Sports

ALL-PSAL HOOPS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

GARY ERVIN

Robeson, 6-0, Sr, G

Gary Ervin had a tremendous senior season and although he didn’t lead Robeson to the PSAL title, he’s more upset about what happened two years ago than the loss to Lincoln at the Garden.

“This was a great year, but I was planning on going to college next year,” said Ervin, who averaged 28 ppg, nine assists and six rebounds as a senior. “I’m disappointed I won’t be going.”

Instead, he’ll head to prep school, largely because he spent much of his sophomore year shuttling between Brooklyn and Atlanta, where he had family. Ervin didn’t even play ball that season.

“I knew he was going to be mad about how he was handling himself,” said Robeson head coach Larry Major. “Now, he’s paying the price.”

On the court this year, Ervin made up for lost time. He played with a ferocious intensity and developed a solid jump shot. More important was his leadership as Robeson’s point guard.

“I love the pressure,” Ervin said. “The more that’s put on me, the more I want. That’s what’s going to get me to the next level.”

Whether he gets to that level depends solely on him.

“We know his work ethic on the court,” Major said. “Now he’s got to be mature enough to know what to do with the rest.”

RAMEL BRADLEY

Park West, 6-2, Jr, G

This was supposed to be the year Bradley and fellow junior Knowledge Miller teamed to lead the Seahawks deep into the playoffs. But Miller’s academic woes and differences with head coach Abram White left Bradley the lone star and he did it all. He averaged 26 ppg as Park West reached the quarterfinals.

“We asked him to do so much for us this season and he did more than I thought he could,” White said. “And he never let down.”

Even in the team’s final game, which it lost to a championship Robeson squad that played excellent defense in the playoffs, Bradley had 25 points when it was clear he was the only offensive threat.

“There’s no way to stop him,” White said. “He just has to stay focused.”

ELLIAH CLARKE

Lincoln, 6-6, Sr, F

It’s popular to believe that the Railsplitters won the PSAL title only because of Sebastian Telfair, but anyone who actually watched them knows without the big, athletic Clarke manning the paint, Lincoln wouldn’t have had a chance at the crown.

“He was so consistent for us,” said head coach Dwayne Morton. “On days Sebastian wasn’t playing well for us, Elliah became the man. On the other days, he did exactly what we needed him to do.”

Like grab rebounds. He pulled down 13 a game, while scoring nearly 20. Although he has received offers from Big East schools, Clarke, who just turned 17, will likely head to prep school for a year.

QUINCY DOUBY

Grady, 6-3, Sr, G

Douby topped 60 points in two different games this year, mostly from behind the 3-point line. And while some questioned the ethics of scoring that much, no one can question his jumper.

“I knew he was ready to have a big season, just not this big,” said Grady head coach Jack Ringel of Douby, who has played only two full years of organized ball and led the league with 35 ppg. “The improvement he’s shown is amazing.”

Douby signed with Hofstra in the fall, but has had second thoughts about it and his status for next year remains undetermined.

SEBASTIAN TELFAIR

Lincoln, 6-0, So, G

Telfair came out of nowhere this season to lead Lincoln to the championship … all right, maybe some people had heard of him before he averaged 29 ppg and five assists this year.

“People expect so much out of him, I don’t think they appreciate what he does,” said Morton, the Lincoln coach. “The fact that he has two years left to get better is incredible.”

He still needs to work on his shot and a growing on-court attitude won’t help him any, but regardless of how he plays, Stephon Marbury’s cousin is always entertaining.

COACH OF THE YEAR

JACK RINGEL

Grady

Normally stacked with talent, Grady was depleted by the loss of four starters from last year’s championship team. But Ringel found a way to turn what could have been a disappointing rebuilding season with just one tested varsity player, Quincy Douby, into one that found the Falcons in the PSAL semifinals. David Aronson of Brandeis also was excellent in guiding the Judges to the quarterfinals in their first year in the A Division.

FIRST TEAM

Gary Ervin, Robeson, 6-0, Sr, G

Ramel Bradley, Park West, 6-2, Jr, G

Elliah Clarke, Lincoln, 6-6, Sr, F

Quincy Douby, Grady, 6-3, Sr, G

Sebastian Telfair, Lincoln, 6-0, So, G

SECOND TEAM

Diego Aguiar, Bryant, 6-7, Jr, F

Edward Berrios, Roosevelt, 6-0, Jr, G

Gary Forbes, Banneker, 6-5, Jr, F

DeCarlo Hoffler, Brandeis, 6-3, Sr, F

George Jefferson, Automotive, 6-3, Sr, F

THIRD TEAM

Amadou Fall, Boys & Girls, 6-3, Sr, F

Akim Neverson, Midwood, 6-6, Sr, F

Allan Sheppard, Randolph, 6-5, Sr, F

Cameron Tyler, Cardozo, 5-11, Jr, G

Rob White, Canarsie, 5-8, Sr, G

HONORABLE MENTION: Edwin Araujo, GW; Elton Barry, Wings; Jeremy Bass, Bronx Science; Rashon Clark, Beach Channel; Isaiah Davis, Brooklyn Tech; Walter Flowers, Urban Peace Acad; Richard Forbes, Far Rockaway; Richard Hall, Bowne; Lance Hazel, Bayside; Garfield Johns, Wings; Stedford McLeod, Gompers; Shakiem Mitchell, Robeson; C.J. Okogeri, Bayside; Steven Sutton, Telecom; Chad Timberlake, New Utrecht.