LIL Akoumianakis Win Jr. Nationals
The Long Island Lightning Akoumianakis Boys 14U Team captured the Gold Championship at the Basketball Hall of Fame Jr. Nationals in Springfield, MASS, defeating Kips Bay (Bronx) in the final. They went 3 and 0 in their pool, competing against good teams such as CT Hoopstars, CT Bball Club and JKMBA Jaguars. Coach Nick's seven players in attendance were Kostas Akoumianakis, Danny Eiber, Paul Simpson, Ryan DeNicola, Edwin Sainvil, Gary Tibbs and Isaiah Watson. Great Job. Congratulations. And a thank you to Colin Tabb and staff from the Hall of Fame in Springfield.
Two More Lightning Teams Win
The Long Island Lightning program captured two more titles at the US Junior Nationals, with the Gilbert 15U and Milhaven 12U teams both crowned champions.
Harris Putting Spotlight On LI
Tobias Harris, the 6'7 and growing phenom who averaged 30 points a game as a sophomore and led his Hills West Colts to a Suffolk Class AA title, is helping lead the resurgence of Long Island basketball and will focus national and regional attention on all our players and teams in his final two high school seasons. Harris has been to all the high profile camps and participated in all the high profile tournaments and showcases, and the list of college teams recruiting him is nothing short of incredible. As of now, Harris has scholarship offers from from Louisville, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Marquette, Baylor, St. John’s, West Virginia, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, Delaware, Hofstra and North Carolina State, and Kansas, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Auburn, Seton Hall, Texas, Arizona State, Memphis, Oklahoma, Providence, DePaul and Syracuse are now showing interest too. Couple all that attention with Long Island's convincing win over New York City in the head to head season series last year, and the fact that four Long Island teams played for State Championships last season despite it being a supposed "down year" for Long Island basketball, and you can see where things are headed. Catch an interview with Harris tonight at on News 12 at about 8:20pm.
Cancer Awareness Tournament
The Second Annual Sonia A. Saunders, Allen Parker & Wendell Bodden Cancer Awareness 14U Basketball Tournament will be held July 11, 12 & 13. at North Babylon HS. Proceeds from this event will be contributed towards a Cancer fighting agency and S.O.N.I.A.Y. This is a great family outing. We will have a DJ, live entertainment, food, giveaways and literature on Cancer. Please help us to help others. You can enter a team for a registration fee of $200 Each team will pay their own referee fees of $30 per game. Contact keith360@optonline.net
Sixth Annual Tim Casey 3 on 3
This year's Sixth Annual Tim Casey Memorial 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11 a.m. Year after year, this tournament offers the very best competition in the Metro Area, with top teams and players competing from Long Island, New York City, Westchester, and beyond in the Open, College, and High School Divisions. For further information, please call 631-298-5043
T.U. Future Tournament Postponed
Team Underrated was scheduled to host the Future Tournament this coming weekend, but it will be postponed and hopefully held at a later date. They will host a special Team Underrated Day on Sunday. We'll give you more details later in the week
Draft Notes
As much as we're all eagerly looking forward to the new Mike D'Antoni era in New York, and anxiously anticipating the Knicks first round draft pick, don't forget that the Bulls, Knicks, and Cavs all still had losing records the season following their selections of Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Lebron James in the draft. Not much chance the Knicks will get a player of that caliber in this draft, especially at the 6 spot.
Team Buckets Needs Sponsors
The Team Buckets 14U Team, which has qualified for the AAU Nationals, needs sponsors to help them get there. The costs for transportation, housing, and food
for teams participating can be substantial. If you can help, please contact them at bucketshw@hotmail.com
Harris Visits St. John's
Tobias Harris took an unofficial visit to St.John's University and came away very impressed with what coach Norm Roberts is doing there. Harris said that it looked like coach Roberts is really trying his best to get the Red Storm back to an elite level and has a vision for the program that impressed him. He also liked the new gym, and the fact that there is lots of construction going on to improve the campus environment . Those of us old enough to remember can tell you that the good St. John's teams of years past always seemed to have at least one Long Island player that played a big role, so going after Harris is another sign Roberts is on the right track!
Butlers Going JC Route
Floral Park stars Bill and Brandin Butler have signed commitments to college. Bill Butler will be attending Division 1 Eastern Wyoming Junior College, and brother Brandin Butler will be attending Division 2 Des Moines Junior College in Iowa - which is ranked 7th in the nation.
Malone On Rumble Finalist
Deer Park's Josh Malone was part of the Panthers team that advanced to the finals of the Rumble In The Bronx Tournament, where they fell to the Gauchos. In the final, Malone helped lead an 8-2 run that gave the Panthers an early lead, but they could not hold it and ended up falling 76-63
Line Forms To The Right For Harris
June 15th was the first day college coaches could contact members of the Class of 2010, so we checked in with the highest profile member of the class, Tobias Harris of Hills West, to see if anyone had contacted him. Wow! Check out this list (in no particular order):
Virginia, West Virginia, UCONN, Texas, Florida, St.John's, Maryland, NC State, Memphis, Syracuse
Notre Dame, Louisville, Rutgers, South Carolina
Wake Forest. and Providence.
