Leading off today: We took a look at the three smaller classes yesterday. Here are previews of the Class AA and A participants in this weekend's New York State Public High School Athletic Association boys basketball tournament in Glens Falls.
Stay informed
Follow it all at PostStar.com: The Post-Star in Glens Falls will have its usual wall-to-wall coverage all weekend. Be sure to check there for more game notes as well as results and news throughout the tournament. Class AA
Saturday's semifinal pairings: Jamestown (Sec. 6) vs. Albany CBA (Sec. 2), 12:30 p.m. Mount Vernon (Sec. 1) vs. Half Hollow Hills West (Sec. 11), 2:15 p.m.
Sunday's championship game: 3:15 p.m. tipoff.
What's next: Winner plays Boys & Girls (PSAL champion) March 26 in the Fedeartion semifinal, with Christ the King (CHSAA) awaiting that winner the following day.
Jamestown (19-3): Led by 6-foot-1 junior Jaysean Paige (26.2 ppg, 8 rpg), a smooth and heady guard, and forward Darin Butts (16.7 ppg. ... Paige has hops, as they used to say on the playground, and fixes drives with solid perimeter shot selection to shoot 57 percent from the field (45 percent on treys). ... A balanced, talented and disciplined team as well as the only first-time participant in Class AA. ... The losses were to Niagara Falls in the opener, Brooklyn's South Shore and Williamsville North. ... Lost to Rochester East 50-49 in the 2010 state quarterfinals after the school's first Section 6 title in 11 years, battled past Irondequoit 60-58 in OT last weekend. ... Coached by Ben Drake. ... Guard Tommy Campion will be the only soph starter among the four semifinalists.
Albany CBA (23-0): Defending tournament champions. ... Point guard and Cornell recruit Galal Cancer leads the team with 13.1 points a game, followed by 6-3 junior forward Joe Krong (10.5 ppg in his third varsity season) and senior guard Max Weaver (10 ppg). OK size with 6-6 Christian Signor (5.8 ppg) and 6-4 Brendan Dufort (5.3 ppg) pulling their weight. Signor (31), Weaver (31) and Krong (30) make the threes. ...Krong tied season highs with 18 points and four 3-pointers to beat Syracuse Henninger 69-37 in the quarterfinals. Galal scored 25 in that contest. ... Coached by Dave Doemel. ... The Brothers have represented Section 2 in the state tournament six times since 2004.
Mount Vernon (19-5): Has won a record six straight Section 1 championships and 11 of the last 12. ... Led by senior lefty guard Jabarie Hinds (17.6 points, 4 assists per game), a West Virginia recruit and co-winner (with Long Island Lutheran’s Achraf Yacoubou) of the annual Mr. Basketball Award, a statewide honor. next year. He averages 17.6 points and four assists per game. ... Mount Vernon fields an all-senior lineup, coached by Bob Cimmino. ... Won back-to-back state crowns in 2006 and ’07, giving the Knights four for the decade and eight overall to go with four Federation titles. ... Khalid Samuels is the No. 2 scorer at a modest 8.3 per game. Junior Randy Stephens, a transfer from Ossining, is regarded as the rising star. ... The only in-state losses were to Rice of the CHSAA 77-70 and White Plains 63-59. ... Six-foot-6 Jamell Walker (4.6 ppg) was the sectional tourney MVP. ... Rolled into the semis with wins over Newburgh 72-49 and Union-Endicott 86-47. ... Hinds has won Mr. Basketball in Section 1 twice; the only others to do that were Ben Gordon and Elton Brand.
Half Hollow Hills West (18-5): Iowa State recruit and 5-9 guard Trevon Sledge (25.3 ppg, 5 apg) is the featured attraction following the graduation of Tobias Harris, the 2010 Mr. Basketball. ... Emile Blackman (16.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg), a 6-4 junior forward, could be the next big thing. ... Anthony Rollino (7 ppg) is the perimeter threat and will probably have to defend Hinds. ... Beat Nassau County champ Elmont 79-75 in two OTs to reach Glens Falls. Sledge scored 46. ... Previous game was for the lightly regarded Suffolk County championship, and coach Bill Mitaritonna rested most of his regulars in the loss to Harborfields. ... Sledge scored 33 in the 2010 state final, a 71-53 loss to Albany CBA.
