Delco Times Boys Basketball Super 7, Feb. 6

The regular season wraps up Saturday night in District One, and by this time Sunday, we’ll have at least a (highly unofficial, perpetually subject-to-change) sketch of the district brackets. Next week will feature the Central League title game Monday between Ridley and the winner of Strath Haven-Conestoga, then we’ll get the playoffs started Friday. The Catholic League opens its playoffs Wednesday and Friday with an eye toward the Palestra next week. So before the formulas spit out their findings, here’s what the eye test says for Delco’s entrants to the fields. (Records through Feb. 5)

1. Archbishop Carroll (19-2)

The Patriots have a tricky game Sunday afternoon against Archbishop Wood, which is in full-on desperation mode to get the second Catholic League bid to the District 12 Class AAAA playoffs. The Vikings sit at 6-6 in the Catholic League (12 points), with Ryan and St. Joe’s Prep (each 7-5, 14) and La Salle (8-4, 16) ahead as the target behind Roman. Carroll, meanwhile, is gearing up for the playoffs, and it’s possible that if Wood wins Sunday, these two could see a rematch next week. Not that this was a throwaway game, but that possibility should keep the Patriots on their toes.

2. Ridley (21-1)

A 16-0 run through the Central League is remarkable, given the variety and difficulty the schedule offers nightly. I’m sure that at some point this weekend, Mike Snyder will remind his charges that Conestoga navigated the slate unscathed last year before the Green Raiders knocked them off in the playoff final, undaunted by the Lower Merion test they passed in the semis. The Green Raiders should be looking at a seed in the top four in districts.

3. Chester (16-6)

The Clippers face a paradox. Yes, winning 14 of 15 is great, including three Del Val wins this week to claim the league title. In doing so, they’ve likely elevated to a top 10 seed in districts. But in some ways, they’d have been better off as, say, a 12, which would put them in line for an easier quarterfinals matchup to play into states than if they land as the eight and have to play the top seed in the quarters. That’s speculation, though. Even without Marquis Collins, I don’t think anyone in District One should want to play Chester right now. The Clippers are one of about seven teams (Ridley is among the group, as well) that in my estimation could win this tournament.

4. Episcopal Academy (15-6)

The Churchmen were dealt a disappointment Friday night in losing at Germantown Academy with a share of the Inter-Ac title on the line. EA remains alive, needing two wins against Springside Chestnut Hill (which is winless in the league) and to don their Malvern Prep gear and hope the Friars knock off GA at home to leave the door ajar for a split. EA is surely kicking itself for a sluggish start to the season in the loss to Penn Charter, the outlier that cost them a piece by virtue of simply splitting with GA. The race isn’t over yet, and EA has to rebound and take care of business to keep hope alive.

5. Academy Park (15-6)

The loss to Chester came without Mike Satimehin, who may not have made a 15-point difference but would’ve nonetheless been influential. That’s not to represent AP as ahead of Chester, but the Knights will make teams uncomfortable in the postseason. It’s interesting that Satimehin’s cold shooting streak has coincided with the emergence of Khyree Temple. If Academy Park can get Nick Simmons and Satimehin hitting shots from outside and engage Temple in the low block, this can be a dangerous team with six scoring threats that will threaten for a states berth.

6. Strath Haven (19-3)

The surprise return of Kyree Fuller from injury is a big boost for the Panthers, especially as Ryan Morris has done such a capable job replacing him. If they can incorporate both of those guys, suddenly they have seven-deep scoring depth, which was one of the big causes for concern in projecting playoff fortunes. With Haven likely to garner a top-10 Districts seed, Dave McFadden gets my vote as Delco coach of the year.

7. Chichester (14-8)

The Eagles move ahead of Del Val foe Penn Wood this week. It’s not because of record, since Penn Wood played a markedly more difficult schedule. It’s not head-to-head, as they split two meetings. It’s down to specialization. Chichester does a few things very well. They are committed to getting to the rack with the dribble-drive determination of Derrick Welles and Eric Montanez. They have a sharpshooter in DaQuan Granberry. They speed you up, get in passing lanes, cause turnovers. Buzz Wood’s team has weapons in the arsenal that can overwhelm teams in certain areas and shift the balance of a game. Penn Wood may be deeper. But when push comes to shove, who’s the go-to guy for the Patriots? What’s the Patriots’ fallback identity, the easy source of offense of defining aspect of their game? I don’t have a good answer for that, which is cause for concern.

Honorable Mention: Penn Wood (10-11, the fact that Ryan Kelly has been the Patriots’ leading scorer in three of the last four games isn’t a negative. But the hit-or-miss offensive production of his passel of backcourt mates is); Penncrest (13-9, with five straight wins, Mike Doyle’s team has acclimated to life without AJ Taylor. Though few members of this group experienced last year’s states run, the program’s resilience and conception of its identity and core concepts makes it pesky to break down); Garnet Valley (14-8, every year, the District One tournament descends into chaos and two teams in the 20s play for a states bid. The last two years, Penncrest and Haverford got to states that way. Could GV, with the great equalizer that is the 3-pointer, occupy that role this year? If they can produce a steady supply of halfcourt defensive stops, then just maybe); Bonner & Prendergast (10-11, the overtime loss to La Salle set off a four-game losing streak, including the detrimental one-point setback against Lansdale Catholic that may torpedo the Friars’ chance of making the Catholic League field); Delco Christian (11-9, Wyatt Harkins and Jalen Johns are the only Knights to play all 20 games, a mind-boggling stat, especially given the inherent personnel limitations at a Class A school. The Knights’ record doesn’t look good, but when you consider how many AA and AAA teams are included in the Bicentennial’s hodgepodge composition, the capacity for a postseason run could be concealed by the numbers).