Amsterdam & Shen Bring the Epicenter of NY Holiday Hoops to the 518

From the basketball quiet on Christmas Eve & Day to the wild nature of the schedule that directly follows, there's no point during the year that goes from 0 to 100 quite like holiday tournament week. Thankfully for hoop enthusiasts that live in the 518, four straight action-packed days give off more of a March Madness feel than high school midseason play.

There are several holiday tournaments throughout Section II - places like BKW, Glens Falls, Maple Hill, Mayfield, and Mohonasen bring the more traditional four-team format to their courts - but two separate themselves from the pack in many ways. Throw in the late cancellation of Elmira's Josh Palmer Classic and decentralization of the Syracuse area's More Than a Game Classic, who had to pull all games out of Onondaga Community College, and the Amsterdam College Showcase and the Shen/Impact Athletic Center Holiday Classic headline holiday hoops in upstate NY.

The Amsterdam College Showcase, held at Amsterdam High School on December 27-28, features 14 teams representing four NYSPHSAA sections along with a New Hampshire representative. A couple late backouts have forced some late schedule adjustments from 16 overall games down to the currently scheduled 13, but both days include AM-to-PM action. Among the long list of must-watch players at the event are a half-dozen D1 offered or committed players, and seven of the teams were recognized in the NYSSWA's initial state rankings last week. That includes four in the AAs, host Amsterdam (#12 in A), Schalmont (#4 in B), and Duanesburg (the state's top-ranked C). One scheduled out-of-state participant, Holy Redeemer of Wilkes-Barre, PA, was a late scratch, so the remaining non-New York representative is New Hampshire & NHIAA Division II power Hanover.

After the completion of Amsterdam's showcase, Shen/Impact follows suit on December 29-30. This inaugural event currently holds a full field of 16 varsity teams/16 games over two days (along with 10 JV teams on a separate court). Alongside a heavy contingent of Section II teams, there are also teams representing four NYSPHSAA sections & New Hampshire at this event. The similar pre-event watch list can be given for here, as around a half-dozen D1 offered/committed players headline those anticipated to play and eight NYSSWA state-ranked teams. Among the headlining in-state programs are host Shenendehowa (#3 in AA), Averill Park (#1 in A), and Pittsford Mendon (#5 in A). Their lone out-of-state representative is another state power in New Hampshire Division I Bishop Guertin out of Nashua.

Full schedules, as of December 26, are listed below. A lot of good basketball in the 518 between these two places. Hope to see you in the gym!

AMSTERDAM COLLEGE SHOWCASE (all games held at Amsterdam High School)

DECEMBER 27 (Monday)

11:30 - Duanesburg (II) vs. Wallkill (IX)

1:00 - Albany (II) vs. Penfield (V)

2:30 - Troy (II) vs. Saugerties (IX)

4:00 - Shaker (II) vs. Baldwinsville (III)

5:30 - Bethlehem (II) vs. Hanover (NH)

7:00 - Saratoga Springs (II) vs. Fairport (V)

DECEMBER 28 (Tuesday)

10:00 - Troy (II) vs. Wallkill (IX)

11:30 - Baldwinsville (III) vs. Penfield (V)

1:00 - Shaker (II) vs. Saugerties (IX)

2:30 - Schalmont (II) vs. Fairport (V)

4:00 - Saratoga Springs (II) vs. Hanover (NH)

5:30 - Albany vs. Duanesburg (both II)

7:00 - Amsterdam vs. Johnstown (both II)

SHEN/IMPACT HOLIDAY CLASSIC (all games held at Impact Athletic Center)

DECEMBER 29 (Wednesday)

10:00 - Fonda-Fultonville vs. Mechanicville (all II)

11:30 - Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake vs. Queensbury (all II)

1:00 - Albany Academy vs. Cambridge (all II)

2:30 - Colonie (II) vs. Our Lady of Lourdes (I)

4:00 - Averill Park (II) vs. Pittsford Mendon (V)

5:30 - Albany (II) vs. Cicero-North Syracuse (III)

7:00 - Shenendehowa (II) vs. Bishop Guertin (NH)

8:30 - Niskayuna (II) vs. Liverpool (III)

DECEMBER 30 (Thursday)

9:30 - Albany Academy vs. Mechanicville (all II)

11:00 - Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (II) vs. Liverpool (III)

12:30 - Averill Park (II) vs. Bishop Guertin (NH)

2:00 - Shenendehowa (II) vs. Pittsford Mendon (V)

3:30 - Albany (II) vs. Our Lady of Lourdes (I)

5:00 - Colonie (II) vs. Cicero-North Syracuse (III)

6:30 - Cambridge vs. Fonda-Fultonville (all II)

8:00 - Niskayuna vs. Queensbury (all II)

The Week Ahead: December 13-19, 2021

Three down, 14 to go!

