Collegiate’s Ray Voelkel is The Post’s All-Manhattan boys basketball Coach of the Year. (Denis Gostev)
For the fourth straight year, Manhattan produced a state champion. Yes, Collegiate did it again, winning a New York State Federation Class B title for the fourth straight season. The Upper West Side private school was the lone champion, but others — such as Rice and Wadleigh — enjoyed memorable seasons.
Led by Cincinnati-bound wing Jermaine Sanders, Rice reached the CHSAA Class AA intersectional final and the Tigers made the PSAL Class AA quarterfinals.
All-Manhattan boys basketball Player of the Year: Jermaine Sanders, Rice
Jermaine Sanders had one goal this year – to lead Rice to the CHSAA Class AA intersectional title. He fell just short as the Raiders lost to Christ the King in the final, but that didn’t lessen the Far Rockaway native’s impact this season.
The Cincinnati-bound senior was a finalist for Mr. New York Basketball, which was shared by Long Island Lutheran’s Achraf Yacoubou and Jabarie Hinds from Mount Vernon, averaging a team-high 18.1 points per game.
But Sanders, who was a sophomore on Rice’s 2009 championship team, saved his best for the playoffs. The 6-foot-6 swingman exploded for a game-high 30 points in a 55-52 victory against Holy Cross in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional semifinals.
“He’s an enormously talented kid because he’s very difficult to guard, because he can make shots from beyond the 3-point arc, he’s got a little bit of a post-up game and he’s good in transition,” Holy Cross coach Paul Gilvary said after the game. “He finds a lot of ways to score.”
All-Manhattan boys basketball Coach of the Year: Ray Voelkel, Collegiate
He doesn’t like the attention, preferring to let his players accept the kudos and the compliments, but after this winter, Ray Voelkel can’t escape the adulation. This was supposed to be the year Collegiate fell off, when Poly Prep or Fieldston won the NYSAISAA title and tried their luck upstate, after the Upper West Side private school graduated three starters and lost star Sam Bresnick to a torn ACL.
Instead, the Dutchmen found a way to beat both – by a combined 25 points – in the private state playoffs, went to Albany and remarkably won a record fourth New York State Federation Class B title, beating a pair of teams – Burke Catholic and Salesian – that were deeper, bigger and more talented.
“If you have good players playing good basketball under Coach Voelkel, you’re gonna win,” junior forward Connor Huff said.
All-Manhattan Island first team
F Emmanuel Andujar, Rice
A couple of injuries slowed his senior year, but the uncommitted forward saved his best for last, having a career day with 28 points and 16 rebounds in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional final. He averaged 9.2 points per game during the regular season.
G Trivante Bloodman, Wadleigh
Wadleigh coach Mike Crump predicted Bloodman would lead PSAL Class AA in scoring, drawing laughs from media types and opposing coaches. Nobody was laughing by season’s end, after the uncommitted 6-foot-1 pure scorer averaged 23 points per game – second in ‘AA’ behind Gompers’ Carlos Galan – and guided the Tigers to a fifth straight Manhattan borough crown.
F Connor Huff, Collegiate
Because of losses due to graduation and injury, Huff became Collegiate’s most important player — its leader, highest scorer and rebounder. The rugged 6-foot-4 junior answered all challenges and sank the game-winning shot over Salesian in the Dutchmen’s fourth straight New York State Federation Class B crown, a tournament record.
G Melvin Johnson, Rice
If Rice doesn’t shut its doors in June, the junior guard will be the Raiders leader next year. If it does, there won’t be a hotter free agent out there. Johnson averaged 10.9 points per game and exploded for 32 in a 77-70 win against New York State Federation Class AA champion Mount Vernon in the SNY Invitational.
F Lazaro Martinez, Wadleigh
The Lincoln transfer took advantage of an opportunity at Wadleigh, emerging as the Harlem power’s undisputed leader, best rebounder despite his smallish 6-foot-4 frame and surprising high scorer capable of breakout performances. The most memorable one was a 38-point, 21-rebound effort in an 86-70 victory over McKee/Staten Island Tech in the second round of the PSAL Class AA playoffs.
All-Manhattan second team
G Billy Carballeira, Regis
One of the top athletes in the school, the versatile senior, who was also a soccer standout, averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game. The 6-foot-1 swingman’s crowning achievement came against Bishop Ford when he buried a 3-pointer and knocked down a pair of pivotal free throws in the final 16 seconds in a come-from-behind win.
F Ryan Frankel, Collegiate
A prototypical pass-first point guard with a potent perimeter jumper, Frankel excelled for Collegiate. He dealt with constant double-teams with aplomb, scored when the opportunity presented itself and got his teammates involved with dribble penetration. On Connor Huff’s game-winning shot in the state championship, it was Frankel’s drive that set up the game-winner.
G Basil Harley, Wadleigh
Small in stature but big in every other way, Harley was Wadleigh’s backbone, a tenacious defender, fearless penetrator and dead-on 3-point shooter. The 5-foot-5 junior averaged 15 points and a team-best seven assists, helping the Tigers repeat as Manhattan borough champs for the fifth straight season and reach the PSAL Class AA quarterfinals.
G Quay Shaun Mitchell, Graphic Communications
The 6-foot-2 multi-talented wing emerged as one of the ‘A’ division’s elite scorers, averaging 21 points per game and guiding Graphic Communications to a second straight Manhattan A Northwest crown and the quarterfinals of the PSAL Class A playoffs. Mitchell was integral in putting the Devils on the map with his potent 3-point shooting, fierce drives into the paint and consistent rebounding.
F Timothy Taylor, Manhattan Center
The Rams made a significant jump, going from six wins last winter to 10 league victories this season, and the 6-foot-5 Taylor was integral to that success. He tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds per game, excelling in the paint as well as the perimeter.
All-Manhattan third team
F Jorden Carter, Manhattan Center
Few improved as much in one year as the 6-foot-3 wing. Timothy Taylor was Manhattan Center’s star, but Carter was almost as important to the Rams vast improvements, emerging as the team’s No. 2 scorer and rebounder.
F Louis Costen, Wadleigh
There are few players in Manhattan – let alone the entire city – with the athletically gifted Costen’s skill-set. The smooth 6-foot-4 junior, who averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds this year has limitless range, can be a lockdown defender and a determined rebounder. The question with Costen is want; look for a breakout senior season out of the talented wing next year. Can you say Manhattan Player of the Year?
F Richard Council, Rice
The 6-foot-6 senior forward averaged 8.9 points per game, providing some much-needed length off the bench for the Raiders. He was also a solid defender, helping limit Holy Cross star Evan Conti in the CHSAA ‘AA’ semifinals.
G Brendan Ferguson, Xavier
The 6-foot-1 guard led Xavier in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game – his season high of 32 came against Bishop Ford and he drained 30 points at McClancy – and leading the Knights to second round of the CHSAA Class A intersectional playoffs.
G Eddie Sullivan, Xavier
The hard-nosed senior point guard, who was also an all-Manhattan first team midfielder for the school’s soccer team, was second on Xavier in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game. He’s a big reason why the Knights reached the second round of the CHSAA Class A playoffs and finish second in A-Central.
All-Manhattan honorable mention
G Emmanuel Brown, Thurgood Marshall Academy
F Erando Halilaj, Roosevelt
G Dan Morris, Regis
G Chris Polanco, LaSalle
G Rob Wechsler, Collegiate