By PAUL GOTHAM
With the Section V boys’ basketball playoffs set to tip off, a survey of the 2022 class.
DAMANI BARLEY 6-foot-2-inch So. G East Eagles (Rochester City Athletic Conference Lower Division) – Daring shooter with a knack for making plays on the defensive end; long and lean, quipped with an elevated release point on his jumper, Barley forces defenders to step out on him, strong off the bounce he makes sound decisions in the teeth of the defense, not afraid of contact, can finish at the rim with either hand, has added a mid-range floater to keep defenders off-balance; shows impressive instincts on the defensive end, anticipates well and gets in passing lanes, quick feet allow him to disrupt opposing ball handlers, effectively uses his length to cut down court vision of opposing players; active rebounder who reads caroms well off the rim; averaging 14.9 points per game while handing out nearly nine assists. Barley grabs 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals. East will host the Vertus/Wilson Magnet winner in the Class A2 quarter-finals. A 7 p.m. tip-off is scheduled for Saturday, February 29.
MYLES BLACKWOOD 6-foot-2-inch So. G/F Aquinas Li’l Irish (Independent) — Sturdily-built performer who is at his best going to the basket; Blackwood thrives on contact and consistently finishes with either hand in traffic, creates matchup problems with his ability to connect in the mid-range forcing bigger post players away from the basket where he can use the dribble to attack, smaller guards have little to no chance when forced to defend him on the block; a tireless rebounder he resists the first block out attempt and keeps his feet in motion; can seamlessly guard a variety of positions, stepping out on ballhandlers while at the same time matching up with bigger forwards in the post; averaging 15.8 points per game. Aquinas will host Fairport in the Class AA opening round. A 7 p.m. tip is slated for Tuesday, February 25.
RYAN GARWOOD 5-foot-10-inch So. G Northstar Christian Knights (Private-Independent) – Among the best perimeter scorers in Section V, Garwood has continued to develop his overall game; with a agile footwork and a quick release, Garwood is ready from the opening tip to start filling it up and he can go into heat-check mode after his first three attempts, comfortable using screens off-the-ball to get open for catch-and-shoot opportunities, has the ability to square his shoulders before receiving the ball; adept ball handler he makes economic use of the dribble, underrated playmaker who takes advantage of space created to set up his teammates, understands how to use pace to create; already proficient in reading angles on the defensive end to beat opposing ball handlers to the spot, he has developed his foot skills to dictate direction of opposing ballhandlers; an active rebounder, he stays in motion while the ball is in the air; averaging 20.1 points per game. Northstar Christian will host the NE Douglass/Monroe winner in the Class A2 quarter-finals. A 7 p.m. tip off is slated Saturday, February 29.
CHRISTIAN HARMON 6-foot-3-inch So. F Wilson Magnet Wildcats (Rochester City Athletic Conference Upper Division) — Physically-gifted player with a developing offensive game; Harmon has to be guarded beyond the 3-point arc which creates a dilemma for opposing defenses, strong off the dribble combined with upper body strength, he thrives on contact and finishes with either hand; an imposing rebounder, who doesn’t simply rely on stature to get position, shows an impressive motor around the rim, has put together four straight double-doubles including a 27-point-14 rebound performance against East (then No. 4 NYS Class A) that came two days after a 31-point/13-rebound outing versus Leadership (then No. 8 NYS Class A); a willing defender, he easily matches up with opposing bigs, can also step out and contain ballhandlers; averaging 20.9 points per game with eight double-doubles (points and rebounds). Wilson Magnet will play Vertus in the opening round of Class A2. A 7:17 p.m. tip-off is scheduled Wednesday, February 26 at Vertus High School.
MILES ROSE 6-foot-3-inch So. G Bishop Kearney Kings (Private-Independent) – Scratching at the surface of his ability; Rose is a calm playmaker who sees the floor well in a variety of situations, adept in pick-and-roll situations, he can also find the open man in transition, possesses the ability to change speed and pace without giving up control, he can knock down a shot from 3-point land but is at his best in the midrange where his floater is among the tops in Section V; understands how to use angles to dictate the dribble path of opposing ballhandlers, uses athleticism and length to limit court vision and to get into passing lanes; active rebounder, he combines leaping ability with speed to grab boards at the rim while being able to run down long caroms; averaging 19.4 points per game. Kearney travels to Rush-Henrietta to take on the Royal Comets in the opening round of Class AA. A 7 p.m. tip time is slated.
Names to know of other student-athletes from the 2022 class: Mason Blankenberg/Wayne, Jack Bleier/Aquinas, Timothy Brooks/Edison Tech, Ben Carey/Webster Schroeder, Keshaun Chatman/SOTA, Zach Colvin/Avon, Mason Giorgione/Rush-Henrietta, Turner Harris/Northstar Christian, Nick Hauman/Webster Schroeder, Zavarius Henry/Wilson Magnet, Pacey Hopkins/Avoca, Caleb Johnson/Prattsburgh, Jackson Kulik/Webster Thomas, Drew Kull/Pittsford Sutherland, Brandon Latson/Edison Tech, Kidder Lindley/Pittsford Mendon, Liam McKinley/Wellsville, James Matthews II/UPrep, Kai McCullough/East, Brandon Moore/UPrep, Mike Morgan/Edison Tech, Phil Nwugwo/Victor, Preston Prince/Hilton, James Reaves, Jr./Greece Athena, Andrew Rowland/Avon, Justus Ross-Simmons/East (*injured), Damel Turner/Wilson Magnet, Kyle Wade/Caledonia-Mumford and Terrell Wilson, Jr./Greece Athena.
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