As he drove into midtown Manhattan yesterday afternoon, Ryan Rhoomes kept having flashbacks to March 6 – day of the PSAL Class AA city championship – when Cardozo fell to Boys & Girls, 55-50, at Madison Square Garden.
“The pain still hasn’t gone away,” he said.
Rhoomes now has fond memories of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The 6-foot-8 forward scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, earning MVP honors for the City team in the Jordan Brand Classic regional game, pitting the five borough’s best against their counterparts from Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester. The Suburban team pulled out the win, 137-133, over the City, as Long Island native J.J. Moore of South Kent (Conn.) and Fuquan Edwin of Paterson Catholic (N.J.) each scored 26 points. Kadeem Jack of Rice also had 21 points for the City.
Rhoomes has come a long way since transferring into Cardozo as a junior from Middletown South (N.Y.). It was a difficult transition at first, Rhoomes was used to dominating far smaller players and was not accustomed to the intense, competitive nature of high school basketball in New York City.
“If I didn’t go to Cardozo … I probably would’ve went to a junior college,” he said.
Rhoomes eventually adjusted, becoming one of the area’s best low-post players. He led the Judges to a 25-8 record and the PSAL Class AA title game for the first time in six years, averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds per game.
“I still don’t think he’s come close to scratch the surface of what he can do,” Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said. “He’s got a few inches left in him. His work ethic went from not being there at all to being pretty good. I’m hoping it can be very good.”
Rhoomes has received scholarship offers, Naclerio said, from Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Providence and Memphis. Syracuse and Louisville also have expressed interest, although Rhoomes plans on attending prep school to further develop his body and expand his still burgeoning game.
“Whatever school is best – environment, basketball team – that’s where I’ll go,” he said. “It’s not about the players, it’s more about the coaching staff.”
Talent evaluator Tom Konchalski lauded Rhoomes’ play on Saturday. He is one-dimensional offensively, but is effective around the basket.
“He’s a plumber and he realizes he’s a plumber,” Konchalski said. “He’s not a perimter wannabe. That’s why he’s good.”
Rhoomes left a positive impressive yesterday, making 12-of-15 shots. He showed a soft touch around the basket and even blocked a few shots, which is seldom seen in all-star games. He left the Garden with a smile on his face this time.
“I’m going to think of [yesterday],” Rhoomes said when asked which performance he’ll remember at the Garden. “It was a cap to my high school career. It’s what it should be. I had fun.”