I apologized to Deyishon Miller today.

When I am wrong, I try own my mistakes. At the core of the Black Cager Sports mission is helping talented student-athletes transition to college. West Philadelphia HS senior guard, Deyishon Miller is one of the more talented basketball student-athletes in the Greater Philadelphia region. Until I walked in the St. Joseph’s Prep gym today, I never heard of him. That’s my fault…

I should’ve been aware of the young man’s presence on the Philadelphia basketball scene. I have to thank my good friend, Amauro Austin, for the tip. We were discussing West Philadelphia’s recent road victory over Bonner-Prendie and I asked Amauro, “Is Bonner bad or does West Philadelphia have some guys?”

Amouro replied, “It’s my understanding, West Philly has a couple of guys.”

Over the years, I have come to realize that Amauro is like a hungry Pit Bull looking for a bone in the park when it comes to talented, yet unheralded, basketball prospects. For example, he introduced me to Charlie Brown while he was toiling away in relative obscurity at George Washington HS. When he suggests that I take a peek, I always move the curtain to the side and take a hard look.

Based on his statement that West Philly has some dudes, I made my way down to see the Speedboys play a very young and talented St. Joseph’s Prep team.

One of West Philly’s dudes, Deyishon Miller, put on a magnificent display as the rapidly rising Public League team defeated it’s second consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League team on the road. Miller scored 36 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, shot 16-17 from the free throw line and drained 5 3-pointers.

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Miller is a very fluid scorer who gets buckets in a variety of ways. Standing 6’4” and coming in at a solid 210 lbs, he is a very good athlete with excellent lift and explosiveness. He is able to pair his athleticism nicely with a quick first step to consistently blow by defenders and attack the basket off the dribble. His leaping ability also makes him a lethal cutter and transition scorer, taking very little time to load up and bounce.

Miller is a confident dribbler with a knack for creating space, especially when it comes to his step-back jumper. He’s a shot creator in every sense of the term. Miller can score from all three levels, he demonstrates an ability to operate as a pick-and-roll ball handler and an off-ball scorer. Miller also exhibits very good vision and playmaking ability.

The tallest player on West Philadelphia’s roster, defensively Miller was matched up against 6’9” 240 sophomore center Tristen Guillouette. He did an outstanding job defending the post. He was able to hold his position and keep Guillouette off the boards Offensively, Miller played point guard for the Speedboys. He did an excellent job controlling the pace of the game and keeping his teammates involved.

The West Philadelphia Boys Basketball Program has done an outstanding job developing Miller. He consistently makes the correct basketball play. Low-mid D1s, PSAC and CIAA schools need to make their way to West Philly’s gym as soon as possible.

Deyishon Miller is a solid college basketball prospect. Now that the Speedboys have started the season with 2 convincing wins against solid Catholic League teams and he’s posting “Oscar stats”, people will start to take notice.

Again… I apologize for not knowing Deyishon Miller until today… Now that I know him, so will every low to mid D1 and D2 coach in my rolodex.

Absolute scholarship level player!

Everything ain’t for everybody…

I’ve never attended the Mummers parade in my life… Nor, have I attended a Flyers game… Union soccer? Drive by the stadium in Chester 5 times a week, have never ventured inside.

WWE wrasslin’? That’s not my thing… But, I must admit, about thirty years ago one of my youngins wanted to see Razor Ramone sooooo bad, I broke down and bought us some tickets. While my youngbuck absolutely lost his mind, that evening confirmed what I strongly suspected. I just cannot do scripted sports (other than some NBA playoff games).

NASCAR? Naaah… I’ll pass.

In my forties, I discovered I love golf. Truth be told, I like the game… I LOVE that golf offers the perfect opportunity to talk shit to opponents for 4 hours without risking a torn achilles tendon or ACL tear.

Tennis? I absolutely loved watching tennis when Serena Williams was 20-30 years old. For some reason, my interest has waned lately.

Now… Since I can remember, I’ve been passionate about basketball. I’ve loved it ever since I sat in a theater at the age of ten and a young Lawrence Fishburne screamed “they killed Cornbread… they killed Cornbread… they killed Cornbread” over and over and over again for what seemed like an hour. Jamaal Wilkes (Cornbread) became my favorite player until Magic Johnson knocked off Larry Bird in the NCAA Championship game in 1979.

I’ve been to hundreds of basketball games over the years since then. NBA games, G-League games, semi-pro games, NCAA Final Four games, high major college games, small college games, high school games, AAU/grassroots games… every type of game you can imagine.

Maaaaaaan listen…

Nothing… and I mean nothing is like a game between my beloved alma mater Lincoln University and our long-standing rival Cheyney University. But this game ain’t for everybody.

If you eat potato salad and you don’t know who made it… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

If you prefer pumpkin pie over sweet potato pie… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

If you think Eminem is better than Biggie, Nas or Jay-Z… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

If you never dropped your candy on the ground, retrieved it and kissed it up to God… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

If you never played “catch a girl, get a girl”… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

If none of your cousins sell weed… The Lincoln/Cheyney game ain’t for you…

Real shit…

On Wednesday, December 7, 2021, this magnificent rivalry resumed at Cope Hall on Cheyney’s beautiful campus nestled on the border between Delaware and Chester counties. A raucous sell out crowd filled the brightly lit sauna… I mean gymnasium.

The thermostat had to be set to “broil”… Those familiar with some of the older HBCU facilities across the country understand that the heat is just like the heat in old public housing projects. It’s either off and bitter cold or on and sweltering. There’s no adjusting temperature… No fine tuning…

In the old projects, if you want the temperature to get below a 100 degrees? Open a window. You want it below 90 degrees? Open 2 windows.

And so it was at Cope Hall…

Once it became overpowering, they opened the doors in the rear of the gym for some relief. Within seconds, no fewer than 50 young Cheyney “scholars” rushed in and immediately sat in the bleachers blending seamlessly into the sell out crowd.

I must admit, I was taken aback by their lack manners. The overpowering aroma of high grade marijuana was unmistakable. Ignorant ass Cheyney kids…

They didn’t even offer to let the Ol’ Head hit the blunt!

Keeping it real… The game itself was not very competitive. Since joining the CIAA conference, Lincoln has devoted significant resources to the basketball program. Meanwhile Cheyney, struggling financially, has de-emphasized sports. Cheyney no longer competes in the PSAC and they have disbanded their football program.

They are trying to revive the basketball program. They’ve made a GREAT Head Coaching hire. Simon Gratz and University of Maryland Legend Terrell Stokes will eventually have the Wolves back on top.

However, he just got there. He wasn’t brought on board until October… He had to recruit this year’s team in the cafeteria… That’s not normally where you find top notch college basketball talent.

Eventually, HBCU’s will stop handcuffing their new coaches and get them situated in the spring. The few dollars saved by not paying a coach for a couple months are not worth aggravation of falling woefully behind in recruiting… But that’s a matter for another time.

Back to the game… Entering the game, Lincoln had whupped dat ass 9 consecutive times… The Lions were going for 10 straight… Mission accomplished!

The margin on this night was 28 points.

Nonetheless, despite the lopsided nature of recent contests, the Lincoln/Cheyney game remains a must see event for those that understand and appreciate HBCU culture. It’s special… At halftime, the cheerleaders had a ferocious battle in the middle of the court. Anticipating the confrontation, the crowd spilled on the playing surface. One overly optimistic Cheyney athletic department employee walked through the crowd asking the students to please stand outside the out of bounds lines.

I watched her ask no fewer than 25 kids to please get of the court… Each one, very politely, said Naaaah…

However, it wasn’t confrontational… To the untrained eye, it may have looked hectic, perhaps evern out of control. But there were armed Cheyney police in the gym at all times… These officers knew each and every one of their Cheyney students… There are only about 650 enrolled in the school. The officers knew the kids were “technically” wrong and violating protocol… The also knew both sets of cheerleaders were “killing that shit.” They were not about to be party poopers.

Why escalate the situation? One (white) cop standing next to me looked at the unfolding events and said “it’s good to see these kids having so much fun.”

He was absolutely correct… That was GREAT policing! Once the teams emerged from the locker rooms, the crowd dissipated from the floor and the players proceeded to warm up in preparation for the second half. At any other gymnasium in the Greater Philadelphia Region, security and the police would have immediately utilized force to clear the floor… and rightfully so.

But the people in Cope Hall that night don’t eat everybody’s potato salad. The Cheyney police know that…

As the game drew to a close, some of the Cheyney students – the same ones that broached the rear entrance smelling like that new fragrance “eau de purple haze” – grew increasingly frustrated and restless. With less than a minute on the clock and the Wolves down 28 they started chanting “Fuck LU… Fuck LU… Fuck LU… Fuck LU.”

I loved it…

I love Cheyney… I love when Lincoln whups dat Cheyney ass! Once that mission is accomplished, I become a Cheyney fan.

I want Cheyney to go 28-1 every year. The one loss must be… has to be… gotta be to Lincoln.

Cuz Lincoln is better than Cheyney in every way… For example, Lincoln kids would’ve let the Ol’ Head hit the blunt… But Cheyney is better than every other school in America.

I know it’s confusing. I know it’s convoluted.

You ain’t supposed to understand wit yo pumpkin pie eatin’ ass…

Remember… Everything ain’t for everybody.

