You thought basketball was over?
While there might not be any Section 1 representatives at the boys basketball Federation Championships this weekend, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any local basketball to enjoy.
Thursday marks the start of the 67th CYP tournament. Held at Our Lady of Mercy school in Port Chester, the CYP tournament marks the unofficial start of the AAU basketball season and brings in some of the best talent in the tri-state area.
Rodney Abrams is the tournament’s reigning champion. Felix Balamou and Christopher Obekpa helped lead Rodney Abrams to a 70-52 win over New York Blaze for its first CYP title. Both Balamou, who was the tournament MVP, and Obekpa are currently at St. John’s. Obekpa, a Big East All-Rookie honoree, is currently 2nd in the nation in blocked shots per game (4.13) trailing only Kentucky’s Nerlins Noel.
The CYP tournament has always attracted big name players. Kyrie Irving (reigning NBA rookie of the year), Moe Harkless (15th pick in last year’s NBA draft) and Russ Smith (top-seeded Louisville’s leading scorer) have all made appearances in the small Port Chester gym over the past few years.
Several local stars have also played in the tournament including Dallas Mavericks’ Elton Brand (Peekskill), Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Jones (Mount Vernon), Cincinatti’s Sean Kilpatrick (White Plains) and West Virginia’s Jabarie Hinds (Mount Vernon).
Team Frenji will be chock full of local talent, including Stepinac’s Josh James, New Rochelle’s Joe Clarke and Section 1’s “Mr. Basketball” Eric Paschall of Dobbs Ferry.
The only new team to this year’s tournament is Dream Nation, taking the spot of the MetroHawks.
I’ll have a preview of the tournament in Thursday’s paper. I’ll also be on hand for the first day of games.
CYP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 21st
Opening round:
PC Savages vs. BC Eagles, 7:15 p.m.
Team Frenji vs. Dream Nation, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 22nd
Opening round:
New Jersey Road Runners vs. Playmaker Academy, 7:15 p.m.
N.Y. Falcons vs. Frenji Jr., 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23rd
Quarterfinals:
PC Savages/BC Eagles winner vs. Panthers, 7:15 p.m.
Team Frenji/Dream Nation winner vs. N.Y. Blaze, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 24th
Quarterfinals:
New Jersey Road Runners/Playmaker Academy winner vs. Connecticut Select, 7:15 p.m.
N.Y. Falcons/Frenji Jr. vs. Rodney Abrams, 8:30 p.m.
Monday, March 25th
Semifinals:
Saturday’s winners, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday’s winners, 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26th
Finals:
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.
TEAMS
Connecticut Select: Connecticut
New Jersey Roadrunners: Northern New Jersey
Frenji Jr.: Underclassmen from Westchester/Connecticut
Blaze: Westchester
PC Savages: Westchester/Bronx/Brooklyn/Connecticut
BC Eagles: Newburgh/Poughkeepsie
Dream Nation: Underclassmen from Westchester/Rockland/Bronx
Playmaker Academy: Putnam/Dutchess
Frenji: Westchester/Connecticut/New York City/New Jersey
N.Y. Falcons: Rockland/Northern New Jersey
Rodney Abrams: Westchester/Bronx
Panthers: New York City
27 Comments
What happened to the Westchester Hawks and the Gauchos?? Who are these teams with these made up names?
BBaller,
Gauchos dropped out last season after having been a part of the tournament for 30 years. They were unable to compete due to the loss of sponsorship. They tried to get back in this year, but the field had already been filled.
As a man once said..
Oh the times, they are a changing…
the westchester hawks were never in this tourney and the Gauchos dropped out.
metro hawks are no longer in around.
some roster info leaking out:
Frenji jr: matt staubi (formerly of RCDS now
Darien), Coby Lefkowitz (harrison), paul edmin (edgemont), walter king (stepinac), brandon martin (MV), Chima Auzomua (formerly stepinac nowDarien) and Kevin Degnan (PR).PC Savages: John Decker (somers), josh doughty (MV), Matt Ryan (Iona Prep), alex wolf (greenwich)
more to come…..
Tournament wouldve been much better if the best two aau teams in ny were in it: scan and new heights
team scan doesnt play because they play in NIKE EYBL soon.
new heights is never in the tourney.
but point well taken.
Two best AAU teams: When are those teams better than The City?
The city??
Scan had 3 different age groups finish top 5 in the country.
New heights speaks for itself, anyone that knows aau understands that, they are an organization, not a one hit wonder team that wont be around in a year or two funded by a wealthy parent so his son can play.
Dont get me wrong there team is excellent, but not on the level of the other two.
