Opening Week Top Performers

The high school season is underway! Already have hit 15 games this week, tracking those who participated in the 2015 installment of Empire State Takeover and looking for fresh talent for 2016's run. Games trickled in starting Monday directly before Thanksgiving, but it really picked up on Friday. Let's highlight a handful of the top performers who participated in EST!

Boys

Matt Higgins (South Glens Falls 2016), pictured in the Empire State Takeover 2015 fall exposure event held at Union College, had 32 points in a season opening win on Friday evening

- South Glens Falls senior and EST all-league 2nd team pick Matt Higgins started his season with a bang for the box score, dropping 32 points in a 65-52 victory over Saratoga Catholic. He did so in impressive fashion, considering it wasn't an impressive shooting night by his standards. His usually-pure jumper wasn't falling, so he kept moving without the ball & got bucket after bucket by making the right cut and freeing himself up around the rim, along with getting to the line constantly, where he made 12 free throws. He had 19 points in the 2nd half alone - and he didn't play the last 4 minutes of the game. Big start from one of Section II's hottest D3 prospects right now.

- Berne-Knox-Westerlo got a head start on their season, already having 3 games in the books after a 63-36 W over Salem on Saturday. They split a pair of games at Rensselaer's tipoff tournament before the Coaches vs. Cancer victory. Junior wing Zach Hilton dropped 27 points on Saturday, and senior point guard Justin Houck added 17 to the cause. These are right around their early season averages - Hilton is filling it up, averaging 26 per game so far with Houck just below 18.

- Two blowout wins for perennial Section VII Class D powerhouse Moriah to start the season, and as usual, Adam Jaquish & Taylor Slattery were the catalysts. They each put up solid numbers in limited action, as each game got out of hand quickly with them involved. 6'5" 2016 wing Slattery scored 17 points on Saturday in a 78-50 W over Plattsburgh, and he followed it up with 21 in a 62-54 W over AuSable Valley Sunday - a game that they led 57-27 when they were removed from the game late in the 3rd quarter. Jaquish, a 6'7" 2016 post that earned all-league honorable mention this summer, had 14 points & 11 rebounds on Saturday and 16 points & 8 rebounds on Sunday.

- Northville junior standout Danny Reidell got his season started on the right foot. The 6'1" combo guard nearly matched the opposing team's output on his own Saturday, scoring 31 points in a 57-35 victory over Sharon Springs.

- Zac O'Dell put up big numbers in a losing effort on Saturday afternoon. Schalmont ventured into the land where I'm from, and lost 82-76 at New Hartford, which is a team that is expected to be in the mix in Section III Class A this winter. O'Dell, an all-league 1st team selection, hung a team high 26 points in the high-scoring affair.

- Saratoga Catholic senior Evan Pescetti shook off a rough season opener with a big individual showing Saturday in the consolation game of their own tournament. The 6'4" tweener netted 27 points for Class C Spa Catholic in their 66-53 defeat at the hands of Class A Gloversville.

- Another big showing in a losing effort, this one coming from 6'6" Cobleskill-Richmondville standout guard Keenan Loder. One of the buzz names in Section II among college coaches, he started off his senior campaign by hanging 25 points in a 57-48 L to Delhi.

Girls

Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017), pictured in the Empire State Takeover 2015 fall event held at Skidmore College, earned all-tournament team honors at Watervliet this weekend, averaging 9 PPG & 9.5 APG. Defending is Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018), who scored 17 points Saturday in a 52-44 W over Lake George in the consolation game of their own tournament.

- This weekend's tournament in Watervliet saw 3 EST league all-stars take all-tournament team nods. Glens Falls won the tournament with a pair of comfortable victories over Ballston Spa and Watervliet, and the Tougas sisters left a little more decorated than they arrived. Sophie Tougas, a 6'0" freshman wing and EST all-league 2nd team pick, won tournament MVP behind a 24 point performance in their Friday W. She added 9 in a balanced effort on Saturday. Older sister Lucy, a 5'10" junior point guard and EST all-league 1st team pick, received all-tournament team honors as well. She finished the tournament averaging a fraction short of a double-double, with 18 points (9 PPG) and 19 assists (9.5 APG).

- The third who received an all-tournament selection was Ballston Spa senior standout Liv Allrich. The 5'11" G/F, who was an all-league honorable mention selection, came back Saturday with a 24 point showing in their 54-38 victory over Stillwater in the consolation game.