After two years of weirdness… The country is inching back toward normalcy…

Two seasons ago, everything came to an abrupt halt as the coronavirus engulfed western civilization. The United States battened down the hatches and Americans hunkered down in their homes until the Covid-19 storm started to diminish.

Sports?

Shut that shit down… NBA, NCAA, PIAA, CYO, intramurals, milk crate roughhouse, hangers on bedroom doors, paper football on desks… Everything… Shut that shit down!

Last year, we dared to peek out… We, once again, began to have something resembling scholastic competition. However, since most games were played with no fans it was still wierd… Momma? Nope, can’t come… Grandma? Nope, can’t come… What about my girl? Naah… My side jawn? No, she can’t get in either.

But, at least they played some games. The last time we saw Reading High School play a scholastic game, they defeated nationally ranked Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouse Archbishop Wood High School, 58-57 on March 29, to win the BIG BOY PIAA 6A boys’ basketball championship at the Giant Center in Derry Township, Dauphin County. With that victory, the Red Knights captured their second state crown in the last four years.

It was considered an upset.

Archbishop Wood, champions of Philadelphia’s vaunted Catholic League featured no fewer than four players currently on NCAA Division 1 rosters. Point guard, Rahsool Diggins was ranked 58th in the nation by ESPN and ranked in the top 100 by every other reputable scouting service. He is currently playing for UConn in the Big East. Combo guard, Jaylen Stinson is playing in the Colonial Athletic Association for James Madison. Two Wood wings, Marcus Randolph and Desean Shepard are in the highly competitive Atlantic 10 conference at Richmond and La Salle respectively.

Wood was FUCKIN LOADED…

I didn’t even mention do everything power forward Muneer Newton, who is starter William Penn University (Iowa) currently a top 3 NAIA program.

The Reading Red Knights knocked ’em off…

I’m really starting to wonder if they have wifi in Reading. Clearly, the young men on the varsity basketball team don’t know much about their opponents reputations or rankings. Or perhaps, they just don’t give a fuck… Check ball!

After ending last season defeating one of the finest teams in the nation. Reading decided to initiate this season with a matchup against the mighty Imhotep Panthers. Imhotep has three players currently ranked in the top 100 in their respective classes. Junior wing, Justin Edwards is ranked #16 by ESPN in the class of 2023. Sophomore combo guard, Ahmad Nowell is the #24 player in the class of 2024 according to ESPN. Junior point guard, Rahmir Barno is ranked #98 in the nation according to 247sports.

Imhotep is FUCKIN LOADED…

Furthermore, they are coached by, the highly regarded, Brother Andre Noble, winner of an all-time record 9 Public League Championships and 7 state champions. A relatively young man, Noble is on track to be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Morgan Wooten and Bob Hurley should he decide to remain on the sideline.

The thing is… the kids in Reading either don’t know or don’t give a fuck about all the high falutin accomplishments of Philadelphia’s elite scholastic basketball programs.

Pick a gym… Put 32 minutes on the clock… Find 3 refs… Get a scorekeeper…

Check Ball!

Once again, a bunch of Berks County kids virtually unknown to folks residing outside Reading city limits knocked off a Philadelphia powerhouse program.

Daniel Alcantara, a senior forward was assigned the task of matching up with Imhotep’s Edwards. A highly skilled wing with outstanding length, Edwards holds offers from Kentucky, Auburn, Syracuse, Georgetown, Virginia, Marquette, Pitt, St. John’s, VCU, Rutgers, UConn, Penn State, Maryland, Miami, Temple, Seton Hall, etc…

You get the picture…

Alcantara, on the other hand, holds an offer of a cheesesteak with fried onions and hot peppers from Black Cager Sports whenever he’s in Philly to go along with a single D1 offer from Jacksonville a couple D2 offers from PSAC schools.

Those D2 PSAC schools are trying to hit the jackpot… They are fighting way above their weight class…

Tonight… Alcantara was the best player on the floor… By a considerable margin. He finished with 27 points and 4 rebounds while limiting Edwards to 13 points and 5 rebounds. Alcantara scored from all three levels. He splashed in 4 3-pointers… Not one hit the rim… He received the ball at the foul line turned and faced the Imhotep defense, gave simple ball fake and proceeded to waltz down the lane to finish creative layups and floaters with both hands. He even threw in a dunk for good measure. All of his contributions were timely and much needed.

Every time it seemed Imhotep was turning the tables and about take control, Alcantara delivered a stinging counterpunch.

Also tonight… Senior guard, Joey Chapman was the toughest player on the court… By a considerable margin. He imposed his will on the Imhotep guards. In the words of my friend and fellow scribe, Amauro Austin, “Chapman took a few lunches out there tonight.”

An incredibly confident player, Chapman let the Imhotep guards know he was there all night. This kid NEVER, EVER shuts up… He talks when he makes a good play… he talks when he makes a bad play… He talks when he’s up… He talks when he’s down…

Standing about 6’2’ and coming in at 190 lbs, Chapman is built like a Big 10 or SEC safety prospect. While he prefers the hardwood to the gridiron, Chapman plays basketball like a high major football player. If aesthetics are your thing, you won’t appreciate Chapman. He game doesn’t feature sweet, smooth crossovers, elegant in and outs and step backs… You won’t see him dribbling behind his back or between his legs…

However, if winning basketball games is your thing, you will appreciate Chapman. He makes winning plays over and over and over again. You need to stop a fast break? He’ll strip the dribbler from behind… You need a loose ball? Get the towels ready, because Chapman’s perspiration is about to be all over the floor. You need a tough basket? Here he comes… He’s getting to the rim. Free throws in crunch time? He does that too…

PSAC and CIAA schools looking for guys that want to win games would be well served to make their way to Reading to see young Mr. Chapman.

If there is a kid that established some degree of “star” power on the Reading roster, it is junior point guard Ruben Rodriguez, Jr. A very athletic and intelligent player, Rodriguez holds D1 offers from Jacksonville and St. Peter’s. A selfless player committed to helping his team win, Rodriguez does just about everything on the court. And he does it with a lot of panache. His game is aesthetically pleasing and does feature tight crossovers, quick in and outs and step backs. He scores, he passes, he defends, he rebounds and tonight he played through a cramp in his calf muscle.

On what turned out to be a wonderful first night of the scholastic season in Pennsylvania, highly regarded sophomore point guard, Ahmad Nowell made his debut in an Imhotep uniform. He did not disappoint. Nowell scored 16 points in the first half to help Imhotep erase an early deficit and go into the locker room up 2 at the half. The second half would be prove to b more challenging. Reading coach Rick Perez made the necessary adjustments in the locker room and Nowell was held to 4 points over the final 16 minutes. With three full high school seasons ahead of him, Nowell threw down the gauntlet and immediately established himself as one of the premier backcourt men in the state. For the first 16 minutes, he gave the experienced Reading guards all they could handle.

When an opportunity presents itself, go watch Nowell play… After one game, he’s in the discussion for the best guard in the region. I have no doubt that he will go down as one of the finest players to don the dashiki at Imhotep.

And… some bad muthafuckas have worn the dashiki.

Hoop group is to be commended for putting this matchup together. Two titans battling on open night. It’s shame one had to walk away with a loss. Imhotep’s supremely talented team fell to a bunch of gritty, grimy, tough Berks County kids playing together as a team. It shouldn’t be a surprise. Imhotep probably had the best three players on the court. Reading definitely had the better basketball team. And… Reading HS Picked Up Where They Left Off… Beating Philly’s Finest!

April 2018 was a busy month in the Philadelphia college basketball circles… On April 8, Ashley Howard was named Head Coach of the proud La Salle Explorer men’s basketball program. Three days later and a couple miles south on Broad Street, Aaron McKie was promoted to Associate Head Coach of the Temple Owls men’s program. McKie would eventually become Head Coach of the Owls a year later, on April 3, 2019.

Black Cager Sports was elated with these developments. Howard was the Jackie Robinson of La Salle University Basketball. For the first time in the long and illustrious history of the Explorer program, a Black man was the face of the program. Temple, on the other hand, was continuing a well established pattern of giving highly qualified Blacks an opportunity to serve in leadership positions in both the university administration and within the athletic department. April 2018 was a wonderful month for those committed to diversity in local college athletics.

Fast forward to tonight… How are they doing?

Howard, now in his fourth season as Head Coach, brought his guys down Broad Street to face McKie (3rd season) and the Owls.

The ultimate local boy makes good stories, Howard and McKie both have impeccable Philly resumes. Howard started his scholastic career at St. Joseph’s Prep and finished at Bonner. He was firmly entrenched as Drexel’s point guard when health concerns ended his playing days. Howard immediately discovered his passion for learning and teaching the game of basketball. He spent a couple years as a student coach under James “Bruiser” Flint.

Howard started his professional coaching journey at La Salle after graduating from Drexel. He served as an assistant to John Giannini until 2008 when he joined the staff of Bruiser Flint at his alma mater. In 2012, he joined Chris Mack’s staff at Xavier University. After one year with Xavier, Howard spent five years as an assistant to Hall of Fame Coach Jay Wright at Villanova. The Wildcats won a pair of National Championships while Howard was on the staff.

McKie is the consummate Public League product. After a wonderful scholastic career playing for Bill Ellerbee at Simon Gratz, he enrolled at Temple to play for the late Hall of Fame Coach, John Chaney. Once he served a year in Prop 48 purgatory, McKie embarked a magnificent career at Temple. He played in the NCAA Tournament all three years and reached the Elite 8 in 1993. That same season, McKie was name A10 Player of the Year.

