By PAUL GOTHAM
Of the 16 Section V Boys’ Basketball teams ranked among this week’s state polls, 13 will take the court over the next three days. One head-to-head matchup highlights those games along with another two contests featuring state-ranked teams and those getting honorable mention.
World of Inquiry, (No. 1 NYSSWA Class B), will travel east to face Marcus Whitman (No. 13 NYSSWA Class B). The game features a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Jaedon Adams-Griffin (WOI) and Brody Royston (Whitman). Adams-Griffin reached the milestone in the first game of the season. Royston topped the plateau during the recent Penfield Holiday Invitational.
Of World of Inquiry’s (5-0) five wins, two have come against teams listed among the Honorable Mentions this week (Monroe and Lyons). The Griffins edged RCAC foe Monroe, 56-53 and went on the road to beat Lyons, 59-48. Curtis Bell and Kanaz Linder, transfers from the now-defunct Northeast Prep, give WOI’s attack depth.
Marcus Whitman (5-1) enters play with a five-game winning streak. The Wildcats have victories over a pair of Class A Honorable Mentions in Rochester Prep (59-58) and Batavia (57-45), A Class B2 finalist a year ago, Whitman scores 56.2 points per game while holding opponents to 48.8. World of Inquiry posts 65.4 points per game and limits opposing teams to 46.2.
A 1:30 p.m. tipoff is scheduled Friday at Marcus Whitman.
Rush-Henrietta (7-0/No. 28 NYSSWA Class AAA) puts its unbeaten mark on the line when the Royal Comets hit the thruway to face reigning Class AAA state champion, Green Tech. The Eagles (4-4/No. 23 AAA) have losses to Albany Academy (No. 1 NYSSWA Class AA), Pope Francis Prep (MA), Evans (FL) and Notre Dame (West Haven, CT). R-H is coming off wins over Lockport (HM AA) and Colonie (II) in its holiday tournament. Avery Council and Jalen Taggart lead the Royal Comets’ offense. The play of Amir Abdul-Haqq will have an impact on Saturday’s outcome. Can the senior big man neutralize Green Tech around the basket while staying out of foul trouble? A 2:45 p.m. start is scheduled on Saturday.
“Green Tech, last year’s AAA state champion and Section II champion the past three years, is a great challenge for us,” said second-year R-H head coach Calvin Betts. “These are the type of games you want to be a part of. As competitors, this game prepares us for the remainder of our season by being able to gauge where we are vs. some top-tier talent and another step mentally for us in learning the level of play we need to sustain to accomplish what we set out for this season.
“We know we have to take our games to another level and it’s something we have been working toward. This also helps us to see what weakness we have within our own team, and the best way to do that is play the best competition possible, Win or lose, this is a game we will learn from and carry throughout the rest of our season.”
Canisteo-Greenwood (5-0/No. 12 NYSSWA Class B) hosts Lyons (4-3/HM Class B) for a 4 p.m. start on Saturday. A state semifinalist a year ago, Lyons has losses to Canisius (No. 2 Class AA), Cathedral Prep (PA) and World of Inquiry. The Lions are looking to Stephen LeBrecht to counter opposing defenses focused upon 6-foot-6 big man JJ Johnson. Contrell Parker Jr. sets the table for the Lions’ defense. The junior guard forces opposing to start their offense at an uncomfortable distance from the basket.
Geneseo (7-1/No. 7 NYSSWA Class C) welcomes York (3-4) for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Friday. Of the Golden Knights four losses, three have come to state-ranked squads: Avon (No. 2 Class B), East Rochester (No. 18 Class B) and Wheatland-Chili (No. 10 C).
Avon (No. 2 NYSSWA B) gets the weekend started with a 7 p.m. tipoff against Dansville on Thursday.
Other state-ranked teams in action:
Penfield (No. 15 AA) vs. Padilla Friday 5:00 p.m.
Wayne (No. 7 A) vs. Midlakes, Friday 7:00 p.m.
East Rochester (No. 18 B) vs. Bishop Kearney, Friday 3:00 p.m.
South Seneca (No. 8 C) vs. Williamson, Friday 5:30 p.m.
Wheatland-Chili (No. 10 C) vs. Notre Dame-Batavia (HM Class C), Friday 7 p.m.
Jasper-Troupsburg (No. 9 D) at Mount Morris, Saturday 2:00 p.m.
State-ranked teams not in action this weekend: Greece Athena (No. 4 AA), East High (No. 2 A), Arkport-Canaseraga (No. 18 C) and Fillmore (No. 1 D).
Remaining weekend schedule for boys.
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