Category Archives: Catholic League Basketball

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.

The Black Cager Fall Classic: A Small College Recruiting Paradise!

August 30, 2022 By in Black Cager Fall Classic, Catholic League Basketball, College Athletics Tags: , , Leave a comment

What about the little guys?

In 2019, the NCAA took care of the BIG BOYS… Division I coaching staffs fly across the lower 48 states attending their choice of NCAA-certified high school and travel team events. The BIG BOYS have made these NCAA ‘live periods’ a significant part of their annual recruiting cycle. 

When the NCAA added two June weekends exclusively for high school competition. They fundamentally altered the recruiting cycle. During those weekends, hundreds of high schools participate in massive events throughout the country and college coaches evaluate prospects playing with their high school teammates.

When John Calipari, Jay Wright, Tom Izzo, Bill Self enter a gym, they suck all of the air out of the room. High school players, parents and coaches become instantly enthralled. Six-foot four inch high school power forwards and centers begin to harbor irrational hopes of landing a scholarship and suiting up for Kentucky or Kansas.

It is next to impossible for D2, D3 and NAIA coaches to capture the attention of young men that will certainly land at their level, if they are to play college basketball.

Small colleges need their own elite scholastic events where they are the BIG BOYS in the room. That event is the Black Cager Fall Classic. The prestigious Black Cager Fall Classic will take place October 8th and 9th at two gymnasiums in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The previous five Fall Classic events (2017-2021) were held at facilities located in the the Greater Philadelphia region. The event has attracted some of today’s top collegiate basketball players during their high school years, including Donta Scott (Maryland), Jay Heath (Georgetown), Ace Baldwin (VCU), Jalen Carey (Rhode Island), Hakim Hart (Maryland), Seth Lundy (Penn State), Eric Dixon (Villanova) and Rahsool Diggins (UMass).

This year, 72 teams will play 72 games. While there will certainly be plenty of high major, top 100, prospects, the field will also feature hundreds of D2, D3 and NAIA prospects. Small College coaches are invited to attend and bring their entire staffs to evaluate some of the finest talent on the eastern seaboard.

Teams are traveling from Canada, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. They are coming because Black Cager Sports will work diligently to help small college coaches connect with the parents and coaches of prospects they identify as suitable for their programs.

Black Cager Sports understands the fiscal constraints that small college programs work under, thus we have priced admission and the coaches packet at a reasonable thirty dollars ($30.00) for the entire weekend. We want small college coaches to attend and recruit participating players.

Coach… You gotta come out… We got dudes!

James Nelson-Stewart: My Final 5 Thoughts on the Scholastic Season

April 3, 2021 By in Catholic League Basketball, Scholastic Basketball, Suburban Basketball, Uncategorized Leave a comment
State Champions, Reading High School

One

READING!!! What can you say about this team that has not already been said? The Underdogs from Berks County shocked the nation by beating the 7th ranked Archbishop Wood 58-57 in the 6A finals. For most fans, observers, scouts and writers (including yours truly) thought that this game was going to be a coronation of one of the great teams of the recent Philadelphia HS basketball era in the 7th ranked undefeated Archbishop Wood Vikings, who normally started 4 players that have scored over 1,000 points and signed Division 1 basketball scholarships. But somebody forgot to tell the Red Knights of Reading and Coach Rick Perez of this coronation party. Let me say the group of players and parents of Reading High were confident and excited for the opportunity to prove the masses wrong and did they ever. For Reading High to even be in this position to play for a State Championship was an incredible journey. From having Coach Perez suspended before the beginning of this season to now having the 25th ranked team in the United States in America shows you what the power of perseverance can overcome. The community rallied behind this team from the very start and had the look of possibly having a special season. But best believe it was not going to come without challenges and their one main challenge was Wilson West Lawn HS, led by their special generational player Stevie Mitchell. Reading, who finished with a record of 27-2, played Wilson four times this year and they split those games. But Reading won the most important game of the four and represented District 3 in the State Playoffs. With the restrictions brought on by COVID, only one team would represent a District in the State Playoffs. Each game brought a “Win-or-Go Home” mentality that Reading thrived in. By defeating the only team that beat them this year to get the playoffs, Reading was confident of their ability to win the title. But to achieve that feat, they had to overcome a team that had not lost all year and played in the undisputed best league in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Catholic League). But again, after conquering first their own school board and then Stevie Mitchell and Wilson, they had no fear of vanquishing the formidable Wood team, led by future HOF Coach John Mosco. Incredible season for this group led by Coach Rick Perez and Sr. 6-6 F Moro Osumanu (West Chester), who had 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Title Game. But here is the scary part for the rest of the state, Reading High only had 2 Seniors on their roster (Osumanu and Rene Rodriguez), the rest are underclassmen led by 6-4 Jr Wing Daniel Alcantara, 6-0 Jr G Joey Chapman (who had the game sealing steal), 6-1 Jr G Xavier Davis, 6-1 So Amier Burdine (Starting Varsity QB) and 6-1 Star So Ruben Rodriguez Jr. Reading may be around for a while!!!

Philadelphia Catholic League Champions, Archbishop Wood

Two

Can’t talk about Reading without talking about the team that they beat Archbishop Wood and the season they had. While the disappointment over the last game with linger with some, you can’t take away the run the Vikings had in this 2021 Season. Wood, led by 2 Time Back-to-Back PCL MVP & MaxPreps’s PA POY Rahsool Diggins, had a season that most programs would dream of. From being as high as #7 in the nation, to running through the PCL undefeated (14-0), to winning the PCL and District 12 Titles, this team was nearly perfect. This team had 4 1,000-point scorers and 1st Team All- Catholic in All Time Leader Diggins, Daeshon Shepherd, Jaylen Stinson and Marcus Randolph. They boasted a 2nd Team All Catholic 6-6 Sr F Muneer Newton, who could have been the most indispensable player on the team and other players like 6-4 Jr F Mike Knouse, 6-6 Sr C Rob Jackson and 6-2 Jr G Tyson Allen, who stepped up as injuries bit the Vikings late in the season. This group had a very successful 4 year run as they were the 2021 PCL Champions, 2-time PCL Regular Season Champs, 3 Time District 12 Champs and 2 Time State Finalist with a 3rd one probably stymied by COVID in 2020. Salute to those young men and Future HOF Coach John Mosco for an incredible season.

State Champions, Allentown Central Catholic

Three

District 11 has ended its streak of 36 years without a State Title with its incredible win on a last second layup by Jr PG 6-0 Tyson Thomas that lifted Allentown Central Catholic to the 4A State Championship. Led by Coach Dennis Csenstis, Allentown Central Catholic made their historic run to their state title by beating District 1’s PJP, who had a great run itself and District 12’s Archbishop Carroll, out of the PCL. This team is also primed for a run in 2022 with their best players being Guard Tyson Thomas and Jr G-F 6-6 Liam Joyce and some up-and-comers such as Fr F 6-6 David Fridia. This one is very personal as last year I was part of the Team Final Red Organization from Allentown and these 3 players are also part of that organization. Thomas, son of Team Final Red co-founder Marlon Thomas, was also named Co-MVP of his conference this year.