McKie came into coaching at the NBA level. He was a five-year assistant (2007-2013) on the Philadelphia 76ers staff and helped lead the franchise to four NBA playoff appearances. Returning to his beloved Owls, McKie served five seasons on Fran Dunphy’s. His last year he was promoted to associate head coach. In 2018-29, the Owls went 23-10, earned an NCAA Tournament berth and tied for third in the American Athletic Conference after being picked to finish sixth. Temple had three 20 win seasons in McKie’s five years on the staff. The Owls also went to the NCAA Tournament twice and to the NIT Semifinals in 2015.

Like I said, impeccable Philly resumes…

So… How are these guys performing as Head Coaches?

Since taking over, Howard is 36-56 (.391) overall and 20-33 (.377) in the A10. McKie is 23-31 (.426) overall and 10-22 (.313) in the AAC.

La Salle Coaches Winning Percentages

Speedy Morris – .540 overall and .571 in league
John Giannini – .484 overall and .431 in league
Ashley Howard – .391 overall and .377 in league
Billy Hahn – .389 overall and .333 in league

Temple Coaches Winning Percentages

John Chaney – .671 overall and .747 in league
Fran Dunphy .625 overall and .632 in league
Aaron McKie .426 overall and .313 in league

Howard has a lower winning percentage than Speedy Morris and John Giannini. His overall winning percentage is virtually the same as that of Billy Hahn. Over the course of 15 seasons, Coach Morris won 238 games. A closer look reveals the fact that 100 of those wins came in his first four seasons with Lionel Simmons wearing an Explorer uniform, The other 138 came over 11 seasons without Lionel Simmons.

The take away?

It’s hard as shit to win at La Salle if you don’t have Lionel Simmons.

While La Salle plays in a multi-bid A10 Conference, it’s facilities are obsolete. Think about this… Monmouth, Coppin State, Towson, Bucknell, Delaware and JMU all have basketball arenas and modern practice facilities that are much more attractive than Tom Gola Arena and TruMark Financial Center.

La Salle’s campus is also less than idyllic. Located a stone’s throw away from the bustling Olney Transportation Center, La Salle’s students and faculties are definitely “hood” adjacent, if not squarely in the hood.

La Salle is a tough sell… It’s hard to win college games… sustained winning at La Salle seems damn near impossible. Over the past 30 seasons, La Salle has made two (2) NCAA Tournament appearances and two (2) NIT appearances.

Coach Morris finished below .500 in each of his last 8 seasons. Coach Hahn never got above .500 in 3 seasons. Giannini didn’t make his first post-season appearance until his 8th season and his lone NCAA tournament came in his 9th year at La Salle.

The expectation was that some of that magic Nova dust was gonna be sprinkled at 20th and Olney. The uptick has yet to begin. Now, in the fourth year of the Howard regime, some fans and alums are becoming vocal in expressing their dissatisfaction.

The Temple tradition is much different.

From the early 1980s all the way through the early 2000’s Temple was widely considered one of the top 15-20 college basketball programs in the nation. Under Coach Chaney, the Owls made 5 Elite 8 appearances. Temple made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in 18 years spanning 1983-2001. Coach Chaney had a (barely) losing record (14-15) his first year. He then had a winning record for 23 straight seasons after that.

Over course of his 13 year run as Head Coach, Dunphy had 2 losing seasons. He won over 20 games 9 times and over 25 on 3 occasions. Dunphy led the Owls to 8 NCAA Tournament appearances and 2 NIT appearances.

Unlike La Salle, Temple has a modern on campus arena and a state-of-the-art practice facility. Temple’s campus is minutes away from Center City and has undergone a massive transformation in recent years.

On the downside, Temple’s affiliation with the American Athletic Conference is not a strong selling point for the basketball program. Games against North Texas and UAB are not exciting to Philly, North Jersey and PG County kids. But, perhaps, the largest impediment to attracting top flight talent to North Broad Street is the growing perception that the campus is unsafe. Temple is proximate to low income/high crime residential districts. Over the past week or so, two brutal murders have gained national media attention.

But… Temple has always been in “Norf” Philly…

It’s location has never stopped the winning on the court. Temple fans expect to win and make the NCAA tournament every year. These are reasonable expectations for the 5th winningest program in the history of college basketball.

As it stands, Howard and McKie are underperforming. They are not meeting nor are they exceeding the lofty expectations that were bandied about in the heady days of April 2018.

It’s still early in this current season. Howard has the Explorers off to an inauspicious 2-4 start. They have lost to Sacred Heart at home, Delaware in Newark, Villanova at the Palestra and Temple on North Broad. They won two home games against Albany and Army.

The Explorers have 5 non-conference games before they begin the tough A10 regular season. Holy Cross, Fairleigh Dickinson, Penn, Bucknell and Drexel represent challenging but winnable games for La Salle. If they can find a way to go 5-0 or 4-1 over this stretch, Howard will go a long toward reassuring increasingly restless fans and alums.

In order to stop the bleeding, the Explorers have to start making baskets. As Philly Basketball impresario Sam Rines is fond of saying, “the objective of the game is to put the ball in the hole.” La Salle put on a woeful shooting display at the Liacouris Center. Clifton Moore (2-10), Josh Nickleberry (0-7), Khalil Brantley (1-12) and Jack Clark (2-11) combined to shoot 5 for 40 from the field. Fuck you gonna do with that? Impossible… Can’t beat anyone shooting at that clip… Howard has to figure out a way to put these guys in position to have some success, the kids have to start knocking down some shots… sooner rather than later.

Sitting at 4-3, McKie and the Owls are set to play Penn at home, at Vanderbilt, at St. Joseph’s, UCF at home, Drexel at home, Delaware State at home and then at Villanova. A 6-1 or 5-2 stretch would reinvigorate fans and alums that seem to be taking a wait and see approach to this years version of the Owls.

The matchup with Penn is intriguing. Steve Donahue has more than held his own since taking over the Quaker program. Temple will be a solid favorite against a struggling St. Joe’s squad. The game with Drexel is looking like the Battle for 2nd place in the City 6. Temple should take care of Delaware State and then they will have a chance to get measure themselves against Big Bro from the Main Line. Howard’s hill is a much steeper climb than McKie’s. Everyone is watching and gauging their progress. Been doing so since April 2018.

Urban adults, especially Black and Brown grown ups in places like Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington, Trenton, Reading and Allentown are struggling to effectively socialize a segment of the Black youth population. Wait… wait… no, fuck it… let’s speak plainly and avoid miscommunication. Black Philadelphians are woefully failing to effectively socialize some of these Black youth.

Let me be as clear as possible… Here, socialization is understood as the process by which young people acquire the habits, beliefs, and accumulated knowledge of society through education and training for responsible independent adult status. Simply put, Socialization is process by which kids become grown ups.

In some parts of urban Black communities, this process is effectively broken. Real shit… there is zero socialization taking place with some of these kids and it’s become very scary. Consider for a moment, the undeniable fact that there is a segment of the young Black and Brown male population in Philadelphia that is nihilistic. This cohort, generally speaking, seems to fall between the ages 12-25. These youth have very clearly rejected all religious, moral and even street principles in the belief that life is meaningless and has no value.

Every day… Every… Single… Day…

Like an intense deep bass drumbeat, these young men pounce upon and execute people in relentless assaults with very powerful automatic and semi-automatic firearms on streets across the Greater Philadelphia Region. These youth, literally, knock on a door, shoot the father, invade the home, push the mother aside and slaughter the brother in front of the mother. This is 4 months after they sent a bullet through the leg of the 8 year old sister.

These muthafuckas…

They run up on you while you’re with your woman.

“You know what it is… Run it in… All of it…” Meanwhile, a laser attached to a Glock 9mm, with an extended clip, is glowing just below your chin.

Your heart is pounding through your chest… Instinctually, you rely on a basic understanding of armed robbery etiquette passed down for generations, you calmly hand over everything to your strong arm robber. No sudden moves… Just give him everything… Don’t offer any resistance… You just want to make it through the ordeal.

The phone… the wallet… the watch… the chain… the cash… everything…

You run it in… Your woman is crying and you just want them to leave and give her comfort, let her know everything is ok…

They aggressively snatch everything out of your hands… There is no life, no hope, no nothing in their soulless eyes…

And… then the Glock explodes… You catch a glimpse of a burst of fire and then eternal darkness…

They shot two 9mm slugs into your chest… For absolutely no reason… They already have all of your shit…

These muthafuckas don’t give a fuck about the armed robbery etiquette.

Life has no value to these youth. Let me say it AGAIN… Society, in general, and the Black community, in particular, have failed to adequately socialize these youth.

Everyday… Every muthafuckin’ day these youth leave beautiful Black bodies riddled with 5, 10, 15 even 20 bullets laying in the street or slumped over steering wheels. Literally, it seems as if a minimum of 40 shell casings are strewn about every shooting crime scene. Four or five dozen yellow shell casing markers look like somebody dropped a deck of pinochle cards adjacent to beautiful dead Black bodies.

The other day, these muthafuckas chased a 14 year old down… Multiple gunmen hunted him in broad daylight on the streets of Philadelphia… Police said the boy was shot 18 times throughout various parts of his body. Nearly forty shell casings were recovered. The 14 year old died at a hospital a short time later. He was one of over 2,000 people that have experienced large caliber bullets ripping through their flesh this year in Philadelphia and one of over 500 whose life was extinguished by gunfire.

