Shamiek Sheppard and No. 7 South Shore hope to fly high in the postseason. (Christina Santucci)
NYPost.com’s PSAL boys basketball beat writer Zach Braziller breaks down the Class AA playoffs, which begin Tuesday at the site of the higher seed.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Second round
@ Higher seed
5 p.m. — No. 2 Boys & Girls vs. No. 15 Gompers
5 p.m. — No. 3 Lincoln vs. No. 14 Beach Channel
5 p.m. — No. 8 Wadeigh vs. No. 9 Bayside
Wednesday, Feb. 29
@ Higher seed
5 p.m. — No. 1 Thomas Jefferson vs. No. 17 Robeson
5 p.m. — No. 6 Curtis vs. No. 12 Campus Magnet
5 p.m. — No. 7 South Shore vs. No. 10 John F. Kennedy
5:15 p.m. — No. 5 Cardozo vs. No. 21 Martin Van Buren
6:30 p.m. — No. 4 Wings Academy vs No. 20 Eagle Academy
Sunday, March 4
Quarterfinals
@ St. John’s University
11 a.m. — No. 3 Lincoln/No. 14 Beach Channel vs. No. 6 Curtis/No. 11 Campus Magnet
1 p.m. — No. 2 Boys & Girls/No. 15 Gompers vs. No. 7 South Shore/No. 19 John F. Kennedy
3 p.m. — No. 4 Wings Academy/No. 20 Eagle Academy vs. No. 5 Cardozo/No. 21 Martin Van Buren
5 p.m. — No. 1 Thomas Jefferson/No. 17 Robeson vs. No. 8 Wadleigh/No. 9 Bayside
Saturday, March 10
Semifinals
@ St. John’s University
3 p.m. — Quarterfinals winners
5 p.m. — Quarterfinal winners
Sunday, March 17
Championship game
@ Madison Square Garden
1 p.m. — Semifinal winners
CONTENDERS
No. 1 Thomas Jefferson
The Orange Wave haven’t won it all since 1954 – could this be the year? After a surprisingly memorable regular season that included a Brooklyn AA and Brooklyn borough championship, Jefferson is the favorite. The 1-2 scoring tandem of Thaddeus Hall and Jaquan (Son Son) Lynch are tough to stop and the Brooklyn school has a quality supporting cast, from guards Patrick (Stink) Brown and Rachard Moody to forwards Jermoine (Flirt) Faison and Kareem Johnakin, capable of big performances.
No. 2 Boys & Girls
The Kangaroos were a missed free throw away against St. Raymond from topping all three Catholic league contenders Christ the King, Cardinal Hayes and St. Raymond. Boys High, the two-time defending city champion, has made a habit of pulling out such games this year, but also losing them. Bishop Loughlin transfers Joel Angus and junior guard Wesley Myers have emerged as secondary scoring options behind breakout performer Leroy (Truck) Fludd.
No. 3 Lincoln
Arguably the most complete team in New York City, Lincoln has a superstar in sophomore Isaiah Whitehead, a horde of capable guards (Ethan Telfair, Shaquille Davis, Ian Vasquez and Trevonn Morton), skilled big men such as Tafari Whittingham and Travis Charles, to go along with a coach – Dwayne (Tiny) Morton – who knows a thing or two about winning this time of year. While the Railsplitters have lost five of six, they have all come to top opponents, and they nearly shocked national powerhouse St. Anthony of Jersey City last week, falling by six in New Jersey.
No. 4 Wings Academy
The Wings haven’t played their best basketball over the last month, falling to John F. Kennedy in the Bronx borough championship game and nearly falling to Eagle Academy and Wadleigh late in the regular season, but they are more than capable of getting to the Garden. Senior guard Justin Jenkins is often the best player on the floor when Wings is in action and it has plenty of size in talented forwards Damien Davis and Steven Gomez.