Green Will Return To Tar Heels
Danny Green, who toyed with the idea of making himself eligible for the NBA draft after a good junior season, has decided to return to North Carolina for his senior year
Financial Aid For College Athletes
Did you know that very few college athletes are fully funded by their athletic scholarship? Its true, so if you are looking forward to playing basketball in college, make sure you are familiar with all options for financial aid. The best places to start are the financial aid offices at the colleges you are considering, but you can get a jump on the process by getting an estimate of what you might be eligible for in need-based aid. Go to the financial aid calculator at finaid.org for that. There is also a lot of other useful information on the site. You might also want to pick up a book called "Meeting College Costs" that is produced by the College Board, the people give the SAT test. Either way, do your homework and don't get caught short!
Back In The Day!
It's time for the Second Edition of our new continuing series, "BACK IN THE DAY", where we interview famous Long Island hoops stars about what it was like growing up on Long Island. This month's interview is with Amityville's MIKE JAMES of the New Orleans Hornets. Hope you enjoy it! If you missed it, catch last month's interview with Virgina Tech Coach SETH GREENBERG. GO TO BACK IN THE DAY
More Ask The Ref
Intentional fouls vs flagrant fouls ASK THE REF
Island Garden Spring Playoffs
The Island Garden Spring League Playoffs are around the corner, and schedules have been posted. Going into the playoffs, the top seeds are:
Varsity West: Northport
Varsity East: Rising Stars
JV: Rising Stars
8th Grade: Lightning - Curry
7th Grade: Garden City Knights
6th Grade: St Edwards - Quinn
5th Grade: Hersh
Garden To Host NCAA Regionals?
Ask The Ref Returns!
Question: With seconds left, a player launches a full court desperation shot that fell well short. The horn went off as it landed. However, the ball then bounced into the basket. Is it good? If it is good and the ball bounced INSIDE the three point line before going in, is it a 2 or a 3? For the answer to this and a bunch of more questions, ASK THE REF
Nick Taldi To CW Post
Bellmore star Nick Taldi has committed to play at CW Post next fall.
Double Trouble July 19th and 20th!
There will be back to back One Day Shootouts for both boys and girls teams right here on Long Island. On the 19th, It will be boys teams in the 4th grade/10U, 6th grade/12U, 9th grade/15U, JV/16U, and Varsity/17U age groups, and then on Sunday the 20th, girls teams in the 6th grade /12U, 8th grade/14U, JV/16U, and Varsity/17U age age groups. 3 games guaranteed for $250.
16U Team Needs Big For Nationals
USA Invite For Sammy Prahalis
It's killing us, but we just don't have the manpower to start covering the girls side yet. Our biggest regret has been missing out on documenting the incredible high school career of Commack star Sammy Prahalis. Sammy is without a doubt one of the greatest high school basketball players ever to come out of Long Island. We're going to make an exception though, because we want you to know that she is one of only 35 girls nationwide to have been invited to try out for the U18 US National Team. Congratulations Sammy, and good luck at Ohio State next fall!
Offensive Skills Clinics
There will be a series of offensive skills clinics presented by Interstate Sports in Sayville. They are open to: Boys & Girls Grades 5-12
Session 1—Wed., June 4, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Shooting Techniques & Low Post MovesSession 2—Wed., June 11, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Ballhandling & Offensive Rebounding Session 3—Wed., June 18, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Passing & Movement Without the Ball Session 4—Wed., June 25, 6:30 - 9:30pm
One on One Moves & Individual Moves Fee: $70.00 Per Session
$225.00 for All 4 Sessions
Location: Interstate Sports Academy, 246 N Main St.
Sayville, NY 11782
16 Minute Halves In High School?
A proposal to experiment with 16 minute halves in high school, instead of 8 minute quarters, has been approved for New York State Public High Schools. Teams can use the new format in tournaments and non-league games, with the approval of their local sections. On Long Island, Section 8 governs Nassau County and Section 11 Suffolk.
What Does It Take?
St. Dom's star Brian Katz, who will be playing his basketball at Yale next season, is known for his deadly jumper, his ability to move without the ball, and a knack for hitting clutch shots under pressure. What does he do during the offseason to stay at the top of his game , while still keeping his Ivy League caliber grades up? Here is his workout schedule:
Monday- Individual basketball skills training.
Tuesday- Strength training (primarily upper body)
Wednesday- Ball-handling, shooting and strength
Thursday- Strength training (primarily legs/power)
Friday- Ball-handling, shooting and strength
Saturday- Speed, agility, quickness, explosion, vertical and conditioning.
His workouts last at least an hour, and he also plays whenever he can - on summer leagues teams, in pick-up games etc.
