad man and must be punished financially for posting a link to this antisemitic film. The mainstream media, Nets team ownership and the NBA brass are demanding that he explicitly apologize for tweeting a link to the film.

Meanwhile, Bezos who is charging $12.00 to rent and $50.00 to purchase the film has not been subjected to any significant scrutiny. If we accept the media’s premise, Bezos is actually distributing and profiting from an antisemitic film. Kam, a reasonable person may hold that selling and profiting is indicative of “supporting” the film.

Bezos is getting a pass here… An issue of such magnitude that Irving was suspended has generated absolutely no heat for the man putting it out there for all to consume… for a fee…

On one hand, Kyrie Irving is “unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets”… On the other hand, Bezos – the actual purveyor of the antisemitic film – may soon become the owner of an NBA franchise or a broadcast partner.

Kam… I can’t allow them to inculcate you… A free press has existed for a select few since they founded this nation… As you can see, that’s still the case.

The mainstream media is full of shit Kam…

BCS Television Announces Elite Mid-Atlantic High School Basketball Broadcast Schedule

October 31, 2022 By in Amauro Austin, Archbishop Ryan Basketball, Archbishop Wood Basketball, Big 5, Catholic League Basketball, Public League Tags: 1 Comment

PHILADELPHIA – Black Cager Sports (BCS) Television today announced it will broadcast at least 20 premier scholastic basketball games during the 2022-23 season. BCS Television has agreed to broadcast games featuring several of the top high school programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region, the premier recruiting base for high major college programs.


Beginning in December, in accordance with the start of the high school basketball season in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, BCS Television’s Video-On-Demand (VOD) package will add Salesianum (DE), Constitution, Westtown, George School, Muhlenberg, Reading and Trenton Catholic boy’s basketball games to its elite schedule of Philadelphia Catholic League matchups.

“We are proud to expand upon our long-standing relationships with several Philadelphia Catholic League programs and further bolster our position as the premier place to watch ‘bigBOYbasketball’ in the Mid-Atlantic region,” said BCS Television Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer, Delgreco Wilson. “Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic, Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Ryan and West Catholic are nationally respected programs. Players like Robert Wright III, Khaafiq Myers, Xzayvier Brown, Anthony Finkley, Jalil Bethea, Thomas Sorber and Zion Stanford have attracted college coaches from the Big 10, Big 12, ACC, Big East, American and Atlantic 10 Conferences. The Philadelphia Catholic League remains one of the most storied scholastic basketball leagues in the nation.”

“BCS Television is pleased to provide extensive coverage of elite high school basketball during the 2022-23 season and throughout the whole year,” said Wilson. “From sports talk shows, livestreams and video-on-demand, we’re focused on opening new doors for high school basketball players and coaches to share their stories and to shine a light on our unique regional cultural experience. BCS Television is the ultimate destination for free, quality ‘bigBOYbasketball’ content.” 

For more information about BCS TV visit BLACKCAGERTV.COM or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram.

About BCS TV

‍BCS TV is a leading sports media provider that embraces and represents the voice of high school, grassroots and college basketball in the Mid-Atlantic region. Every day of the year, we use our platform to capture captures the rich history and continud excellence of basketball in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Maryland. The network also provides a platform for emerging creatives in sports media production, branding, and broadcasting.  We offer our viewers the best in live sports, sports talk shows and video-on-demand. Launched in 2013,  BCS TV is headquartered in Camden, with offices in Baltimore and New York.

ZOOM link for Black Cager NIL Cyber Symposium, Thursday, October 13, 2022 @ 7:00 pm

October 12, 2022 By in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Delgreco Wilson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Black Cager – NIL Cyber Symposium
Time: Oct 13, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

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