New York will crown five boys state champions this weekend -- three on Saturday, two on Sunday -- at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
New York Boys Finals: Three Teams Will Win Titles Saturday, Two More on Sunday
In Class AA, Christian Brothers Academy of Albany is 23-0 and ranked No. 1. Its top player is Cornell-bound Galac Cancer, who averages 13.1 points per game.
CBA will play Jamestown (19-3) in one semifinal while Half Hallow Hills West (18-5) faces Mount Vernon (19-5) in the other.
Mount Vernon is led by two-time Mr. New York Basketball Jabarie Hinds, who averages 20 points and has signed with West Virginia. HHH West counters with the speedy Tavon Sledge, an Iowa State-bound guard who averages 25 points per game. Sledge, only 5-foot-8, scored 46 in one overtime playoff victory.
In A, Jamesville-DeWitt (20-3) is the three-time defending champion but perhaps the underdog to No. 2-ranked Aquinas Institute of Rochester (22-1), which hasn’t lost since its second game, in Saturday’s semifinals. In the other semi, Byram Hills (18-5) faces Harborfields (20-2). Byram Hills is the feel-good story, making the final four for the first time since 1978.
Saturday’s three finals are in B, C and D.
Potsdam (25-0) is favored in the Class B final. Its opponent will be Burke Catholic (22-2), which beat Pottsdam in the 2010 semifinals. Burke ousted defending champion Westhill in Friday’s semifinals.
In Class C, Syracuse Academy (20-2), a science-based school known as the Atoms, is seeking its first state title in its fifth year as a varsity program. The team is led by Ahmet Tunaili, a 6-7 exchange student from Turkey. Syracuse Academy’s finals oppoent is Friends Academy of Long Island (21-2).
In Class D, defending champion New York Mills (23-0) is No. 1. Coleman Catholic (13-9) beat the No. 2 team, Finney, in overtime in Friday’s semifinals.
The champions of classes AA, A and B will advance to New York’s Federation Tournament on March 25-27 in Albany.
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