The PSAL seeding committee released its brackets for the Class A and B boys basketball playoffs, which will begin next week.
Here they are:
Class A
1. George Westinghouse
2. Francis Lewis
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Bedford Academy
5. Grand Street Campus
6. South Bronx
7. Martin Luther King Jr.
8. Brooklyn Collegiate
9. Benjamin Banneker
10. Alfred E. Smith
11. Newtown
12. Midwood
13. Taft Educational Campus
14. Susan Wagner
15. Murry Bergtraum
16. Hunter College HS
17. Springfield Gardens
18. Brooklyn Tech
19. HS of Environmental Studies
20. John Bowne
21. Bayard Rustin
22. Art & Design
23. Norman Thomas
24. Richmond Hill
25. Dewitt Clinton
26. Tottenville
27. Long Island City
28. Far Rockaway
29. Grover Clevelend
30. Prospect Heights
31. New Utrecht
32. Fort Hamilton
33. Bronx HS of Science
34. Automotive
35. Evander Childs
36. A. Philip Randolph
37. Christopher Columbus
38. Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
39. Bread & Roses
40. George Washington
41. Richard Green
Eight of the top seeds went as I expected – just not in the order I anticipated.
George Westinghouse at No. 1 is a surprise. I’m not saying the Warriors, who finished tied atop Brooklyn A West with Grand Street Campus, didn’t deserve this lofty perch. They have reached the ‘A’ final the last two years, and had arguably the toughest non-league schedule in the city with losses to Boys & Girls, Thomas Jefferson and Robeson.
Clearly, the seeding committee felt Brooklyn A West was the best division in the city, although I would argue in favor of Brooklyn A East. I had Bedford Academy, who was given the fourth seed, on top for several factors: the Panthers have the best 1-2 punch in the ‘A’ in forward Anthony Mason Jr. and point guard Brent Jones, they nearly upset Lincoln in the Brooklyn borough quarterfinals and the second-place team in Brooklyn A East, Brooklyn Collegiate, is one of the hottest teams in the city, winners of nine straight.
I had no problem with Francis Lewis at No. 2 or FDR at No. 3. Grand Street placed fifth is high, if you ask me. How do the Wolves merit a higher position than No. 6 South Bronx, which went undefeated in Bronx A East, and beat Queens AA squad Bayside and Brooklyn AA West power Banneker, the ninth seed.
My final note in on No. 15 Murry Bergtraum, the Manhattan A Southwest champion which was the only ‘A’ team to win a game in the borough playoffs. Manhattan is traditionally weak, but the Blazers deserved better by finishing strong and making noise in the boros
On the whole, the seeding committee did a fine job and the brackets seem to be balanced and promise plenty of entertaining matchups.
CLASS B
1. FDA Academy III
2. Brooklyn College Academy
3. Queens HS of Teaching
4. Bushwick Campus
5. HS for Construction
6. Eleanor Roosevelt
7. Fannie Lou Hamer
8. Pathways College Prep
9. BCAM
10. East NY Family Academy
11. Medger Evars
12. East Harlem Pride
13. HS for Graphic Communications
14. Coalition for Social Change
15. School of the Future
16. HS for Information & Network Technology
17. East Side Community
18. Clara Barton
19. Banana Kelly
20. Townsend Harris
21. EBC Bushwick
22. EBC East New York
23. Millenium
24. HS of Applied Communications
25. Bard Early College
26. Cobblle Hill
27. Manhattan Village Academy
28. Brooklyn Studio
29. HS for Leadership & Public Service
30. Bronx Academy of Letters
31. University Neighborhood
32. Jacqueline K. Onassis
33. HS Law Enforcement & Public Safety
34. Academy of American Studies
35. HS for Heath Professions
36. Robert F. Kennedy
37. Life Sciences Secondary
38. Newcomers
39. Pace
40. Lab Museum United
41. Chelsea