College Asst Coach Needed
Suffolk Community College (Brentwood Campus) seeks an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach. This is a top Jr. College program year in and year out. Those interested should contact Head Coach Gregg Barry at
Roosevelt 7-1 At Hofstra Camp
The Roosevelt Boys Basketball team, coached by Jason Maragh, finished the Hofstra Team Camp with a 7-1 record, avenging their only loss to Locust Valley. The camp consisted of 16 top notch teams from Long Island, including Holy Trinity, Deer Park, and Half Hollow Hills West, although the teams didn't all play each other. The future looks bright for the young Roosevelt team.
McKillop USA Coach
After leading Davidson to a Cinderella storybook season, Chaminade's Bob McKillop has been selected to head the 2008 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team that will compete in the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship scheduled for July 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anthony Grant and Georgetown University’s John Thompson III will serve as assistants
LI Teams Do Well At Team Camp
There were quite a few Long Island teams at the St. John's Team Camp, and for the most part, they did very well, continuing the dominance Long Island teams showed over New York City teams last season. One of our preseason favorites - Brentwood, went 2-0 with wins over All Hallows and Fox Lane, as did Lindenhurst , with wins over McClancy and Stepinac, and St. Anthony's, with wins over St. Edmund and Amityville. St. Doms got into the act on days 2 and 3 of the camp, finishing 3-1 with wins over Holy Cross, Cordozo, and St. Francis Prep, with a loss to Bishop Ford. In all, Long island teams were 9-3.
Did You Know......
Emmy Award winning former ESPN SportsCenter host and current Los Angeles Dodger announcer Charley Steiner began his sports career as a basketball statistician and scorekeeper for the Malverne Mules. Charley graduated from Malverne in 1967.
Game Of The Year? Already?
St. Dominc Head Coach Rob Pavinelli is busily putting together the final details for next season's Long Island Challenge, and one of the games already on the board is a fantastic match-up between defending Catholic School Champion Chaminade and Suffolk Class AA Semifinalist Brentwood. Both teams were dominated by very talented underclassmen last season, and sure to be at or near the top of next season's Sweet 16 Preseason Poll. Nice job coach! It's only April, and we can't wait for the season to start!
Our Long Island Champions
HIGH SCHOOLSCatholic Schools: Chaminade
Private/Independent Schools: LI Lutheran
Public Class AA Baldwin
Public Class A : East Hampton
Public Class B : Malverne
Public Class C: Friends Academy
Public Class D: Greenport
COLLEGESDivision 1 : Stony Brook
Division 2 : CW Post
Division 3: Farmingdale State
Pearl / Belmont Headed For Hall
Tennessee Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl, who has led the Volunteers to basketball prominence, will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, which is located right here on Long Island at 74 Hauppauge Road in Commack. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 8th starting at 10:30 a.m. At the same ceremony, Ben Belmont of Great Neck South will be given the Jules D Mazor Outstanding Male Jewish High School Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Belmont ia a member of the Long Island Basketball. com Honor Roll, and was a starter at Great Neck South since his sophomore year, earning All Conference honors every year. He also starred in football and lacrosse, and will be playing D1 lacrosse at Duke next year. Admission is $10.00 for adults, with children and seniors free of charge. For more information, please call (631) 462-9800, ext. 125.
In Memory Of Bob Grant
We were very saddened to hear of the passing of long time Suffolk County basketball official Bob Grant at the age of 76. Bob was not only an outstanding official, but an outstanding person as well and will be sorely missed. He officiated at the high school level, college, level, at the U.S. Olympic trials, and later became president and treasurer of Board 127 of the IAABO (International Association of Authorized Basketball Officials) and was made a lifetime honorary member. He was one of only a handful of IAABO members nationwide to have served for 50 or more years. In his honer, The Bob Grant Tip-Off Classic Basketball Tournament is held annually in late December. Please send donations in his memory to the American Diabetes Association, 333 Seventh Ave., 17th floor, New York, NY 10001; or to the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, 440 West Neck Rd., Huntington, NY 11743
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The Editors Mailbox
Oceanside's George Greco drilled back-to-back three-pointers to ignite the 22-8 run that carried Stevens Point to victory over York College in the ECAC Division III Metro Championship......Long time contributor Louie Max, who is now the JV Coach at Forest Hills, is proud to say that his team won the PSAL Queens Boro JV Championship and finished undefeated in league play......Interesting story from NYC: Holy Cross Star Sylven Landesberg, who's team will try and break the CHSAA's 5 year losing streak in the State Federation Championships, may have to miss the McDonald's All-Star game due to a scheduling quirk. The State Championships have been pushed back a week this year to March 29-30 so they don't fall on Easter weekend, while the McDonald's All-American Game will be played in Milwaukee on March 26. State rules in New York make a player ineligible after playing in non-sanctioned events like the McDonald's game, but it usually doesn't matter, since the Federation finals are almost always over by the time the game is played. Holy Cross has petitioned the state athletic association for an exception. Stay tuned..
