By Adam Martini
The bullies have moved off the block. Or, in the case of the PSAL Boys Basketball ‘B’ league, they have moved uptown to the ‘A’ division.
Powerhouse programs Aviation, John Adams, Flushing, John Bowne and Townsend Harris are gone, leveling the ‘B’ playing field. The departing teams combined for record of 90-36 last season.
Most of the coaches are pleased with the adjusted league, sighting better competition and sportsmanship. No doubt, the remaining squads will form a competitive league. With three playoff spots up for grabs, all of the schools have extra incentive.
The Richmond Hill Lions (4-19, 2-10 last season) are one of the most experienced clubs in the division, but sixth-year coach Brian Sutton is playing it cool.
The returnees are guards Kenny Smith and Luis Abreu, forwards William Beltre and Tyrone Fosmire and center Dwayne McDougal. The offense will flow through seniors Abreu and Fosmire, while the rest will be expected to contribute on both ends of the court.
“You always set high expectations as a team,” Sutton said. “This year, there is a more realistic chance of us achieving them.”
In contrast, the Robert F. Kennedy Panthers (4-15, 3-9) field an entirely new team other than returning guard Steven Caruso and small forward Arthur Liu. The two returnees will lead by example and hopefully on the scoreboard for the young Panthers.
With a few of the players getting their first taste of organized basketball, Panthers’ coach Harry Weinstein is saving any predictions. Instead, he is concerned with his team focusing on fundamentals, such as offensive and defensive sets.
“It’s hard to say what to expect,” Weinstein said. “We need time to play together before we can win games.”
The Renaissance Knights (4-10, 3-9) will be plugging roster holes, too. They lost five seniors and may have to play without impact players Darryl Shaw, a tremendous point guard, and lethal shooter Jalan Paige. Both have been ruled academically ineligible.
Newcomers that may help the Knights are guard Conor MCCoy and center Erik Lowery. Both are seniors, but playing basketball for the first time for the Knights. McCoy, a good athlete, played baseball last season and led his team in stolen bases.
“Playing at a higher level has a lot to do with attitude and experience,” coach Ed Chilgren said. “We want to continue the winning spirit we developed at the end of last season.”
In the shadow of Queensborough Bridge in Long Island City, two league schools share the same building and athletic facilities. The Newcomer Lions (6-18, 5-7) and the Academy of American Studies Eagles (0-11, 0-10) have a natural rivalry and a common goal of winning.
The Lions have a trio of returning starters. Guard Fabian Morales, forward Mohamed Boussouf, both seniors, and junior Francisco Barbon will anchor the group in the middle. They’ll try to make up for the loss of graduates Michael Michel and Jean-Richard Sillat.
The Lions are finding their identity as they gear up for league battle. Able to push the ball on occasion, they may be better suited for a slower pace, when mistakes are less common.
“The key for us is to play hard and eliminate mental mistakes,” Newcomers’ coach Michael Gordon said. “We don’t have a tremendous amount of superstars, so playing together will be another key.”
The Eagles, who failed to win a game in 11 tries last season, will start with a fresh slate and new attitude. New coach Aston Davidson is new too, hence the new attitude, as he takes over for Juan Faya, the athletic director.
The Eagles return a handful of players, including captain Danial Levent, the team’s closest thing to a go-to guy. The Eagles will need a collective effort to dent the win column this time around. Davidson has “optimistic expectations” and a simple plan.
“I want to formulate plays around my players’ strengths and not change them too much,” Davidson said. “We’ll let them play and correct bad habits as best as we can.”
Other Eagles to keep an eye on are senior Julio Gonzalez, Brian Gatch Able Grullon, Thomas Medina and Estaban Feliciano.
The Robert F. Wagner Panthers (7-5, 9-10) are the only team to compile a winning division record last season, which bodes well for the Panthers, as does their experienced returnees.
Forwards Michael Linwasser and Lawrence Lacy, a senior and junior, respectively, and junior guards Andre Burnett and Jaysen Murphy could form an impressive starting unit.
On the flip side, the Queens Vocational Knights (10-8, 3-7) posted a winning overall record, but were under .500 in the league. It was the third consecutive winning season for the Knights.
It may be difficult to keep that streak alive with only one returning starter from last season, guard Justin Lacy. The Knights lost three impact players, forward Louis DeMaria and Tariq Macklin to graduation, and starting point guard Dayquan Stevenson, who is academically ineligible.
Lacy and forward Cedric Scott will lead the rebuilding effort along with Lacy, as the Knights look to the future.
“We have a young squad,” coach Richard Maloney said. “We’ll be working on fundamentals and the team concept. Hopefully, by the time some of the players are juniors, we’ll be winning.”
Reach contributing writer Adam Martini by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