Also, the other day, these muthafuckas approached, Samuel Collington, a young white male college senior from Prospect Park, Delaware County on the edge of the Temple campus. He had borrowed his parents SUV to bring some stuff to his North Philadelphia apartment. He exited the vehicle and encountered evil.

“Run it in…”

According to some that have witnessed surveillance video, Collington violated the armed robbery etiquette and physically resisted his strong arm robbers.

It didn’t matter, they were probably gonna kill him anyway… Comply, resist… Shit don’t matter to these muthafuckas…

We are failing to socialize these kids… Abysmally…

These young predominantly Black youth have not acquired the requisite habits, beliefs, and knowledge necessary to transition into responsible, independent law-abiding adulthood.

They haven’t… You know they haven’t… We all know they haven’t…

Instead, we have witnessed an increasing number of young criminals willing to commit heinous and barbaric violent crimes without remorse. In recent years, cities like Chicago and Philadelphia have witnessed the emergence of a genocidal pattern of gun violence featuring massive increases in the frequency of both shootings and murders.

Sports matters…

Through it all, sports have been beacon of hope. With a few exceptions, the basketball community can say those aren’t our kids running rampant in the streets. Of course, there have been a few players involved as shooters and victims in gun violence. But for the most part, it ain’t our kids…

There are aspects of youth sports that positively affect the socialization process. A significant number of young Black male athletes have been appropriately socialized. Overall, these kids graduate from high school and are far more likely to engage in socially acceptable behavior than their disengaged street-based brethren. In the Greater Philadelphia region, organized youth, grassroots and high school basketball have provided vehicles whereby youth remain engaged with the educational system and are exposed to important habits, necessary beliefs, and accumulated knowledge of respectable society.

As spelled out by the great Black Philosopher, Christopher Wallace, ”Because the streets is a short stop / either you’re slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot.”

For the most part, the gun-toters and the gangsters find it difficult to maintain a high school and college basketball, football, baseball, soccer or tennis career while remaining immersed in street life.

Those that choose the latter find themselves participating in youth sports, grassroots and scholastic “programs” that have rules, expectations and logical consequences in place. They experience some semblance of a socialization process through sports.

Many young Black and Brown boys end up “middle class by mistake.”

The key seems to be strong, caring, passionate and dedicated leadership. There are many different leadership styles. There are countless ways in which one can “coach” kids up on and off the court. Here is a glimpse at two very different approaches to the increasingly challenging task of coaching 15-19 year old boys transitioning to adulthood.

Both men are highly effective and their respective programs produce young men that are ready to adapt to college, trade school or the world of work after high school. How do we clone Rick Perez and Carl Arrigale? How do we make another Andre Noble, John Mosco or Rob Moore?

These guys elevate self-esteem among their players, they provide opportunities for increased social interaction, they build self-confidence and provide environments where young men can exhibit reasonable aggressiveness and take reasonable risks.

Unfortunately, there is an increasing and alarming amount of spillover from the streets into youth sports. Several weeks ago, an 8 year old girl was murdered at the conclusion of a football game at my alma mater, Academy Park, High School in Sharon Hill, PA. The perpetrators pulling the trigger and ending a life in this instance were young white males employed as police officers by the Borough of Sharon Hill.

There was also a shooting during a football game in Pleasantville, NJ a couple years ago and a 10-year old boy was killed. I have lost count of the number of high school athletes that have been murdered in the region. More than a few prominent former athletes are in prison on gun charges and related crimes.

The curtain that once separated athletes with a “future” from the “street dudes” is in tatters. Coaches like Isaiah Thomas, Rich Bold, Ray Barbosa, Lonnie Diggs and Jamel Lindsey are in the trenches trying to keep young men on the right path. Grassroots organizations like the Bottom Ballers, Philly Blue Magic, Philly Pride, Team Final-Red and K-Low provide much needed structure and guidance for college bound youth. Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) has been an important part of the socialization process for hundreds of youth for several years.

The kids coming through these programs are high school graduates, they are in college, they are working, they care for their families. These are our kids…

Sports… More specifically, the basketball community has been an integral part of socializing Philadelphia youth for more than half a century. Sonny Hill, Claude Gross, John Chaney, Tee Shields and the rest of the Baker League/Sonny Hill Community Involvement League created a blueprint that guided youth basketball for more than 30 years. The emergence of shoe company contracts and benefits diverted attention away from this blueprint. There will never again be one dominant entity like the Hill League. Nonetheless, one could envision a far greater “socialization” impact if there was just a basic level of coordination among the important coaches, grassroots organizations, and high schools. Unfortunately, most in the youth basketball community have yet to realize that we are all on the same team.

The Philadelphia basketball community is having a positive impact on participating youth… No doubt…

However, nihilism is chipping away at the edge of sports. More and more… we see kids and adults that truly don’t give a fuck… Refs getting attacked… Fights and brawls… Guns in Spooky Nook…

Collectively, we need to limit the spread of nihilism among on the youth.

We need more Champions like Rick Perez and more Legends like Carl Arrigale.

An actual live Big 5 basketball game was played today. The La Salle Explorers hosted the 7th ranked Villanova Wildcats at the fabled Palestra. This is as real as it gets for Big 5 basketball. I searched for over an hour, but I couldn’t find Channel 17 or Prism on my YouTube TV, so I had to settle for the ESPN2 broadcast.

I was geeked… I don’t know why… I should know better by now… Mike Brooks, Stevie Black, Truck Butts, Lionel Simmons, Randy Woods and Doug Overton don’t live in dorms at 20th and Olney these days.

This is 2021… And, Nova has absolutely ruined one of greatest traditions in all of sports. They are just too good and have been too good for far too long… So much so, they have fucked up the the Big 5. The fact of the matter is the Big 5 is not really a “thing” anymore. It doesn’t really exist in the minds of young ballers and college basketball fans. It only exists in the minds of 45+ year old Philadelphia hoops heads that can recall a time when truly anything could happen in a Big 5 game. Their frame of reference is a long ago and distant time when the games were actually competitive.

The youngins can’t even name the schools that make up the Big 5.

They do, however, know Villanova basketball… Nova is like Michael once he left the Jackson 5. Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon were fine musicians in their own right… But they couldn’t fuck with Michael.

They knew it, Michael knew it, the fans knew it, everybody knew it. Mike was on another level… The world just had to let him go and do his own thing.

So it is with Nova…

Once a year, we try to put the Jackson 5 together again. Mike tries to play 4 sets with his brothers. We try to take post-Off the Wall, post-Thriller Mike and put him on stage with the guys he made ABC with and it just doesn’t work anymore. They can’t keep up with Mike… Mike’s on a different and much higher level. Michael is just better in all aspects of musical production and performance than his brothers. As a result, the show is less than enjoyable when they try to make music together. Nonetheless, we watch…

Going back to the 2013-14 season, Villanova has lost exactly 1 Big 5 game.

Today, Mike had a set with Tito… Tito couldn’t keep up with the new music… Actually, looked like he forgot the words to some of the songs…

Nova jumped out to a 9-0 lead to begin the game. Then, things got worse… Much worse…

With 4:25 left in the first half, Villanova was up 39-9. For the first 16 minutes of the contest, La Salle Freshman PG Khalil Brantley was only Explorer able to score against the Villanova defense.

Brantley had all 9 Explorer points. Clearly up for the challenge of facing Nova’s All-American candidate, Collin Gillespie, Brantley was digging deep in his bag. Crossovers, step-backs, in and outs… He put it all on display in an effort to get a clean look at the rim. Once he got the space he was able to calmly drain some jumpshots, but his efforts were too few and too far between.

At the 4:09 mark, Brantley again broke down a defender and splashed another 3-pointer…. 39-12.

Finally, at the 3:27 mark, Jhamir Brickus tipped in an offensive rebound. Those were the first points scored by an Explorer not named Brantley.

On the other end of the court, it looked like Justin Moore, Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater were playing against their little brothers. The Nova players would dribble and back Explorer defenders straight down the driveway and into the garage door. If another Explorer decided to help his teammate, the ball would immediately find the Wildcat left alone. That player would then either ball fake the close out defender and blow by him to attack the middle of the Explorer defense or immediately pass the ball to a player in better position.

Real simple… Real effective…

If the Explorers chose to play straight up man to man, the Nova players took their chances in the post, even the guards. More often than not, they were able to come away with a field goal or a trip to the free throw line.

La Salle had absolutely no answers. Tito was offbeat all night, he looked bad, real bad, on stage next to Mike.

Of course, you always relish an opportunity to see Mike in his prime… The moonwalk was crisp, he hit all of his high notes just right and he played his biggest hits. But, damn Tito needs to get his shit together if he’s gonna keep getting on stage with Mike.