Ask The Ref Extravaganza!
We get tons of questions this time of year, so we're super sizing the next few editions of our popular column! So it's time to ASK THE REF
Long Island Girls Basketball
Our plans for covering Long Island girls hoops are still on the drawing board, but in the meantime, High School Hoops is good source of information!
Great News For LI Basketball
If you're at all involved in the Long Island basketball scene, it's no secret that we are desperately in need of additional basketball facilities, and of first rate events for our players and teams to participate in without having to travel long distances. The great news is that a large facility has just opened in Sayville that will eventually house an amazing eight basketball courts! Starting this April, when the first three courts will be operational, it will be home to leagues, tournaments, camps, clinics, and AAU programs for all ages and skill levels. They are putting together their schedule and booking events starting now, so if you have a league, tournament, clinic, AAU program,or other basketball related event that you need a new home for, give Mike Generi a call at 631-905-7214, or email him at mikegeneri@aol.com. He will work with you and give you help organizing and administering your event.
Imagine, no more trips to New Jersey!
How Do They Choose The Refs?
We know how the teams got to the playoffs, but how do they choose the refs ? In Nassau, the playoff officials for the first two rounds (or any game that is NOT a semi-final or beyond) are assigned based on the accumulated ratings from the previous two seasons.
(Coaches submit ratings after every game) Once they get into the semi-finals, each coach is asked to submit a list of the top officials they would like to see working their playoff game, along with another list of officials they would prefer NOT to see. Then, the lists of the two coaches of the game to be assigned are paired up. The first two names that appear on both coaches' lists are then assigned to work the game (assuming they are available). Conflicts and ties on the list are worked out based on the highest combination of names. In Suffolk, the officials are selected based ENTIRELY on their ratings for the current season. For each and every game during the "regular season," both coaches submit rating cards for both officials to the Section XI office. At the end of the regular season and just before playoffs begin, the ratings are then tallied up by the Section office to determine a rank order from # 1 (highest rated) on down. If 32 officials are needed to handle Round I of the playoffs, they simply use the top 32 available officials. In the second round, if 16 are needed, the process is repeated with the top 16 available officials. Part of the process involves making accommodation for the fact that two associations service Section XI. In general, 2/3 of the playoff assignments in each round go to the "Western Board" and the remaining 1/3 of the assignments go to the "Eastern Board." Then, at the end, Section XI has three "final" games.....a "Small Schools Final" involving two schools from classes D - C - B and A, followed by a "Large Schools Final" between schools from class AA and then a Section XI County Championship game between the winners of those other two games. For example, last year Wyandanch (small schools winner) upset Copiague (large schools winner) to capture the overall Suffolk County Championship. Since 6 officials are needed for those last three games, they take 4 from the West and 2 from the East no matter which schools are in those games.
Ask The Ref!
In this edition of ASK THE REF, we answer questions about slapping the backboard, dribbling before inbounding the ball, and continuation. ASK THE REF
Sweet 16 Facts And Figures
Three different teams have held the top spot in our Sweet 16 Poll this season, and all three are still ranked in the top 4........ 14 of the 16 teams in the original Sweet 16 poll taken 12/2 are still ranked...... 29 different teams have been ranked at one time this season. .....Six of the current Sweet 16 teams have been ranked every week. Find more interesting facts, or dig up some of your own on the SWEET 16 STUDY page.
Basketball Players With Asthma
There is a great educational resource for basketball players and all athletes with asthma, and its also very useful to the athlete's parents and coaches. Its called Breathe Easy. Play Hard, and you can find it at www.breatheeasyplayhard.com. Our thanks to Coach Chris Agostino of Harborfields for telling us about it!
ATTENTION: COACHES!
If you coach a Youth, PAL, CYO, Travel, League, Varsity, JV, or AAU team at any level, and your team plays during the spring, summer, or fall - or would like to, please take our very brief survey We want to start sponsoring weekend tournaments for you and need your input.
Thanks! - Ted Thomas
Coaching Internship Program
There will be a free internship program this summer for 25 qualified and enthusiastic basketball coaches - male or female - looking to improve their coaching skills and learn how to effectively teach the fundamentals to a team. It is being offered by veteran coaches Gus and Ron Alfieri of the All-American Basketball Camp. Email resume to aalf@optonline.net, or call 631-265-7142 for an interview. Minimum age is 18 years old.
Teams From Denmark To Tour LI
Attention Long Island Basketball Coaches and administrators: For the 10th consecutive year, teams from the Hjemly School in Denmark will be coming to Long Island for a series of games and scrimmages beginning on December 3rd and lasting until December 10th. They are arriving with a boys varsity, boys JV and girls varsity teams and we are looking to schedule games and scrimmages for them. It is a fabulous cultural experience for your players as some teams will have the experience of housing the student-athletes from Denmark (who are all fluent in english) overnight. Last year, the teams competed against Friends Academy, Stony Brook School, Carle Place, Great Neck North, East Hampton and Carey. For more information about the 2008 Long Island Tour, please call Ron Alfieri at 631-274-7047 or e-mail him at AllAmerican.Sportswear@yahoo.com.
