Blogs > Gettin' Schooled

A boys basketball blog hosted by Daily Times reporter Christopher A. Vito



Saturday, January 31, 2009

THE BEST OF DELCO: JUNIORS

The Class of 2010 might as well be dubbed 'the class of the point guard'. As this reporter sees it, five of the county’s top-10 juniors play the point. And three more handle the No. 2 slot, which limits the number of post players to two.

Here are a few observations of Delaware County’s top juniors:
1. Tyree Johnson, PG, Penn Wood: A smart, instinctive No. 1 who can turn heads with his passing ability, Johnson, pictured, also has the ability to score in bunches (when needed).

2. Soutiri Sapnas, PG, Marple Newtown: A scoring, jumpshooting machine who is on his way to becoming his school’s all-time scoring champ, Sapnas is the focus of every team’s gameplan.

3. Maurice Nelson, SG, Chester: Like his older brother, he does a little bit of everything. Nelson has found a niche with the Clippers with his scoring (14.5 ppg).

4. D.J. Irving, SG, Archbishop Carroll: An unassuming player who looks for his teammates first, it’s a wonder how a player with that selfless mindset averages 14 ppg.

5. Jack Roberts, C, Strath Haven: His rebounding and shot-blocking skills are well advanced. His scoring touch is not there yet, but at 6-7, it is on the way.

6. Andrew Radomicki, PG, Penncrest: A gritty, hard-nosed point who does the stuff that doesn’t appear in box scores: gets everyone involved, takes charges, makes the extra pass.

7. Omari Grier, PG, Episcopal Academy: He can slash or hit a pull-up. Grier works his best in catch-and-shoot opportunities and he possesses some dangerous size on the wing.

8. Jamal Melvin, PG, Monsignor Bonner: An undersized guard who can bob and weave his way to the bucket, Melvin can also dish to his bigs if nothing is there. He is fun to watch.

9. Ben Mingledough, SF, Archbishop Carroll: Long and lean, he’s a terror on the perimeter. Mingledough has put scoring on the backburner for now because of his skills on defense.

10. Laquan Robinson, SG, Chester: A role player and a selective shooter, he chooses his opportunities wisely. On any given night, though, Robinson can go off for 15.

Others to watch: Radnor G Kyle Hammonds; Ridley C Cameron Gunter; Penncrest SG Rodney Duncan; Haverford School SG A.J. Jones; Chichester G Brian Parker; Springfield C Wally Rutecki; Glen Mills G Lavander Johns.

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Friday, January 30, 2009

RADOMICKI, DUNCAN LEADING THE WAY FOR PENNCREST

Point guard Andrew Radomicki and shooting guard Rodney Duncan are complete opposites. Radomicki takes pride in dishing out assists, Duncan is Penncrest's leading scorer. Radomicki is a rugged, go-hard-or-go-home kind of guard, and Duncan is of the cool and collected variety.

The odd couple, however, they are not.

The juniors in Penncrest's backcourt get along great off the court. On it, they represent the sturdy footing on which Penncrest has placed its hopes for a home game in the opening round of the District One Class AAAA playoffs. It's uncertain when last the Lions attained one - I'd have to go back a bit, seeing as this season is Penncrest's best since their 1999 Central League championship year.

You can read more about Radomicki and Duncan in this week's boys basketball notebook.

ELSEWHERE IN THE NOTEBOOK:
***CO-CHAMPIONS: It was a point of contention between both camps after Tuesday's game. Penn Wood thought one thing, Chester thought the other. If the two were to finish tied, there will be no playoff in the Del Val. The teams will be co-champions.
***SUPER 7 JUSTIFICATION
***RIDING RYAN: The Christian Academy has had a rough go this season. But 6-7 center Ryan Naylor has been a bright spot.
***DUNSON SITS DOWN: Radnor senior guard (and captain) Corey Dunson is out with a break in his foot and will be out for the remainder of the regular season.

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