- Columbia freshman Grace Heeps was also given an all-tournament team nod, this one as Columbia brought home the championship of Averill Park's inaugural Thanksgiving tournament. The 5'10" point guard, who was an all-league 2nd team pick this summer, earned the all-tourney pick off the strength of her 1st half against Scotia on Friday. She set the tone with 16 quick points in what eventually became a 61-16 blowout victory.

- Middleburgh junior Lyndsey McCoy had a big outing on Saturday in the championship game of their own tournament, powering her into an all-tournament team selection. She had her hand in most of the scoring, dropping a game high 23 points and adding 6 rebounds & 11 assists in their 55-42 W over Margaretville. McCoy is starting off the season with a flurry for 3-0 Middleburgh, averaging 15.7 PPG in the process.

- Cohoes shook off a rough (understatement) start to the season with a 52-44 bounceback win over Lake George in the consolation game of their own tournament. A pair of EST players came back strong in the win, with 5'9" sophomore PG Sam Dayter leading the way w/ 18 points. Nerea Brajac, a 5'7" junior wing who earned an all-league honorable mention selection, chipped in with 10 points in the win.


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Holt Flying Like an Eagle, Verbals to Coppin State

One of the Capital District's most prolific point guards in recent years put the closing statement on his open recruitment on Wednesday, when Life Prep Academy (Wichita, KS) senior - and former Troy High standout - Dyaire Holt made his verbal commitment to Division I Coppin State.

Holt was a major player at Troy for what seemed like a lifetime - he was a key contributor as a youngster on a Troy state championship team that featured current Siena post Javion Ogunyemi - and his role & reputation grew each year. Last season, he averaged 17.7 points per game and ended his season with a NYSSWA Class A All-State 6th Team selection. Holt, along with backcourt mate Zach Radz, was a leader of a Troy team that was a back-to-back Section II Class A finalist, losing twice in the finals to eventual back-to-back state champion Scotia-Glenville. This wasn't his first go-around as an all-state selection, either, as he was a Class A 2nd team pick as a sophomore.

Holt received the Coppin State offer in early October, not long after his transfer to Life Prep for his final high school campaign. After a wait of just a few weeks, he made it official just after the start of his basketball season. The Eagles will be receiving a lightning quick guard with increasing athletic ability, and despite being on the shorter end (his 6'0" listing would tie him for shortest currently on Coppin State's roster), has the heart of a lion. He's notoriously fearless in his attack of the basket, with strength at the rim and uncanny finishing ability. Dyaire showcased that electric play in this past summer's Empire State Takeover boys league at Union College, averaging 11 PPG in early-season appearances for Bellevue with a season high of 18.

Holt also makes the 2nd member of last year's Troy team to make a Division I commitment - the aforementioned Radz recently signed his NLI to attend Sacred Heart. Read about that here.

Coppin State is a Division I that competes in the MEAC. They'll be looking to improve this season on a difficult campaign in 2014-15, but have many returning players in the system. They will next year as well - with just one senior on this season's roster, they're one of the youngest teams I've seen while looking at rosters this month. The Eagles have made the NCAA tournament 4 times, most recently in 2008. An old collegiate teammate of mine transferred to play his final 2 years at Coppin State after his first 2 of JuCo ball; he's now a journeyman pro, with stops in the D-League, Canada, and now one of the top performers in the BBL in England.

Congratulations to Dyaire on the verbal commitment, and best of luck this coming season and down the road as well!

Sangare & Millea Sign NLIs to Play D2 Ball in 2016

They say all good things come in threes.

For Empire State Takeover girls league champion All Day, truer words have never been spoken. During last week's signing day and the days directly following, three seniors that participated for All Day at different points of the season signed their NLIs to attend and play basketball on scholarship next season.

One has been written about already - read the article about girls league MVP Danielle Migliore signing her NLI here. On the same day, summer league/AAU teammate Samira Sangare signed in Shenendehowa's signing day ceremony, and Cooperstown senior Liz Millea made it official in a ceremony Saturday night.

