Abraham Lincoln and Nazareth put the city and the rest of the nation on notice before Christmas.
The Railspitters boys’ basketball team and the Nazareth girls’ hoops squad both had tremendous success at two of the nation’s top tournaments.
Lincoln placed fifth at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, with a 3–1 record. It beat two nationally ranked teams along the way, and its only defeat came at the hands of eventual tournament champion, Montverde (Fla.), the nation’s top-rated team, 84–80 in overtime. The Coney Island school is now ranked No. 9 in the country by MaxPreps.
The Lady Kingsmen won the Blue bracket in its first time ever competing in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Arizona. Nazareth took down Windward (Cal.), the No. 9 ranked team in the country, 63–58, in overtime in the bracket title game. The game earned Nazareth a No. 10 national ranking by ESPN.
The powerful showings are good signs for both teams in their quests for state Federation Class AA crowns.
Lincoln proved that the team has jelled quickly despite numerous new faces, but it was two of its top returnees that shined most in the sunshine state. Seton Hall-bound guard Isaiah Whitehead impressed with 37 points — including six three-pointers — to go along with seven rebounds and six assists in an opening-game win over Greenforest Christian (Ga.). He showed that the killer instinct he displayed this summer has carried over into the high school season.
City of Palms was also a coming out party for senior forward Desi Rodriguez, resulting in him earning a scholarship to play basketball at Seton Hall with Whitehead. The recognition is long overdue for Rodriguez. He scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds against a Montverde team that has eight players committed to Division-I schools.
South Carolina-bound Bianca Cuavas, alongside Yazmine Belk and Jen Fay, was equally as impressive for Nazareth on her way to bracket most valuable player honors. She tallied 22 points in the Blue division championship game playing against UCLA-bound point guard Jordin Canada.
Both teams’ performances make you wonder if there is a club from New York State good enough to keep either from claiming their respective state Federation Class AA titles. Nazareth’s lone loss is at home to rival Christ the King, which lost three games by a combined 16 points in the Tournament of Champions’ top Joe Smith bracket.
There isn’t a team in the Public School Athletic League right now as good as Lincoln, but Wings, Brooklyn Collegiate and Jefferson may have something to say about that come March. Christ the King, Cardinal Hayes and Bishop Loughlin out of the Catholic League would all be formidable Federation tournament foes.
For now, Lincoln and Nazareth have put themselves in the top half of the national rankings and are in early positions to be the teams to beat.
