by Alex Schwartz

The 2009 Prime Time Shootout resumes this weekend at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey with 16 games spread out over two days (eight Saturday and eight Sunday). Saturday the 14^th is the biggest day of the whole event—there are 29 games this year—as many of the top squads from all around the country will be competing. There are five can’t-miss games on Saturday, all of which feature nationally ranked squads. So far I am 9/13 in predicting the winners in the 2009 PTS, including going 6/6 on the game played Saturday, January 31^st at Villanova. Have a look at how I think Saturday’s contests will shape up:

Saturday, 10:30am EST- Our Savior New American (NY) vs. Life Center Academy (NJ)
Our Savior New American is one of three teams—Lincoln (NY) and Oak Hill Academy (VA) are the others—that will be in more than one game in the 2009 PTS. Both of OSNA’s games are the earliest schedules matchups on the day they play, and last time it didn’t go so well, as the team was blow out by Northern Guilford (NC) by 22. As for Life Center Academy, this is a chance for the Garden State squad to show what it’s made of on a big stage. OSNA is paced by the guard combo of Rayner Moquete ’09 and Chris Hampton ’10, with Steele Davis ’11 as the force down low. Syracuse-commit Dion Waiters ’10 is the straw that stirs the drink for LCA, but I just got off the phone with the 6'2 combo guard and he told me his not playing tomorrow and will be back "next week". St. Joseph’s-pledge Daryus Quarles ’10, Chris Thompson '10, Rider-signee Dera Nd-Ezuma, and Binghamton-bound Dylan Talley ’09, and Oscar Griffin ’09 will be key for LCA.
Prediction- Life Center Academy by six, 68-62 . . . LCA is the better team, even without Waiters

Saturday, 12:00pm EST- Timber Creek (NJ) vs. St. Raymond’s (NY)
Both of these teams have had their fair share of struggles this year. For Timber Creek it has been not living up to preseason billing as a legitimate contender for a Group III New Jersey State Championship, while for St. Ray’s it has been dealing with the loss of its star players, Xavier-bound Kevin Parrom ’09 and St. John’s-signee Omari Lawrence ’09, via transfer over the summer, which greatly impacted the squad. The boys from the Garden State are led by Navy-commit Montez Blair ’09 and Collin Johnson ’09, while Tyreak Johnson ’09, Joey De La Rosa ’11, and Nkereuwem Okoro ’12 are main cogs for the NYC team. This game—like each of the day’s first four matchups—is an NJ/NY showdown.
Prediction- St. Raymond’s by thirteen, 68-55 . . . St. Ray’s has too much firepower for Timber Creek to deal with

Saturday, 1:30pm EST- Bishop Loughlin (NY) vs. Union (NJ)
Bishop Loughlin is a traditional NYC powerhouse and is led by highly-recruited forward Jayvaughn Pinkston ’10, while Antoine Brown ’09, Trevon Hamlet ’09, and Branden Frazier ’10 are not too shabby. Union is a Garden State public school that took on a tough schedule this year, yet has been very good nonetheless, with Aishon White ’10 as the team’s key player. White is going to have to have a big game—he is certainly capable, as he is a big-time scorer—because Loughlin is deeper and frankly, more talented.
Prediction- Bishop Loughlin by fourteen, 78-64 . . . Union will not be able to handle Pinkston and Co.

Saturday, 3:00pm EST- Rice (NY) vs. Rancocas Valley (NJ)
Yes, Rancocas Valley is one of the top teams in New Jersey and is a Group IV powerhouse, but Rice is a machine and is on a roll right now. Last year’s RV team, which on the South Jersey Group IV title was handily beaten at the PTS by American Christian (PA), and this year’s team is not as good, though Mike Bersch ’09, an American-commit, is a big-time shooter. Rice is nationally ranked and boats a star-studded lineup that includes Miami-signee Durand Scott ’09, James Stukes ’09, and Shane Southwell ’10. If RV is to win this game, the team will need to contain Scott while not letting anyone else go off. It will be tough, but is possible, especially with Rice playing a 5:00pm EST game today and having less than 24 hours’ rest.
Prediction- Rice by sixteen, 81-65 . . . Both Scott and Southwell will have big games and the play of Bersch won’t be enough for RV

Saturday, 4:30pm EST- Mountain State Academy (WV) vs. St. Benedict’s (NJ)
Looking at this matchup, it’s hard to pick against the Gray Bees of St. Benedict’s, but once you dig a little deeper, it’s hard to pick them to win. Danny Hurley’s team is going through a rough time right now and the makeup of the team, including who starts, is expected to be very different against Mountain State Academy. If St. Ben’s was playing a regular squad I’d still probably pick the, but Mountain State is anything but that, featuring Nebraska-bound Vander Joaquim ’09, West Virginia-signee Deniz Kilicli ’09, West Virginia-pledge Noah Cottrill ’10, Shaq Thomas ’10, Kofi Mensa ’10, and Njaee Whitehead ’11. Unless Rice-signee Tamir “Pop” Jackson ’09 can hold St. Ben’s together, they could lose for the third team in 11 days. This should be a good game, especially if the Gray Bees play to potential.
Prediction- Mountain State Academy by three, 74-71 . . . St. Ben’s is in turmoil and Mountain State, led by big games from Kilicli and Joaquim, will take advantage of that