Destiny McPhaul, West Catholic

Four

District 12, while still the most powerful District in the State of Pennsylvania, left the Boys Basketball season with ZERO state titles but did leave the Girls Basketball Season with 3 state titles. The Boys went 0-3 in title games with losses by Constitution, Ryan and Wood. The Girls did just the opposite by going 3-0 in title games with wins by West Catholic, led by Destiny McPhaul, Cardinal O’Hara and Wood led by Ryanne Allen. With the State Tournament held in this format, teams like 6A Roman Catholic, were not able to participate. But it also shows that parity is growing throughout the state on the Boys side.

Five

Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention how much different it could have been if 4A Neumann-Goretti or 5A Undefeated Imhotep were able to participate this year. This is not to take anything away from the Champions of those 2 classes because those schools still had to play very good teams and would have had a chance to beat either team. But for these teams not to have the chance to compete is just not fair. I’m not going into why they were not able to play but they both deserved better.

It’s GOTTA Be AB! Camden High’s Next Coach

November 11, 2020 By in Black Cager Grassroots Hoops, Camden High, Catholic League Basketball Leave a comment

It’s gotta be AB!

Camden, New Jersey is in the midst of a scholastic sports renaissance. High major college football and basketball coaches make their way to the small city nestled against the Delaware River on a regular basis. Woodrow Wilson HS and Camden HS continuously pump out D1 level athletes every year… Temple, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Michigan, etc. come to looking for left tackles, defensive backs and Quarterbacks. Clemson came and got a shooting guard for their women’s team a few years ago. Last year, Kentucky Coach John Calipari flew the private jet up on multiple occasions while courting power forward Lance Ware.

Camden is producing elite student-athletes by the bushel… There is no end in sight…

The challenge for the Camden City Board of Education, the Principal and the Athletic Director at Camden High School is to NOT fumble.

Camden High’s basketball team is once again nationally ranked by virtually every major publication covering High School basketball. Last year, Camden’s season abruptly came to a halt… It took the coronavirus to accomplish what no NJ High School opponent could do… With the pandemic looming over the state of New Jersey, scholastic sports came to halt while the Camden High squad was literally a few miles away from an important playoff game.

Rick Brunson, Former Camden Coach

Under the leadership of Head Coach Rick Brunson, Camden finished the year 29-1 and with a 25 game winning streak intact.

“You want da High? You got da High!”

Taquan Woodley, Camden Senior

This year’s squad is led by the best available high school big on the east coast. Taquan Woodley comes in at 6’8″ 240 lbs. He is an old-school traditional power forward… A relentless rebounder and a superb low-post defender, he has greatly improved his offensive repertoire and passing over the past year. Since decomitting from Penn State, SEC, Big East and A10 programs have been clamoring for his services.

DJ Wagner, Camden Sophomore

The biggest name in the program belongs to a 3rd generation heir to the Camden Basketball throne. DJ Wagner is a 6’3″ 175 lb combo guard that has established himself as the number 1 player in the class of 2023. Wagner’s approach to the game belies his youth. He is a cerebral player, a thoughtful player, a patient player right now. Each day, his athletic gifts unfurl themselves more and more leaving fans wondering if there is a ceiling.

Jerome Brewer

Yet another headliner for the Camden High program is Jerome Brewer. Standing 6’8″ and coming in at 220, Brewer has a smooth and accurate stroke that extends well beyond the 3 point line. An excellent rebounder, especially on the offensive end of the floor, Brewer may be Camden’s most consistent contributor.

Cornelius Robinson and Cian Medley are two sophomores with D1 offers and tons of interest. Senior Devin Benson is yet a nother scholarship level player in the program.

With all of that talent and one of the strongest Basketball traditions in America, Camden High will have it’s 4th Boys Basketball Coach in 4 years this season.

It’s time to hire THE Camden High Basketball Coach. It’s time to hire a guy that will see the freshmen graduate from Da High. This is a 4, 5, 6 year hire. The new school (and gym) opens next year. Think this through and make sure you’ve got the right guy.

It’s really not a complicated call…

Rick Brunson leaves the program 1st and goal at the 2 yard line. Whatever happens from here is on the Camden City Board of Education, the Principal and the Athletic Director at Camden High School.

Keep it simple…

No fumbles… No interceptions…

That’s why we feel like it’s gotta be AB…

First and foremost, Aaron Burt is a long-time member, in good standing, of the Camden Basketball community. Burt was a three year starter. He also played on a State Championship team. His Camden roots are extremely deep. Camden basketball is unique. The Camden basketball community is unlike any other in the area. The fans, boosters, families, alums and supporters embrace this program with a fervor unmatched in other communities.

That’s a gift and a curse. Those well-versed in the culture can successfully harness the energy and passion of the community and ride it in conquest of New Jersey scholastic basketball. An uninitiated coach may crumble under the weight of lofty expectations carried by a city of 75,000 hungry for it’s first state championship in twenty years.

Aaron Burt played at Camden High. He understands Camden basketball.

Aaron Burt has coached elite nationally ranked players. As Coach of the Team Final 17U squad on the Nike EYBL circuit, Burt coached NBA players such as Cam Reddish, Donta Divencenzo and Mikail Bridges.

Aaron Burt is very familiar with the South Jersey Scholastic basketball scene. He’s been the Head Coach at Cherry Hill West for several years.

Aaron Burt is an educator. Burt has spent his professional career carving out an impressive resume as a high school administrator. He would bring a full set of skills to bear on the multitude of issues that face the Camden high school basketball coach.

Camden High Alum, Aaron Burt

It’s gotta be AB!

Or, you could be like Pete Carroll…

In Super Bowl XLIX, Carroll and the Seahawks had second-and-goal at the 1 with 26 seconds remaining. Seattle was 1 yard away from securing a second consecutive championship — but instead of handing the rock to Marshawn Lynch, the strongest running back in football, Carroll called a pass play…

What the fuck?

And when Russell Wilson’s goal-line slant was picked off by Malcolm Butler, Carroll looked like a complete dickhead…

Don’t be Pete Carroll…

Darkhorse candidate… Jason Harrigan… Not sure Harrigan would place his hat in the ring. Harrigan has been with the Camden program as an assistant for a couple years. He was the Philadelphia Daily News HS Coach of the Year at Delaware Valley Charter High School. He was recently hired as the Head Coach at St. Joseph’s Prep.

If the Camden City Board of Education, the Principal and the Athletic Director at Camden High School chooses to stay within the program Harrigan makes sense. They must understand that Wagner and his parents as well as the other parents have options.

Doesn’t make sense to start over. Nationally ranked 2 consecutive years. Twenty-five game winning streak. No fewer than 5 legitimate Division 1 basketball prospects on the roster. The Camden basketball program is a community asset. Every effort should be undertaken to maintain the highly competitive program left by Vic Carstarphen and Rick Brunson.

High Level Basketball: I Found A GREAT Game Tonight!

October 28, 2020 By in Archbishop Ryan Basketball, Camden High, Catholic League Basketball, College Athletics Tags: , Leave a comment

Like all of you… I’m tired of this shit!

Fuck Coronavirus!

I wish things would return to normal. This is really my favorite time of year. If we had actually been able to “limit the cases to 15 and they soon reached zero” back in the Spring, I would be traveling up and down 95 visiting high school and college gyms.