The pick: There's not much separating the four teams. HHH West and Mount Vernon have multiple losses vs. superior competition, and the survivor there would be a tossup if CBA advances. Star players sometimes try to do too much in Glens Falls, but Hinds works well with a deep and talented cast, and this is just another big game for the Knights. I'm going with Mount Vernon.
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Class A
Saturday's semifinal pairings: Aquinas (Sec. 5) vs. Jamesville-DeWitt (Sec. 3), 9 a.m. Byram Hills (Sec. 1) vs. Harborfields (Sec. 11), 10:45 a.m.
Sunday's championship game: 1:30 p.m. tipoff.
What's next: Winner plays Long Island Lutheran (AIS champion) in the semifinals of the Federation tournament March 25 in Albany.
Aquinas (22-1): The Little Irish have won 21 straight since a close loss to Niagara Falls. ... A veteran lineup and relatively physical. Starting 6-7 junior Phil Valenti (17 ppg) will probably have primary responsibility on Dajuan Coleman, the 6-10 J-D junior sensation. ... Point guard Christian White (10 ppg) is a three-year starter who's played AAU ball with Coleman. ... Alex Baron, a 6-5 senior, has averaged 12 points in a reduced role on offense from a year ago, freeing him up to help inside on D. ... The Irish will play at whatever the necessary pace is but
probably won't have the luxury of pressuring anyone in this group of semifinalists up and down the court. ... Coached by Mike Grosodonia.
Jamesville-DeWitt (20-3): Three-time defending tournament champs, led by Dajuan Coleman (19.7 ppg, 14 rpg), who has 1,338 career points ... Had a letdown against a good Cortland team at midseason immediately after two losses in West Virginia, but stellar since. ... Coached by Bob McKenney. ... Tyler Cavanaugh (15.2 ppg, 12 rpg) has blossomed as a 6-8 junior after showing steady improvement much of last year. ... The return of 6-2 senior guard Demetrius Mitchell (15.5 ppg) from an early-season ankle injury has changed the team, particularly by extending the J-D defense to frustrate opponents. ... Junior swingman Pete Drescher (8.5 ppg) might be limited this weekend by a sprained ankle.
Byram Hills (18-5): The Bobcats compensate for youthfulness and a general lack of size with solid shooting and the ability to run. Coupled with a disciplined zone, Byram Hills is a strong all-around team on an unexpected run that included the first sectional title since 1978 -- the first year of the NYSPHSAA tourney. ... Rallied from 12 down -- the fourth comeback win of the playoffs -- to beat Maine-Endwell 65-59 in OT in the quarterfinals. ... Sophomore guards Jeff Lynch, the sectional tournament MVP, and Ryan Golden average 15.9 and 12.2 points, respectively. Senior forward Andy Murphy averages 9.8 points. ... Coached by Ted Repa.
Harborfields (20-2): Harborfields was denied its first trip to Glens Falls last season with a 58-56, buzzer-beater loss vs. Westbury. ... This year, Harborfields scored a 67-47 victory over Manhasset for the Long Island championship. ... Coach Chris Agostino beat his brother Jack's Amityville team 67-62 in the Section 11 final. Jack won four straight state titles beginning in 2000. ... Bolstered by Joe Savaglio, a 6-3 junior averaging 10 ppg after transferring back from Long Island Lutheran. ... Point guard Lucas Woodhouse is one of Long Island's leaders in assists, and 6-3 guard Matt McLeod (20 ppg) frequently is the player who benefits, but all five starters average in double figures. ... The Tornadoes have won 18 straight. ... Losses were to Holy Trinity and Long Island Lutheran.
The pick: I toyed with the idea of going against the Red Rams a couple of weeks ago, but Mitchell's return to the J-D lineup decided the issue. I'm sticking with J-D, though a 9 a.m. semifinal against Aquinas could be interesting.
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