Saturday, 6:00pm EST- Lincoln (NY) vs. Westchester (CA)
Lincoln will be playing in its second game of the 2009 Prime Time Shootout, losing to Paterson Catholic (NJ) in overtime in their first matchup. The Railsplitters have struggled this year, piling up eight losses, but superstar Lance Stephenson ’09 has dropped 50 and 46 in the team’s last two games (both wins in the Brooklyn Boro Playoffs). Stephenson’s team plays a very tough St. Patrick’s (NJ) squad on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00pm and will have less than 24 hours rest for this contest. Westchester has a star-studded roster and is ranked highly on many national polls. USC-pledge Dwayne Polee ’10 and Jordin Mayes ’10 are the main ballers for the team from the Golden State.
Prediction- Westchester by seven, 72-65 . . . Lincoln’s difficulties against nationally ranked opponents will continue

Saturday, 7:30pm EST- St. Anthony’s (NJ) vs. Hotchkiss School (CT)
St. Anthony’s is a traditional national powerhouse, while Hotchkiss is a surging team on the rise with a loaded roster. Bob Hurley’s Friars are led by Villanova-commit Dominic Cheek ’09, Quinnipiac-signee Jamee Jackson ’09, Devon Collier ’10, Derrick Williams ’10, and Ashton Pankey ’10. For the boys from Connecticut, Kellen Jones ’09, Monty Brown ’10, Jason Morris ’10, and Derrick Wilson ’11 are the key players, with the last two being quite highly regarded on a national level. Both teams have great size, with St. Ant’s boasting seven players standing 6’6+ and Hotchkiss having six who are 6’5 and above. Hotchkiss though, is more well-balanced, having stellar guards—Wilson and Jones—to go along with its big men, while St. Ant’s lacks a true quality point guard
Prediction- Hotchkiss School by four, 62-58 . . . The Friars’ struggles this season will not end here, as the guard play of Jones and Wilson will be the key for Hotchkiss

Saturday, 9:00pm EST- St. Patrick’s (NJ) vs. Oak Hill Academy (VA)
This is the biggest matchup of the whole event, and it will live up to expectations. St. Patrick’s will come in with two losses—assuming it defeats Lincoln tonight—and its eyes set on fully re-entering the national title hunt. Meanwhile, the Warriors will enter undefeated and in position to win that same mythical national title, should they run the table and Mater Dei (CA) lose a game. Oak Hill is a consensus top three team in America (#2 on ESPN Rise, #2 on PrepNation, #3 on USA Today, #3 Rivals High) while St. Pat’s is a consensus top eight team, and by most accounts a top four squad (#3 on ESPN Rise, #8 on PrepNation, #4 on USA Today, #4 Rivals High). The teams are actually ranked back-to-back on three of the four polls. The Celtics are led by North Carolina-signee Dexter Strickland ’09, Kyrie Irving ’10, and Michael Gilchrist ’11, who are the top three players in New Jersey regardless of class according to some. George Mason-bound Paris Bennett ’09 is the other key player for Kevin Boyle’s team, with Dean Kowalski ’09 rounding out the starting five and Derrick Gordon ’11, Chase Plummer ’10, and Kevin Boyle, Jr. ’10 all providing different attributes off the bench . Oak Hill features Oklahoma-signee Keith “Tiny” Gallon ’09, Virginia Tech-bound Lamont “MoMo” Jones ’09, Glenn Bryant ’09, Doron Lamb ’10, West Virginia-pledge Bryon Allen ’10, Syracuse-commit Baye Moussa Kieta, Chasen Campbell ’10, and Pe’Shon Howard ’10. Austin Alecxih ’09 and Jordan Gallagher ’09 are Steve Smith’s other reliable players. St. Pat’s has the advantage in the backcourt with Irving and Strickland. The speed and quickness of that duo will be tough for the Warriors to handle. Neither Jones nor Lamb really matches up well with either Irving or Strickland. OHA has the clear advantage in the frontcourt with Kieta, Gallon, and Campbell, all of whom are 6’8 or taller. Gallon will be the toughest matchup for the Celtics, as he is a big body who can step out and shoot it. Paris Bennett and Michael Gilchrist are the only players in the Celtics’ rotation who are 6’6+, and both are more combo forward than they are center/power forward.  This game—one of the biggest of the season nationally—will be a tight one from start to finish, as the teams are well matched and are both fighting for a national championship.
Prediction- St. Patrick’s by two, 72-20 . . . Although Gallon will have a great game, OHA won’t be able to stop Irving and Strickland, who will both go off for great performances

Note- photos are—in order top to bottom—of Dion Waiters, Jayvaughn Pinkston, Deniz Kilicli, Dwayne Polee, Derrick Wilson, and Sexter Strickland; all are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/