Locals Shine in Prospect League

Written by Jeff Mlinar

Basketball is building in the Utica area.

Don’t believe me? Come to a King of Kings College Prospect League game. Between the Tri-Valley League and Center State Conference, the two main conferences in Utica & surrounding area, the emerging talent is undeniable. And it’s not lopsided. Smaller schools are coming through with talent just as strong – they can ‘hang with the big boys’, as some folk would say.

We’ll start off with 315 Elite. The one true Utica-area team, with all players on the team being from Utica, Rome, or a Utica suburb, they have proven their worth. Through 5 weeks, they’re still undefeated. It’s a full Tri-Valley League team, with players representing Proctor, Notre Dame, Whitesboro, New Hartford, and Rome Free Academy. Tyvon Reed, a rising senior at Proctor, leads them in scoring and is 5^th in the league at 16.6 points per game. He also leads them in rebounding at 6.2 per game. Kevin Warmack, a Notre Dame senior, is 10^th in the league at 13.4 points per game. He also leads the league in assists per game (7), 2^nd in steals per game (3.2), and is right behind Reed at 6 rebounds per game. Whitesboro’s TJ Borza has also excelled, averaging 13 points per game. His 16 points in an early-season game against Division 1-heavy Rising Stars was instrumental in them picking up a win. Jerome Brabham, the youngster of these four, averages 7.8 points per game and shoots over 50% from the field. He’ll be a junior at Notre Dame. Utica Select dons a couple area players more than holding their own, as well. Ziggy Tracey (or Clifton, if you prefer), who just finished his junior year at Proctor, is sitting in 2^nd in the scoring race, averaging 17.5 per game. He also averages 5.8 rebounds per game and is tied for 3^rd in made threes (with Warmack) at 14. His teammate, Jordan Gutierrez, is right behind him at 17.3 points per game. The slender 6’2” guard mixes it up with the big boys despite his size, and he’s 2^nd in the league in both rebounds (9.5) and assists (6) per game. He was a junior this past year at Oneonta but has transferred into the area. Want future names to look out for? There’s a couple – Select has one of them as well. Jalen Hawkins is only entering his sophomore year at Proctor, but he plays like a seasoned vet. He runs the point for his team and is averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals per game. He’s attracted early interest from numerous college coaches that have attended. Dynasty also features a Raider that’s ready to blow up – Ramel Poole. The rising junior has pleasantly surprised everyone in the league. A very raw but athletic 6’4”, his relentless work on the boards has turned into statistical success, and people are taking notice. He’s cracked into the top 15 in scoring and top 10 in rebounding late in the regular season, now averaging 11.5 and 8.3 after a 19 point, 9 rebound performance in their first win. With skill work, he will be someone to look out for.

It’s not all about the large schools here, though. The Center State Conference is very well-represented, and their representation has been matched with success. CSC participants have nearly exclusively been on Takeover – their 2-3 record doesn’t indicate how dangerous they are. Between a couple players missing extended action due to previous obligations and the injury bug hitting the team, they’ve only had a full team for one game – they won that game 81-41. Ryan Schmadel, a rising junior at Oriskany who at this point is the only area player who has received interest from a Division I men’s basketball program, is certainly playing like he deserves more. A 24 point outing last week against the same Division I-heavy Rising Stars bumped him up to 4^th in the league at 17 points per game. He’s also averaging 8.5 rebounds (3^rd) and 3.25 steals (1^st) per game. He is on Colgate’s radar now, and looks to be on many more scholarship-level radars soon. Zach Sawyer has also made a name for himself. He jumped on the radar late in his junior season at Waterville, where he dominated post-season play all the way to the state semifinals in Class C and earned a 2^nd team all-state selection. He’s been a do-it-all player for Takeover thus far, averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The 6’4” swingman is very athletic, but his athleticism came back to bite him when he sprained an ankle going up for a block and forced him to miss last week’s action. They’ll be looking forward to having him back in time for playoffs. Another CSC Division III Zach has stepped up his play each week. Hamilton senior Zach Wilcox has improved on the court with each game, and he came through with a season high 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks despite having a bruised kneecap last week. It’s been more than those three, however – New York Mills’ Terry Nichols has been a floor general for them, and Waterville’s Jake English and Hunter Williams, Hamilton’s Bryce Belanger, and Little Falls sophomore Todd Hubbell have provided contributions. They, along with explosive point guard Jelani Fontanez, a standout from Ithaca, look to make a deep run in playoffs when Division I locks John Sica and Kinnon LaRose return from AAU nationals and Sawyer returns from injury. Every game for them has been close – besides the 40 point win, all others have been decided by less than 10.

Many of the best boys high school basketball players make their way from all over New York to Utica every Thursday night. When all is said and done, it looks like many of those best didn’t have to travel far after all.

Tri-Valley Boys Proving to be 'Elite'

Written by Jeff Mlinar

For King of Kings, the College Prospect League is no longer just an area showcase. In its previous two years, there was little out-of-area influence other than an organized Syracuse team each season. That’s a thing of the past. Through 5 weeks, 71 high school boys basketball players have participated. They’ve come from all different areas – as far west as Rochester & Horseheads, as far east as Massachusetts. As far south as northern Pennsylvania, as far north as Ogdensburg. However, there’s just one team whose record remains unscathed: the local boys. 315 Elite, a Tri-Valley League team comprised of players from Proctor, Notre Dame, Whitesboro, New Hartford, and Rome Free Academy, stands alone at the top of the standings at 5-0. 14 players that have participated so far have received interest from Division I programs – 315 Elite doesn’t have any of them. They’re also undersized, with the tallest players at 6’4” and 6’3”. What they lack in scholarship-level interest and height, they make up for in toughness and heart. They rebound from all positions – the 3 main guards in their backcourt rotation combine for 14 rebounds per game. They pressure you and turn you over – leading the league with 10 steals per game as a team. They make you uncomfortable. They play physical, in your jersey, borderline chippy defense at times…

Oh yeah, Kevin Warmack helps.

The rising senior at Notre Dame had a rough opening night. He scored 19, 21, and 20 in the 3 following weeks. When they were in danger of losing a couple weeks ago, down 10 early in the 2^nd half, he hit 4 threes in succession to bring his squad back into the game. They eventually won 66-60. He’s also averaging 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3.2 steals along with his 13.4 points. The assists lead the league, steals are good for 2^nd, and the rebounds lead the league for all participants under 6’2”. 5’10” on a good day, he might not be the most physically imposing, but his leadership and heart rub off on the rest of his team no matter where he plays. Tyvon Reed provides a powerful punch as well. The rising senior at Proctor led the league in scoring at one point. He’s in 5th now at 16.6 per game, but still in a tight pack within a point of 2nd. A strong and athletic 6’2”, Reed plays much bigger than his size. He leads his team in rebounding at 6.2 per game, seemingly grabbing them at will when he’s fully engaged.

Does their experience make a difference? It’s possible – Warmack & Reed have both played in all 3 years of the prospect league’s existence. Reed even won a championship with The Next Big Thing in its inaugural season. Is it the addition of Whitesboro’s TJ Borza? That helps too – him and Jerome Brabham give opposing backcourts fits. When they pay too much attention to Warmack and Reed, those two make opponents pay. Borza averages 13 points per game and Brabham, a rising junior, is averaging 8 – and both are shooting over 50% thus far. Is it the tenacity that teams have yet to match? Is it something else? All of the above? If you put ten people in the gym that know basketball and have them watch 315 Elite play, they may all give different reasons as to why they’ve been so successful. That may be why.