The Preview: Bellevue

With the boys league tipping off in a week, let's get some team previews out there, right? Two per night, with maybe a night off, over the next week.

The boys' league looks like it will be getting off on the right foot this year, and a team that shows a great deal of promise is Bellevue. The team consists of mainly Section II talent, but it's also got flavor from 3 other states.

Bellevue is a very well-rounded group - true point guards, slashers, shooters, bruisers, you name it. When breaking them down, gotta start with Andrew Platek. The 6'4" guard has been attracting Division I interest for a while, but it has blown up with a couple additional offers this week. While at Guilderland this year, he averaged 23.6 points per game, knocking down 86 treys in the process and earning a 4th team all-state selection in Class AA. With offers from Miami, Iona, and Buffalo coming in this week to add to preexisting offers from Fairfield, Yale, Albany, and Siena, it's just starting for him. With his upcoming transfer to Northfield Mount Hermon in MA, one of the top preps in the country, and reclassifying into the Class of 2017, we are far from the end of the Platek era. He isn't the only Division I offered player on the team though - rising senior Dyaire Holt was offered by Siena forever ago. His prowess on the basketball court has been well-known for years, and after averaging 18.6 points per game on a Troy team that was one of the area's best, he earned a 6th team all-state selection in Class A. His explosiveness at the PG spot along with Bryce Allen, a 5'11" guard who hangs his hat in Cobleskill but goes to the Hill School in PA, will make this a high-octane backcourt. All three play on the City Rocks 17 EYBL group that made Peach Jam this year.

You like backcourt guys but are digging for people under the radar? Got some for you here too. The WAC is well-represented on this team, featuring the WAC South MVP and both WAC North Co-MVPs. Scott Voelker, a combo guard at Mekeel Christian Academy, can do a lot of things well. He can fill different roles, defend multiple positions, plays hard and makes things happen at both ends. He averaged 15.2 points per game, hitting 49 threes, on a balanced team, but his high motor and impact on the game in other facets is what earned him the WAC South MVP. You can couple him with WAC North Co-MVP, Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville's Dylan Klock. Dylan already surpassed the 1,000 point mark, and he proved last year at the King of Kings College Prospect League that he's more than the 'big fish in a small pond' type. He can be successful on the basketball court regardless of who you put him up against. He's another wing with a high motor on both ends, but his ability to knock down the long ball is what garners attention. Klock knocked down 72 threes this year en route to 20.1 points per game. Him and Platek on the wings will be deadly for any team that decides to zone up. There's a 3rd as well in WAC North 1st team selection Danny Reidell. The young guy of the group, a true rising junior at Northville, dropped 23.5 per game this year despite facing probably every junk defense in the world. He's a capable perimeter shooter, having hit 38 threes, but his bread & butter is getting to the rack - attempted 10+ free throws in 7 different games last winter. In small-school fashion, all three are strong multi-sport athletes - the first two also being standouts on the baseball field, the latter on the soccer pitch. Although not WAC, another small-schooler that goes under the radar in the area is Cobleskill-Richmondville standout wing Keenan Loder. The lanky, athletic 6'6" tweener averaged 19.2 points per game before an injury cut his season short in the latter portion. He can do a bit of everything on the offensive end, whether it be hitting from the perimeter, pulling up, getting to the rack and finishing above the rim, or posting up smaller matchups. He's a name that keeps popping up when I talk to college coaches, especially the high academic ones.

Want some WAC bigs? We got some WAC bigs. Start with the other Co-MVP of the WAC North in Canajoharie's Josh Gonzalez. He's one of the handful of participants this summer doing a postgrad year at prep. The strong 6'7" force averaged 18.6 points per game and finished his high school career with a stellar 955 points and 950 rebounds. He'll be headed to the Spire Institute in Ohio to do an extra year before college and hopefully rise his stock. His power on one side will be countered with Mekeel big man Damonte White. The 6'5" lefty also likes to control the area 15 feet and in, and is much more power than finesse about it. He averaged 14.2 points per game this season and snatched down more than his share of rebounds.

