by Alex Schwartz

Today is the final day of the 2009 Prime Time Shootout. There will be eight games at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, which featured some big-time games, teams, and players Saturday.  Yesterday I was 5-3 in my predictions on yesterday’s game at the Prime Time Shootout, making me 14/21 overall during the event, including 11 in a row. Here’s how I think today’s games will shape up:

10:30am EST- The Pennington School (NJ) vs. Montgomery (NJ)
Both of these under the radar Garden State squads have had up-and-down seasons, with both teams being effected by injuries. TPS is led by a quartet of players who average double-digit points per game in Harold Spears ’10, Dontae Johnson ’10, Anthony Gaffney ’11, and Chandler Fraser-Pauls ’11. For Montgomery, a Group IV school, Ryan McCoy ’11 and James Loupos ’10 are two of the key players. This should be a close game throughout, as the teams are pretty evenly matched with neither having a distinct advantage. This one could come down to the wire.
Prediction- The Pennington School by two, 63-61 . . . Pennington will squeak it out in the end in what will be a hard-fought contest

12:00pm EST- Elizabeth (NJ) vs. Christ the King (NY)
Elizabeth, the biggest school in the Garden State, has a legitimate shot at making it to the Tournament of Champions, and has been one of New Jersey’s best teams throughout the season. Meanwhile, Christ the King is one the top teams in New York and is ranked nationally. Elizabeth is led by the talented trio Latif Rivers ’09, James Frazier ’09, and Pitt-pledge (football) Raymond Graham ’09. The New York squad is led by Sean Johnson ’09, Roland Brown ’10, and Corey Edwards ’11 amongst others. Although the Empire State powerhouse is not as loaded as usual and has a new head coach, the team is having a fantastic season nonetheless. Elizabeth has good shot at keeping this one close, and possibly even getting the win, but it will be tough.
Prediction- Christ the King by thirteen, 77-64 . . . Edwards and Johnson will be too much for Elizabeth to handle, and CTK will pull away at the end

1:30pm EST- Trenton Catholic (NJ) vs. Carmen Sol (PR)
The Iron Mikes of Trenton Catholic will certainly have the crowd on their side when the take the floor today, while Carmen Sol will be coming off a long trip from Puerto Rico. TCA, the favorite to win the South Non-Public B state title, is led by a trio of talented juniors in Frantz Massenat ’10, Markese Tucker ’10, and Dondre Whitmore ’10, with Khalid Lewis El ’11, Daquon Basnight ’09, Lafayette Smith ’09, and Reggie Coleman ’09 providing good help, as well as senior leadership from the last three. For Carmen Sol, Raymond Cintron ’09 and Jose Lopez ’09 are two of the main men. The Puerto Rican squad is no slouch, and this should be a great game.
Prediction- Trenton Catholic by six, 78-72 . . . It will be close throughout, but the hometown team will pull away in the final quarter

3:00pm EST- Oak Hill Academy (VA) vs. Linden (NJ)
Oak Hill Academy is one of the top three teams in the United States and is coming off of a victory over St. Patrick’s (NJ), which cemented them as a threat to win the mythical national title. As for Linden, it’s been a tough year for the usually proud program. St. Joseph’s-pledge David Bruce ’09 has been in and out of the lineup, though Tevin Calhoun ’10 has stepped up in his absence. Oak Hill Academy is a completely different level of team though, and is led by Glenn Bryant ’09, Virginia Tech-signee Lamont “MoMo” Jones ’09, Oklahoma-bound Keith “Tiny” Gallon ’09, West Virginia-commit Bryon Allen ’10, Doron Lamb ’10, and Syracuse-pledge Baye Moussa Kieta ’10. The Warriors are deep, talented, and big. Linden may well be in for a very, very long afternoon.
Prediction- Oak Hill Academy by twenty-eight, 84-56 . . . Led by Lamb, Jones, and Gallon, OHA will jump on Linden early and will dominate throughout

4:30pm- Montrose Christian (MD) vs. Shabazz (NJ)
Montrose Christian has just one loss and is one of the top teams in America. Shabazz, a contender for the New Jersey Group III state title, has had an up-and-down year, but is a well-balanced team with four players 6’6 or taller. Fellow Villanova-signees Mouphtaou Yarou ’09 and Isaiah Armwood ’09 are part of a big-time trio for Stu Vetter’s squad, along with Terrence Ross ’10. Justin Anderson ’12 is one of the top freshman in the nation, and Tyler Hubbard ’11, Micah Fraction ’09, and Dominic Milburn ’09 are solid as well. Just like the Oak Hill/Linden game, this one has a chance to be a huge blowout.
Prediction- Montrose Christian by nineteen, 83-64 . . . Yarou and Armwood will control the game from start to finish for the Mustangs

7:30pm EST- Trenton Central (NJ) vs. Nichols School (NY)
Another hometown favorite, the Trenton Central Tornadoes have been without their best player, Darrin Elam ’09, due to eligibility issues for all but one game this season. Thus, Eric Fanning ’11, Bruce Brittingham ’11, Lorenzo Santos ’09, and Justin Williams ’09 have teamed to fill the void. TCHS has been hovering around .500 this season, and is not your usual dominant Trenton squad, but is certainly talented and athletic. For the Nichols School (NY), it’s mainly a one-man show, as Will Regan ’10 is one of the best junior big men in America. Although the 6’9 Regan is the team’s only player above 6’4, Trenton does not have a true big-time inside presence and will struggle to contain Regan, and will need great guard play from Brittingham, Williams, Santos, and Ronny Choute ’09 to stay in this one.
Prediction- Nichols School by thirteen, 68-55 . . . Regan will be too much for Trenton to handle and will have his way throughout

9:00pm EST- St. John Vianney (NJ) vs. New Egypt (NJ)
This will be the final game of the 2009 Prime Time Shootout, and features an under the radar team in St. John Vianney that lacks any true stud, though Mike Rotando ’11 is a solid guard and there are three players, Michael Balkovic ’11, Michael Murphy ’11, and Ryan Gille ’11, on the team who are 6’6+. The team’s sturdy sophomore class is what stands out about the Garden State boys. New Egypt, which is filling in for North Hunterdon (NJ)—the Lions dropped out of the event—is led by a talented interior tandem of Kevin Janowski ’09 and Desmond Hubert ’11. If that pair plays well, the team should be able to get the win.
Prediction- New Egypt by eleven, 62-51 . . . Janowski and Hubert will have big games for New Egypt

Note- There is a game at 6:00pm EST between two girls’ squads, Trenton Catholic (NJ) and John F. Kennedy (NY) and I am not doing a preview of that game.

Note- phots are, in order from top to bottom, of Doron Lamb, Isaiah Armwood, Will Regan, and Desmond Hubert; all are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/