I would be trying to get a feel for this years version of high school programs like DeMatha (MD), Woodrow Wilson (DC), Paul VI (VA), St. Frances (MD), Sanford (DE), Chester (PA), Trenton Catholic (NJ), Atlantic City (NJ) and Immaculate Conception (NJ). I would be visiting college programs like VCU, Georgetown, George Washington, Maryland, Howard, Morgan State, Delaware, Delaware State, Seton Hall, Penn State, Rutgers, Monmouth and Rider.

Who’s up next? Who’s gonna break out? Which programs are gonna win state championships? Which programs are gonna make the NCAA tournament?

Unfortunately, he lied… Coronavirus didn’t just miraculously disappear when summer rolled around. Moreover, he continues to BULL SHIT all of us…

“We are turning the corner…”

Get the fuck outta here!

The situation is worse than ever… Hospitals all across the nation are close to capacity and talking about rationing medical care.

So… No trips up and down 95… No sneak peeks at the top programs…

Times are hard for hoopheads.

Imagine my surprise when I heard there was a good game scheduled tonight. We all know the schools are NOT currently playing. We ALL know that the PIAA and the NJSIAA are trying to figure out a way forward.

So… this was NOT a HS basketball game…

But, somehow, someway… mystically, magically and fortuitously the players from two of the top high school programs just happened to meet up at 3640 G Street at 7:00 pm.

Who know how these things happen? Who gives a fuck?

For degenerate hoopheads like myself, the only thing that matters is there was actual competitive basketball to be witnessed.

No cheerleaders… No matching uniforms… No Public Address announcer…

Just 20 or so super-talented and highly motivated players, a couple of referees, a scorekeeper and someone at the door pointing a thermometer at every skull that entered the door.

Just so happened that this particular “club” matchup featured players from Archbishop Ryan playing against players from Camden High School.

On August 4, Black Cager released a “Way too soon Top 5 High School Programs” in the Greater Philadelphia Region. On that list, Camden was number 1 and Archbishop Ryan was number 5. That made this game a battle between 2 of the top contenders for mythical Black Cager Pound for Pound title.

This setting, while not ideal, certainly serves a purpose. Kids that have been effectively banned from getting together in their school gymnasiums are able to convene and actually play structured basketball. Prospects seeking to leverage their basketball abilities for access to higher education get to put a performance on film for college coaches that have been chained to their desks since March. The importance of the video cannot be overstated.

All indications are that Division 1 basketball coach will not be allowed to evaluate prospects in person until April 2021 at the earliest. That means that current HS kids will go a full year of playing without college coaches in the stands.

Good video right now could result in anywhere from $200,000 to $320,000 being made available to a family for educational related expenses.

This shit matters…

It should be noted that I am blessed and favored… I have tremendous relationships with many of the kids and parents navigating the recruitment process right now. Prior to this game, I called Ryan combo guard Jalen Snead ’22 and reminded him that he was going to be matched up against DJ Wagner, the Number 1 player in the Class of 2023. In a very direct and forceful manner, I let him know that I expect him to demonstrate that he is severely underrated by meeting that challenge.

Jalen Snead, ’22 Ryan Combo Guard

I also called, Rodney Warren, the father of Aaron Lemon-Warren and let him know I would give him call after the game. He works out of town and could not be in attendance.

I speak with Taquan Woodley every day. We never really discuss his performance. Mostly because there’s really very little variation from game to game… Double-Double with about 4-6 blocks… Book it…

I come in the gym and I see, Bill and Beth Tomasco, parents of Ryan PF Christian Tomasco ‘21. Christian was one of the biggest free agent pick ups of the past off season. While he has a D1 offer and plenty of D1 interest, he wants to demonstrate that he ranks among the best players still on the board. After warmly greeting the Tomascos, I see Christian seated about four feet away from his folk…

“Muthafucka… This is what you wanted!”

I sit next to Christian and remind him that there will be video from this game. I also note that Woodley is, perhaps, the premier BIG still on the table in the class of ’21. A strong performance against Woodley would certainly help Tomasco increase his stature.

A few minutes later, the game gets underway…

As one would expect from a group of kids unable to access their gyms and practice on a consistent basis, the play is a little uneven and ragged at times. But the effort and talent are there for all to see.

Luke Boyd, ’22 Ryan Shooting Guard

Ryan jumps out to a double digit lead early. As usual, sharpshooter Luke Boyd is dialed in… Boyd would finish with a game high 19 points with 5 3-pointers and 3 rebounders. Ivy and Patriot League programs would be wise to reach out to Boyd. A few weeks ago he dropped 22 against Nationally Ranked St. Frances (MD). A pattern is emerging… Big shots from deep in big games…

Snead was relishing his opportunity to play against the best player in the Class of 2023 and one of the premier guards in the country regardless of class.

Last year… Snead was named 1st team All-Muthafucka by Black Cager Sports Media… The Baller TV viewers and those in attendance got to see for themselves how he earned that designation. Exceedingly quick, with long arms he is an excellent defender. He harassed Wagner from start to finish. He was able to consistently stay in front of him, he blocked his shot, he disrupted his dribble… Basically… Snead was a muthafucka defensively…

His stat line for the game was typical Snead… 4 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block.

DJ Wagner, ’23 Camden HS Combo Guard, ESPN #1 2023

Of course, the uber-talented Wagner would have his moments on his way to solid 13 points, 2 steals and 1 assist. What remains the most impressive aspect of Wagner’s game is his mental toughness. Even when the shots are not falling, he continues to ferociously defend and make plays for his teammates. As a sophomore, Wagner is one of the most mature players I’ve seen in recent years.

Snead, in the opinion of this observer demonstrated clearly that he is a bona fide Division 1 prospect.

Tomasco did what he was supposed to do.

He ran the floor very well. He showed some range from the beyond the 3 point line. Against one the most formidable front courts in the nation, he finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists.

Looking ahead and assuming there will be a high school basketball season, Tomasco adds a dimension to this Ryan club that makes them a real contender to return to the Catholic League Final Four for the 4th time in 6 years and maybe take the title back to the far Northeast this year.

Players from Archbishop Ryan

Still working himself into form, Lemon-Warren was solid with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. He is just a complete basketball player. With practice and increased reps, he will be one of the contenders for Catholic League MVP.

As the game wore on, the difference was the relentless pressure on the boards applied by Taquan Woodley (14 points) and Jerome Brewer (17 points). After deploying a full court press to disrupt the early offensive flow of Ryan, Camden’s big duo dominated the boards in the second half.

Now a senior, Woodley has evolved from a high energy super athletic defensive force into a cerebral leader of this version of the Camden Panthers. He is playing the game at his own pace, making sure his teammates are in the correct positions on both ends of the floor, protecting the rim and scoring big buckets when needed.

Taquan Woodley, ’21 Camden HS PF

Earlier today, Woodley formally decommitted from Penn State. Thus far, he has been contacted by La Salle, St. Joseph’s, Temple, St. John’s, Mississippi State, Seton Hall, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Auburn, SMU, VCU and Akron.

He is clearly the “bad bitch” at the bar… Right now, everyone wants to buy him a drink and take him home.

But the best part of my day came when I got home. Earlier, I had gave my friend Gerald Holmes a heads up… Holmes is the highly successful Had Coach of the Division 2 Bloomfield College basketball program in New Jersey. Told him he could catch this game on Baller TV. Always working, Holmes watched intently.

Then at exactly 8:24 pm… A potential 6 figure conversation began…

A great game… indeed!

