This weekend at Fordham University won’t go down as a memorable one for New York City. The only team to even reach the final was the Riverside Hawks in the U17 silver final. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t newsworthy, however. Here are just a few news and notes from the final day of the prestigious AAU tournament.
— Former Wings Academy star Dashaun Wiggins’ future is very much up in the air. He spent last season at Bridgton Academy (Maine) and verbally committed to Seton Hall in October, but has yet to hear from new Pirates coach Kevin Willard or any of his assistants. The Bronx native, a 6-foot-2 combo guard, is debating doing another postgraduate year, either at Bridgton, NIA Prep (N.J.), or Notre Dame Prep (Mass.). He has recently heard from Penn State, Oregon State, and Xavier, although he wouldn’t rule out Seton Hall.
“I’m gonna wait until the end of the year [to decide] when it will be final,” said Wiggins, who is playing this summer with the New York Panthers.
The news of Bobby Gonzalez’s firing shocked Wiggins, who found out about the move through Facebook.
“They had a good season,” he said. “It was crazy. That was disappointing.”
— James Fuentes, a Queens native who starred at Xaverian before spending last year at Central Jersey Each One Teach One (N.J.), recently became the latest city product to land at Norfolk State. He joins Aleek Pauline, Kyle O’Quinn, Marcos Tamares and Rob Hampton, alll from Queens. Plus, coach Anthony Evans is a Brooklyn native and Cardozo point guard Reynaldo Walters will also be there next year.
“Coach Evans wanted me the most,” said Fuentes, who plans to sign his National Letter of Intent soon. “It’s a comfortable atmosphere, it’s like a family. It’s even better because there are guys from New York.”
— Holy Cross wing Evan Conti is still a few weeks from returning after breaking his right ankle in late March, but that doesn’t mean the rising senior won’t be busy. He is taking unofficial visits to Central Connecticut State and Quinnipiac this week and another to Hartford on June 29. He has already visited Drexel, Fairfield and Bucknell, which he called “my favorite.” Conti expects to return to the court in July as the recruiting period heats up.
— Lowell Umer, who led McKee/Staten Island Tech to the PSAL Class AA quarterfinals in 2009, spent the last year at NIA Prep (N.J.). He has heard from St. Francis College, Iona, and Division II schools Adelphi and C.W. Post. Ulmer said he is awaiting his ACT score before making any set plans.
— Sunday was not a day the city’s AAU powerhouse programs will look back on fondly.
New Heights and the New York Panthers both lost in the U17 semifinals, to Connecticut Basketball Club and East Coast Elite (Del.), respectively. The Panthers, in fact, had a 10-point lead with two minutes left in the second half, before falling, 73-67, in overtime. John F. Kennedy’s Jeffrey Short, a Fordham commit, led the Panthers with 12 points and Wiggins added 11. East Coast Elite also topped the New York Gauchos in the quarterfinals.
There wasn’t a local club in the U16 semis and New Heights and Metrohawks both lost in the U15 semifinals, to Albany City Rocks and Arkansas Hawks. The Riverdale Hawks dropped the U17 Silver title game to the Franchise All Stars out of Dallas (Texas).
— Speaking of the Metrohawks, I was impressed by the Boys & Girls trio of freshmen Teyvon and Wesley Myers (no relation) and Daquan Adams. The three will also see playing time this year, the Myers twosome in the backcourt and the 6-foot-5 Adams at forward. The Kangaroos are going to be scary good next winter.
— Another underclassman to keep an eye on is Jordan Washington of New Heights, a physically imposing 6-foot-8 forward. He starred for Pathways College Prep last year, averaging 28 points and 15 rebounds per game, but he may be transferring, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
“He’s a special talent,” New Heights athletic director Kimani Young said of Washington, who is playing U15 and U16 this summer. “He has a great will to win and compete and he has to channel it the right way.”
