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 2nd 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 2nd,
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.
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