Friday, March 18, 2016

5 That Played in EST, Including Trio of All-Stars, Make All-Suburban Boys List

Last year's 1st annual EST boys summer showcase league featured 12 participants from the Suburban Council - 10 regular participants, along with 2 alternates. 5 of these 12 received postseason all-league honors in the conference that offers the highest level of competition in Section II. Congrats to these 5, listed below.

2015 EST MVP Andrew Sischo (Guilderland 2016, Daemen 2020) - All-Suburban 1st Team
Mike Wynn (Albany CBA 2017) - All-Suburban 1st Team
All-EST 2nd Team Alex Skaine (Saratoga Springs 2016) - All-Suburban 3rd Team
All-EST Honorable Mention Adam Anderson (Saratoga Springs 2017) - All-Suburban 3rd Team
Luke Hicks (Shenendehowa 2017) - All-Suburban 3rd Team

Sischo, Skaine, and Anderson were all EST teammates for undefeated champion Team 518. Wynn donned the green jersey for Marcella Appliances; Hicks was a member of Man Up.
 
6'9" Andrew Sischo, headed to Division II Daemen College in the fall, was a physically dominant force in Empire State Takeover last summer. He started off his season with 28 points against a star-studded Marcella Appliances that featured Ray Jerome (Penn commit), Hameir Wright (#59 in Class of 2017 ESPN 60), Mike Wynn (has an offer from Siena), among many other quality players. That was an indication of how the summer would go. He averaged 17.6 PPG (3rd in EST), and his 194 total points led all scorers. His presence in the paint was undeniably a huge reason for Team 518's success, and he dominated the boards, often picking up double-digit rebounding totals. Along with strong post play, he showed some range as well, knocking down a handful of threes. He did much more of the same in the winter, averaging 21 PPG (season high 36) & consistently getting double-doubles. His scoring total was 16th in Section II & 3rd in the Suburban - only behind Andrew Evans (Niskayuna; participated in the EST fall event) & Maryland-bound Kevin Huerter.

Mike Wynn showed why he's a Division I level prospect in EST's opening night last summer. The athletic 6'6" guard showed versatility on a talent-stacked Marcella Appliances team. He had 10 points in the aforementioned game against Team 518 to start the season, which led a balanced attack. Wynn took off as 'the guy' for CBA this season, contributing 19.6 PPG - which included performances of 35 & 34 points, both against Albany - and got it in a variety of ways. Whether it was getting to the rim, pulling up, getting to the line, or shooting from the perimeter, he proved to be a very tough cover for any matchup. This is why he currently holds a scholarship offer in the pocket from Siena, and has drawn plenty more Division I attention as a member of the City Rocks EYBL team.

Alex Skaine, a 6'4" tweener who has become more comfortable at the wing but was forced to play down low for his high school due to their lack of size, was a workhorse in EST. His numbers rarely jumped off the paper, but his toughness & ability to match up against anyone was well-noted. Skaine, while making every game throughout the summer, averaged 7 PPG (high 14) for a Team 518 squad that was very balanced behind MVP Sischo. He often stuffed the stat sheet in games while playing/defending multiple positions. The plug & play ability he showed was able to make him much more attractive to Division III suitors. He followed it up with a strong senior campaign, averaging 11 PPG & often grabbing 10 or more rebounds, despite battling against posts 3-4 inches taller than him on most nights. His season high of 22 came at the right time - a sectional W over Albany to send them to neutral site play. Skaine is currently mulling over a handful of Division III options.

Adam Anderson, Skaine's EST and high school teammate, jumped on the scene in a heartbeat last summer. A gifted 6'1" guard that had yet to even see the varsity floor before this year, he came into his own as the summer went on. His 10.5 PPG was good for 3rd on Team 518 and not far outside of the league top 10, and his season high of 20 came at the right time - the finals, many of them when his team's offense was in need of a push. He quickly went from JV player to one of the most regularly asked about EST players by college coaches, and he jumped on the scene for everyone who was under a rock last summer over the last few months. Anderson surpassed the 25 point mark on 3 occasions & scored double digits in nearly every game, and he finished the season averaging a team high 17.2 PPG. His stock continues to rise, and there's still another year for it to rise some more.

Luke Hicks came through on opening night and was the top player in attendance for Man Up. A combo guard that has sprouted to 6'4", he's able to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways, set others up on offense, handle it against pressure, and guard multiple positions. He continues to become more confident & assertive offensively, which showed as the season progressed for Shenendehowa this winter, averaging 12.4 PPG. After scoring double digits in just 2 of the Plainsmen's first 6 games, he did so in 15 of their last 18 games, featuring a 22 point semifinal performance & a season high 25 in their sectional final victory over Green Tech. That budding confidence & strong performance has paid off, as Hicks has reportedly picked up offers from Hartford & Columbia - again, with another year on the circuit and in HS left to boot.

Congrats to all 5!

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