NYC PSAL: Manhattan’s Juniors Ready for a Breakout Season

<p>Like all years, this year will see many teams lose the forefront of their teams to graduation. However, as holes begin to open on teams, it’s up to the other players to step up and act as the replacement. This year, these juniors seem to have the most potential for development and look like the most ready to try and plug the holes graduation caused as they aim to put on one final show for colleges.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Kasai Fontanez</span> | Murry Bergtraum</strong></p> <p>Kasai Fontanez is part of a high-flying Murry Bergtraum offense that aims to be the league’s best next season. Fontanez, a 6’3 shooting guard, contains all the necessary skills to succeed. He can take over the offense and act as a facilitator, using quick handles and misdirections to fool defenders into having a wide-open lane, or he can play on the inside, becoming a very good paint player both on offense and defense. Expecting usual development, it looks like Fontanez(14.6ppg, 12.3rpg, 6.7apg) would have a breakout season next year.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Jordan Wiggins</span> | A. Phillip Randolph</strong></p> <p>While A. Phillip Randolph loses star player Damon Walters to graduation, Jordan Wiggins emerges as the number one option for the team. Wiggins(14.3ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.3apg) already plays as a lockdown defender, using his quick hands and speed to leave the opponent confused and without the ball. Wiggins also showed some scoring potential this season, scoring in bursts from everywhere on the field. Wiggins can already serve as a floor spacer and a spot-up shooter, but this season is where he aims to take command of the game.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Bayame Bah</span> | Frederick Douglass</strong></p> <p>Bayame Bah has demonstrated his high ceiling throughout his three years on the team. Bah was able to average 12 points per game with his athleticism and size, where he was able to use his speed and lateral movement to make athletic attempts with the ball to the basket. As Frederick Douglass looses its key seniors, Bah will get more chances with the ball, so expect much more scoring from Bah.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Samuel Pohlman</span> | Beacon</strong></p> <p>Samuel Pohlman already was the team leader for Beacon this season. Pohlman(15.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 5.3apg) already showed that he can rise up to the occasion, averaging almost 20 points in the playoffs when games mattered the most. This year, Pohlman will find himself without the majority of his supporting cast, who happen to be seniors, so expect Pohlman to become less of a spot-up corner shooter like he was this season and more of a facilitator, making multiple attempts at the rim to set up himself or a teammate with an easy basket.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="945530" first="Randy" last="Crosby"] | W.H.E.E.L.S.</strong></p> <p>Like Pohlman, [player_tooltip player_id="945530" first="Randy" last="Crosby"] already took up the majority of the scoring this season, and also like Pohlman, Crosby will be losing most of his supporting cast to graduation. Crosby(22.4ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.2apg) is coming off a spectacular season where he led his team to claim the Manhattan Borough championship. Crosby, who gets most of his production by creating his own shooting opportunities, is ready to use an extra year of development and knowledge for another dominant season.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Aliah Broaddus</span> | Jacqueline Onassis</strong></p> <p>Aliah Broaddus is coming off a successful season for Jacqueline Onassis who will be loosing over 50 points of production to graduation. Broaddus(8.5ppg, 0.2rpg, 3.1apg) spent much of his season facilitating the team and setting up his seniors with wide-open scoring opportunities, but this season, Broaddus will return as the unquestioned primary option for Onassis.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: orange;">Nathaniel Smith</span> | Pace</strong></p> <p>Nathaniel Smith, like Broaddus, is entering a season where his team will loose over 50 points of production. Smith(7.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg) has spent his last season serving as a faceup four, who was responsible for spreading the floor and shooting off the pass on offense and protecting the rim against taller and stronger players. This season, Smith will also be the unquestioned number one, and is ready to improve from a spot-up shooter to one who can both shoot off the bounce and penetrate to the rim.</p>