SLEEPERS
No. 5 Cardozo
When Jermaine Lawrence opted to transfer to Pope John XXII in Sparta, N.J., in January, Cardozo was written off. Yet the Judges still won their third straight Queens borough title and could make a nice run over the next few weeks. Guards Kyle Credle, Kendall Brown and Omar Williams are better than they are given credit for and rugged forward Tajay Henry is the best player in the city nobody talks about.
No. 6 Curtis
What a shame the Warriors won’t have the services of junior forward Hassan Martin, who tore a ligament in his finger in late December. The electric big man would’ve made Curtis a title contender. Even without him, seniors Dontay Jackson, Debonair Edwards, DaShawn Richmond and Kevin McIntosh enjoyed a standout season, winning the SIHSL crown, and are capable of ruining someone’s season.
No. 7 South Shore
If not for a few blown leads, the Vikings would be in the top three. Finishing off Brooklyn AA foes was the team’s Achilles heel – it had Boys & Girls and Thomas Jefferson both beat late in the year – but the potential is there. The Vikings did knock off Philadelphia powerhouse Neumann Goretti. Juniors Shamiek Sheppard and Terrence Samuel are legit Division I recruits and athletic senior forward Wayne Martin is a mismatch problem.
No. 10 John F. Kennedy
From venerable coach Johnny Mathis on the bench to the Ahmed brothers, Muhammed and Bashir, inside, to shooters David Hardy, Louis Baltazar, Terry Larrier and Alfonso Davis on the perimeter, Kennedy should have sleeper written on the front of its jerseys.
No. 20 Eagle Academy
Ignore the seed, Eagle would’ve been in the top 10 had the PSAL not docked it 11 wins for the use of an ineligible player. The Eagles, in fact, won on the road at Transit in the first round and have the ability to do even more damage. Senior forward Jalen Chapman holds an offer from Manhattan and wing Najee Senior is a tough cover because he is effective inside and out.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Muhammed Ahmed, John F. Kennedy
When the 6-foot-7 post returned to Kennedy from prep school and got eligible in January, he immediately made The Bronx dynamo a factor. He’s one of the top forwards in the PSAL, a skilled inside threat who blocks shots and rebounds like everyone else breathes. When he is able to stay out of foul trouble, he produces.
Leroy (Truck) Fludd, Boys & Girls
The Sheepshead Bay native dedicated himself this summer to improving his game. He came back a far better shooter and ball handler to go along with his already solid sky-walking above-the-rim skills. In virtually every big Kangaroos win, Fludd has been a major part of the victory – either with his jump shot, finishing ability, rebounding or defense
Thaddeus Hall, Thomas Jefferson
If not for academic woes, the 6-foot-5 southpaw wing would have a number of top Division I schools after him. Hall has shined after a rough start to the year, leading Jefferson to its first Brooklyn AA regular season crown and Brooklyn borough title with his versatile offensive skill set and surprising defensive and rebounding prowess. Now he’s looking to end the East New York school’s lengthy city title drought.
Tajay Henry, Cardozo
A chiseled 6-foot-5 power forward, Henry has emerged for the Judges as their top scorer, rebounder and defender. Cardozo has actually played better since national junior prospect Jermaine Lawrence transferred, a nod to the consistent play from the uncommitted Henry.
Justin Jenkins, Wings Academy
A Player of the Year candidate, the 6-foot-1 combo guard has seen his recruitment blow up this year. Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Siena, Marist, St. Peter’s, Manhattan and LIU are all after the senior lead guard who guided Wings to its second straight perfect Bronx AA regular season by finding an even balance as the team’s leading scorer and chief playmaker.
Shamiek Sheppard, South Shore
The high-flying junior is arguably the city’s top finisher. He’s a dunking machine who puts opponents on posters twice a game. Sheppard has also improved his perimeter skills, notably ball handling, and has offers from Drexel, Hofstra and Iona as a result.
Isaiah Whitehead, Lincoln
One of the nation’s top sophomores, Whitehead recently returned from a severe left ankle sprain. He enjoyed a solid, though unspectacular, regular season. Lincoln needs him to take his game up a notch if it plans to win its first title in three years.