New heights won the tournament last season. They entered as Rodney Abrams
someone tell me why they are having the senior all star game on the same night the CYP tourney opens? good job LHBCA is recognizing that these local kids wanna play in CYP. Could of just had the all star game tonight.
????.
My thoughts exactly.
The fact that Rodney Abrams won and it was a New Heights team in New Heights uniforms means that New Heights won the tourney last year not RA correct?
statemans & ?????
this is typical move by LHBCA who does care about a historically great tourney.
LHBCA should have looked at the dates. They know this tourney is a classic event that takes place the same time year in year out. Pretty selfish on their part…typical!
too bad for those kids who would have played for some of the local teams on Thursday night.
Frenji, PC Savages & BC Eagles will lose quality kids it looks like.
typo: this is typical move by LHBCA who “DOESN’T” care about a historically great tourney.
LHBCA has had this date set since mid-season. Maybe the CYP should contact them before picking their date.
All Ball/ B Ball,
Points well taken.
B-Ball, thanks for the extra clarification. At least it’ll give the younger guys good run.
Breaking Rosters info:
NJRR will feature NJ State Champ & Syracuse bound Tyler Roberson.
Panthers will feature Lincoln HS (Brooklyn) Isaiah Whitehead Top 25 2014.
BC Eagles will feature Aaron Ray Middletown HS 2014 brother of former Villanova star Allan Ray.
Blaze will feature Trinity Catholic’s Tremaine Frazier 2014.
more to come….
The LHBCA Senior All Star game is now a Division 3 recruits all star game.
How far we have come since the days of Kilpatrick, Mookie, Kev Jones, Rashad James and others.
????,
Take Mookie out that sentence. At least the other guys have actually produced.
CYP: I am trying to understand how a team that won a National Championship is a ‘one hit wonder.’ That team boasts the best player in this county, Eric Paschall, Donovan Mitchell, a sophomore already being recruited by UConn who would be the best player in the County were he to not be in a CT prep school and a CHSA star. They also almost won Rumble in the Bronx playing up, losing to TeamScan by 1, I believe.
We in NY think we have the best basketball but nationwide, the feeling is very different. Tom Konchalski was quoted recently talking about the slope downward of NYC basketball.
When we have a really good team like the City, no matter how they were funded and we pooh pooh them, that is why we are failing. Old mainstays like the Gauchos and New Heights are but a shadow of themselves. We should celebrate the good as you do at the CYP for the most part. Maybe then we would live in a county where the most effective player, Joe Clarke, does better than a junior college. Where are all the D2 schools who should have been all over that terrific young man?
I know AAU very well and when a team wins a national championship, that is worth celebrating. Even the great Westchester Hawks team with at least two NBA players did not win a national championship!
A Gas…excellent points!!! The Coz are dead without a sponsorship. Metro is dead. New Hts will keep running well but without Kimani Young as a director who knows. Teams like Panthers, New Rens, Juice and others will always have deep talent. Westchester AAU is dead. Too many teams nt enough talent.
As for Donovan Mitchell…he would be a super star in Westchester. He was on the wish list for Stepinac last year. Would have been a star in the CHSAA too. He was just named the POY in NEPSAC Class B. http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/3013/NEPSAC-All-Conference-Honors.php
Joe Clarke is a D1 football player and could walk on for D1 Bball. Shame on schools not getting him in the fold. Especially local schools that have both. Even if he has to redshirt the 1st year, hes worth the wait instead of go to JC.
A gas
My point is that there will be no team called “the city” in a year a two, however newheights will still be around because it is a real program run the right way by good people.
When the city’s sponsors son is no longer playing, the city will be no longer either.
Parental involvement in Aau has ruined it.
New heights was around way before “the city” and will be around after.
Despite the gauchos being on the verge of non existence “the city” will never have the historical reputation that the gauchos have.
Gauchos and riverside started New York Aau basketball.
Again the city’s team is excellent, but try maintaining that on different age levels for 30+ years like the gauchos have
The City is a team.Gauchos,New Heights,etc.. are programs no real comparisons except on the court.There is however a tone of dislike for The City because of the way they burst on the scene. The players on the City are benefiting from the exposure of playing during Live Periods,National Tournaments and being together for a long time.
Five of them started playing at Riverside 8u now playing 16u and 17u. Unheard of in AAU.
CYP: Point well said.
How about the Nor east Lightning from Brewster My man Coach Albe Morales has a team that played in the D3 nationals last yr.He would beat
Most of the teams mentioned .
What the heck is a NorEast lightning?We are talking about real AAU ball not D3 rec ball.
Stay up north Please
Who plays for the Falcons nowadays?