Skipping the small talk this time, it's a weekly thing. Time for 'The Week Ahead'. What gyms am I tentatively planning to be in this week? Check it out:

Mon, 12/13: Gananda @ East Rochester (S5) 

Tues, 12/14: Penfield @ Pittsford Mendon (S5)

Wed, 12/15: Catskill @ Greenville (S2) as primary; will catch some of Hudson @ Cairo-Durham before

Thurs, 12/16: Elmira Notre Dame @ Waverly (S4) for now; this could change

Fri, 12/17: Ichabod Crane @ CCHS (S2) or Marathon @ Union Springs (S4) - still to decide

Sat, 12/18: Heuvelton @ Massena, then Lowville/Gouverneur, Harrisville/Hermon-DeKalb, Northern Adirondack/Canton @ SUNY Canton (S10) - weather dependent & also could change

Sun, 12/19: nothing on the schedule as of now - if there's a game I'm unaware of, let me know!

The two highlights of this week, at least at this stage, are pretty apparent: I'm making my first Section V trip of the year to start the week, and besides that, there's a lot of uncertainty. Thursday & Friday are currently somewhat up in the air due to my own indecisiveness (and understanding that I'll need to be flexible given all the recent schedule changes), and Saturday could bring snow to the area in which I plan to travel to. As far as games go, Penfield/Mendon has to take the cake for hottest contest of the week. I'm sure I'll be one of approximately 385738 people covering it - see you all there! Gananda's season opener & a good matchup in the post against defending Section V C1 champ East Rochester to start. Janay Brantley, fresh off a 50 piece McNugget, and her Catskill team head to a sneaky solid Greenville. END/Waverly should be intriguing, Ichabod/CCHS features two of the Albany area's finest young guards & Marathon/Union Springs features two of its region's finest older guards. Altogether, should be fun wherever I land. See you in some gyms!

The Week Ahead: December 6-12, 2021

The weekly count continues... two down, hopefully 15 left!

If you've followed along to this point, you know the drill. If not, welcome to the party. Time for another installment of 'The Week Ahead', a weekly post highlighting my anticipated/hopeful schedule leading into each week of HS season for the following days. This is always subject to change - the coordination & occasionally necessary process of making sure schools are allowing media in the gym (which hasn't been an issue so far but things are always fluid), the dreaded five letters of COVID, and the ever-changing Northeast weather patterns can change plans in a heartbeat. As much as I'd like for it to be set in stone, this is always in pencil, never in Sharpie.

That being said, my hopeful schedule for the upcoming week:

Mon, 12/6: Corinth @ Saratoga Catholic (1st half), South Glens Falls @ Hudson Falls (S2) (was Warwick/Lourdes, then Frankfort/Poland before postponements)

Tues, 12/7: Bethlehem @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (S2)

Wed, 12/8: Marcellus @ Bishop Ludden (S3)

Thurs, 12/9: Red Hook @ Millbrook (S9)

Fri, 12/10: Fonda @ Duanesburg (S2) (time change took away possibility of 2nd game)

Sat, 12/11: Elmira @ Maine-Endwell (S4) (second game postponed)

Sun, 12/12: Tournament @ Our Lady of Lourdes (S1) - includes Lourdes, Saratoga Springs, Ursuline, West Genesee

Another travel-heavy week as the Section 2 schedule slowly churns to full strength - Friday is the first truly busy day in the 518. I plan to make my first 845 trips of the winter this week, and it could be multiple times, though three planned nights quickly turned into two after a postponement. Still some small school action, but some more AAs & As this week as the large schools are revving up to full game activity. Another 11-game week planned - not an overload (to put in perspective, holiday tournament week will bring me to about 30 games), but also not nothing either. And a seven-day week - games on Sunday!

Every day brings a potentially intriguing game for various reasons. On top of that, there are plenty of good ones that I'll miss because I can't split myself yet - might have to finally break out some Views From The Couch if I have time. Hopefully I'll see you in the gym!