Tito and Jermaine are linking up for a low key set on Wednesday night at the Liacouris Center. They usually look better when Mike is not on the stage and the show must go on… I think I’m gonna go…

James Nelson Stewart’s Regional Top 10

1. Camden-Jr. G 6-4 D.J. Wagner (ESPN #1 2023), Jr. C 7-0 Aaron Bradshaw (ESPN #20 2023), Sr. F 6-8 Rasheer Fleming (St. Joes), Jr. F 6-6 Boog Robinson, Jr .G 6-0 Cian Medley and Coach Rick Brunson!!! Enough said!!!
2. Imhotep-Defending Public League Champions. Coach Andre Noble brings back Jr. F 6-8 Justin Edwards (ESPN #18 2023), Jr. G 6-0 Ra Burno, Sr. F 6-6 Mo Abdullah (Rider), Sr. G 6-0 Ronny Raphael (Gannon), So. F 6-6 Jeremiah White and adds Super So. G 6-2 Ahmad Nowell (ESPN #24 2024) to an already loaded team.
3. Westtown-Coach Seth Berger brings back the Nation’s Top Returning Post Prospect in 7-0 Derick Lively (ESPN #2 2022, Duke) and adds Sharpshooting Sr. G 6-3 Jameel Brown (Penn St.) from The Haverford School to the mix.
4. Roman Catholic-Chris McNesby comes back to the team after a brief hiatus and inherits a team featuring Sr. G/F 6-6 Dan Skillings (Cincinnati), Sr. G 6-3 Khalil Farmer (Hofstra), Jr. Superb Floor General PG 6-3 Xzayvier Brown and a deep roster which includes 6-8 Fr. Sensation Shereef Jackson (son of Marc Jackson)
5. Reading– The Defending PA 6A Champions. The hardest playing team you will see. Coach Rick Perez brings back the outstanding core of the Defending State Champions with Athletic Jr. 6-2 G Ruben Rodriguez Jr, Versatile Sr. 6-5 F Daniel Alcantara, steady Sr. 6-0 Floor Leader Joey Chapman, Sr. G 6-0 Xavier Davis and 6-3 Jr. Amier Burdine. The loss of Moro Osumanu (West Chester) will sting but this group seems to thrive in the underdog position.
6. Neumann-Goretti – When a team as talented as this group ends up at the 6th position, that tells you how deep the area is in talent this year. Covid derailed the season for the Saints last year but Coach Arrigale has a team that can compete for the Catholic and State Title this year. Neumann added 6-7 Jr. F Sultan Adewale to an already deep roster of returnees led by 6-1 Sr. G Masud Stewart and So. Quartet of 6-0 G Robert Wright, 6-0 G Khafeeq Myers, 6-5 F Amir Williams and 6-10 C Luke Bevilacqua. This ranking may turn out to be too low for this group.
7. MCS– Coach Lonnie Diggs, a year removed from a Public League Championship, boosts another team that will compete for a title in the Pub and in the State. The leader is 6-0 Sr. Floor General Jaheim Bethea. Fresh off a Peach Jam Title, he definitely will not be scared of the moment. Plus there is a talented group right alongside of Bethea. The Sr. Trio of 6-3 G Trent Middleton, 6-8 F Khalif Crawley and 7-0 C Darryon Prescott will provide a lot of height and skill. Jr. 6-1 G Chauncey Pressley will also provide scoring and defense for this group.
8. The George School-Coach Ben Luber is building an Upstart program in the Bucks County. With the Combination of 6-9 Jr. F Kachi Nzeh and 6-4 So. PG Christian Bliss, this team has a combination of height, experience and youth to continue to challenge Westtown for supremacy in the Friends League.
9. Archbishop Wood– Defending Catholic League Champons. Lost a lot but also gained some new pieces to join a couple Sr. Contributors to the 6A Runners Up. Sr. 6-1 PG Justin Moore (Drexel) will lead this group that returns 6-5 Sr. F Mike Knouse and 6-3 Sr. Tyson Allen. 6-7 Jr. F Carson Howard, 6-4 So. G Jalil Bethea, 6-4 Jr. F Basil Lester are expected to play big roles for this team. Watch out for 6-4 Athletic Fr. Milan Dean Jr.
10. Lower Merion-Defending 6A District 1 Champions. Coach Gregg Downer returns 3 starters from the title team but they were probably the 3 best players from last year. 6-10 Sr. F Demetrius Lilley (Penn St.) is the featured star but 6-3 Jr. Shooter Sam Brown (Son of Brett Brown) and 6-1 Sr. steady PG Jaylen Shippen may be one of the underrated good backcourts in the region.
    10B. Allentown Central Catholic-Defending 4A State Champion. Another team that doesn’t get as much respect from the area but returns the dynamic duo from their title team. One of the clutch players in region 6-1 Sr. PG Tyson Thomas returns after hitting the title clinching basket for ACC. 6-6 Sr. F Liam Joyce is also a returning All-State player. Coach Dennis Czensitis will be counting on 6-7 So. David Fridia to make a jump this year.

Best of the Rest
Lincoln
West Catholic
Radnor
SCH
ANC
Ryan
Plymouth Whitemarsh
Downingtown West
Muhlenberg
Executive Charter
Devon Prep
Lasalle
Bensalem

The Terrific Twenty
DJ Wagner-Camden (ESPN #1 2023)
Derick Lively-Westtown (ESPN #2 2022) (Duke)
Justin Edwards-Imhotep (ESPN #16 2023)
Aaron Bradshaw- Camden (ESPN #22 2023)
Jeremiah Bembry-Executive Charter (Florida St) 2022
Demetrius Lilley-Lower Merion (Penn St.) 2022
Daniel Skillings-Roman (Cincinnati) 2022
Christian Fermin-Pocono Mountain West (VCU) 2022
Derek Simpson-Lenape (Rutgers) 2022
Justin Moore-Wood (Drexel) 2022
Kaseem Watson-West Catholic (Cal St. Bakersfield) 2022
Jaheim Bethea-MCS 2022
Sultan Adewale- Neumann 2023
Elmarko Jackson-ANC 2023
Xyavier Brown-Roman 2023
Ruben Rodriguez-Reading 2023
Al Amadou-SCH 2023
Kachi Nzeh-George School 2023
Rahmir Burno-Imhotep 2023
Horace Simmons-Lasalle 2023

Just missed:
Khalil Farmer (Roman-Hofstra), Rasheer Fleming (Camden-St. Joes), Kyle Jones (Father Judge), Michael Walz (Conestoga-Richmond), Nix Varano (Lasalle-Army), Mo Abdullah (Imhotep-Rider), Matty Williams (Lincoln), Kobe Magee (Executive Charter-Drexel), Daniel Alcantara (Reading)

Last week, billionaire Philanthropist, James Maguire sent a letter to the Presidents of St. Joseph’s University and the University of Pennsylvania in which he, in effect, told them to “get down or lay down” with his desire to suppress peaceful non-violent protest by the Penn Men’s basketball team.

According to reporting by the Inquirer’s Mike Jensen, Maguire’s letter stated, “I am serving notice to you that the Maguire Foundation and I personally will not be renewing any scholarship gifts or pledges (present or future) nor undertaking any future commitments to Penn.”

Let’s be clear here… Because Penn allows basketball players to silently protest the anthem, Maguire is cutting all financial contributions. That part is done… Penn is cut off from Maguire and his foundation…

Now… Penn will be just fine… St. Joe’s?

Jensen further reports that, Maguire has donated more money to St. Joseph’s University than any other individual in the school’s history. Indeed, the former Episcopal Academy campus on City Avenue is now the Maguire campus at St. Joseph’s. Maguire’s relationship with St. Joseph’s is far more intimate and consequential than his relationship with Penn. Maguire sent a copy of his letter to Penn President Amy Gutmann, to St. Joseph’s president Mark Reed and athletic director Jill Bodensteiner. He also provided a copy to the Inquirer.

In the letter, Maguire directly asked St. Joseph’s President Reed to suppress the protest that may occur on the St. Joseph’s campus.

“By copy of this letter I am asking Saint Joseph’s to uninvite [Penn’s] team to their campus on December 8th for that game… To openly support disrespect to our country and to our flag is wrong and I do not want to be part of this disrespect.”

Get down or lay down…

Again, Penn will be just fine… St. Joseph’s, however, is in very a tough spot. It has been and continues to be a primary beneficiary of Maguire’s incredible philanthropy. He has given away hundreds of millions of dollars to educational causes, with billions left to disperse.

A tough predicament for President Reed and Bodensteiner for sure… St. Joseph’s University and the St. Joseph’s Athletic Department need Maguire and the Maguire Foundation.

Does the St. Joseph’s administration accept his assertion that the protests are disrespectful to our country and the flag? If so, how does the administration respond. If not, how does St. Joseph’s manage to remain in the good graces of the most generous benefactor in the history of the school?

Seems almost quaint to be engaged in this conversation at this point. I thought peaceful non-violent protests of the anthem were officially categorized as acceptable behavior in American society – the Kaeperneck effect. I guess I miscalculated. I thought we were trying to figure out if the erection of gallows on the grounds of the nation’s capital was acceptable. I assumed we were more focused on armed insurrections aimed at overturning duly conducted elections. Those seem like more pressing and hot-button protest-related issues these days. Coming after protestors for kneeling/sitting during the anthem is so 2016.

Now, if the Penn kids were smearing shit on paintings and statues while rhythmically screaming “Hang Mike Pence” as they invaded the US the Capital to thwart the peaceful transfer of power, I’d understand the trepidation surrounding their activities.

Kneeling/sitting during the anthem? Really?

Seriously… I had no idea we were still campaigning to stop such “dangerous” activities.

The Quakers are not disrespecting our country and our flag… But, even if you feel they are over the line, is the level of disrespect so profound that it warrants calling for cancellation of a Big 5 basketball game?

