This week’s notebook focused on the “Hoops for a Cure” basketball showcase that tips off Saturday. I spoke with Saunders’ coach Anthony Nicodemo about his decision to schedule Eastchester again. Other notes include three Rockland teams on winning streaks not named “North Rockland” and two seniors closing in on a milestone.
Saunders boys basketball coach Anthony Nicodemo is all about scheduling the strongest teams. So when it came time to pick an opponent for Saturday’s “Hoops for a Cure” showcase, he already had his eye on one.
“I want my guys to be able to play the best,” Nicodemo said. “The Eastchester program right now is as good as anyone out there.”
Eastchester (8-1) will face the Blue Devils (6-2) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the second annual “Hoops for a Cure” at the Monroe Athletic Complex in NewRoc City. The game is one of four being played to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The Eagles got the best of Saunders twice last year, including overcoming a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit in the inaugural “Hoops for a Cure.” Still, the matchup is more a product of Nicodemo looking to boost his out-of-league schedule as opposed to getting any type of revenge.
“Playing in the Yonkers league, I certainly want to look to play the best competition I can outside the league,” Nicodemo said. “When I set my schedule up I make sure we’re playing quality teams, and over the last couple of years Eastchester is certainly one of the better teams in Class A.”
The rest of Saunders’ out-of-league schedule includes games against Tappan Zee, Valhalla and Sacred Heart.
The Blue Devils lost to Mamaroneck earlier this year, 46-28, in the Harry Jefferson Showcase.
“This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Nicodemo said. “We’re looking to get better for February, and playing teams like Eastchester early in the year is going to help prepare us for February.”
Rockland teams roll: North Rockland may be the only undefeated team in Rockland, but three other teams in the county have put together impressive streaks.
Spring Valley (7-1) has won six straight games while Albertus Magnus (8-2) and Clarkstown North (7-2) are both in the midst of five-game winning streaks. All three teams won tournaments over the holidays. The Tigers will get a chance to take on the undefeated Red Raiders tonight at 7:30.
For North coach Dan Goldberg, the streak has been a few years in the making.
“Two years ago we took up eight sophomores on varsity,” Goldberg said. “Here we have a bunch of guys that it’s their third year in a row starting. This is kind of where we wanted to be.”
Locals near milestone: Croton-Harmon’s Ian Thom (pictured above) and North Salem’s Umar Singh are both closing in on 1,000 points. Thom is 16 points shy of the mark while Singh is 20 points away.
JDRF Hoops for a Cure at NewRoc City
12:00pm – Saunders/Eastchester (girls)
2:00pm – Saunders/Eastchester
4:00pm – White Plains/Poughkeepsie
6:00pm – New Rochelle/Middletown
17 Comments
Is Jack Sullivan from AM near 1000?
No, he probably will not get there.
Please stop writing about Saunders. Some modified teams could go 6-2 in the Yonkers league
POUGHKEEPSIE-79 WHITE PLAINS-47
BEAT DOWN
Haywood,
Thanks for the good thoughts. Might be a trap game if they think it’ll be easy. A long way from home so we’ll see. I may be able to make it down so I’ll post on the Saturday schedule if/when I’m in route bro, it’ll be nice to see you again.
Hard to imagine WP possibly winning 6 to 8 games this year, seeing who they have left and what they”ve done so far will be hard for them to even get 8 wins. Someone in the White Plains area needs to step up and get these programs back to where they”ve been since I remember in the early 70”s. Im sure the talent is there although some kids are going to catholic schools the numbers are still large. To lose to Scarsdale by 29 is a joke, not to disrepect Scarsdale but I saw them go into Brewster and win in OT so for WP to get waxed by them that bad says something is very wrong. And to think the top player transfered in, what would they be like without him ?
JCIROCCO,
DO YOU HAVE A RELATIVE THAT IS PLAYING ON BREWSTER?
Haywood,
My nephew
STATESMAN,
I’LL BE ALERT
Wood,
Bet.
JCIROCCO,
OK, GREAT I KEPT SEEING THAT LAST NAME,”GOOD FOR YOU”FLASH BACKS?
I really think Pok is going to be overwhelmed by playing on the big court. WP 54 Pok 46
Hoops,
Come on. This entire team has been on the big court before! If anything, chalk a possible L up to over-confidence or cramped legs in the small bus they travel in!
.. Yo Jay… it’s not like the old days !!!!
Jcirocco
Your Harrison Boys doing you proud. But who would have thought a Lefkowitz would be the man at Harrison ! LOL
Happily, Talent is blind and does not care who you are or where you came from. Both kids work very hard. their Dad was a gamer.
[...] read more about the JDRF Hoops for a Cure showcase check out yesterday’s notebook. My colleague Nancy Haggerty will be there checking out some of the games. Follow her [...]