No PSAL football, the Jets had a bye. What else is a high-school sports reporter to do on a Sunday?
Easy, head to South Jamaica, for the iS8/Nike Fall Tip-Off Classic quarterfinals, of course.
It’s been a while – a few months – away from basketball. I’ve missed it. It didn’t talk long to get back in the flow as iS8 had its typical array of thrilling games with intriguing names.
Here are a few news & notes from my Sunday afternoon:
— Wings Academy’s loss is Lincoln’s gain. Sweet-shooting junior Ian Vasquez transferred from The Bronx power to the Coney Island dynamo when his family moved from Harlem to Brooklyn.
“I’m getting accustomed to it,” he said. “Wings was a family, but sometimes you got to move on. … It’s a better place for me. Lincoln is very talented. It’s a way for me to get better.”
Vasquez, a 6-foot-2 guard who has drawn minimal interest from Albany, Siena, Hofstra, Manhattan and Fordham, joins a crowded backcourt that includes high-scoring senior Shaquille Stokes, hotshot freshman Isaiah Whitehead, sophomore Ethan Telfair, the younger brother of legendary point guard Sebastian Telfair, and another sophomore, Trevonn Morton, coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton’s son.
Tiny Morton, however, is happy to have Vasquez, who averaged four points per game last year for Wings, The Bronx champs.
“He can shoot the ball,” the coach said. “He can spread the court.”
— Stokes, a 6-foot guard, is one of the city’s remaining top unsigned seniors. That doesn’t mean he plans to pick a school soon. He has heard from UNLV, Siena, Hofstra and the College of Charleston, among others.
“When the times comes, I’ll commit,” he said. “I’m just focused on the season, getting to the Garden and winning a PSAL championship.”
— There’s no telling if Boys & Girls would’ve topped the New Jersey-based Playaz Club had Malik Nichols not been ejected after being assessed his second technical foul late in the first half. It was coincidental that The High led by six when he was ejected and handling the deep Playaz and eventually fell, 78-66, without him. One Division I assistant coach who has seen Boys & Girls several times has told me repeatedly Nichols is its most valuable player – more valuable than Rutgers-bound guard Mike Taylor or versatile junior Jeffland Neverson.
I couldn’t help but marvel at sophomore guard Wesley Myers’ toughness, confidence and poise. He only scored eight points, was blocked a few times and committed two turnovers, but on a court with at least six Division I prospects – if not more – he certainly held his own. Get used to seeing his name in this space.
— Speaking of the Playaz, 6-foot-8 point guard Kyle Anderson isn’t as good as advertised – he’s much, much better.
Love his game. The top-ranked point guard in the Class of 2012, who holds plenty of high-major Division I offers, including Georgetown, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech and Xavier, can do it all. He blocks shots, handles the ball, can shoot from the perimeter and is so smooth. Anderson dominates with an effortless ability. No wonder St. Anthony is ranked so high in several preseason polls. He had his way with the Kangaroos, which is no easy task against the defensive-minded club, scoring 24 points in the victory.
— Class of 2011 standout Jevon Thomas shined in Sunday’s 71-67 loss to Thomas Jefferson, scoring 24 points. He attended Midnight Madness at St. John’s Oct. 15 and was at Villanova’s Midnight Madness Oct. 22. Mentor Shawn Simms said Villanova, Pittsburgh and St. John’s have offered, although Thomas doesn’t plan to commit. Thomas, who is back at Our Savior New American (L.I.) after briefly considering St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.), declined to comment; he hasn’t spoken to reporters since a false report stated he had committed to St. John’s last month.
— Thomas’ longtime friend, LeBrent Walker, is also at OSNA now after a fruitless year at Montrose Christian Academy (Md.). The 6-foot-2 Walker spent the first few weeks of his freshman year at Our Savior before landing at Bayside.
“I felt me and JT would be a great backcourt,” he said of Thomas, who he has known for five years. “I love playing with him. He sets me up, I set him up. We’re brothers on the court and best friends off it.”
Simms, who has served as a mentor to Walker and was an assistant at Bayside when Walker was there, suggested the move. He didn’t play much for Montrose Christian and was in need of on-court experience, which he will get at Our Savior.
“He has to get his confidence back,” Simms said.
— Thomas Jefferson forward Shamel Williams took an official visit to Iona College over the weekend, coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard said. Williams, a versatile 6-foot-5 forward, is also considering Central Connecticut and Quinnipiac.
— Jefferson reaching the semifinals in its first year at iS8 is partly the result of a soft playoff draw, but also a nod to the personal improvements made by Manhattan commits Davontay Grace and Edson Avila. Grace, a point guard, has dropped a lot of weight and is quicker off the dribble while Avila is a completely different player. His 6-foot-9 frame is now sculpted, he is confident on the offensive end and committed silly fouls far less.