Thank you Difference Makers, The Miller Report and FiDonce Basketball Player Development…

The importance of the video cannot be overstated.

Players from Camden HS

Coronavirus “Refugees”: HS Student-Athletes

August 5, 2020 By in Baltimore Basketball, Black Cager Grassroots Hoops, Catholic League Basketball, Scholastic Basketball, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Elections have consequences…

In 2016, America reacted to the close of the first presidential administration led by a Black man by placing a reality TV star, Donald Trump, in the White House. By any reasonable measure, the host of “The Apprentice” has failed to adequately deal with the public health crisis caused by coronavirus pandemic that overwhelmed the mid-Atlantic region in the first half of 2020 and continues to advance through the South and mid-West with relentless verve.

Coronavirus is kicking our American asses! It reminds me of the Dream Team’s blowout of Somalia. Just like the African nation on the court, the USA led by “Coach” Trump is offering very little resistance.

Coronavirus has grabbed America by the pussy…

This situation could conceivably create pockets of athletic “refugees.” Recently, Maryland joined six other states with the District of Columbia, to move its fall season to the New Year. Unless, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. follow suit, scholarship level HS student-athletes have a tough choice to make.

Courtesy Woodrow Wilson High School Basketball, Washington, D.C.

If a football or basketball player in Maryland or Washington, D.C. has received “interest” from NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 programs but no offers, they feel immense pressure to perform in scholastic contests to prove themselves worthy of a scholarship. If they have offers from low major D1 programs or D2 programs, they feel pressure to prove themselves worthy of mid to high major offers.

The horrendous handling of the coronavirus pandemic by the Trump administration resulted has resulted in tremendous uncertainty in all facets of American life, including scholastic sports.

On February 26, President Trump boasted that the coronavirus was about to disappear altogether from the United States. “You have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.”

As of August 15, there have been 4,793,950 confirmed cases and 157,416 deaths.

People are justifiably shook… State governors and state sanctioning bodies have been forced to develop strategies and policies to deal with a NATIONAL crisis. They are performing admirably in their attempts to fill the void resulting from the breathtaking absence of Presidential leadership as the United States limps through the largest public health crisis in a century.

However, it should be noted that the absence of federal leadership has resulted in 50 different intervention strategies. The variation among the responses is significant. Some states have postponed Fall and Winter sports until 2021. Others are committed to fielding teams and having them play as if the coronavirus crisis has subsided.

District of Columbia — Per July 16 announcement, the District of Columbia State Athletic Association has postponed interscholastic activities until January 2021. Under this plan, winter season practices would begin Dec. 14 with games coming Jan. 4. Postponed fall sports would begin practicing Feb. 1 with games getting underway Feb. 22.

Maryland — The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) announced Aug. 3 that football along with all its fall and winter sports will be moved to a hybrid two-semester plan starting in 2021. The exact plan for how it will fit into the two semesters is still being worked on, but Maryland joined six other states with the District of Columbia, to move its fall season to the New Year. According to a MPSSAA news release, the new plan will be made available in the next couple of weeks.

Now… the parents of D.C. or Maryland student-athletes face a choice. Let’s assume their child has been contacted by college coaches interested in following him/her and perhaps offering an athletic scholarship. Thanks to the inept response of the occupant at 1600 Black Lives Matter Blvd., spring and summer organized sports activities have been abrogated.

No basketball playoffs… No grassroots/AAU events… No 7 on 7 football… No combines…

The NCAA implemented a “dead period” in March. It looks as if it will extend through the fall… No face to face recruiting… No live evaluation of players…

Athletic scholarships are worth anywhere from $200,000 to $320,000 depending on the school. That’s a nice chunk of change… These kids have invested years of training, practice and conditioning for this moment and it’s suddenly taken away.

What if the pandemic deepens? The schedule set for January 2021 may not come to fruition. What if they just cancel sports altogether?

Do D.C. and Maryland parents send their kids to play in Pennsylvania where games are scheduled to take place? Even if there are no fans, the video can be shared with college coaches looking to fill out rosters.

If Drexel told the kid they want to evaluate him in high school games, does he move to another state to make it happen. Drexel costs north of $80,000 per year. A Maryland kid could come play in the Philadelphia Catholic League or Division A of the Public League and prove himself worthy of the $320K schollie… Or, he could wait, hope and take the chance that the pandemic will subside and their current schools will have sports in the spring.

While driving on I-95 last weekend, I saw a “caravan” of a couple hundred fit, lean and athletic 17-18 year olds walking on the side of the road. They were headed north towards Philadelphia.

Elections have consequences… The next one is November 3, 2020.

Cahillite Nation… Da Fck?

February 26, 2020 By in Catholic League Basketball, Collin Gillespie, Neumann-Goretti, Rider Basketball, Roman Catholic Basketball, Uncategorized Leave a comment

I go to a LOT of basketball games… High School, college and occasionally an NBA game. There’s nothing I enjoy more than a highly competitive basketball game where there’s some real sh!t on the line! Quite frankly, that’s why I avoid the NBA…

Let’s keep it real… They actually play more regulars season games (82) than players get named to the Philadelphia All-Public Team (81)… Fckin Amazing…

My interest in the NBA starts to get piqued when the NBA playoffs edge toward the conference finals. Until then, it’s usually non-stop college hoops for me. Philadelphia City 6 basketball has been my sweet spot for more than 30 years. Most years, Drexel, Penn, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Temple and La Salle provide a hoop head with a wide range of options.

Unfortunately, this season has been highly problematic. Unless you visit the Main line, it’s damn near impossible to find college games where “there’s some real sh!t on the line.”

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Collin Gillespie, Villanova Point Guard

Villanova exists in an entirely different and distinct universe. The gap between the City 6 haves and have nots hasn’t been this cavernous since the boy from Chester was running point and kicking everybody’s ass at 54th and City Ave.

Jameer, Delonte, Barley, Carroll and Jones were clearly head and shoulders above everyone else in the area for an impressive 24-36 month span. Nova’s run, however, is now approaching a decade. Quite frankly, Jay is so good one could convincingly argue he has fcked up the competitive balance of the Big 5. On far too many occasions, it feels like you are watching a 20 year old big brother dominate his 9 year old little brother in a driveway battle for household supremacy.

Moreover and more importantly… There’s no end in sight…

As of today, St. Joseph’s (1-13), La Salle (4-10) and Temple (6-8) have a combined league record of 11-31… They, more or less, stink… Some smell much worse than the others… But they have all been a lil’ pungent this year.

It should be noted that I LOVE these basketball programs! Many of the coaches are my friends and I’ve watched a lot of the players rise through the ranks to reach their D1 goal. I like nothing more than driving to conference tournaments when these teams are in contention and watching them with a chance to play themselves into March Madness…

Again… I LOVE to watch them play with some real shit on the line!

Well this year… There’s a better chance that Mexico will “pay for the wall” than St. Joseph’s, LaSalle or Temple playing themselves in the NCAA tournament by sweeping through their respective conference tournaments…

Real Rap… Stick a fork in ’em… Or, let’s talk about next year…

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Camren Wynter, Drexel Point Guard

 

Drexel has had some spurts… They have, Camren Wynter, one of the best guards in the CAA and James Butler, a double-double machine at power forward. Zack Spiker’s crew had my hopes up for a moment… Maybe… Just maybe I could head out to the CAA tournament. Then they lost 8 of their last 9 games… Da Fuck?

