NCN SPORTS BLOG

These rankings are as of Tuesday, Jan. 22 @ 12 p.m.

1) Peekskill (14-0) — Since Mookie Jones’ eight-point performance against White Plains in the finals of the Slam Dunk on Dec. 29, he has been on fire, averaging 20 ppg over the last seven. His 23-point performance in a win over Albany Academy on Jan. 20 typified the torrid stretch. With all the talent on the Peekskill roster, the points can come from several players, but Jones, as he has proved lately, is still the Michael Jordan of the Red Devils.

2) Briarcliff (12-2) — The Bears snuck out of Kennedy with a win, turning it on in the last three minutes. The commotion and controversy over the clock at the end of the match overshadowed one of the best basketball games of the season. Time was not stopped when Briarcliff asked for a timeout following O’Connell’s basket, so the refs were correct in putting the additional time back on the scoreboard. This argument could be tangled and twisted every which way, but the bottom line is that these teams put on quite the show. Briarcliff will not lose to a Section 1 opponent this season.

3) Kennedy Catholic (8-4) — Kennedy completely outplayed Briarcliff for the first 29 minutes of their heartbreaking, 61-60, loss. Steve Feeney, Vincent Tancora, Edmond O’Connell and Anthony Spinola flexed their muscles against the brawny Briarcliff front line, matching their intensity and strength on the boards and in the paint. In the somewhat rundown Kennedy gym — dim lights and aged floor — the Gaels almost pulled off the upset of the season. Their six-game winning streak was snapped, but they proved that the magic of the storied program is alive and well. Say what you want about the conditions of the gym, it is my favorite place to watch a Saturday night basketball game. It almost feels like being in a rural area of Indiana, ala the movie Hoosiers.

4) Lincoln Hall (8-5) — The United’s disappointing loss to Byram Hills, 51-35, moves Sir Aaron and company out of the top three. My biggest concern with the loss was that it was at home — a place where the United generally thrive. Long scoring droughts will be the death of this squad, exemplified by their zero point output in the second quarter against Byram. Despite the rough game, I predict that the United will go 5-1 over the last six games of the season, securing a top playoff spot and home court advantage.

5) Panas (8-6) — Panas rebounded from the Hen Hud debacle with a solid 63-52 win over Beacon on Jan. 15. Losing by 19 points at Poughkeepsie on Jan. 17 was all but expected. With games against Beacon, Peekskill, Lakeland, Ossining, Our Lady of Lourdes and Hen Hud to close out the season, the Panthers have a shot at going 5-1. It would help if Michael Pagan scored 20-plus points, as the Panthers have yet to lose a game when that happens.

6) Lakeland (8-4) — In a column that ran two weeks ago, titled, “Nickname madness,” I named point guard Lou DeMello, “The Dime.” So when he scored 16 points and was looking for his shot all game against Yorktown last Thursday, I felt a little foolish. Sure, he is still a pass-first point guard. But when challenged to shoot — as Yorktown Coach Steve Veteri explained was the team’s strategy — DeMello proved he is not one dimensional, sinking four 3-pointers against the Huskers. Veteri, ultra impressed, called it a “career performance.” DeMello’s progression into more of a scorer basically mirrors his expanded role into a finisher on the soccer pitch this past season.

7) Yorktown (6-8) — The eight-year losing streak to the Hornets was all but over, but the Huskers fell apart down the stretch and failed to make clutch shots in the waning moments. This, of any loss Yorktown has suffered this season, has to really frustrate Coach Veteri. It was the kind of loss that makes one want to get right back on the floor, erasing any painful memory that may still linger on. Rebounding against Pelham on Jan. 19 with a solid 43-37 win probably helped ease the pain — albeit not very much. Brendan Kurpis needs more touches and shots in order for the Huskers to finish up strong and make the playoffs. His size and touch from 15-feet and in gives ’Town a steady stream of points. Down the stretch of the Lakeland game, going away from Kurpis was the deciding factor in the loss.

Mahopac (7-5) — Since the paltry 24-point effort against Arlington, the Indians have averaged 65 ppg in two wins over Ketcham and Carmel. Seeing that it was a fierce rivalry game against Carmel, I knew it was going to be a physical. But Mario Iacuone’s 13-for-19 performance from the charity stripe was eye popping. Kudos to Iacuone for getting to the line that much. With five games left on its schedule, I guarantee that Mahopac will finish the season with a double-digit win total.

9) Ossining (5-9) — Ossining’s, 49-44, win over Hen Hud was overshadowed by a disappointing loss to Beacon, 56-53. Sadly, this has been the case all season for Coach Drinks’ squad. Only once have they been able to string together two wins in a row.

10) Hen Hud (6-6) — The Sailors came down to earth with a loss to Ossining on Jan. 17. Needless to say, this squad is proving to be a lot tougher than anyone could have ever imagined.

11) Croton-Harmon (5-7) — The Tigers have reeled of two-straight wins, 77-60, over Putnam Valley and, 60-54, over Westlake. Ryan Sawyer, showing the senior leadership Head Coach Bill Thom was craving, averaged 17 ppg in the two wins.

12) John Jay (4-9) — Two straight losses to Kennedy, 59-49, and Fox Lane, 50-39, really hurt the Indians’ chances of making the playoffs.

13) Putnam Valley (2-11) — The good news for the Tigers is that they broke the 30-point plateau against Croton, scoring 60 points for the first time since Jan.7.

14) Somers (1-12) — The Tuskers lost to Greeley, 81-32, back on Dec. 12. Against Greeley on Jan. 15, they only lost by 16 points, 60-44. That’s a marked improvement, fellas.