What We Learned This Fall: Five CHSAA AA Predictions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the fall league season all but wrapped up and tryouts set to begin, the high school season is just a couple of short weeks away from tipping off. Prep Hoops NY has been on hand for a large portion of the fall league action across the Northeast, getting an early look at many of the teams and players that will shape the winter. With that in mind, here are five predictions for the upcoming CHSAA AA season based on what we've seen so far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brooklyn-Queens Will Be the Division of Death</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been five years since anyone other than Archbishop Stepinac has raised a CHSAA AA championship trophy, and while the Crusaders will look to defend their crown yet again, the league feels more wide open than it has at any point since the start of the decade. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Brooklyn-Queens division, which features four legitimate title contenders in City Is Mine Invitational champion Christ the King, runner-up Nazareth, St. Francis Prep and Holy Cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Christ the King's experienced backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='2234300' first='Johnny' last='Magna'], [player_tooltip player_id='3417334' first='Aaron' last='Ellis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2234132' first='Fabian' last='Pinnock'] is joined by an elite group of transfers headlined by big men Gaoussou Samake and [player_tooltip player_id='2721844' first='Mohamed' last='Bedri'], giving the Royals one of the most complete rosters in the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nazareth pushed the Royals throughout the City Is Mine final and will rely on the attack of [player_tooltip player_id='3532292' first='Jasiah' last='Narcisse'], [player_tooltip player_id='2890712' first='Malick' last='Kamara'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3712687' first='Kamari' last='Hamilton'] to pace them all year. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='3796449' first='Ronald' last='Pridgen'] appears poised to take over for AJ Moody as the true lead guard of what should once again be one of the league's better perimeter attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holy Cross is led by the current No. 1 player in New York's 2028 class in [player_tooltip player_id='2780688' first='Payton' last='Wilson'], while the No. 4 overall prospect in 2029, [player_tooltip player_id='2623870' first='Malachi' last='Miller'], will run the show. It's far from a two-man attack, though. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2234302' first='Donovan' last='Medley'] and transfer 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='3569749' first='Ashton' last='Pierre-Charles'] appear to be two of the better movement shooters in the league, giving Wilson even more room to operate in the post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, if there's one team set up for a multi-year run, it's St. Francis Prep. The Terriers have the state's top two sophomores in [player_tooltip player_id='2879140' first='Eli' last='Murray'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3501054' first='Austin' last='Dottin'] to go alongside junior shooter Justin DeSena and a bevy of underclassmen ready to play significant roles in [player_tooltip player_id='3437260' first='Keishaun' last='White'], [player_tooltip player_id='2886537' first='Jordan' last='Allman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2968519' first='Carter' last='Abrahams']. There simply aren't many obvious weaknesses on this roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All four have the talent and ability to beat one another on any given night, setting up what should be a highly entertaining race for both the divisional and league championships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Scanlan Will Be a Dark Horse</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Year in and year out, Monsignor Scanlan usually has the talent to compete and has routinely found itself making a run to at least the quarterfinals under Dwayne Mitchell and assistant coach Dame Brown. The emergence of freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2886592' first='Amare' last='Almodovar'] may change the equation for this year's group, though.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A true lead guard with fantastic vision and passing ability, Almodovar's presence allows [player_tooltip player_id='3035533' first='Akeem' last='McLaren'] to spend more time off the ball and makes it much harder for defenses to simply take Scanlan's primary creator out of the action and choke out the offense. Almodovar is also a capable shooter, and his ability to keep defenses honest should only create more room for McLaren and the rest of Scanlan's perimeter weapons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Down low, Earl Monroe transfer Desmond Ugoagbola gives them a much-needed post presence. His willingness to rebound, battle around the glass and finish at the rim should give Scanlan enough size and physicality to hold up over the course of the season. There are bigger names elsewhere in the league, but this is a group capable of making things interesting come playoff time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stepinac Has What It Takes to Make It Five Straight</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, I just said the league is more wide open than it has been in years, and that's true. What's also true is that Stepinac returns the top-ranked senior in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='2234114' first='Josh' last='Rivera'], while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2780650' first='Larry' last='Jenkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2780692' first='Jourdan' last='Archevald'] are coming off breakout summer and fall seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shooting should be at a premium with this roster. Sophomore guards [player_tooltip player_id='2879141' first='Tristan' last='Robinson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2879135' first='Ethan' last='Riullano'] give the Crusaders two more perimeter weapons with significant upside, while big man [player_tooltip player_id='2861317' first='Elijah' last='Novotny'] will be counted on down low and has the size to develop into a real rim protector.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, Stepinac's top six or seven is as strong as any in the league. The NY division won't make things easy, particularly with a senior-led and battle-tested Cardinal Hayes team that matches up well with the Crusaders, but until someone knocks Stepinac off, there's no reason to believe this group isn't capable of making it five straight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Peter's Trio Is Poised for Breakout Junior Years</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the lone Staten Island representative at the AA level, St. Peter's has found itself battling in the middle of the division over the last few years. Its junior class is coming into its own at exactly the right time, though, and could help the Eagles take a significant step forward this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Transfer forward [player_tooltip player_id='3102785' first='Jayden' last='Faulkner'] gives them an inside-out threat who can slide up or down the lineup depending on who's on the floor with him, while also providing another capable rim protector. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='3689212' first='Noah' last='Scott'] is a quick and shifty creator off the dribble with some real wiggle to his game, and his ability to consistently get into the paint should open things up for everyone around him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then there's [player_tooltip player_id='3699039' first='Tyler' last='Schoenberg'], who is now closer to 6-foot-8 than 6-foot-6. His growth gives the Eagles legitimate size up front while allowing Faulkner to avoid being locked into playing exclusively in the post. With those three continuing to develop together, a top-four finish in the NY division feels very attainable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Christ the King Is Ready to Reclaim Supremacy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head to Middle Village and things feel a little different this season. From a new locker room to a bevy of new faces, the program is clearly looking to reassert itself as the standard of the CHSAA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As touched on above, Gaoussou Samake, [player_tooltip player_id='2721844' first='Mohamed' last='Bedri'] and Babalen Traore arrive from Grand River Academy (OH) as a ready-made frontcourt capable of changing the complexion of the title race immediately. [player_tooltip player_id='2234300' first='Johnny' last='Magna'] is one of the most experienced players in the league and has the mental makeup to lead a group with legitimate championship expectations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior guards [player_tooltip player_id='3417334' first='Aaron' last='Ellis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3270158' first='Jack' last='Martinez'] give the Royals a pair of playmakers who compete defensively while bringing different things to the floor on offense. Add in the rest of the depth around them, and there aren't many holes to poke in this roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a deep, talented and experienced group that has already shown this fall what it's capable of. After winning the City Is Mine Invitational, the Royals enter the season looking like a team with everything necessary to reclaim the top spot in the CHSAA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->