Boys Basketball: Super 7, Dec. 26
Christmas has arrived, and Delco still boasts four unbeaten teams, a rarity at this point. Contrast that with only one team that hasn’t yet picked up a win.
Every unbeaten is a little different, in how often and how severely they’ve been tested. Haverford School running unscathed through a 10-game nonleague gauntlet isn’t the same as Academy Park going four games sans a blemish. By the same token, Sun Valley’s eight wins – three in the Ches-Mont League – might ultimately be worth more at the end of the season than Bonner’s six impressive wins, three against Catholic League foes not expected to challenge for the upper rungs of the league.
It’s too early to tell how long anyone’s unbeaten streak might go. But the early going offers hints. Here’s a holiday Super 7, with records through Christmas. Look for the first batch of Delco stat leaders as soon as Thursday.
1. Bonner & Prendergast (6-0) Preseason Ranking: No. 1
This is a close one between the Friars and Fords. Both have courted challenges outside the league. Both have Division I talents (plural) in the lineup. I give the edge to the Friars on two points. First, they’ve shown moxie to pull out two overtime wins, one a double-OT game behind 37 points from Isaiah Wong, including all eight of the Friars’ points in the second OT. Second is the fact that Haverford School still isn’t whole, with Jameer Nelson Jr. having played just once. Back to the Friars: Bonner has had seven players scored in double-figures in a game, plus AJ Burnett’s nine points from deep in the rotation spelling the difference against Father Judge. They beat Patterson of Maryland with Tariq Ingraham scoring just two points. That ability to spread the wealth shows what Wong can do as a point guard and is the kind of team-first mentality that will pay off in the postseason.
2. Haverford School (10-0) Preseason Ranking: No. 2
Christian Ray is averaging 22.6 points per game. Jameel Brown has been outstanding. Ditto Tyler Seward running the point. I think Bonner is a little deeper one to nine, but the Fords match up with just about anyone across their top six. If only there was a way to figure out which is the better team … how about a matchup Dec. 31? Sounds like a fun one. (Edit: I’ve been told that this game has been dropped from both teams’ schedules.)
3. Archbishop Carroll (4-2) Preseason Ranking: No. 5
I’m perplexed by Carroll. They have massive reserves of talent. They’re one of the longest high school teams I’ve seen position-by-position, and their ability to play a 2-1-2 fullcourt press could be a game-changer. The half-court execution remains a work in progress. The Patriots have two solid scoring forwards in Anquan Hill and Tairi Ketner, but not sure there’s enough room for them to be on the floor simultaneously. They have two big wings in Luke House and John Camden who can shoot or create off the dribble, but do they bring enough defensive mettle on the court together? And they have a passel of guards who are great all-arounders without specializing too heavily. There’s a lot of talent for Francis Bowe to mix and match, and it might take some time to figure out how it fits together.
4. Chester (3-2) Preseason Ranking: No. 3
Rumors of the Clippers’ demise were greatly exaggerated after an 0-2 start. Michael Smith is back to his All-Delco ways of a season ago running a very typical Chester backcourt with a variety of options. Akeem Taylor has proven he can handle the step up in competition from Chester Charter School for the Arts. A healthy Rahmaad DeJarnette makes a huge difference. And Karell Watkins is a name to watch. The sophomore has an immensely bright future.
5. Sun Valley (8-0) Preseason Ranking: No. 7
I assumed Sun Valley would be good. I wasn’t sure it would be quite this good. The schedule hasn’t been daunting, with only one game decided by single-digits, a two-overtime win over Harriton in the opener. But Vinny DeAngelo, Isaac Kennon and Marvin Freeman give Sun Valley arguably the most cohesive top three in the county. One area to watch is offensive balance. Kennon and DeAngelo don’t need to shoot to score, but the Vanguards are averaging 6.5 made 3-pointers per game. What happens when the shooting goes cold? Can they establish a low-post scoring threat as a balance? Nick Giannakopoulos, who had a career-best nine points vs. CCSA, could be an answer.
6. Academy Park (4-0) Preseason Ranking: HM
The Knights’ schedule is always back-loaded, so four wins in December around a ton of practice time is a boon. Last year, AP was arguably too dependent on the 3-pointer. But I’m impressed with the evolution this year. Sixteen triples in four games is a healthy balance. Shermik Lofton has been steady in the lane. Tyriq Marrero, who was almost exclusively a 3-point shooter as a freshman (31 of his 67 made baskets were from beyond the arc) has diversified. And Naseim Harley is a veteran directing a swarming press defense that lapsed at times last year but can be so lethal when run properly. Let’s see what they do against Episcopal Academy this week and next week vs. Rustin before Del Val play opens.
7. Episcopal Academy (6-6) Preseason Ranking: No. 4
The record doesn’t impress. But EA has A) picked a very difficult schedule and, B) lost five games by a combined nine points. That inability to close out tough games might be worrying, or it might average out over the long run. (A bit of perspective: At 5-1, Garnet Valley is plus-31 on point differential; EA, just at .500, is plus-79). Here’s the concern: Matt Dade and Alex Capitano have each scored in double-figures in all 12 games. The rest of the roster has five double-figure games combined, three for Colin Chambers and two for Andrew Alikakos. Chambers has had his double-digit outings in his last four games, and if he can be a knock-down option behind the arc, maybe it takes pressure off Dade and Capitano and leaves them fresher come crunch time.
Dropped out: Upper Darby
Honorable mention: Penncrest (5-1; the loss to AP makes it easier to keep them out, but the Lions have quietly taken care of business in four league games. Malcolm Williams blossoming into a 20-ppg guy is my favorite story of the young season. Penncrest-Chester on Dec. 29 should be a good one); Garnet Valley (5-1, the Jags have four single-digit wins, and the only loss was in double-OT to Lower Merion. That might not be a sustainable pace, and the Jags are as ever dependent on the 3-pointer, averaging 6.2 makes per game. It speaks, though, to a toughness bequeathed down the recent generations of players); Upper Darby (2-3; three losses in the league is a concern, but they have gone through some of the tougher teams in the big-school division of the Central. Things should ease up considerably as they figure out their rotation); Penn Wood (4-2; I never count the Patriots out, even if they haven’t had that wow win yet. Antonio Campbell has gotten out to a fast start).
