by Alex Schwartz

The 2010 Prime Time Shootout will come to a close on Sunday, February 14, which also happens to be Valentine’s Day. The final day of action will feature seven games, and many of the top teams from New York will be on display, as will a number of top-notch New Jersey teams. The main attractions will be the third and fourth games, when top 10 ranked Findlay Prep (NV) meets local favorite Trenton Catholic (NJ) and New York teams Christ the King and Half Hollow Hills West square off, respectively. Sunday’s games will have four 2010 McDonald’s All-Americans taking the court (just like Saturday) as well as two or three underclassmen who have a shot to make the game in the future. Without further ado, here are my game previews/predictions for the last day of the PTS (see Friday previews Here and see Saturday previews Here).

Sunday, February 14, 11:00am- The Pennington School (NJ) vs. Albany Academy (NY)
For the second year in a row, The Pennington School will open things up on the last day of the Prime Time Shootout. The Red Raiders will have a difficult task at hand though, as Albany Academy is a well-rounded team that has a nice bit of talent. Pennington is led by what a rival head coach has called “a four-headed monster” in New Hampshire football-signee Harold Spears ’10 (pictured), North Carolina State-football signee Dontae Johnson ’10, Chandler Fraser-Pauls ’11, and Anthony Gaffney ’11. It will be tough for Albany Academy to stop all four of these players, as they are all capable of having a major outing. What Albany Academy can do though, is hope to use height to its advantage, as TPS is an undersized team. It will be a guard, Nolan Hart ’10, who will be one of the key players for the team though. This should be a nice way to start the day.
Prediction- The Pennington School by seven, 67-60 . . . A balanced offensive attack led by Spears will help TPS get the win

Sunday, February 14, 12:30pm- Nichols School (NY) vs. Oak Ridge Military Academy (NC)
Although this is one of the few games this weekend that does not include a team from the Garden State, this matchup will by no means be short on talent. Nichols School is led by Virginia-signee Will Regan ’10, a versatile and hardworking big man with a nice inside-outside game. Although Regan is the only big name playing at Christian Laettner’s alma mater, there are some nice role players at the guard positions. Oak Ridge Military Academy not only has a lot of talent, but is quite deep. Xavier-bound Jay Canty ’10 (pictured), Jacob Lawson ’11, and North Carolina State-commit and Joseph Uchebo ’12 are all big-time ballers, but they are not alone. Asad Lamot ’10 and Michael Neal ’11 are solid complimentary players for the main men. In order for Nichols to stay in this one, Regan will have to have a spectacular showing, as his squad does not have the overall depth to stop Oak Ridge.
Prediction- Oak Ridge Military Academy by sixteen, 75-59 . . . Canty will have a great game, while Uchebo and Lawson will get their points in the paint

Sunday, February 14, 2:00pm- Christ the King (NY) vs. Half Hollow Hills West (NY)
Christ the King and Half Hollow Hills West are two of the top three teams in New York. Both began the season ranked in the top 85 of my National Preseason High School Top 100 and have since moved closer to the top 25, so this should be a fantastic game from start to finish. CTK is coming off a recent win over archrival Rice, while Hills West enters with a perfect record. The winner of this game will be able to stake claim as the Empire State’s top squad. The CTK roster includes a triple threat in the backcourt of Omar Calhoun ’12 (pictured on left), Corey Edwards ’11, and Kareem Thomas ’10. Calhoun is an elite scorer, Edwards is a fantastic floor general, and Thomas is a quality guard too. Dom Milka ’10 and Maurice Barrow ’10 are burly forwards who help CTK have a multi-dimensional attack. Half Hollow Hills West is led by McDonald’s All-American and Tennessee-signee Tobias Harris ’10 (pictured at top), who will be a major mismatch problem in this one. Tobias’ younger brother Tyler Harris ’12, a long wing, and speedy point guard Tavon Sledge ’11 give Hills West a three-headed monster. The main question in this game is whether or not CTK will be able to contain the elder Harris, as this will likely decide the outcome of the game.
Prediction- Christ the King by four, 67-63 . . . Calhoun and Edwards will lead CTK to the win, as Milka and Barrow do their best to slow To. Harris

