Varsity Insider

My story from last night’s CYP was trimmed. So here’s the full take from two of the area’s top seniors who were there last night still looking for a home…

PORT CHESTER — Nearly every player arrives at the CYP Tournament with two additional titles attached to his name — the name of his high school and his future destination.

Two local stars who played for Frenji’s during the nightcap in last night’s quarterfinals of the 64th annual CYP began the AAU season still in search of that final title: Iona Prep’s Jordon Bronner and Peekskill’s Kenny Bradshaw.

“The CYP should get me some looks,” said Bradshaw, a 6-foot-7 forward. “I’m open to everything, from Division Is and IIs to Division III to prep school. A free education is a free education.”

Although both Bradshaw and Bronner have that search in common, they arrived here traveling different paths. Bradshaw missed his sophomore season with a knee injury. He also still hopes to improve his skills away from the basket, where he is more likely to play in college.

Bronner, the Gaels’ senior point guard from Sleepy Hollow, was actually offered a scholarship from Monmouth last summer. He waited and found out recently that the scholarship had been filled.

“I don’t think I had the senior year everybody expected to see out of me,” Bronner said. “I got a lot of my looks during the AAU season. But when people came to see me play during the high school season I think I didn’t get a lot of offers because of the way I was playing.”

Bronner recently worked out at Iona Prep for New Hampshire, which remains interested but has yet to extend an offer. He will play this week in the CYP Tournament and then in showcase events for his AAU team, the Westchester Hawks, this spring.

If Bronner is unable to land a Division I offer like the one he once had at Monmouth he will look elsewhere. Coaches at Monmouth said he’d have a scholarship there waiting in 2011.

“I don’t regret it all,” Bronner said. “My AAU coaches told me to hold off and wait for other offers. So if New Hampshire doesn’t work out, I’ll just go to prep school.”

Bradshaw may find himself there as well. A coach from South Kent in Connecticut worked him out at Peekskill Wednesday and watched him play for Frenji’s last night against Rodney Abrams. The senior big man will pay a visit to renowned prep school Notre Dame Prep on Apr. 1 and will continue to focus on improving his SAT score. He said he still needs a qualifying score for both Division I and Division II.

Indeed, Bradshaw’s options remains various across different faction of college basketball, including C.W. Post (Division II), Northwood University in Florida (NAIA) and Sullivan Community College.

“I would like to go to college but I have to keep my options open,” Bradshaw said. “Whatever the best thing is for me, I’ll take it.”

Bronner and Bradshaw had plenty of local talent to accompany them last night. They were teamed with several local stars, including Mount Vernon’s Jabarie Hinds, Iona Prep’s Brian Voelkel, Stepinac’s Conroy Baltimore and Peekskill’s Daquan Brickhouse.

In CYP tradition, Frenji’s roster included a few surprises, like Bishop Loughlin senior Jayvaughn Pinkston, a Villanova-bound forward and McDonalds All-American, and Louisville-bound Russell Smith, a prep school player from South Kent.

In the opening game, the New York Falcons, which included Tappan Zee’s Tahj Vines and Brian McLaughlin, defeated the defending champion New York Panthers 79-69.