Samira Sangare, a senior at Shenendehowa, signed to attend and play basketball at Division II Dominican College of the CACC. Already on the radar of a number of schools in all 3 NCAA divisions, her recruitment picked up at the scholarship level during the summer with Albany Lady Stars on the AAU circuit. This culminated in offers coming in from Dominican and fellow Division II Georgian Court, and an incredible fall performance at Spooky Nook in PA only cemented the decision of those offers. She made her announcement committing to Dominican a month ago, on the same day that EST boys league representative Ray Jerome made his commitment to Penn. Read about that here. Samira will come into an opportunity where she may be able to contribute immediately next winter. She played in two weeks of the summer league, balancing a rigorous national AAU schedule along with a high school team summer schedule that was much more time-consuming than the average, averaging 6.3 points per game with a season high of 11.

Liz Millea, a senior at Cooperstown, made it official at her own special ceremony Saturday night at Class C power Cooperstown, signing her NLI to play at Division II Adelphi University of the NE-10. A highly decorated multi-sport athlete at Cooperstown who added a state championship and NYSSWA Class C State Player of the Year accolades to her name in the spring, she has been moderately on the radar of scholarship schools for a couple years. She received light Division I interest along with strong D2/D3 notice while on the circuit this spring & summer with the Syracuse Nets. With three senior guards on the Adelphi roster, Millea will also be jumping into an opportunity where she may be asked to produce right away. Liz came through Union College in late July on the back end of the live period, averaging 12 PPG for All Day with a season high of 15.

Congrats to both Samira and Liz on putting pen to paper and making it official, and best of luck in their senior seasons!

Jerome & Radz Put It In Writing, Sign NLIs

Signing day brought a great deal of action across the nation, and a number of Capital District natives got in on the action. Two of them who made it official were players who suited up at different points in the Empire State Takeover boys summer league in Ray Jerome and Zach Radz.

Ray Jerome, a senior at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, made his verbal commitment to Division I Penn of the Ivy League a month ago. A native of the Albany area that previously played his basketball at Albany Academy before transferring prior to the fall of 2014, Jerome was a highly sought after prospect among schools in the Ivy League, Patriot League, and NEC, along with receiving considerable interest from MAAC and A-10 programs. Penn was among a plethora of programs - nearly a dozen - that had extended him offers before he made his decision. Ray was a participant in this year's summer league, putting on the green for Marcella Appliances on opening night. An extremely busy summer schedule with Under Armour sponsored NY Jayhawks and the U20 Puerto Rican national team, which he was a member of this summer, kept him on the road (or out of the country) consistently through the rest of summer.

Zach Radz also made it official on signing day, putting his signature down to attend Division I Sacred Heart of the NEC. He made his announcement right around the beginning of September, which was the first commit in a huge week for players who donned the City Rocks jersey in high school. Radz received his offer from Sacred Heart upon transferring to perennial prep power St. Thomas More in Connecticut for a post-grad year. Sacred Heart was the former Troy standout's first Division I offer, although a handful of other programs had shown interest in the pure shooting combo guard after a very strong senior campaign and continued improvement in the summer. Radz suited up for Man Up before the live period hit in early July and averaged 23.3 points per game in 2 weeks.

Both of them also participated the year before in the King of Kings College Prospect League in Utica, the previous incarnation of EST. Each was an honorable mention selection in 2014.

Congrats to both Zach and Ray on making it official, and best of luck to each in their final prep seasons!

Girls MVP Migliore Makes It Official, Signs LOI to St. Bonaventure

*** Brace yourself. I'm actually not going to be mean to Danielle right now. Anyone who has been around a conversation between the two of us knows this is a rare occasion.

To anyone following girls hoops in upstate New York over the last year, this one isn't news. Now it's in writing, too.

On signing day, which has turned into a bit of a holiday for basketball enthusiasts (and just so happened to fall on a real holiday this time), Frankfort-Schuyler senior and 2015 EST girls league MVP Danielle Migliore put her name on the dotted line, signing her letter of intent to play at the next level for St. Bonaventure.

Migliore has been on the scene for what seems like forever now, and I've been lucky enough to have a front row seat for a lot of it - even when I wasn't paying much attention to girls' basketball. Danielle hails from my hometown area - Frankfort-Schuyler was basically the sworn rival of my alma mater, Herkimer, when I was in high school. As a 21 year old college student with an ankle injury that made me hang up the shoes competitively, I picked up a modified coaching gig at Herkimer and was the assistant varsity coach. This was Danielle's freshman year. I'll never forget scouting them against Class D Stockbridge Valley in Frankfort's secondary gym. Danielle put up about 20 in the first 12 minutes of the game, had handle and an IQ way beyond her years, and had the look of a player. That's when I realized 'hey, she's gonna be really good'.