Send Us Your News And Photos!
If it has anything to do with Long Island players or teams at any age level, we want to hear about it! CLICK HERE
Did You Know...........
Marc Iavaroni, who played for and graduated from Plainview JFK, was hired as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies back in May of 2007k. Iavaroni was a four year starter at the University of Virginia, and was named first team All-Tournament on Virginia’s 1976 ACC Tournament championship team. In the NBA, he was a starter as a rookie on the 76ers’ 1983 Championship Team along with fellow Long Islander Julius Erving, and went on to a seven year NBA career.
Ask The Ref!
Legal Screens, Air Balls, and Back Court Violations
Passing the NCAA Test
Daily News article on what exactly a high-schooler has to do to stay eligible to play a Division I sport. ARTICLE
LI Hoops Trivia
The record for most wins in a season is held by the 1997-8 Westhampton team, who went 28-0 on their way to winning the Federation Class B State Championship
Ask The Ref
This edition is all about uniforms and the rules that pertain to them. ASK THE REF
Cablevision Turns Back On LI
The schedule for Long Island based Cablevision's 2007-08 Snapple HS Basketball Game of the Week had no Long Island Teams listed. How ironic is that ?
Att: Long Island Event Organizers
If you are planning any tournaments, leagues, team camps, or other events for this spring or summer, nail down your dates and get your announcements to us ASAP! We are already getting announcements from events from all over the country, and all the travel and AAU coaches, program directors, and top players are too. If you want your event to be considered, and you want to have a good turn-out of quality teams and players, you have to start getting the word out now! Long Islanders want to participate in local events, but they can't if they don't find out about them until after they've put their schedules together! ANNOUNCEMENTS
Long Island Hoops Trivia
Julius Erving, also know as Dr. J, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was born in Hempstead and moved to Roosevelt when he was 13 and played for Roosevelt High School, where he was an All Long Island selection. He played his college ball at UMass, where he became one of only seven players in the history of NCAA basketball to average over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. He turned pro after his junior year (rare in those days), and began his career in the ABA. In only his second year of pro ball, he led the ABA in scoring, averaging 31.9 points per game. In his third year he led his new team, the Long Island based New York Nets, to the ABA Championship.
It Helps To Know The Rules !
Understandably, many of the questions we receive for our popular ASK THE REF column are rule related. In this installment, veteran official Skip Yutzler will go over some of the fundamental rules for you to help you increase your understanding and enjoyment of the game. ASK THE REF!
More Myth BustersNot only have the last five Federation Class AA State Champions been public schools, but in Class A, four of the five have been public schools! Want more? The only catholic school State Champion was 2005 Class A Champion St. Anthony's from Long Island! More? Eight of the ten State Champions were from places other than New York City
The Jump Stop
In a new ediition of our popular ASK THE REF column, veteran official Skip Yutzler tackles the always confusing "Jump Stop" and how to sort it out. So lets ASK THE REF!
Ask The Ref
We answer a bunch of questions in this edition!
State Championship Trivia
A lot of people think public schools can't compete with the catholic schools, but four out of the last five large school Federation State Champions have been public schools........Long Island has had at least one State Champion in 9 of the last 10 years and a Federation Champion in 7 of the last 10.........Our last public school State Champion before Malverne won this year was Amityville in 2003.......
Larry Brown and Yaz
The Independent, an East End newspaper, had two articles about famous Long Island basketball players. The first was about Long Beach grad, ABA All-star, and Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown, and the second about Baseball Hall of Famer and former Bridgehampton basketball star Carl Yaztremski. Both were written by Bob Vacca.
Follow these links to read them:
Ask The Ref #41
In the latest edition of our popular column, we answer questions about how many steps you can take after coming down with a rebound, how to become a referee, and rebounding your own air ball.
Long Island Hoops Trivia
The most points ever scored by a Long Island team in a single game is the 155 scored by Bridgehampton in the 1969-70 season...... The most wins by one team in a season is 28 by the 1997-98 Westhampton team..... Three of the top 4 spots on the list of most State Championships are held by Long Island teams. Bridgehampton is first with eight, Amityville third with four and Hempstead tied for 4th with three. Somehow Mount Vernon managed to sneak into 2nd......Jason Frasier of Amityville holds the record for most rebounds in a State Tournament game with 25.......
ASK THE REF
This installment deals with the concept of advantage and disadvantage, one of the guiding principals of basketball rules. ASK THE REF
Technical Foul!
Two shots and the ball? Not always! ASK THE REF
Ask The Ref !In the latest installment of our popular series, we answer questions about being bumped while dribbling, a coach that talks to players on the other team, and why blocking a dunk attempt isn't goaltending! ASK THE REF!EF!