It should be noted that St. Joseph’s “absolutely will be hosting Penn on December 8 as scheduled” according to Liz Kennedy Walsh, vice president for marketing and communications at St. Joseph’s.

Apparently, St. Joseph’s has decided not to get down in this instance… Looks like St. Joseph’s had denied Maguire’s request to uninvite the Quakers.

Will he make St. Joseph’s lay down?

Maguire is rather adamant in his position. The Penn players are disrespectful and their protest should be suppressed.

As reported by Jensen in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Maguire, said he “jumped out of planes, froze my ass off, saluted my American flag every day and loved my country with all its shortcomings.”

Maguire is openly leveraging his enormous financial resources in an attempt to force the University of Pennsylvania and St. Joseph’s University to stifle the protests.

St. Joe’s is in a tough predicament. Maguire is the “MAN” at St. Joseph’s by any reasonable way one could measure such a thing. He’s that guy… He has donated more money to St. Joseph’s than any other person… ever. He also also carried thousands of needy students through Philadelphia’s Catholic elementary, middle and high schools. Maguire walks the walk. His contributions to local educational organizations are of historic proportions. The man is committed to the idea of providing access to quality education.

Obviously an extremely intelligent man, Maguire, in what could be construed as tacit acknowledgement of the issues raised by the Penn players, recognizes that the United States of America has what he euphemistically refers to as “shortcomings.”

This is where cultural differences become pronounced. The “shortcomings” become something entirely different and more significant when viewed through Black eyes. A group of young Black Penn players have unpacked the “shortcomings” category and gave it a different moniker.

As reported by Mike Jensen, “A Penn captain, Jelani Williams, said after the Quakers home opener, in which all but three players sat during the anthem, joined by two assistant coaches, how “we’ve had a lot of internal conversations just about how guys have felt in their experience in this country as Black young men. There are still a lot of people in the prison-industrial complex. The wage gap is still growing every day. There’s a bunch of stuff.”

The issue is not whether the players are justified in protesting. The fight is for the space to conduct the protest. Maguire is explicitly seeking to take away Hagan Arena as a locale for non-violent, silent protest during the national anthem.

We’ve stepped into the Critical Race Theory realm… American history is so racist that when you tell it straight, a lot of white people accuse you of focusing too much on race. Take the anthem for example… Let’s explore the origin of the anthem, the explicitly white supremacist character of Francis Scott Key and the racist lyrics largely hidden from public view.

The Penn players are well within their 1st amendment rights to not sing the racist anthem written by a ardent racist/white supremacist. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. Key also enslaved African-American people. Key championed and heavily participated in the American system of chattel slavery. Key had a very specific servitude relationship with African-Americans whereby he enslaved and treated them as personal property. Key was free to sell, trade, or treat African-Americans as he would cattle, horses and other livestock. This is Francis Scott Key.

Black folk… I don’t know what to tell you about the white folk that do not understand why that alone is reason to protest the song.

It was written by a racist/white supremacist of the highest order.

In his 50s, Key was named by President Andrew Jackson as the U.S. district attorney for the nation’s capital, where he aggressively prosecuted race and slavery laws to the fullest extent, even seeking the death penalty. He also targeted abolitionists for prosecution.

Key pursuaded President Jackson to name his brother-in-law, Roger Taney, to the Cabinet and then chief justice of the United States. Taney and Key were close friends before Roger met and married Key’s sister. Taney authored the 1857 Dred Scott Supreme Court opinion.

Key’s brother-in-law wrote, “[African-Americans] had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order … and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.”

Black folk… Francis Scott Key and his brother-in- law Chief Justice Roger Taney did not fuck with Black people. Yet for many whites, the reasons for black protests during the anthem are incomprehensible.

It is somehow considered “disrespectful” for Black people to protest the white supremacist Key and his racist anthem…

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” has more than one verse. The second half of the third verse is as follows:

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Key’s lyrics are intended to taunt and threaten the African-Americans who took the British up on their promise of freedom and land in exchange for fighting American troops. It should be noted that the British kept their word, refusing the United States’ demand that formerly enslaved African-Americans be returned. Instead, the British provided them land in Trinidad and Tobago to resettle with their families. Their descendants, called “Merikins,” still live there today.

Maguire, like tens of millions of white Americans, is incapable of facing the reality that everything about “The Star-Spangled Banner” — its lyrics, its author, and the manner in which it became the national anthem — is inextricably bound up with America’s horrific history of racism.

The young men on the Penn basketball team have a constitutional right to protest and make statements. As a society, we have to protect everyone’s right to protest, even young Black Ivy league basketball players. We have come a long way since Key’s brother in law claimed otherwise as Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

As reported by Jensen, Jordan Dingle, Lucas Monroe, Ed Holland, Jelani Williams and the rest of the Penn team discussed their experience in this country as Black young men. Through those conversations, Williams said they identified “a bunch of stuff” when asked about motivating factors for the anthem protest.

One suspects that there is significant overlap between Maguire’s conceptualization of American “shortcomings” and the “bunch of stuff” referred to by the players. Two hundred and forty six years of brutal chattel slavery on armed labor camps, another century or so of Apartheid-like Jim Crow, federally directed infiltration of Black organizations and elimination of Black leaders, decades of explicit discrimination in employment, housing, education, etc., overrepresentation in prisons, police brutality and murder of unarmed Blacks are just a few of the “shortcomings.” The Penn kids are transitioning to adulthood and trying to make sense of the world they confront and it’s complex history.

I know Jordan Dingle’s father Dana, a three-year starter on some of John Calipari’s best teams at UMass in the early 1990’s. At UMass, Dingle and the Minuteman won four Atlantic 10 championships, one NCAA sweet sixteen, one elite eight and one final four from 1992-1996. These days Dingle is one of the mainstays of the NYC Grassroots scene as a Director/Coach with the New York Lighting Basketball Club.

I know Lucas Monroe. I’ve followed his progress since early in his freshman year at Abington High School. I also know his father, Raymond Monroe. I’ve watched Lucas evolve from a bright and inquisitive young boy to a thoughtful and passionate young man. As a sophomore, he’s been named Co-Captain of the team and he has assumed a leadership role on the committee charged with the task of forming a Philadelphia Basketball Hall of Fame.

I know Ed Holland, III. I know the entire Holland family, his mother, father and older brother. These are intelligent, warm and caring people that place a very high priority on education. I have had an opportunity to talk extensively with Ed III and Ed Jr. about education related issues.

These young men are ideal college-student athletes. Supremely gifted athletically, they are also blessed with exceptional intellects. Their maturity is evidenced by their presence on the Penn basketball team. Each of these young men were offered full scholarships to “higher level” basketball programs. These scholarships included things like cost of attendance stipends that are unavailable to Ivy League student-athletes. Yet, they chose the long-term benefit of the Penn education over the immediate tangible offerings of the big time basketball schools.

These are good young men. These are smart young men. These are socially conscious young men navigating the undergraduate educational process at one of the most academically competitive institutions in the nation. These young men have strong moral and ethical values that have been instilled by their families. Those that disagree with them should engage and communicate with them, not seek to suppress their activities.

These young men have chosen to silently and respectfully protest racial injustice in the United States of America by refusing to stand during a racist anthem written by a profoundly racist/white supremacist that clearly felt that Blacks have no rights which whites are bound to respect.

Maguire, like the infamous Aaron Jones, is telling Penn and St. Joe’s to “get down or lay down.” If they don’t do what he says, he will withhold his considerable largesse from these institutions. While I’m sure the University of Pennsylvania would rather continue to work with Maguire and the Maguire Foundation to support much needed projects, Penn will be just fine if Maguire cuts them off.

The Penn endowment totaling $20.5 billion as of June 30, 2021, is comprised of over 8,000 individual endowment funds benefiting the University’s schools, centers, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn can keep the lights on without Maguire.

St. Joseph’s, on the other hand, is very much beholden to Maguire. St. Joseph’s endowment is 70 times smaller than the Penn endowment. As of 2020, their endowment was valued at $293.8 million. Maguires’ donations and contributions are far more crucial to future plans of St. Joseph’s. After all, he has has donated more than anyone else in the history of the university.

Shit could get real tricky here for St. Joseph’s.

I realize the University has stated the game will be played as scheduled. But, I also know they are holding on relevance as a college basketball program by a thread. Since firing Phil Martelli and his staff, the Hawks have an overall record of 13-43 (.232) and 5-25 (.167) in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Maguire’s public stance could make the road to back to relevance much more difficult to navigate for St. Joseph’s coach Billy Lange. Rumors about a major practice facility construction project for St. Joseph’s have been swirling for a while. St. Joseph’s has always been able to count on Maguire to support projects of this ilk.

Seems like St. Joseph’s may be placing future Maguire Foundation support at risk if they allow the Black players at Penn to silently protest the racist song written by the white supremacist.

Maguire wants St. Joseph’s and Penn to suppress Ed Holland, III’s and the other Quakers’ right to protest racial injustice, police brutality and police murders. A year ago, Billy Lange was trying to convince Ed Holland to play basketball at St. Joseph’s.

Tricky… Tricky… Tricky…

St. Joseph’s is one of the few remaining Division 1 institutions in the Mid-Atlantic regions that has never had Black person serve as Head Men’s Basketball coach, Women’s Basketball coach or Athletic Director. The manner in which the St. Joseph’s administration deals with Maguire’s request is being closely watched.