Fast forward 3 years, and nothing has changed. Now on track to be the most decorated Center State Conference girls basketball player ever, and the first (boy or girl) to commit to a Division I school for basketball in over 20 years, she's still plugging away. Migliore made the commitment early, not even letting her junior basketball season complete before announcing her verbal to the Bonnies. She also held an offer from Liberty, but left no suspense into her future destination.
 

Migliore off the dribble against EST 1st team selection Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen '17) in Positive Impact's Capital District Classic on October 24

After averaging 27.4 points per game last year and finishing a game short of the 600 point mark on the season, she finds herself with 1,300 career points heading into her senior year. 2,000 career points is quite a stretch, but with a full & healthy season, she'll have the chance to flirt with the number. With a 1st team all-state selection in Class C already in the bag, she'll also be geared up to match that accomplishment once more.

She showed that elite scoring ability this summer in Empire State Takeover almost every time out. As a member of girls league champion All Day, the 3rd seed in the regular season that knocked off #2 seed Havoc and #1 seed Outwork to get the title, she came through with impressive offensive performances time and time again, even against the opposition's best defender. Her alliance with perhaps the league's top true point guard in Lucy Tougas proved deadly, as it allowed her to be in attack mode from increasingly comfortable spots on the court.

The numbers are undeniable: Migliore led the league in points per game (23.4 - a whopping 9.2 PPG ahead of 2nd) and total points (164). She had the girls league's top 5 individual game scoring performances, with a season high of 33, and she was the only player in the league to score 25 points in a game (which she did in all 5 of those games). She had 28 in a 43-28 semifinal win over Havoc, where she knocked down 5 threes and went 11/15 from the line. She followed it up with 26 in a 57-53 finals W over Outwork, going 16/21 from the line. She went 54/79 from the line for the season, tops in the league in FTM (by 26) and FTA (by 37). The only offensive category that she didn't top the league in was 3 pointers - she finished 3rd in the league with 18 threes made on the season, and just shared 1st place in most threes made in a game (5).

More importantly - at least for someone who's a product of the Mohawk Valley like myself - Migliore is exactly what people think can't come from that area. If I had a nickel for each time I've heard about how no one can ever make it out of small-school USA, I wouldn't be running leagues or typing this because I'd be too 'busy' right now with my breakfast mimosa in my 4th vacation home... for when I got sick of the first 3. There's certainly stronger talent in metropolitan areas, and perhaps a great deal more opportunity to get yourself out there. You don't have to let where you come from hold you back, though. Whether your graduating class is 1,000, 100 (probably what Frankfort's senior class is), or 20 - put first-class work in and you'll see first-class results. Above all, Danielle has the reputation of being a gym rat, always getting extra shots up. It shows in her play on the court and her supreme confidence. I got to see it firsthand - she earned the right to put pen to paper today with hour after hour of sweat equity. It doesn't matter where you come from. Mix some talent with an insatiable desire to get better, and you can 'make it'.

So the sincerest of congratulations goes to Danielle on making it official - not just from someone who ran a league she played in or 'coached' the team she was on, but from someone who was able to witness the evolution. Someone who had to help gameplan against her in previous years, and yes, someone who had to play the role of Danielle in a scrimmage during practice (I gave them buckets too). Quite literally a once-in-a-generation talent to come out of the Mohawk Valley, and hopefully showing the up-and-comers that it's possible to garner D1 attention out of the valley will help sprout some more talent in years to come. All the current and future successes are much deserved!

For the Aspiring College Basketball Player

Ok, so this has nothing to do with EST and is more of me on my blogging soapbox. With my boredom and inability to sleep, I still think it's worth typing out.

I took the trip to New Britain, CT Monday evening to watch some men's college hoops. Division I Central Connecticut State - by all accounts a 'low D1', having gone 4-25 last year - played host to Division III Mitchell College, who was the definition of mediocrity in D3 hoops last year. Alright team in an alright conference. I did it mainly to watch CCSU freshman Jahlil Nails (Columbia '15) in his first collegiate 'game' (it was an exhibition), as he was the MVP in what I previously ran for a year before starting EST, the King of Kings College Prospect League. I also used it as a time to observe, though. It's interesting to watch games between teams in different divisions, to see what the difference is.