The Penn Quakers, last year’s Big 5 Champion actually DON’T stink… They ahiiiight… Standing 13-10 overall and 5-5 in the league, maybe just maybe they can pull it together and make a run in the Ivy League tournament… But… But… first they have to get in the tournament.

The Ivy Tournament features ONLY the top 4 teams in the league and right now the Quakers are 5th… If they season ended today they would be on the outside looking in… If they sweep their remaining 4 games they would be in good shape… Good Luck… I’ll be paying close attention, because the Quakers are actually playing games with “some real shit on the line.”

Back to Nova… Being from Darby Township, I’m not a Grey Poupon/Main Line kinda guy… While I’m the first to admit that Nova has, by far, the best product on the market, I’m NOT going that far up Lancaster Ave. more than once or twice a year.

Nonetheless, I refuse to give up my quest for games with “some real sh!t on the line.”
So, I have turned my attention to the scholastic ranks… Man, let me tell you… the high school kids didn’t let me down.

I watched a LOT of HS ball this year… Reading vs Wilson West Lawn, Poly (MD) vs St. Frances (MD), Oak Hill (VA) vs St. Frances, IMG vs Poly (MD), West Catholic vs Archbishop Ryan, Roman Catholic vs Roman, SLA Beeber vs West Philadelphia, Lincoln vs MCS, Archbishop Wood vs Neumann-Goretti, Downingtown West vs Coatesville, Academy Park vs Chester and many others.

These kids were BALLING!! These games were intense!! I got my fix…

But yesterday, I damn near overdosed…

I attended what has to be the most special and most significant HS basketball game in America. The Championship game of the Philadelphia Catholic League is played annually in front of capacity crowds in the historic Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Blaise Vespe and Warren Eaddy, Neumann-Goretti

This years game was special for many reasons…More than anything else, it’s a game with a LOT of real shit on the line.

First of all, it was a rematch of last years semi-final contest between to the two dominant Catholic League HS programs of the past quarter century.  Roman Catholic knocked off Neumann-Goretti 72-66 at the Palestra last year.

That was last year…

That 2019 Roman squad was loaded. Seth Lundy and Hakim Hart are Big 10 players a year later. Louie Wild is drawing low D1/D2 interest while completing a prep year with Olympus. Gabe Perez is on the roster at D2 Chestnut Hill College. Jalen Duren is the consensus #2 player in the Class of 2022. Justice Williams has emerged as a Top 30 National prospect in the 2022 class one of the top 3 guards in the Greater Philadelphia region regardless of class. Lynn Greer, III is a solid mid-major plus/high major prospect.

Shit!

As expected, Roman won the Catholic League Championship.

Neumann-Goretti’s 2019 squad was also very strong. Chris Ings has been a freshman starter for a good Rider University team all year. Hakim Byrd has committed to join Ings in the MAAC with Marist College. Jordan Hall is headed to 54th and City Ave. to play for the Hawks in the A10. Cameron Young is on his way to Bowling Green and the tough MAC conference. Chris Evans has been drawing interest from low D1/D2 programs and may the best 3-point shooter in the region.

As good as Neumann-Goretti was, it wasn’t enough to get past Roman as the Cahillites won their 4th Catholic League Championship in 5 years.

But graduation took Hart, Lundy, Wild and Perez away. That’s a LOT to lose at one time. Fans and supporters of a typical program would urge caution going forward. The logical thing to do would be to tamper down expectations. Especially, in light of Neumann-Goretti acquiring free agent D1 prospects Hysier Miller (Martin L. King) and Blaise Vespe (St. Augustine Prep) in a busy off-season.

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Hakim Byrd and Hysier Miller, Neumann-Goretti Guards

But… Cahillite Nation ain’t built like that… Their DNA is missing the modesty gene… It renders them incapable to spotting shortcomings and acknowledging weaknesses. Even when they are glaring and easy to spot.

Although they are incredibly gifted athletes, Duren and Williams are just basketball babies, they are mere sophomores. While Greer has been around and been a key part of some wonderful Roman Catholic teams, he was never THE guy. Seth Lundy was THE guy… Hakim Hart was the OTHER guy… Louie Wild did all the little intangible stuff that wins games… They were all gone.

Talent alone is not enough to win games against other talented well-coached teams.

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Cameron Young and Chris Evans, Neumann-Goretti

Recognizing the need to reshape and reformulate his team, Roman Catholic Head Coach, Matt Griffin kept them active year round. Matt is a super sharp guy… He gets it…

Cahillite Nation saw the individual rankings… They saw the high major offers… They heard the incredibly optimistic chatter… They thought people would roll over and play dead because Roman showed up with 3 high major prospects.

The problem is… You have to ACTUALLY play basketball games.

In the summer they went up to Rider and played in a team camp. The competition was fierce. Roman got swept.

Cahillite Nation chimed in… “Team Camp games don’t count!”

Huh? The refs were there… They kept score… Rider coaches were watching…

Coach Griffin knew better…  He put the Cahillites in the best HS Live Period Event on the eastern seaboard. Once again, Roman got swept… Spanked… Embarrassed…

Cahillite Nation spoke up immediately… “HS Live Period games don’t count!”

Huh? Fans were there… Over 200 D1 coaches watched the games…

Fall came around, St. Frances (MD) and Trenton Catholic (NJ) squared off against Roman in The Black Cager Fall Classic in late September… Again… Roman went 0-2.

A pattern was becoming obvious… something was awry… something was askew… Shit wasn’t right… Cahillite Nation was not even slightly concerned… They would just turn it on and run through the regular season.

The capacity crowds that watched the Fall Classic didn’t matter… Like #45, Cahillite Nation insisted “what you see and hear is not actually happening.”

But… Then they started playing regular seasons HS games…

Roman, as always, had a STRONG national schedule lined up… They faced McEachern in Florida and lost… They faced Vashon in St. Louis and lost…

To their credit, They traveled across the Ben Franklin bridge and knocked off Nationally ranked and NJ #1 Camden HS… With that victory, Cahillite Nation was convinced the ship was righted… They forcefully told me so in the aftermath of that particular game.

Then they traveled to Utah and lost to Wasatch Academy and Indiana where they fell to La Lumiere…

SMH…

By now you would think Cahillite Nation would exhibit a little humility and grace… Nope! Not a chance…

“None of that matters, we gonna roll through the Catholic League… watch!”

The talk was HEAVY, real HEAVY!

Then Catholic League play started and Friars travelled from Drexel Hill to play Roman in the matchbox on the top floor. Bonner-Prendie spanked ‘em at home… Whoaaa…

Ten days later, they would face Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Wood in back-to-back road contests… Roman lost both games…

Two weeks after that, they would make their way up to Wyncote to face a tough McDevitt club… Yet another loss…

After spending the entire Summer, Fall and a good portion of the winter losing basketball games, Cahillite Nation proudly declared Roman Catholic the favorite to win the prestigious Catholic League Championship.

“We built for the Palestra” they said…

Roman proceeded to eek out a narrow 2-point victory over Bonner-Prendie in the quarterfinals to make it back to the Palestra for the semi-finals. Then they spanked a tough Archbishop Wood squad in the semi-finals by 10 to advance to the finals.

Under the influence of a 6 game winning streak, Cahillite Nation couldn’t resist the temptation to talk shit.

