2016-17 HERALD High School Basketball Preview
West Hempstead Better times ahead for Rams is an athletic guard/forward who should put up numbers in multiple areas on the score sheet. Paul Drysdale, a 6-foot-4 senior, does a nice job on the boards and has a soft shooting touch. Senior Jordan Lewis is relentless on the offensive boards and has improved his mid-range game. A pair of versatile seniors will contribute a great deal. Zion Spruill defends and rebounds well, while Savion Thorpe can hit threes, and play both guard and forward.
game as a freshman, has improved her play in the post and appears ready to hold her own against the conference’s toughest frontcourt players. est Hempstead Van Kovics hopes Flash will comes off its most spend plenty of time on difficult boys’ basthe line where she has a ketball season in recent hissweet touch. tory. The Rams had a tough A pair of freshmen time finding the bottom of will man the backcourt the net, and won just four for West Hempstead. games. Graduation did a Left-handed point guard number of the team’s roster, Haley Duran likes to hit but the Rams bring back the seams and take the ball their leading scorer, other key to the rack, and is capable returnees, and some talented of getting hot from the newcomers. perimeter. Jenna Eivasi West Hempstead expects to Lady Rams expect has the green light to fire be among the teams fighting it up from the outside. Eivasi to be improved for a trip to the playoffs in should get plenty of looks. The 2015-16 season was a Conference A-IV, a league that Another freshman, Katie frustrating one for the West welcomes in Valley Stream Shanley, gives the Rams Hempstead girls. The Lady South and North Shore. Island Trees, Clarke, Mineola, Rams struggled mightily and size and rebounding ability didn’t register a single victory at forward. Shanley does an and Friends Academy round excellent job of getting in in league play, though they out the conference. the passing lanes and forcwere competitive in most Head coach Ed Cosgrove games. expects his team to be in the The program’s numbers thick of things. “We come are low, so, once again, West in this season with a differHempstead will not have a ent approach,” Cosgrove junior varsity team. However, said. “I think we’ll be able a team mainly composed of to play with anyone in the conference. While the guys we underclassmen is showing return didn’t get a lot of time, signs of promise. Expect the they have varsity experience. Lady Rams to get in the win column in a conference comWe should be able to defend and rebound. We have to take prised of Friends Academy, care of the ball and cut down North Shore, Mineola, Island Trees, Valley Stream South, on turnovers.” and Clarke. Christian Martinez averHead coach Chris Van aged 13 points per game as a Ja’nya Flash Kovics has reason to believe junior, and dropped a careerhis team will be improved. high 30 on Malverne. The “We’re very young and All-Conference guard is the ing turnovers. Junior Lydia team’s best perimeter shooter inexperienced, but we will Almeida gives the team verdefinitely be a better team and has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the than we were a year ago,” Van satility. Almeida will play a forward position, but she has Kovics said. basket. “We just have to follow the the skill to bring the ball up Junior John Granholm is the floor. blueprint,” he added. “Keep a pass-first point guard who Freshman Korrina Plairopponents from getting mulhandles the ball well and tiple attempts on possessions, Johnson, sophomore Attallah can knock down open shots. Innis, and seniors Maria try to hit double digits each Senior Matt Morel provides quarter, and try to make more Graci and Shantel Minto will quality depth at guard, and free throws than the opponent all contribute. gives Cosgrove the flexibility attempts.” to go to a smaller lineup. Sophomore Ja’nya Flash Junior Christopher Jeanis the team’s go-to girl. Flash, Louis is a player with trewho averaged 10 points per mendous upside. Jean-Louis
By ANDREW MccLURE
W
46 — December 22, 2016
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Christian Martinez
Schedule
Matt Guilfoyle
BoyS December
19 @ V.S. South
4:30 p.m.
January 6 9 11 14 17 19 21 31
@ Mineola 5:00 p.m. Friends Academy 4:30 p.m. North Shore 4:30 p.m. Island Trees 12:00 p.m. @ Clarke 7:00 p.m. V.S. South 4:30 p.m. @ Friends Academy 1:00 p.m. Mineola 4:30 p.m.
February 3 @ North Shore 7 @ Island Trees 10 Clarke
6:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
GIRLS December 19 V.S. South
4:30 p.m.
January 6 9 11 14 17 19 21 31
@ Mineola 7:00 p.m. @ Friends Academy 4:30 p.m. @ North Shore 5:30 p.m. @ Island Trees 11:00 p.m. Clarke 4:45 p.m. @ V.S. South 5:30 p.m. Friends Academy 12:00 p.m. Mineola 6:30 p.m.
February 3 North Shore 7 Island Trees 10 @ Clarke
4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Photos by John Heckman
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS