The Suffolk County Brief
Long Island basketball had a ton of action yesterday, especially in Suffolk County. Section XI has been picking up as of late and this past Tuesday we saw a few interesting matchups and wanted to break it all down for you.
We got the opportunity to make our broadcasting debut for Varsity Media with an incredible matchup between Bayshore HS and Northport HS. While this has always been something on the bucket list, we always want to raise awareness and spread the word about all these talented kids, coaches, and programs.
The Tigers put together a tremendous effort against undefeated Bayshore but couldn’t tie it up late with a last-second three as they fell 54-51. Bayshore definitely didn't bring their B+ game, but credit goes to Northport for giving them all types of fits. MVP for the Marauders was 6’5” SG Christian Smiley (Bayshore HS, NY ’24) who finished with 20-points and 16 rebounds. He’s the top prospect and played like it on Tuesday scoring tough inside baskets, protecting the interior, takes numerous charges and was very clutch down the stretch.
The Hills East HS boys are red hot and climbing fast in the top ten rankings as they absolutely hammered West Babylon HS this past Tuesday. They had three players in double digits and the entire roster basically chipped in. While this squad seems to feature a different player every night, they have adopted this strategy and completely bought into it. The T-Birds look like a whole new team now that they built up their rotation and can now take advantage of teams with their depth.
Brentwood HS fell out of our top ten but you can never count out the Indians. They bounced back with a nice win over Ward Melville HS and continue to show they have one of the top front courts on Long Island. This team is still finding its identity but they are getting massive performances this year from 6’7” F Devin Clarke (Brentwood HS, NY ’25) and 6’4” F Devon Snell (Brentwood HS, NY’24). We expect Brentwood to get stronger over the next few weeks as they look to get ready for playoff play.
Commack beats Copiague 71-29 as they continue to hunt for the top spot in Suffolk’s League 1. They now have 11 wins this season and have leaned on their go to guy 6” PG Nick Waga (Commack HS, NY ’24) who had 24-points in the win. This team has experience, one of the top guards in Suffolk, scrappy forwards, guys who rebound and defend. We wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a nice run in the playoffs especially if they avoid a few bad matchups for them.
North Babylon puts down Sachem North HS as the Bulldogs inch closer to a playoff run. They got a monster game 27-point game from 6’3” SG Daniel Blake-Watson (North Babylon HS, NY ’24) and will need him to continue to play well to get them where they want to go.
Southampton HS takes down Mattituck HS easily as the Mariners are really looking like a team ready for a state title run. They held down the fort while they got healthy and one of my reliable source told me to wait until they get their star back. Well 6’3” CG Dominick White (Southampton HS, NY ’24) is back and he is on a tear. He had 28-points and 10 rebounds and has been scoring in bunches already. Colleges thank me later on White he is a steal.
The upset of the day was a Pierson HS team who we warned you about this summer taking down an undefeated Bayport Blue Point squad. They won 81-78 in a track meet and on Bayshore Blue Point’s final chance 6’5” G Luke Seltzer (Pierson HS, NY ‘24 )stole the inbound for a massive slam to take it home. He had 39-points along with 12 rebounds and looks like he could be headed to prep school after the season. We would jump all over him if we were a prep program especially with his size and upside.