The Championship became a foregone conclusion in their narrative… They would roll over Neumann-Goretti to retain the title that is their birthright.

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Head Coach, Carl Arrigale and Asst. Coach, Pat Sorrento, Neumann-Goretti

Except they had to actually play the basketball game… Cameron Young, Hysier Miller, Hakim Byrd, Jordan Hall, Chris Evans and Blaise Vespe felt very strongly that they were the better team. During the 32 minute contest, they proved they had the better basketball team.

They proceeded to lead the contest for about 29 or 30 of the 32 minutes. Few objective observers would disagree with the assertion that the Saints were the better team.

As the clock wound down, one of my dear friends and one of the leaders of Cahillite Nation started to leave with a few seconds remaining on the clock. I made sure to get his attention and shake his hand before he could exit.

He extended his hand and said “This game doesn’t matter, we’re gonna win the next 2 anyway.”

Cahillite Nation… Da Fuck?

The HS Hoops Experience: Philly vs Baltimore

January 27, 2020 By in Archbishop Wood Basketball, Baltimore Basketball, Camden High, Catholic League Basketball, Neumann-Goretti, Raw Sports, Roman Catholic Basketball, St. Frances Academy Basketball, Uncategorized Leave a comment

There is a huge demand for high quality basketball… Hoopheads want to watch talented players in tightly contested games… On one hand, elite high school programs throughout the mid-Atlantic region are delivering… On the other hand, College programs? Not so much…

In recent weeks, Black Cager Sports has covered some of the finest scholastic basketball America has to offer. We were courtside for Camden vs Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti vs Roman Catholic, Reading vs Wilson West Lawn, Archbishop Wood vs Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti vs Archbishop Wood, Camden vs Roselle Catholic and Poly (MD) vs St. Frances (MD).

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Rahsool Diggins defended by Hysier Miller. Photo Credit: Mark Jordan, Raw Sports

These were wonderful games featuring highly ranked players. Nearly every contest featured a few HIGH major Division 1 prospects and, in some cases, as many as 10 or 11 low to mid-major D1 prospects were on the floor at the same time.

The strong thirst for high level basketball is evidenced by the insatiable demand for tickets to these games. There was, literally speaking, not any empty seat available for any of these contests. The Camden/Roman game, Reading/Wilson game and Philadelphia Catholic League games were sold out within hours of the tickets being made available.

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Hakim Bryd defended by Jaylen Stinson. Photo Credit: Mark Jordan, Raw Sports

The fact that tickets were NOT available only served as a slight deterrent to dedicated and determined Philadelphia area hoopheads. It merely added an element of creativity to the mission… They showed up anyway looking for a side door, a window, a heating duct… Any possible means of ingress. When all else fails, some deploy a high powered ‘blitz’ that hasn’t been seen round these parts since the departure of legendary Eagles coach Buddy Ryan.

Shit is that serious… Tickets to elite HS school basketball tickets move like Popeye’s chicken sandwiches when they first return to the menu.

I absolutely love packed gyms, highly ranked teams, intense rivalries and good players. This is basketball as it was meant to be played. The high schools have it in abundance.

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Anthony Hoggard seated courtside for Camden vs Roselle Catholic at Neumann University

Philadelphia area colleges, for the most part, are not delivering a product of similar quality. The Big 5 has become almost an afterthought to all but the most dedicated alums. There is one exception of course, Villanova exists on a separate planet. The Wildcats have watched their blood change from red to blue over the last ten years or so. Thier ascent has been accompanied by an ever expanding cadre of front runners joinging the Main Line movement.

The rest are struggling mightily… After a solid start, Temple is 10-9 (2-5) and sit in 10th place in American Athletic Conference. La Salle also had a decent non-conference run and came back to earth once league play began. The Explorers are also 10-9 (1-6) and currently in 13th place in the A10. Last year’s Big 5 champion Penn Quakers are floundering at 8-7 (0-2 in the Ivy League). After seven league games, St. Joseph’s finds itself 7 games out of first place in the A10. The Hawks are 4-16 (0-7) on the season.

Outside of Villanova, the college basketball landscape in Philly barren…

Predictably, fans have been avoiding the Liacouris, Gola and Hagan arenas in droves. Even the fabled Palestra is more than half empty most nights. Meanwhile, true hoopheads have been climbing on top of one another for an opportunity to watch the finest high school teams in the area. As I noted earlier, people really want to see good competitive basketball game between strong and familiar teams featuring good players.

While high school basketball is very popular throughout the mid-Atlantic region, there are some significant and noticeable regional differences worth mentioning. It’s all good, but there are some decidedly different flavors…

Here, I’ll touch on a few variations that exist between elite high school basketball in Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Rodney Veney, Philly Pride Co-Director at Wood vs Neumann-Goretti

First up, the venues… In Philadelphia, games featuring 10-12 D1 prospects are often played in HS gyms with a maximum capacity of 600-800 spectators. To their credit, school administrators usually turn a blind eyes to those maximum capacity certificates hanging on the walls. As much as humanly possible, they try to accommodate the hungry and thirsty fanbase. They sell tickets til it just not possible to fit more human beings into the gyms. As a result, in most games, there is not a single free square foot of space in the gym that is NOT dedicated to the actual game.

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Neumann-Goretti fans along the baseline during the Roman Catholic game

Referees are constantly tasked with gently reminding overzealous and passionate throngs to give the kids just a lil’ space so they can inbounds the ball along the baseline. Fully engaged fans can be found breathing down the necks of the players who can literally discern what fans had for lunch or whether they smoked ‘loud’ or ‘Reggie’ in the parking lot.

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Lynn Greer, III along baseline during warmups at Archbishop Wood

It’s an intense atmosphere for sure… For a lil’ over two hours on game days, Roman, Wood and Neumann-Goretti gyms are packed tighter than slave ships traversing the Atlantic in the early 1800’s. The sheer number of excited, energetic and highly emotional humans easily overwhelms the climate control systems in these decades old facilities.

They get HOT as shit. By the 4th quarter, they feel like an oven set on ”HELL!”

Loyal fans happily endure the momentary discomfort… What are they gonna do? Where are the alternatives? Are they gonna go watch college games featuring losing teams with players from countries, counties and towns they can’t pronounce?

Naaaaah… Philly hoopheads wanna see Philly Ballers!

In Baltimore, big HS games are played in Division 1 facilities. Last year, big games were played in Towson’s SECU Arena which seats 5,200. Yesterday, I attended the St. Frances v Poly game at the 4,000 seat Talmadge L. Hill Field House on the campus of Morgan State University

 

 

 

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St. Frances Academy supporters

They have it figured out…

In Philadelphia, one constantly hears that you cannot play high school games in Division 1 facilities. In Baltimore, One can constantly attend high school games played in Division 1 facilities.

What gives? We’ll try to clear up the discrepancy and report back to you…

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St Frances Coach, Nick Myles, paces the sideline in front of overflowing capacity crowd

Every single seat was filled well before tip-off at the Hill Field House yesterday. Indeed, there were still hundreds in a line to purchase tickets that wrapped around the arena 15 minutes before tip-off. Just like in Philadelphia, the authorities didn’t pay close attention to that pesky maximum capacity certificate hanging in plain view.