The main difference was on the scoreboard. CCSU used a strong late 1st half run to take a 22 point lead in the locker room, and they eventually won 94-66. Looking at the final score, one may think it was total domination. A group of Kevin Durants vs. Burnt Hills' JV team.

Definitely not.

As a matter of fact, there wasn't a vast difference from a viewing standpoint. Mitchell had a few guys that could compete, and their best player was every bit as good as CCSU's backcourt (Donavan McClean was legit). From a pure basketball skill standpoint, there wasn't much of a difference. CCSU's guys weren't vastly better shooters; didn't have the ball on a string compared to Mitchell ballhandlers; their court vision wasn't on x-ray mode compared to their opponents. What made the biggest difference was the physical stuff. CCSU was a couple inches taller and 10-20 pounds heavier at every position. Not to mention... Speed. Strength. Athleticism. Quickness.

I made the remark earlier that CCSU won the matchup in groups of '2s'. Each of their big guys got easy buckets by beating their matchup down the court on rim runs a couple times. CCSU finished through tough contact a couple more times. Their bigs outjumped or discarded their defender to get offensive boards & putbacks a couple times, and the guards did the same a couple more times. They recovered on defense quickly to make what looked like an open shot turn into a well-contested attempt a couple times. They used superior speed to turn a Mitchell made basket into a CCSU fast break opportunity a couple times. Add up all those 'couple times', and you've got quite a difference.

There's a couple things you can make of this - and I think both are right. First, there's some sort of a stigma attached to D3 ball in some people's eyes that it's just not good enough; an extension of high school ball. If you're a legitimate D3 prospect getting recruited by solid programs, there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I don't care what your know-nothing classmates and their know-nothing parents have to say about your letter from Babson and that it's 'only D3'. These cats can play. Most of your stronger D3 programs have at least one of these two things, and sometimes both - top players on the team that could feasibly play scholarship-level ball, or D1/D2 transfers.

To the other thing - if you get to the point of being a 'really good D3 prospect', or as others would say, 'borderline scholarship kid' - you're not as far off of that good D2/low D1 level as you think. No, you're not seeing ACC-level guys playing D3 ball. But many conference POYs could play in a conference like the America East or NEC, and many of these 1st teamers could feasibly play in the NE10 or CACC in Division II hoops. McClean for Mitchell could certainly play D2 ball, and if you put a CCSU jersey on him, he would've fit in with that clan, too.

There have been others to make that switch as well - a guy I played numerous times with while back in CNY, Matt Hart, tore it up at Hamilton College for a couple years. He transferred up from D3 to D1, and after sitting out a year because of NCAA transfer rules, he's suiting up for George Washington... and just had 7 points in 17 minutes in their coaster of a scrimmage W over Gannon. Keep in mind that numerous friends of mine (yes, contrary to popular belief, I have friends) are living out their dreams playing ball overseas now. And for every Syracuse, Marist and Coppin State that's in Europe, there's an Ithaca... SUNY IT... Geneseo... and the list goes on. Even if you're not getting a scholarship out of high school, put every ounce you have into it for 4 years at the D3 ranks - I know plenty who had to pay their own tuition that are now letting ball pay their bills.

Enough of the sappy D3 stuff. What's the difference that I saw at CCSU again? Physical tools. Strength, athleticism, speed. It impacted everything. It's not just about who can do a court sprint quickest; it's about relocating from the wing to the corner quickly, closing out quickly and being able to cut off the ballhandler, finishing through contact, discarding your defender, quick & explosive 2nd jumps.

My advice to any aspiring college basketball player? I've trained people, but that's not my trade, so I'm not here to give you drills - just to tell you how to do them. Do your drills at full game speed... and then do them a level higher. Push yourself to relocate between shots faster. Push yourself to make your change of direction & change of speed in ballhandling drills more drastic. How quickly can you get from the block to the 3 point line using a pindown screen, catch and be ready to shoot? Make it quicker. Too many times, I see people using the shooting gun the wrong way - 500 lazy jumpers, no movement, just spot shooting from a 'passer' standing underneath the rim. My rusty, out of shape self can still knock down 400 of those. I've never met anyone that can put up 500 legitimate shots going at full game speed with game movements without needing an IV after... or a lunch break in between their two sets of 250 jumpers. It's not all about the sheer quantity of attempts - make every attempt meaningful. Get better with every rep!