Long Island Basketball Trivia
In the 1974-75 season, 4 out of the 5 players named 1st Team All State were from Long Island high schools. They were:
Reggie Carter, sr., LI Lutheran
Jim Graziano, jr., Farmingdale
Wayne McKoy, soph., LI Lutheran and
Mike Palma, sr., Rockville Centre St. Agnes
The 5th player was Bernard Toone, sr., Yonkers Gorton
Our most recent 1st Team All-State selection was Danny Green of St. Mary's in the 2004-5 season.
Ask The Ref!
He Kicked it! Was That A Held Ball? Backcourt Violation! Tuck Your Shirts In Please - a variety of topics in this edition of ASK THE REF
Double Dribble??
A player hits his own leg while attempting a cross-over dribble, but maintains possession. What's the call? ASK THE REF!
Lets All Help !
By now, you've probably heard that the family home of Walt Whitman basketball player C.J. Humphries burned to the ground this past week. Although thankfully nobody in the family was injured in the fire, the house and most of their belongings were destroyed. Worse still, they were renting the house and do not have insurance to replace what they lost. Even sadder, the family was already suffering from another serious tragedy. CJ's Dad has been hospitalized since October with a life threatening heart aliment. Because of all this, the family now has very few places to turn. Even though relatives and friends have opened their arms, they have had to split up, with CJ's Mom, brother, and sisters staying with relatives, while CJ is staying with a friend. If you would like to make a donation to help CJ and his family, send your checks, made payable to South Huntington Union Free School District, to the attention of Mr. Steve Ramsey, SHUFSD, 301 West Hills Road, Huntington Station, NY 11746.
So How Did We Do Against NYC?
As you know, we've been tracking the results of head to head matchups between New York City boys varsity teams and Long Island teams all year, and through the end of the regular season, we're proud to announce that Long Island has won the season series! By the way, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LONG ISLAND LUTHERAN! If you include Lutheran, its a landslide victory for Long Island! Our lead is insurmountable, but we'll wait until after the post season to give you the final numbers.
How Do We Rank The Sweet 16 ?
We get a lot of questions about the process we use for putting together the weekly Sweet 16 Rankings, so we thought we'd go over it again for everyone new to the website. The Sweet 16 is a weekly poll that we compile based on ballots we receive from a carefully selected panel of Long Island basketball experts. They are all involved in Long Island basketball on a day to day basis in one way or another, or are retired now and were in the past. We try very hard to balance the panel Nassau/Suffolk, Public/Private, and Class AA - A - B and this year's panel is our most balanced yet. We hope this answers most of your questions, and that you now understand why we can't always explain why a certain team is ranked where it is, or not ranked at all. We can only speculate. I'm always willing to share my thoughts on the poll results and on my own ballot, but that's the best I can do. - Ted Thomas/Editor
The Editors Mailbox
Two more famous Long island hoops stars: Jim Valvano, who attended and played at Seaford High, was the point guard at Rutgers and coached The North Carolina "Wolfpack" to an NCAA Basketball Title in 1983, and Butch Van Breda Koff, who coached at Hofstra, played four years with the New York Knicks, also coached at Lafayette, and Princeton, and in the pro ranks, coached ten seasons with The Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Tams and New Orleans Jazz. "Butch" even coached in The Women's Professional Basketball League with the New Orleans Pride........Trivia Question: Can anyone name the 1977 All Long island College Team as listed in Newsday? ......... Thanks to Jonathan Tavel of Old Bethpage, we have two more players on our list of NBA and ABA players from Long island. They are Carl Braun from Garden City High School, and Thomas Rowland from Brentwood High School. Thanks Jonathan!......
Long Island Hoops Trivia
Two Long Islanders - Southampton's Foots Walker and Bellport's Randy Smith - both started for the 1979 Cleveland Cavaliers.
LongIslandBasketball.com #1 !
In the latest traffic rankings, LongIslandbasketball.com has become the most popular high school basketball website in the New York City metropolitan area! Our sincere thanks to everyone!
Promising New Basketball Venture
Two of the most experienced and respected members of our basketball community have started a unique venture that will help produce better basketball players, stronger teams, and more and better organized leagues and tournaments all over Long Island. Jim Fox and Bruce Eiber have created FE Basketball Solutions, a new concept that will enable them to share their many years of experience running the enormously successful Island Garden facility and Lightning AAU program with other facilities and programs from all over the metropolitan area. FE will provide administrative personnel to operate leagues, tournaments and fund raisers; experienced coaches and trainers to teach players, tryout management, uniforms, equipment, insurance, referees, league registration - everything you need to have a successful and efficiently run event or organization. FE will also offer services to individual teams and players. For teams, they will provide an experienced coach, practice facilities, uniforms, insurance, AAU membership - whatever you need to get your team up and running and gunning. For individuals, they will place you on a well coached team that will play in Long Island’s top youth league - the Island Garden Super League. It’s a fantastic concept, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it’s a big hit, because if it is, we’ll all benefit. If you'd like to contact them, FE Basketball Solutions can be reached at 516-351-6642 or email jimfox@islandgarden.com or searington@aol.com
What If You Don't Make The Team?