I briefly brought up the out of state talent they have, and they certainly shouldn't be overlooked. They bring in some high octane scoring power from the wings, and two of the three do it as high school teammates too. Damon Burgess and Tyler Champagne hail from Mount Anthony Union in Bennington, VT and are two of the top players in southern VT. Champagne is a lanky, 6'4" wing that has a crafty, old-school game. He can play multiple positions as well and loves the mid-range game. Where Champagne is the more fluid, Burgess is the explosive one. The 6'0" combo guard can score in bunches, and when he gets going, he can fill it up in a hurry. Watched him score his team's first 17 points, not missing a shot in the process, against Hoosick Falls in the winter. Finish it off with another 1,000 point scorer - this one from western MA. Rising Lenox senior Bailey Patella scores in bunches for his team, and he's also a standout on his Boston Warriors AAU squad. He is the 4th on this team to average 20+ per game this past season, 3 coming from the wing... look out!

Outlook - This team, at full strength, is right up at the top of the list with a real chance to take home the championship. With the balance and scoring power at all positions, this is a group that might lead the league in total points this summer. A few of these guys may not be around as much at different points in July with different tournament schedules going on, so they won't be at full strength for a few weeks. If they can get through that time, they'll be fine. If a team isn't careful, they could hang up some big numbers.

Roster

Josh Gonzalez (Canajoharie - Spire Institute (OH); 2016-PG) - 18.6 PPG (season high 28); '14-'15 All-WAC North Co-MVP, Amsterdam Recorder All-Area POY, finished with 955 points, 950 rebounds

Bryce Allen (Cobleskill - The Hill School (PA); 2016) - 3 time All-MAPL Selection; '13-'14 MAPL & PAISAA Champions at The Hill School

Damon Burgess (Mount Anthony Union (VT); 2016) - '14-'15 All-Marble Valley League 1st Team; Made '14-'15 Dream Dozen for best underclassmen in VT

Tyler Champagne (Mount Anthony Union (VT); 2016)

Dylan Klock (Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville; 2016) - 20.1 PPG (season high 33, 30+ points 3 times), 72 threes; '14-'15 All-WAC North Co-MVP, NYSSWA Class C All-State Honorable Mention, surpassed 1,000 points during junior season and currently sits at 1,143

Keenan Loder (Cobleskill-Richmondville; 2016) - 19.2 PPG (season high 27), 27 threes; '14-'15 All-Colonial Council 1st Team, NYSSWA Class B All-State Honorable Mention; also a member of NHS and Class President

Scott Voelker (Mekeel Christian Academy; 2016) - 14.8 PPG (season high 31), 49 3s; '14-'15 All-WAC South MVP

Damonte White (Mekeel Christian Academy; 2016) - 14.2 PPG (season high 28); '14-'15 All-WAC South 1st Team

Andrew Platek (Guilderland - Northfield Mount Hermon (MA); 2017) - 23.6 PPG (season high 41), 86 threes; '14-'15 All-Suburban Council 1st Team, NYSSWA Class AA All-State 4th Team; currently holds 7 NCAA Division I scholarship offers from ACC, MAAC, America East, and MAC schools

Danny Reidell (Northville; 2017) - 23.5 PPG (season high 35) with 38 threes, 7.2 RPG, 4.1 APG; '14-'15 All-WAC 1st Team, Amsterdam Recorder All-Area 1st Team, NYSSWA Class D All-State Honorable Mention

Dyaire Holt (Troy; 2016) - 18.6 PPG (season high 32), 30 threes, 102/153 FT; NYSSWA Class A All-State 6th Team

Bailey Patella (Lenox (MA); 2016) - 20.1 PPG (season high 31), 22 threes, 95 FTM; '14-'15 MassLive All-Western Mass 1st Team Division IV, surpassed 1,000 points during junior season

Opening Night Games - 6:00 vs. Rising Stars, 8:00 vs. Upstate Select