Finally, what (almost) no one wants to hear. Make the weight room and plyometric workouts your friend. Not only should you be getting stronger, you should be getting quicker and more explosive in a basketball sense. Even if you don't want to make it your friend, at least let it be that annoying little cousin you have to babysit all the time. You may hate their guts, but you're always taking 'em with you. Maybe you don't love the weights - I enjoyed plyo but rarely looked forward to a lift session. Power through. Make it happen. At least on this night, the difference between D3 and D1 was 10% skill and 90% physical. That's a pretty large percentage of the pie to neglect.

When you're at practice today going through drills, get to work. Don't look at it and say 'I'll focus on that after the season'. Bust yourself getting from one spot to the next in shooting drills. Make that pull-up jumper quicker, work on exploding on the first step and exploding into the shot. Work on making your release a little quicker. Make every rep count. Maybe you'll shoot a lower percentage because of how much more energy you're exerting on the process - but trust in the process. When games roll around and you have to get yourself open against a defender that wants nothing more than to have Twitter bragging rights about putting the lock emoji on you, you'll be able to make it happen. Maybe coaches will notice the college-ready tendencies - coaches that hadn't noticed you before. When you get to the next level, the 'culture shock' they talk about on the court may not be much of a culture shock to you after all.

Boys League MVP Sischo Commits to Daemen

With legitimate scholarship-level post size and an ever-expanding game on both ends, it was only a matter of time before late bloomer Andrew Sischo flew on the radar of Division I & II programs.

It was no tricks and all treat for him on Halloween, putting an end to his open recruitment in the weeks leading up to his senior season by verbally committing to Division II Daemen College.

This is the next development in a rise that, in basketball standards, came nearly overnight for the Guilderland product. Over the last 2 years, the now 6'9" Sischo progressed from a JV player as a sophomore to his team's starting varsity center as a junior, but consistent contributions were not called upon from him until the back half of the season. His role grew heavily in sectionals, where he had 3 dominating performances to close the year - including team-leading outputs in an upset semifinal win over the previous Class AA state champion Green Tech, along with the same performance in a 5 point L to Section II and eventual Class AA state champion Shenendehowa.

His game and conditioning continued to develop over the next few months, which showed in the Empire State Takeover summer league. Suiting up as a member of Team 518, he was the most dominant post presence for the eventual undefeated league champions, earning the nod for league MVP. It started with a game and season-high 28 point performance in the league's opening game, a Team 518 victory over a Marcella Appliances squad that featured Ray Jerome (Penn commit), Hameir Wright (#55 on ESPN 60 rankings for Class of 2017; 7 offers), and Mike Wynn (Siena offer), among others. If that game didn't scream 'I'M HERE', the rest of his season did the talking. He led the league in total points scored with 194 and finished 2nd in points per game (out of qualifying players) with 17.6. Sischo was also a dominating presence on the boards, consistently grabbing 8-12 rebounds each game, and he showcased elite passing ability from the post and a smooth stroke with range beyond the 3 point line. With strong performances in the league and on the AAU circuit for Albany City Rocks in the summer, the attention from colleges expanded heavily, culminating in the offer from Daemen.

Sischo (with ball) going up against Attica's Nick Perry - in Daemen's backyard, comparatively speaking

Daemen College is a Division II program that competes in the East Coast Conference. It's located in Amherst, NY, 15 minutes outside of Buffalo. They've experienced recent success, having won 20+ games in each of the last 4 seasons with a combined record of 89-34. They went 21-10 last season, and their season culminated in a USCAA Division I national championship. This season's squad is younger, with 3 seniors and 7 freshmen (5 of them true freshmen), but they look to be rich in talent. Daemen has only participated in 2 exhibitions this season to date - a 102-95 victory over Brock University of Ontario, and an 87-68 defeat to Division I Buffalo. Though they have a strong recruiting foothold in western NY, they've shown willingness to recruit the Capital District before - Jordan Greene, a South Glens Falls graduate, completed a strong collegiate career at Daemen in the spring.

Look for freshly committed Sischo, without the recruiting process to worry about, to step into a leadership role as the focal point - along with point guard and fellow EST 1st teamer Mike Wine - of Guilderland's attack this winter. Congratulations to Andrew!