In this special Players Page edition of TRAINING TIPS, we let you know what to do if you DON'T make the team.
L.I. Has 4 McDonalds Nominees
The participants in the 2008 McDonald's All-Star Game have yet to be announced, but four Long Islanders were nominated. They were: Byron Freeman/St. Mary's, Brain Katz/St. Dominic, Gerardo Suero/OSNA, and Robbie Ptacek/ Bayport-Bluepoint.
Interstate Sports Ready To Rock
After delays installing the three new wood courts, things are finally ready to roll at the new basketball facility in Sayville. Leagues, tournaments, and clinics are all planned and should be underway soon. You can register for all their programs online. If you don't have a team, register as free agent!
Perfect In The Classroom!
For those of us that believe that the most important thing a basketball player can get out of college is a good education and a degree, the NCAA recently released a report that contained two important lists: The most publicized was the list of Division One sports teams that had failed to meet NCAA standards for academic success from 2003-2007, and were penalized by the loss of scholarships as a result. Worst among the offenders were men's basketball teams. The second, more deserving of attention in our mind, was the list of teams that achieved perfect scores over that same period. Men's basketball teams were conspicuously absent from that list, with only two teams earning perfect scores of the hundreds that play D1 college basketball across the country. We're very proud to say both are coached by Long Islanders. They are: Columbia, coached by Hills West grad Joe Jones, and Davidson, coached by Chaminade grad Bob McKillop. Our congratulations to both coaches and programs. Teams on both lists were measured by Academic Progress Rates (APRs), which have been computed by the NCAA for the last four years and hinge on retaining players, keeping them academically eligible, and ultimately graduating them.
NCAA Certified Adult League
This very popular league began at St. Mary's High School, and has been held the Island Garden the past four years. It is open to players 18 and over of all ability levels. For this summer, the divisions will be as follows:
A Division - This section is reserved for the highest caliber teams that include NBA players, current Division l and ll athletes and other top level players. Placement in this division is at the discretion of league administrators.
B Division - Reserved for strong adult league teams and Division lll college players.
North Division - Reserved for recreational adult league teams.
South Division - Reserved for players 35 and over .
FEES: $1095 includes an 8 game schedule, playoffs (if eligible), referee fees and shirts.
To register or obtain additional information, call Jm Fox at 516-292-4956 or email jimfox@islandgarden.com
Upstate / Downstate Challenge
We have another great event added to the schedule for next season. Uniondale is hosting a one day showcase on Saturday, December 20th that will feature a full slate of games between Long Island teams and teams from upstate. So far, squads from White Plains, New Rochelle, Poughkeepsie, and Byram Hills will be making the trip down, with host Uniondale, LI Lutheran, South Side, and Chaminade representing Long Island.. Stay tuned for matchups and game times. There will be a one time $5.00 admission.
Represent the USA at Maccabiah
Tryout Dates Set for USA Maccabiah Juniors Boys Basketball Team
Online applications for the Junior Boys Basketball Team, which will represent the United States at the 18th World Maccabiah Games, are now being accepted. Eligible participants must be born in 1993 or 1994. The World Maccabiah Games will take place in Israel from July 13-23, 2009. The USA delegation will leave for Israel for a pre-camp around July 2nd and a training camp will be held in before that..
Dates of the tryouts are the following. (There will one session Saturday night, and 2 sessions on Sunday) September, 6-7, Deerfield, IL (facility is called “Joy of the Game”) September 13-14, West Hills, California (JCC at Milken) October 4-5, Philadelphia, PA (La Salle University)To apply and for more information, go to the Maccabi USA website at www.maccabiusa.com. If any questions, contact Brian Schiff at 215-952-5362 (day), 610-363-2939 (night), 610-836-2572 (cell), e-mail him at bschiff@comcastsportsnet.com or call the Maccabi USA office at 215-561-6900. Augustin Breaks Out
Marc Augustin, a 6-3 sophomore from Valley Stream Central, was chosen to participate in the Reebok Breakout Underclass Camp June 20-22, in Chicago
Wizard's Summer Camp Benefit
The Deer Park Community Center is hosting a summer basketball camp to raise funds for the center. It will be conducted by the New York Wizards Basketball Team. Full and half day sessions. DETAILS
Price UConn MVPAmityville's AJ Price had a breakout season for the UConn Huskies, leading them to a 24-9 record and a birth in the NCAA Tournament. For that, he was chosen as MVP of the team, in addition to being named All Big East First Team, and All America 2nd team.
Mother's Day District Semifinalists
Semifinalists were determined in the AAU Division 2 11U, 12U and 16U age groups. They are:
16U - SI Stingrays/Costello, LI Lightning/Cotumaccio, Rockland Rockets, and NYC Jaguars.
12U - Rising Stars - Hughes, Brooklyn Patriots, Team Underrated, and NY Empire.