Penn, on the other hand, put a Black man in charge of the athletic department 42 years ago. Charlie Harris, hired at the age of 29, was the youngest person to be named Athletic Director at an Ivy League School with his appointment. He was also the first ever African American to serve as an Ivy League Athletic Director (1979).

Thirty-Nine years ago, in 1982, Penn hired Craig Littlepage, a Black Man, to coach the Men’s basketball team. In 2009, Penn hired Jerome Allen to coach the men’s basketball team. Penn has zero (0) issues with their basketball players silently protesting the anthem.

Maguire has put St. Joseph’s and Penn on notice… Get down or lay down… Two very different schools, two very different histories of inclusion in the athletic departments…

Penn has long been at forefront of providing opportunities for Blacks. Penn gets it… As far back as 1896, the great Black sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois was appointed as an assistant instructor at Penn and began his investigation of the Seventh Ward of Philadelphia—research that he would turn into his groundbreaking work, “The Philadelphia Negro.” In 1979, Penn hired the a Black man to lead the Athletic Department. Subsequently, on two separate occasions, Penn has hired a Black men to lead the Men’s basketball program. Currently, Penn is providing its Black male basketball players with the institutional cover and intellectual space to necessary to conduct highly visible silent protests during the playing of the national anthem.

I can really see why talented young Black male basketball players want to attend the University of Pennsylvania.

St. Joseph’s may find out that “Shut up and Dribble” is not a very effective sales pitch to elite Division 1 basketball prospects. Maguire, the biggest Hawk, doesn’t want Penn’s protesting Black players on St. Joseph’s campus. Another question is sure to arise: Why would talented Black players with options want to attend St. Joseph’s and live and study on the Maguire campus?

It was December 9, 2018, I wanted to see some good high school basketball. Turned out 2 of my buddies were playing against each other. Charles Grasty was taking his Abington Ghosts to Washington, D.C. to face Nick Myles and his St. Frances Panthers. The game was at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C.

That’s about 2 hours… Gas up… I’m out…

I’m watching a strong Abington squad led by Eric Dixon (Villanova) and Lucas Monroe (Penn) take on Ace Baldwin (VCU) and Rajier Jones (Chicago State).

St. Frances was nationally ranked and Abington was a dominant Pennsylvania Suburban One program. St. Frances jumped out on Abington early and never looked back, but it was an entertaining game and I really like both coaches and their kids.

Right in the middle of the action, a young lady tapped my shoulder and matter of factly said, “You are always watching the boys, you should come watch us play… We are better.”

“Oh… Really… Who do you play for?”

“St. Frances girls…”

Displaying my ignorance regarding the girls side of the game, I pushed back on her assertion, “Y’all better than the boys? Those guys are nationally ranked.”

“So are we.”

Hmmmmmm… I take a second to think here… This young lady is very, very self-assured, confident and dead serious…

“What’s your name?”

“Angel… Angel Reese.”

“Can you play? Are you any good?”

“Yes.”

Again… I found myself totally lost on the girls side of thing… I had no idea who Angel Reese was… Absolutely none…

“You wanna play in college?”

“Yes.”

“Have any colleges reached out yet?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any offers?”

“My top 5 is Maryland, Tennessee, USC, Syracuse and South Carolina.”

Ok… Now… I’m starting to get it… SHE IS DAT GIRL!

“South Carolina is by far the best program in women’s college basketball… In fact, I’m gonna FaceTime Dawn Staley right now… Dawn, this young lady said you want her to come play for you?”

Coach Staley kept it very short and to the point, “Del… She’s the one!”

“Ok… I’ll hit you later.”

I spend a great deal of time visiting the Boys program at St. Frances. I would run into Angel quite frequently and each and every time I extolled the virtues of my homie and her program in Columbia, South Carolina

“How could you even think about playing for someone other than Dawn. You do know she is DAWN STALEY right?”

Angel was very deliberate throughout her recruiting process. She took all of her official visits. Her mother, also named Angel Reese, was an accomplished Division 1 basketball player at UMBC. Ultimately, after comparing and contrasting the the offerings of the various suitors, Angel decided to attend the University of Maryland.

Maryland got “the one.”

Now there remained the matter of Black Cager Sports covering one of the St. Frances girls games. Finally on January 25, 2020, I got to watch the St. Frances girls, then ranked #6 in the nation, go against Baltimore Poly before a packed crowd at the Talmadge Hill Field House on the campus of Morgan State University.

Within a few trips up and down the floor, it was clear why the top college programs chased Reese so intently. Reese is an athletic face-up 4 with outstanding post moves and counter moves. She is also capable of facing up and attacking off the bounce. When she is on the court she creates immediate mismatches. Reese has very good length, she drives, draws contact and makes her free throws. She is also a very quick leaper and relentless offensive rebounder.

In short, the young lady is a whole problem.

Reese ended her senior season ranked #2 by ESPN and virtually every other publication of note. She was a member of the McDonalds and Jordan Brand Classic All-American Teams in 2020. She was named USA Today Maryland Player-of-the-Year in 2019 & 2020, All-Metro Player-of-the-Year in 2019, USA Today 2nd-team Maryland in 2018 and 1st-team All-Metro in 2017, 2018.

Can you play? WTF? I was forced to face the fact that Black Cager Sports has shortchanged the girls and the young women. Truthfully, I would immediately recognize any male basketball player with those type of accolades. I was woefully ignorant about scholastic basketball on the girls side and it was painfully obvious. Thankfully, Reese never made the ol’ head feel foolish despite my obvious shortcomings regarding the girl’s side. I thank her for motivating me to work harder to become far more familiar with and knowledgeable about high school and college basketball on the girls side.

I couldn’t wait to see what Reesse would do in the Big 10. During her freshman campaign, Reese only saw action in 15 games, and missed 14 due to a foot injury. Despite missing nearly 50% of the contests, Reese was named to All-Big Ten Freshman Team (2021) after averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds as a rookie.

Truth be told… The country didn’t get the full Angel Reese experience until this season.

Fully healthy, with four years of eligibility remaining, Reese is determined to lead the Terps to the Big 10 and NCAA Championship. Through 6 games, she is averaging 19.4 ppg and 12.0 rpg. Perhaps most impressive are her 7 offensive rebounds per game and her shooting percentage (55.7%) from the field.

Earlier this week, after watching yet another Men’s game at Maryland, I told her I wanted to come to a good game… Again… my ignorance about the girls side came quickly to the fore.

“We got Baylor Sunday.”

Well… That’s a damn good game. And… I had no idea it was taking place.

“I’ll be there.”

Sunday afternoon, I was positioned directly behind the Maryland bench. After Reese picked up her second foul in the first half, Maryland Coach Brenda Frese kept her on the bench. Maryland was short handed and Coach Frese would manage Reese’s minutes carefully. Coach Frese and Maryland had to dig deep to pull this one out. Nothing came easy… In addition to Reese’s foul trouble, Diamond Miller was unable to complete the game due to a lower leg injury. Also, two other key Maryland players are sick and were unavailable.

Coach Frese had to play the hand she was dealt. Three Maryland starters, Collins, Bibby and Sellers played the full 40 minutes. Another, Owusu played 39 minutes. Foul trouble limited to Reese to 19 minutes.

It is worth noting that while she sat for 21 minutes, Reese was the most vocal member of the Maryland contingency. Clapping, yelling and trying to telepathically will her teammates to victory. She bolted up from her seat and onto the court during each and every timeout, walked briskly on the court and emotionally greeted and motivated each Terp in the game with words of encouragement. She was the consummate teammate, totally engaged with the team and the coaches.

When she was on the court, Reese was very productive. In her 19 minute run, Reese finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds and 2 steals. Most importantly, Coach Frese deftly managed the foul trouble and was able to have Reese on the court when it mattered most.

After closing a double digit gap, Baylor was within 3 points of the Terps with 1:30 left in the game. After being called for offensive fouls earlier in the contest, Reese had the ball in the right corner. She was closely defended by the magnificent NaLyssa Smith (30 pts, 15 rebs).

On this possession there were no ball fakes, no interior footwork, no crossovers… The southpaw Reese bounced the ball in her right hand and initiated contact with Smith…Bump… Both women gathered themselves, Reese dribbled and again initiated contact… Bump again… By then, she was positioned under the right side of the basket. Reese played through the contact and through Smith. She muscled in a right-handed layup as Smith swung down in an attempt to block the shot.

Foul… and one…

78-73 with 1:08 left.

Reese made the free throw…

79-73

Baylor would make a 3 point shot with 0:38 left to close it to 79-76.

That would be the final score.

I gotta get back there to see Reese and the Terps a few more times. She’s one of the best college basketball players in the nation… male or female.

Ask her… She’ll tell you.

“If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries. ”

Bill Parcells, 1997

Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon has proven himself to an accomplished grocery shopper under the new NCAA transfer rules. However, the judges have yet to rule on his ability to cook the meal. A couple of the appetizers he’s served up have been far less than satisfying.

Turgeon and his top Assistant Matt Brady deserve credit for the Terps recruiting haul. Maryland has identified, recruited and landed some of the finest basketball players in that nation through the transfer portal. The implementation of new rules regarding transfers and the onset of immediate eligibility for transfers has forever changed the recruiting aspect of the job. The manner in which coaches obtain the “groceries” has been fundamentally altered. Some indicate they will no longer shop at high schools, they much prefer the transfer market. Turgeon and Brady successfully employed a multi-pronged approach to building his current roster.

