12/29/2023
It’s been a great start to the season for the boys and girls basketball teams around Upstate, NY. The holiday break often provides an opportunity for programs to face-off that otherwise would not a chance to.
With all-star lists about to begin and state sportswriters team rankings already out, the hype will grow and the cream will almost always rise to the top.
What are the underdog stories? Who has risen up early to make noise and who is lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce?
Here are some of the early favorites for the all-stars so far as we begin individually since the team rankings have already begun:
1. Darien Moore - although just a sophomore, PayDay has already garnered all-area and all-state recognition and to think that he has at least two if not more pre-collegiate years left is scary. His resilience and toughness is unmatched in our area and the passion he plays with and the demands he sets for himself make him the master of the driveway. When you’re really good, you have to push to be great and when you’re already exceptional, you have to always find the angle to gain that edge. Darien has that drive and motor. He should be the hands down first selection when it all begins and he has as good a chance as any local product we’ve seen come out of here of late to be playing one day for money either here or abroad.
2. From here, the situation gets cloudy as there are numerous players to consider and reasons to consider them. I think name dropping anyone of a half-dozen players here would get some support and plenty of criticism. So when looking at the big picture in terms of performance, team success and quality of opponents, I have to give this nod to another Class A kid. Kellen Driscoll. The junior from Glens Falls has a strong physical foundation, a motor that doesn’t quit and he wants the tough assignments defensively as well as he relishes the challenge to take on the best you can throw at him defensively. His stroke has improved, his physical toughness attacking the rim is already strong and he has a change of pace that surprises you if you’re not ready for it. When week 2 rolls around, all things considered with the start that his team is off to and having just put up a 47-spot, he’s ready to step into the second spot and seize it.
3. If anyone is going to sn**ch this from Kellen and step in above him, it would only be because of the level of classification as some scouts might favor a larger school product over a smaller one, but I believe that the levels of playing field have evened out and small school kids can now compete with large school kids and programs can defeat larger classification programs almost consistently now. But, if the size of the class factors here, the large school winter breakout star through the first 6 weeks looks to be Mekeel Christian’s Terrance Clark, the senior transfer from Troy who was on the move last summer and who has found a home with Coach Chad Bowman alongside sharpshooter Danny Bologna and the physically gifted and talented Terrance Robinson and the savvy and quick Oryan DeJesus. This group on paper has so many weapons, but they’ve come together on the defensive end early and with Clark’s game elevated after his knee rehabilitation, the sky is the limit for this group. Clark is elevating, he’s spinning through traffic and he’s developed a nasty mid-range game that makes him tough to stay in front of, let alone stop. Clark has a high ceiling and with this team and coach, he could end up taking Mekeel on a long run this spring.
Others in the discussion:
Drew Stallmer - Saratoga
Cyrus Matia - Academy
Tra’Dell Faison - LaSalle
Jeffrey Mulhern - Duanesburg
SeiMir Roberson - CCHS
Keith Robinson - Hudson
Jayden Osinski - CBA
Cameron LaClair - Bethlehem
Cam Trimarchi - Colonie
Kaelen Leak - Stillwater
Terrance Robinson - Mekeel
Stetson Merritt - Troy
Daniel Smalls - Niskayuna
Daniel Covington - Albany
Si Mayben - Green Tech
Gavin Olsen - Niskayuna
Elijah Godbolt - Academy
Julius Reed - Colonie
Ben Kline - Burnt Hills
Evan Rainville - Columbia
Adam Rice - Tamarac
Marquay Tanksley - Cohoes
Colin Richardson - Mechanicville
Grady Ceccucci - Shenendehowa
Jaxson Mueller - Stillwater
Quymajne Haggray - Schenectady
Miles Peterson - Shenendehowa
Bless Demand - Shaker
Ramere Brown - Green Tech
Ayden Green - Burgh
Who are some others to watch for this list??