Get this… The price of admission was $20 for a boys and girls doubleheader. Using “old” math skills I learned in the early 1970s, 4,000 times $20 equals a gate of about $80,000. In contrast, Camden High School home games cost $3. If Camden attract 1,000 fans to Woodrow Wilson HS the game will generate $3,000.

Maybe that why high schools in Maryland are able to afford shot clocks…

That’s another major difference between the brand of basketball played in Baltimore and that played in Philadelphia.

The presence of the 30 second shot clock changes the game.

Coaches are forced to really coach down the stretch.

Good defense is immediately rewarded.

Perhaps, most importantly, players learn to play under conditions they will face for the rest of their playing careers.

Indeed, I haven’t seen a persuasive argument AGAINST shot clocks in basketball… Ever…

There’s one more difference between HS hoops in the Philly and Baltimore that’s worthy of discussion. The cultural feel varies considerably…

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Neumann-Goretti Senior Star PG Hakim Byrd. Photo Credit: Mark Jordan, Raw Sports

The very best Philadelphia High School games have an old-school Big 5 feel to them. The hard-core hoophead alums of Roman, Wood and Neumann-Goretti for the most part are middle-aged white males. These guys are fervent supporters of the young men  currently playing for their alma maters. It’s a wonderful thing to see diverse crowds coming together to share a scholastic basketball experience.

High quality Catholic League basketball games are, arguably, the most diverse regularly scheduled gatherings in Philadelphia.

It’s a beautiful thing and it portends well for the role that sports can have in building and maintaining a semblance of unity in a city of racially stratified neighborhoods. Catholic League basketball in Philadelphia is truly a multicultural and multiracial phenomena.

The very best high school basketball in Baltimore is much different…

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A section of fans at the Poly vs St, Frances game on Saturday

Games featuring the top teams and players have a decidedly HBCU homecoming feel to them. The alums, are Black, the fans are Black, the cheerleaders are Black, the ticket takers are Black, the security guards are Black, the athletic Directors are Black, the coaches are Black, the vendors are Black… Yesterday, there were well over 4,000 people in the Hill Field House and I might have seen a total of 10-12 white people.

 

It’s a wonderful thing to see Black people coming together to share a scholastic basketball experience. The manner in which people greet one another… The chants… The cheers… The food at concession stands… Everything is different when it’s done by Blacks for Blacks.

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Angel Reese, St Frances Academy (MD), 2020 McDonald’s All-American

Every so often, I would sneak glance at the door… I was waiting for Avon, Slim Charles, Bodie Broadus and Wee Bey... How would they get past the metal detectors? Then I remembered Wee Bey is still upstate with Chris Partlow’s homicidal ass and Bodie is dead. So, I just watched a helluva high school basketball game.

St. Frances, led by their outstanding senior point guard, Ace Baldwin (VCU commit) 13 points, 8 assists and 5 steals, defeated No. 1 and nationally ranked Poly, 57-53.  Senior forward Jamal West (South Alabama commit) contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Poly, which was led by Marquette commit Justin Lewis (18 points) and Brandon Murray (15 points).

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St. Frances Coach Nick Myles and Team Melo Director Julian Brown in Hill Field House

As usual, the hospitality shown to Black Cager Sports was beyond reproach. Team Melo Directors Bay Frazier, Julian Brown (pictured, above right) and St. Frances Academy Head Coach, Nick Myles always make sure Black Cager Sports feels right at home in the Charm City. The Baltimore HS basketball experience is not necessarily better than that of Philadelphia, but it certainly is different, very different.

Man… If we can get these colleges back on track…

 

Hysier Miller Leads Neumann-Goretti to Win Over Wood!

January 25, 2020 By in Archbishop Wood Basketball, Catholic League Basketball, Neumann-Goretti, Raw Sports, Uncategorized Leave a comment

“I’m gonna bust his ass ALL night!”

“Bum ass nigga!”

That was the chatter on the court in the first quarter of the matchup between the two BEST teams in the BEST scholastic high school league in America.

Lots of disrespectful shit was said… Especially among the guards… I LOVE it!

Philly ain’t for everybody… I had to park damn near at the navy Yard… the gym was on broil… seats were unavailable… the ONLY way to get tickets was to see my man and ’em outside in the parking lot and pay well above face value…

I keep saying it… I don’t know if people are truly appreciating what we have here… This is the Golden Age… In ten years, we will be talking about the games being played this year.

Tonight’s game between the visiting Archbishop Wood Vikings and Neumann-Goretti Saints featured 10 starting players that will ALL receive Division 1 basketball scholarships. It was, in effect, a D1 game in that overcrowded HOT ass lil’ gym on 10th street. The quality of play was exceedingly high. Especially among the Philly guards…

It’s no secret, the Philadelphia Catholic League features some of the finest backcourt players in America. The coaches face a unique challenge every game. Last week, for example, Neumann-Goretti faced Roman Catholic and Head Coach Carl Arrigale had to devise a plan for dealing with one such HIGH major prospect, namely, Lynn Greer, III.

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Lynn Greer, III, Roman Catholic PG

Some coaches spend countless hours reviewing film, scheming, planning, plotting and designing special contingencies for containing high major players like Greer.  Arrigale takes a decidedly different approach. Greer came into the game with a heavy rep… He has played exclusively on the EYBL… He participated in USA Basketball… He has been offered scholarships by Nebraska (Big 10), Georgia (SEC), Wake Forest (ACC), Miami (ACC), Iowa (Big 10), Marquette (Big East), UNLV (Mountain West), Florida (SEC) St. Joseph’s (A10), Penn State (Big 10) and Temple (AAC) among others.

A very capable offensive player, Greer is capable of dropping 30 or even 40 on a given night. He is able to score from all three levels. He gets to the rim, he pulls up for mid-range jumpers and he knocks down threes… So what was Arrigale’s strategy? How would Neumann-Goretti deal with Greer?

“Fabe… you got him.”

That’s good fucking coaching right there! No double teams… No traps… No zones…

“Fabe… you got him.”

It worked as Miller (16 points) more than held his own against Greer (17 points) and Neumann-Goretti escaped with a 77-69 win in double overtime.

Tonight Neumann-Goretti faced yet another high major guard… Rahsool Diggins is the MAN right now. In a city known for producing high quality point guards, Diggins has assumed the throne. In a game against Roman Catholic last weekend, Matt Griffin exhibited a tremendous amount of respect for Diggins. Whenever, he crossed half court with his dribble still alive, Roman ran a second defender at him. Indeed, they double teamed Diggins throughout much of the game.

Deploying this strategy, Roman ‘held’ Diggins to 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a one point, 94-93 loss to Wood.

Diggins is a bona fide HIGH MAJOR prospect. An EYBL stalwart, he holds offers from Seton Hall (Big East), Miami (ACC), UConn (Big East), Wake Forest (ACC), St. Louis (A10), Florida (SEC), UMass (A10), Xavier (A10), Virginia Tech (ACC) and La Salle (A10) are just some of his suitors. Earlier this season, he lit up Duke’s 5 star PG commit Jeremy Roach for 26 in a 7 OT loss.

Lil’ Sool is a fuckin’ problem… He gives opponents fits… He’s exceptional in clear out situations where he creates space with wicked crossovers and in and out moves… He’s perhaps the best in the city at running pick and rolls… He often finds Daeshon Shepard and/or Muneer Newton for easy alley oop scoring opportunities… He’s deadly from three, especially in crunch time… So what was Arrigale’s strategy? How would Neumann-Goretti deal with Lil’ Sool?