Sunday, February 14, 3:30pm- Findlay Prep (NV)vs. Trenton Catholic (NJ)
While this game looks to be a major mismatch on the surface, Trenton Catholic does have a few distinct advantages. First off, while Findlay Prep does not know much about TCA, the Iron Mikes have been able to see the Pilots play twice on national TV. In addition, the game is right near home for TCA and the team will have a lot of crowd support as it looks to pull off the huge upset. Findlay Prep is the only school in the nation that boasts a pair of 2010 McDonald’s All-Americans in Texas-signee Tristan Thompson ’10 (pictured) and Cory Joseph ’10. Nick Johnson ’11 is another stud for Michael Peck’s team, while underclassmen Winston Shepard ’12 and Nigel Williams-Goss ’13 are future stars. Godwin Okonji ’10, Marco Petrovic ’10, and Thomas Laerke ’10 should not be overlooked either. TCA has a quartet of players who are all capable of big-time performances in Drexel-signee Frantz Massenat ’10, Markese Tucker ’10, Dondre Whitmore ’10, and Khalid Lewis El ’11. In addition, Brandon Taylor ’12, Ron Paden ’12, and Chris Lewis ’11 are nice talents too. The toughest task for Trenton Catholic will be stopping the big Tristan Thompson, as the Iron Mikes have no one above 6’5.
Prediction- Findlay Prep by sixteen, 77-61 . . . Thompson is too big and talented to be stopped by the undersized Iron Mikes, but the locals will fight hard

Sunday, February 14, 5:00pm- Cherokee (NJ) vs. Bishop Loughlin (NY)
Looking at this matchup many would assume that it is another uneven game, but that is not necessarily the case. While Bishop Loughlin is certainly the favorite, Cherokee is one of the top 10 teams in New Jersey and has a great deal of skill on the roster. Villanova-signee and McDonald’s All-American Jayvaughn Pinkston ’10 (pictured) is the go-to guy for Loughlin, but there are three other players on this New York City power that must be watched too. Branden Frazier ’10 is a terrific scorer with seemingly unlimited range, Rasi Jenkins ’10 is a hard worker in the post, and Kareem Canty ’11 lends support from the guard spot. Vermont-signee Ryan McKeaney ’10, a big man, and undersized guard Willis Nicholson ’10 are the two biggest names for Cherokee. Phil Henry ’10 forms a solid post tandem with McKeaney, and gives Cherokee an advantage down low, while Christian Jordan ’10 makes it a nice two-man backcourt. Led by four seniors, Cherokee is more than capable of pulling off the upset, but it will not be easy, as the team has no one to match up with Pinkston.
Predicition- Bishop Loughlin by eleven, 75-64 . . . Pinkston will show everyone in attendance why he is a McDonald’s All-American with a big-time showing

Sunday, February 14, 6:30pm- Shabazz (NJ) vs. St. Raymond’s (NY)
Both of these teams lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad, with Shabazz having a number of players graduate, while St. Raymond’s saw a handful of players transfer elsewhere. Nonetheless, Shabazz is a very good program that always has solid ballers and St. Ray’s features a terrific trio. Daveon Boardingham ’10 is the key player for Shabazz and his play will determine whether or not his squad can hang with the team from the Big Apple. The St. Raymond’s roster includes two big-time sophomores in Nkereuwem Okoro ’12 (pictured) and Daniel Dingle ’12, both of whom can really score the ball. In addition, Devin Brooks ’11 is a standout guard who sets up the offense well. Even without a number of players who were expected to be Ravens this year, Oliver Antigua’s boys should be able to handle Shabazz in this one.
Prediction- St. Raymond’s by twelve, 63-51 . . . Okoro, Dingle, and Brooks are too much for Shabazz to handle and will get the W

Sunday, February 14, 8:00pm- Montgmery (NJ) vs. New Egypt (NJ)
Just like the first game on Friday evening, the last game on Sunday night pits two New Jersey public schools against one another. For the second year in a row New Egypt will be playing in the last game of the whole PTS. Though neither school is thought of a traditional Garden State basketball power, there will be three Division I prospects on the floor. Montgomery is led by Navy-bound James Loupos ’10, a combo forward with a nice all-around game as well as Ryan McCoy ’11 (pictured) a long wing who can also play the guard spot. New Egypt features one of the top juniors in the state in lanky big man Desmond Hubert ’11, a shot-blocking machine capable of putting up a triple-double on any given night. Sometimes though, New Egypt does not feed its star big man the ball, so that will b something to watch. If Hubert can be slowed down, then Montgomery will have a great shot at the win.
Prediction- Montgomery by four, 56-52 . . . Loupos and McCoy will lead their team to a victory in a low-scoring affair despite Hubert’s post presence

Note- photo of Harris is from http://www.newsday.com/, photo of Spears is from http://trentonian.com/, photos of Canty and Thompson are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/, photos of Calhoun, Pinkston, and McCoy are from http://www.nypost.com/, photo of Okoro is from http://www.nydailynews.com/