11U - I Love Our Youth, Westchester Hawks/Pinn, NY Gauchos, and Abyssinian Crusaders.
The semifinals and finals in these divisions will both be played on Championship Monday of Memorial Day weekend.
Now On LongIslandBasketball.com
New and improved NCCA Page, LI Pro Page, Coaches Page, Basketball Camp Listings, Basketball Trainers Page, and coming soon, an Adult Hoops Page! The Seth Greenberg article can now be found on the NCAA PAGE
Updated College Commitments
The college choices are rolling in now, and the following basketball players from Long Island will be playing college basketball next fall:
Drew Acocella, East Islip, Salve Regina U.
Bill Butler, Floral Park, Easten Wyoming JC
Brandin Butler, Floral Park, Des Moines JC
Tom Cahill, Wantagh, SUNY Oneonta
Matthew Candemeres, Sachem East, Caldwell
Alan Cardinale, Mattituck, St. John Fisher
Matt Carpenter, LI Lutheran, Shenandoah
Ben Dorman, Great Neck North, NYU
Marcus Edwards, East Hampton, Babson
Pat Fanning, Holy Trinity, Springfield College
John Francois, St. Anthony's, Fisher College
Tom Gilmartin, Centereach, St. Joseph's
Andrew Greenblatt, Syosset, Swarthmore
Rich Harkins, LI Lutheran, Adelphi
Sean Hehir, Massapequa, Molloy College
Will Hennep, Hills West, Mt. St. Mary's of NY
Justin Heisig, Island Trees, RIT
Terrell Holloway, Hempstead, Xavier
Booker Hucks, Bay Shore, Long Island Univ.
Corey Jackson, Upper Room, FIT
Chris Johnson, Lindenhurst, Lemoyne
Brian Katz, St. Dominic, Yale
Robert Kjellman, Sachem North, Valley Forge
Kevin Kerr, St. Anthony's, USMMC
MarK Koelbel, Bayport BP, Moravian
Oliver Laurent, St. Anthony's, Fisher College
Chris Manning, Baldwin, Molloy
Scott McRae, LWA, U. Albany
Mike McSloy, Kings Park, SUNY Oswego
Kevin Milella, Kellinberg, Mt. Saint Mary's
Mike Nattis, Friends Academy, Wittenberg
Aleek Pauline, St. Mary's, Norfolk State
Tarik Payton, Copaigue, FIT
Robby Ptacek, Bayport-BP, Central Connecticut
Justin Resnick, Jericho, Emory
Vincent Russo, Sayville, Roger Williams
Chris Ryder, Port Washington, Hartwick
Shahab Sayeed, St. Anthony's, Fisher College
Jonathan Smalls, Deer Park, Daniel Webster
Jon Snead, Holy Trinity, USMMA
Nick Taldi, Bellmore JFK, CW Post
Dan Trant, Northport, Roger Williams
Anthony Valerio, Deer Park, Roger Williams
Steve Velazquez, Hauppauge, Castleton State
Kevin Walsh, West Hempstead, Molloy College
Harris Wichard, Bellmore, SUNY New Paltz
Jon Williams, Friends Acad, Florida Southern
James Wilson, St. Dominic, St. Rose
In a typical year, 10-12 Long Islanders go to D1 schools and another 50-75 to D2, D3 and JC. Know someone that belongs on this list? LET US KNOW
Holloway Switches To Xavier
Hempstead's Terrell Holloway, who spent the last year at a prep school in Ohio, originally committed to Indiana, but rescinded his commitment after the problems at the school and has now decided to attend Xavier.
ASK THE REF!
A good batch of questions this week!
Officials HonoredIAABO Board 127, which supervises basketball officials in western Suffolk County, had their annual awards dinner and honored the following individuals:
Officials of The Year:
Varsity: John Amato and Charles Lloyd
JV: Joe Owens and Humphrey Kronemberg
Junior High: Scott Santelli
The following were chosen as Playoff Officials:
Larry Izzo, John Amato, Joseph Romeo, Skip Yutzler, Kevin Harrington, Ronald Heft, Gary Boulanger
Thomas Gilroy, Charles Lloyd, Michael Grant, Ed McCloskey, Arnaldo Wentt, Michael Usera, Danny Simpson, Michael Canny, Harold Reilly, Steve Figliozzi
John Diclemente, Ira Levine, Arthur Woods, Edmond Anderson, and Victor Esannason.
John Davide and Hank Schwab were inducted as Honorary Life Members of IAABO Board 127. The Spike's Mug Award, which is given to a member in recognition of positive and meaningful contributions to the organization, was presented to Ron Schule who just completed his 3 year term as President. The Sportsmanship Award, as voted on by our members, was presented to Walt Whitman High School. Board 127 also awarded scolarships to Ian Drayer, Kevin Boyd, Samuel Thomas, and Sean Burrow
Ask The Ref!
A lot of good questions this week, so lets get to it! ASK THE REF!