“Fabe… you got him.”

That’s good fucking coaching right there! No double teams… No traps… No zones…

“Fabe… you got him.”

So… Who is Fabe? Standing a chiseled 6’2” Hysier “Fabe” Miller is a defensive specialist with a strong and varied offensive repertoire. He transferred from Martin L. King, Jr. Neumann-Goretti this past summer. He has spent the first month and half of the current season firmly establishing himself as one of the premier guards in the Catholic League and the Greater Philadelphia region.

It should, however, be noted that Fabe’s not new to this… for the past few years, Miller has honed his skills playing for Harold Mackey Boswell and WER1 in the summer and Sean Colson and Martin L. King, Jr. HS in the Public League. He put in work far away from glaring spotlight. While Greer and Diggins were entrenching themselves as HIGH MAJOR prospects on the EYBL and in Catholic League, Miller toiled away on the UAA and in the PUB.

Every night, he trudged back home to Wilson Park.

A highly productive guard for Colson, Miller was not on the radar screen of Division 1 coaches until very recently. Since the onset of the new year, Rider University (MAAC) and Wagner College (NEC) have offered him scholarships. These are his first two Division 1 offers. It’s safe to assume that he will garner much more attention going forward. After his performance tonight, one of the Big 5 programs made it clear that they would love to have him.

Rather than spoil the moment for Miller, we won’t reveal the school until they are able to tell him in person.

The coach said he needs to get ‘tougher guards’ and Miller fits the bill.

That’s good fucking coaching… Fabe from Wilson Park is ‘tough’ and highly skilled!

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Hysier Miller speaks with Michael Starling, Raw Sports after win over Wood

Tonight, he played the very best point guard in the city head up and held him to 15 while scoring 24. As the clock ran out and the final buzzer sounded, Miller forcefully pounded to the ball into the ground sending it bouncing high into the rafters, signaling satisfaction with both his performance and the important Catholic League win.

That was his understated way of talkin’ shit! I heard it loud and clear… I LOVE it!

The HIGH major boys haven’t discovered the kid from Wilson Park yet… But, Big 5 programs have started to take notice.

Miller has squarely situated himself in any discussion of the best guards in the area. To their credit, Mackey Boswell and Sean Colson have been saying for more than a year now.

The ULTIMATE Snub! Diamond Johnson Excluded from the McDonald’s AA Game

January 24, 2020 By in Catholic League Basketball, Diamond Johnson, Girls Basketball, Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia Catholic League, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining…

The McDonald’s All-American game is the premier HS all-star game. The game itself has been around since 1977. In the inaugural game, a group of All-Americans played in a game against a group of high school stars from the Washington, D.C. area. The following year, an East vs. West format was adopted. The McDonald’s All-American designation is 43 years old this year. In 2002, a girls game was added and the current girl-game/boy-game doubleheader format began.

It is well established that the McDonald’s All-American Team is the best-known of the American high-school basketball All-American teams. It’s really not even a close call…Designation as a McDonald’s All-American instantly brands a player as one of the top high-school players in the United States or Canada

It was forgone conclusion the Philadelphia would have a representative in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American game. The whole city was just waiting on the announcement.

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Diamond Johnson, Neumann-Goretti, Senior Point Guard. Photo Credit: South Philly Review

Shit was a lock! Neumann-Goretti’s Diamond Johnson had a better chance of being a McDonald’s All-American than Derek Jeter had of being inducted in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

I had her at 99.999999% in…

The resume is impeccable… Johnson is the reigning 2018-19 Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year. The Gatorade award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguished Johnson as Pennsylvania’s best high school girls basketball player. The 5-foot-6 junior guard led the Saints to an 18-8 record and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament. She averaged 28.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals through 26 games.

Plainly stated, Johnson is a bad, bad muthafucka on a basketball court… I watched her drop 54 points in an 88-79 win over Imhotep Charter in the 3A city championship game. She would start for 90-95 percent of the boys basketball teams in the Greater Philadelphia region. I first saw her about 4 years ago giving bigger boys the business on a scorching hot ‘Norf’ Philly asphalt court in Little Vaughn’s summer league. Johnson was also named MVP of the Woman’s Slam HS Summer Finale.

Basically… She is relentless and super talented… She is a problem… A real FUCKIN problem!

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The MVP of the Philadelphia Catholic League as a Junior, she is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 6 HS prospect recruit in the Class of 2020 by ESPN. The ESPN rankings are widely considered the most respected… She’s number 6… Number 6 in the whole country!

A model citizen, Johnson has donated her time as a mentor for young children and has volunteered locally on behalf of the Christopher’s Footprints Child Care Center. An outstanding student, Johnson has maintained a 3.57 GPA in the classroom.

This young woman is truly an elite scholar-athlete. Johnson is the VERY best basketball player Philadelphia has to offer to the world in 2020.

Yet, somehow the McDonald’s All-American selection committee concluded that the 6th ranked prospect in the United States of America, with a 3.5+ GPA was NOT worthy of inclusion among the 24 McDonalds All-Americans.

There it is… That’s the yellow, filthy, smelly piss running down my leg…

The voting process for the McDonald’s All American Games Teams involves the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. The Selection Committee is comprised of some of the nation’s (supposedly) most knowledgeable high school analysts, prep scouts, high school newspaper reporters and prestigious basketball coaches. There are 34 Boys Selection Committee members and 23 Girls Selection Committee members.

Putatively, selection takes place through a series of balloting system votes that are submitted by the Selection Committee.

‣  Votes are confidential.
‣ Committee members are instructed not to discuss any of the balloting results or nominees outside of the internal committee.
‣ At no time should any Committee member solicit information or opinions pertaining to any nominee’s athletic talent or basketball career.
‣ Each member submits his or her individual votes via a confidential and closed balloting system.

The results are tabulated from all voters and the top 24 vote getters compromise the McDonald’s All-American Teams.

That right there is where they tell me it’s raining…

There’s absolutely no way a young lady that was named MVP on the most prestigious summer circuit (Nike EYBL) while being ranked number 6 in the nation was left of the roster without the committee members discussing nominees outside of the internal committee. Her exclusion was deliberate and intentional. Somebody was butt hurt and sought vengeance against a 17 year old girl.

This was done to send a signal. But why? What could possible be the reasons?

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Diamond Johnson, MVP of Slam Summer Finale

Well… Johnson played AAU/Grassroots ball for Boo Williams out of Virginia. She did not play for the dominant Philadelphia area club.

And… She ultimately decided to commit to the team that the late racist/white supremacist, Don Imus, derogatorily referred to as the “nappy headed hoes.” Johnson chose Rutgers University. She turned down Notre Dame… She turned her back on Tennessee.

In short, she made the most significant decisions related to her career on her own. She did what she felt was best for Diamond Johnson. She refused to accept or follow the guidance of those controlling the power structure of girls basketball in Philadelphia.

For being independent… for choosing to play for Boo Williams and Vivian Stringer… Diamond Johnson was denied the ultimate recognition bestowed on High School players.

Fuck ‘em!

She is the best… They know she’s the best… You know she’s the best… I am proud of her independent streak. There’s always been a heavy cost associated with defying the ‘mainstream’ powers that be.

Can’t wait to see her crush some of preferred girls next year!