College basketball, at the Division 1 level, has undergone a dramatic transformation in just a few short years. Today, D1 basketball players are “free agents” able to enter the transfer portal simply by texting or emailing their head coach, compliance officer or athletic director. In addition to being able to enter the portal at any time, college basketball student-athletes are now also immediately eligible upon transferring, just like those in non-revenue sports have been for years.

Keep in mind, that’s not the only big change…

The bulk of college basketball student-athletes have been receiving monthly cost of attendance stipends for several years. These stipends range from $300 to over $1,000 per month depending on the university. These stipends are in addition to the unlimited meals that came about after UConn’s Shabazz Napier told the media that “there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving” in April 2014.

But wait… There’s more…

College student-athletes are now able engage in activities that involve the use of their name, image and likeness for commercial or promotional purposes.

College basketball players can get money! The plot thickens…

In pursuit of said money, college basketball players can employ professional service providers such as, but not limited to, agents, tax advisors, marketing consultants, attorneys, brand management companies or anyone who is employed or associated with such persons.

The game is unrecognizable to those that have been around it for than a decade or so… It’s totally different… College basketball has been radically transformed.

Ten, fifteen or twenty years ago, the notion that kids could unilaterally initiate a transfer with a text or email to a compliance officer was unimaginable. Student-athletes were powerless. Walter Byers, Executive Director of the NCAA from 1951 to 1988 captured the essence of the power dynamic when he wrote that the NCAA is “firmly committed to the neoplantation belief that the enormous proceeds from games belong to the overseers (the administrators) and supervisors (coaches). The plantation workers performing in the arena may receive only those benefits authorized by the overseers.” The one sided power relationship was highly problematic and easily abused by vindictive coaches. I’ve watched first hand as coaches have totally controlled kids and denied them opportunities to play by refusing to sign off on transfer requests.

All that one-sided neoplantation bullshit is gone… Basketball student-athletes can freely choose to go wherever they please.

On top of that, student-athletes are immediately eligible when transferring for the first time. In effect, there is complete free agency in college basketball. And… The players can now get money… Some can get a lot of money…

The previous college basketball paradigm (pre-2021) is impossible to understand through the conceptual framework of the modern college basketball paradigm (post-2021).

Shit changed for real.

Recruiting is different now. With new rules in place, teams can become older and more experienced in one off season. Roster management is different. About one-third of scholarship players entered the portal last season. The financial relationships are different. The power dynamic between players and coaches has shifted considerably. The job description for those responsible for maintaining a competitive D1 college basketball program has changed radically.

Some college coaches have made extensive use of the newly emergent transfer portal “market” to shop for groceries. Turgeon, in particular, has done very well recruiting this market. He also managed to land Julian Reese, one of the top Big 10 freshman, from a Saint Frances a traditional Catholic high school.

Now… Turgeon is charged with the task of “cooking” a Final Four meal with the new ingredients.

Last season, the Terrapins finished in 8th place with a record of 17-14 overall and 9-11 in Big Ten play. Making it to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, the 2020-21 Terps, arguably, overachieved. Eric Ayala led the team in scoring with 15.1 ppg. He shot the ball at a respectable 43.7% overall and 33.7% from behind the 3-point line. Aaron Wiggins came in right behind Ayala at 14.5 ppg. Donta Scott averaged 11.0 ppg and led the team with 6.0 rpg. Darryl Morsell scored 9.0 ppg and grabbed 4.0 rpg while being named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Hakim Hart provided steady point guard play while chipping in 7.1 ppg.

That team got by largely on grit and determination. Morsell and Scott were dogs on the defensive end. They just willed their way into competing on most nights. Maryland was team that just wouldn’t die. You had to kill them and kill them again like Jason Vorhees or Freddie Kruger… They kicked and screamed until the very end.

However, once that end came, the new realities of college basketball hit Turgeon and the Terps right away. The NBA and other college teams took some groceries from the Maryland pantry. Aaron Wiggins turned pro. He’s currently active with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Darryl Morsell transferred to Marquette, where he is averaging 22.5 ppg. Jairus Hamilton transferred to Western Kentucky, where he is averaging 15.3 ppg and grabbing 4.3 rpg. Also gone are seldom used big men Galin Smith to graduation and Chol Marial transferred to Oregon State.

Faced with a depleted roster, Turgeon creatively and agressively used the new rules to his advantage. In one momentous weekend in April, Turgeon got a contract extension and secured commitments from two of the top available college “free agents.” Former Georgetown center Qudus Wahab and former Rhode Island point guard Daron “Fatts” Russell committed to going the Terps.

Whoaaaaa… These are experienced and proven players from programs in highly competitive leagues. Both immediately eligible…

Such moves were impermissible under the pre-2021 college paradigm. Rapid reloading with veteran players from the rosters of other teams is some new era shit. Some coaches, like Turgeon, have proven to be far more nimble and adept than others.

Turgeon would dip into the transfer market a couple more times during the off-season. The Terps secured the services of Ian Martinez, a transfer from Utah and Xavier Green, a graduate student from Old Dominion.

Since these “free agent” commitments were announced, there has been a palpable buzz and sense of anticipation surrounding the Maryland program. On paper, the Terrapins appear to be poised for a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Indeed, Turgeon got everything on his grocery shopping list. He has plugged in an All-Big East level performer at the center spot and an experienced All-A10 guy at point guard. Donta Scott, Eric Ayala and Hakim Hart are proven Big 10 performers.

On paper… Maryland is formidable…

However, meals are not prepared in the grocery store and actual games are not played on paper.

Thus far, the Terps have played five games, all of them in the friendly confines of the Xfinity Center. Maryland opened with a convincing 83-69 win over Quinnipiac. They beat a resilient George Washington squad 71-64. Next, Vermont was knocked off 68-57. Then came defeat…

George Mason came to Maryland and shot 50% (12-24) from behind the 3-point line on the way to upsetting the Terps 71-66. Tonight, Hofstra had 4 players in double figures as they extended the Terps to the wire.

The last 2 or 3 games beg the question: Why hasn’t the “on court” performance of the Terps been commensurate with the “on paper” assessment of this talented bunch? What’s missing?

Well… from where I sit… The missing ingredient is the “extra pass.”

It’s absence is very noticeable. All too often, the ball comes to an abrupt stop and a low percentage, well-defended shot is attempted. The absence of the extra pass makes the game much more difficult than it has to be. In order to meet the lofty goals attached to this team, the extra pass needs to be found and immediately integrated into the offensive strategy.

Somebody’s gotta find it… and, soon…

At it’s core, the extra pass represents the very essence of team sport. It says “I have a shot, a good shot… a shot no one will complain about… But if I pass, you have a better shot.”

The extra pass is selfless.

The extra pass is contagious.

The extra pass is a winning play.

Bear in mind, the extra pass has been very much present at the Xfinity Center in some of the recent games. Unfortunately, it’s been Maryland’s opponents making effective use of it to get clean looks at 3-point shots. To make matters worse, teams have been knocking them down with alarming regularity resulting in a loss and uncomfortably close wins at home.

Conversely, when Maryland has the ball, the extra pass is glaringly absent. As a result, it’s tougher to get buckets. Easy, open shots are few and far between. For some key Terps, it’s been a struggle to get going on the offensive end.

Eric Ayala is shooting 35.5% overall and 30.3% from the 3-point line, down from 43.7% and 33.7% last season. Donta Scott is shooting 43.2% overall and 31.3% from the 3-point line, down significantly from 49.8% and 43.8% from the 3-point line.

Ain’t gonna win Big 10 games like that… Ain’t gonna get drafted like that…

When they find the extra pass, this Maryland team has a chance to be special.

In addition to facilitating the team goal of winning games, the extra pass will help individual players get where they want to go. For Maryland alums, the goal is the NBA. Aaron Wiggins is in the NBA. Kevin Huerter is in the NBA. Bruno Fernando is in the NBA. Jalen Smith is in the NBA. Of course, Eric Ayala aspires to play in the NBA. Donta Scott wants to play in the NBA. Fatts Russell wants to play in the NBA. Qudus Wahab has NBA aspirations.

Winning Big 10 games, NCAA Tournament games and putting young men in the the professional ranks are not mutually exclusive goals. For this group, the key to accomplishing both is the extra pass. See, for example, Villanova basketball.

The question for Coach Turgeon is: How do you get a group of recently acquired, talented players to understand that the best way to achieve their individual goals is to help their teammates accomplish their goals? Dean Smith did it… John Thompson did it… John Chaney did… Bob Knight did it… Dawn Staley does it… It’s not easy. That’s why they pay those guys 1, 2, and even as much as 3 million per year to figure it out.

Turgeon is a strong recruiter. He has quickly adapted to the rapidly shifting college basketball landscape. He’s one of the best portal shoppers in the game. He knows where to find and how to come home with grade ingredients, no question. Now it’s time to prepare the meal… Can he cook?

Maryland alums and fans are really hungry!

The recruiting was excellent. Now, some good old-fashioned basketball coaching is required to create an unselfish and cohesive unit. The extra pass will definitely be needed to get Maryland through the gauntlet that is the Big 10 regular season and beyond the first weekend on the NCAA tournament.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, start Angel’s lil’ brother and let the extra pass bake in…