Boys And Girls’ Bryce Jones has emerged at point guard for the Kangaroos. (Denis Gostev)
PSAL boys basketball beat writer Zach Braziller breaks down the No. 2 Boys & Girls Kangaroos in advance of Sunday’s Class AA boys basketball championship game at Madison Square Garden at noon.
Boys & Girls
Nickname: Kangaroos
Head coach: Ruth Lovelace (19 years)
Record: 23-6
Starting five: G Bryce Jones, G Wesley Myers, F Rashad Andrews, F Joel Angus and F Leroy (Truck) Fludd
Key reserves: G Tyliek Kimbrough, F Shakur Pinder, G Courtney Solomon and G Dykweil Bryant
Team notes: Boys & Girls is back in the Garden for the third straight year and fifth time in six seasons. … Won second straight title last March with a 62-55 win over arch rival Lincoln, its 13th title overall. … Coach Ruth Lovelace became first female to lead boys team to PSAL title in highest classification two years ago. She’s looking to become first coach at Boys High to win three titles in a row. … Bedford-Stuyvesant school is alma mater of legends Dwayne (Pearl) Washington, Connie Hawkins and Lenny Wilkens.
SCOUTING REPORT
(from league coach under condition of anonymity)
“Wanna know why they win? They play so hard. Every second of every game. Their defense has been great in the playoffs. South Shore was better during the regular season, but it was no contest at St. John’s. Lincoln really struggled against the pressure. … Truck can shoot the ball now, so you need to defend him on the perimeter. But he won’t kill you from 3. The guy to watch is Myers. Whenever Lincoln made a run, he hit a big shot. … I also like those lefties (Bryce Jones and Courtney Solomon). They make shots. … Jefferson can’t get off to a slow start. They’re not coming back down 15 again. The big kid [Shakur Pinder] has really helped them. Before he started playing, they didn’t have much inside after Truck and Angus. … Don’t forget the edge of playing at the Garden before. It’s a hard adustment. Boys [High] knows [what to expect].”
PLAYER CAPSULES
Bryce Jones
Year: Senior
Position: Guard
Height: 5-8
Notes: Moved into starting lineup when Tyliek Kimbrough was lost for a month for unspecified reasons. … First year seeing consistent playing time, lights-out 3-pointer shooter. … In Boys High’s lone win over Jefferson, sent game into overtime with 3-pointer in waning seconds of regulation. … Has played his best in playoff run, averaging seven points and five assists. … Older brother Brent led Bedford Academy to an ‘A’ city title two years ago and is a freshman guard at St. Francis College.
Lovelace’s take: “He’s a heady player, very smart. He’s the smartest player on my team and one of the smartest players in the city.”
Wesley Myers
Year: Junior
Position: Guard
Height: 6-2
Notes: First-year starter has come alive after quiet first half of season. … Quiet and reserved, consistent shooter and improving ball-handler and defender. … Scored game-high 21 points in 72-63, PSAL Class AA semifinal victory over Lincoln and has averaged 15 points per game in six playoff contests.
Lovelace’s take: “One of my assistants said, when Wesley is playing well, we don’t lose. … His confidence right now is through the roof. He’s very smooth on the floor. He’s making his jump shot, he’s knocking down free throws. … While there are a lot of guys that like to play, Wesley works a lot on his game. He’s very big on drills and working on his game.”
Rashad Andrews
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
Height: 6-4
Notes: Has verbally committed to Adelphi. … Transferred from New Jersey powerhouse St. Anthony of Jersey City in the fall. … Versatile offensive threat and elite defender. … Brooklyn native missed first two contests against Jefferson went scoreless in third matchup as he was nursing the flu. … Posted 10 points and eight rebounds in the semifinal win over Lincoln, one of his better all-around efforts of the year.
Lovelace’s take: “In the playoffs he’s been really good. He’s been a difference. … He adds another dimension for us. He’s capable of hurting you offensively. He’s committed to Adelphi and he might be better than that.”
Joel Angus
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
Height: 6-6
Notes: Uncommitted Bishop Loughlin transfer. … Perimeter shooting threat with good ball-handling skills for his size. … Likely headed to prep school. … Has posted double-doubles in last two matchups with Jefferson.
Lovelace’s take: “Everybody wants him to be this tough, inside player, but that’s not his style of play. He’s going to be efficient, he’s going to defend and he’s going to pull his guy away from the basket.”
Leroy (Truck) Fludd
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
Height: 6-5
Notes: One of city’s top uncommitted seniors is candidate for Player of the Year honors. … Bruising yet gifted athletic forward thrives in paint against taller defenders, but has added consistent perimeter jump shot to repertoire.… Originally from Coney Island, left Grady after one year when told program was folding. … Considering a bevy of Division I schools, including St. John’s, Rutgers, Providence, LaSalle and Kent State. … Led Brooklyn AA with 13 rebounds per game and was second among all ‘AA’ PSAL players with 21 points per game behind Gompers’ Carlos Galan.
Lovelace’s take: “He’s been there all year. I think he’s the Player of the Year in the PSAL. He doesn’t get credit, but also he’s guarding the best offensive player on the other team and he’s a constant on the boards. We know he can score, but he added another dimension to his game with his jump shot. He has the best all-around game [in the city].”
BENCH
Notes: One of top units in city. … Bishop Loughlin transfer Tyliek Kimbrough started much of year at point guard and is an adept penetrator and defender … 6-foot-7 forward Shakur Pinder emerged as important rebounding, shot-blocking and defensive big man with nice touch around hoop. … Junior guard Courtney Solomon is one of PSAL’s top spot-up shooters. … Dykweil Bryant is capable point guard who pressures the ball and can get to the basket.
Lovelace’s take: “We would have the best bench between the two teams. You have [Shakur], who all he wants to do is defend and block shots and rebound. You have Tyliek and Dykweil who are capable point guards. You have Courtney Solomon who can really shoot the rock. You have Nick Jackson who can do a little bit of everything.”
COACH
The only female coach of a boys ‘AA’ team, Lovelace has made the playoffs in each of her 19 seasons. This is her fifth trip to the Garden in the last six years and she is going after her third straight title.
Lovelace deserves credit for meshing this group of holdovers and newcomers and getting the best out of her team after the Brooklyn borough final loss to Jefferson. Boys High has dominated in the city playoffs, winning its three contests by at least nine points over Gompers, South Shore and Lincoln.
It’s not easy being the two-time defending city champion, yet Boys High is back at the Garden looking for a third straight crown.
Lovelace has her players’ respect – they will run through a wall for her. Nobody plays harder and with more intensity in the PSAL than Boys & Girls. There was a time she was unique because she was a female coaching young men – she’s still unique, but for her coaching acumen not her gender.
