Jon Severe is mobbed by teammates after leading the Royals to the NYS Federation Class AA title.
The City game provided yet another year of memories on the hardwood during the winter.
Christ the King reigned supreme, capturing the CHSAA Class AA intersectional title and the New York State Federation ‘AA’ crown after beating Long Island Lutheran in the final. Also in the CHSAA, Monsignor Scanlan completed a remarkable turnaround, winning the Federation ‘B’ title following a winless season a year ago.
After a four-year hiatus, the PSAL crown was lifted by Lincoln, which knocked off Brooklyn rival Thomas Jefferson at Madison Square Garden. It was the Railsplitters 12th city title.
John Adams and Fannie Lou Hamer made history with each school winning a first-ever PSAL title, while Riverdale Country Day captured its first league title since 1985.
Here’s a look back at the year that was in New York City boys basketball.
One to remember:
Christ the King ended the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the New York City boys basketball power rankings after beating Long Island Lutheran to capture the New York State Federation Class AA title in Albany.
The Royals started the year at No. 2, behind eventual PSAL champion Lincoln, but moved into the top spot in Week 3 after improving to 2-0 after beating Cardinal Hayes and Iona Prep in league play.
Christ the King remained there until Week 8, when it dropped to No. 2 behind Lincoln after a non-league loss at Boys & Girls. Three weeks later, though, the Royals jumped back to No. 1 following a thrilling 72-71 home win over rival Bishop Loughlin, however their stay lasted just a few days. A first league loss against Molloy bounced CK to No. 2, once again behind Lincoln.
Finally, Christ the King regained the No. 1 ranking after capturing the CHSAA ‘AA’ title, one week before claiming its Federation crown.
Dynamic duo:
Khadeen Carrington and Mike Williams: Arguably the city’s best guard tandem, Carrington and Williams helped lead Bishop Loughlin to the CHSAA Class AA intersectional final, where the Lions fell to rival Christ the King.
A two-year starter at Loughlin, Carrington averaged 24.7 points per game. The 6-foot-3 junior, who is being recruited by St. John’s, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Florida State, became the first junior to reach the 1,000-point plateau since JayVaughn Pinkston. He scored a game-high 24 points in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional final.
Williams, who verbally committed to Rutgers University earlier this month, is a lightning quick, hard-nosed 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 19.8 points per game for the Lions. He was also being recruited by Dayton, Iowa, St. John’s, Temple, Fordham and Rhode Island, but Rutgers was the first major Division I school to express interest.
Three stars:
Jon Severe: The Fordham-bound sharpshooter averaged 22.5 points per game, helping guide the Royals to a third CHSAA Class AA title in four years. Severe was named Mr. New York Basketball after scoring a career-high 40 points in the Federation Class AA semifinals.
Isaiah Whitehead: Long considered the next great star at Lincoln, the versatile 6-foot-4 junior joined the likes of Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson by capturing his first PSAL Class AA title. Whitehead averaged 21.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during the regular season.
Hassan Martin: The 6-foot-7 University of Rhode Island-bound forward was a dominant offensive and defensive force in the paint for Curtis, averaging 17.3 points and 15.6 rebounds per game, guiding the Warriors to the PSAL Class AA semifinals, the first Staten Island school to do so in 32 years.
For the record:
When legendary coach Jack Curran died in his sleep at age 82 on March 14, it marked the end of a remarkable era in New York City sports.
The iconic Curran, who played minor league ball in the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, had unparalleled success on the baseball diamond and the basketball court, combining for 2,680 wins – more than anyone else in United States history – and 23 CHSAA titles, coaching both sports for 54 years.
Curran was named CHSAA Coach of the Year 25 times in baseball and 22 times in basketball and was elected into nine different Halls of Fame, winning city titles in both sports in three different decades.
“It all started for me when I went to Molloy,” former Archbishop Molloy standout Kenny Anderson said. “He would always be the best coach I ever played for. I’m not talking about Xs and Os, but about how much he cared. There’s not too many people I love, but I truly love Coach Curran. He was never just a coach to me, he was like a father figure. I had the talent, but he molded me into a leader. It was the way he guided me.”
Five and fly:
Christ the King captures Federation title: Jon Severe had to wait his turn at Christ the King, not even playing in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional title game as a sophomore. His patience paid off and the senior capped a stellar high school career in the best way possible, guiding the Royals to the New York State Federation Class AA title following a 73-64 victory over Long Island Lutheran at the Times Union Center.
Fannie Lou Hamer wins first PSAL crown: After heartbreaking playoff losses in his previous two years, Michael Castillo exorcised old demons with a three-point play at the start of the fourth quarter that provided a huge spark as top-seeded Fannie Lou Hamer defeated No. 19 Wingate, 63-58, to capture the PSAL Class B title at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. It was the Bronx school’s first-ever city title.
John Adams makes history: During his time as an assistant coach at Adelphi University under James Cosgrove, Jim Pitman gained a greater appreciation for playing hard-nosed defense. So much so that the John Adams coach dubbed his team ‘Adelphi JV.’ That’s just what the Spartans did to beat McKee/Staten Island Tech, 52-48, to capture their first Class A crown in school history.
Lincoln wins PSAL title: Isaiah Whitehead has forged a reputation as being one of the top basketball players in New York City. But Lincoln proved it is more than just one superstar. The Railsplitters depth proved to be the difference as top-seeded Lincoln knocked off No. 2 Thomas Jefferson, 65-52, to capture the PSAL Class AA title at Madison Square Garden. It is the Coney Island school’s 12th city title and first since 2009 when Lance Stephenson guided the Railsplitters to a fourth consecutive crown.
Scanlan completes remarkable turnaround: Monsignor Scanlan went from worst to first, capturing a first-ever New York State Federation Class B title just one year after a winless season when the Crusaders defeated Fannie Lou Hamer, 52-50, in an All-Bronx final at the Times Union Center in Albany
