St. Raymond coach Oliver Antigua is The Post’s boys basketball All-Bronx Coach of the Year. (Philip Hall)
The Bronx wasn’t home to any championships this year, but that doesn’t mean the borough was devoid of talent. All Hallows guard Michael Alvarado was one of the top players in the CHSAA, sophomores Daniel Dingle and Kerwin Okoro guided St. Raymond’s to a surprising appearance in the Class AA intersectional semifinals and Mount St. Michael scorer Peter Aguilar followed up a stellar sophomore year with an even better junior campaign.
Jordan Aaron, Krystian Foriest and Deonte Houston guided Wings Academy to the PSAL Class AA semifinals, Jeffrey Short and Naquan Pierce formed arguably the best 1-2 scoring punch in the city for John F. Kennedy, and dynamic point guard Dashawn Joyner pushed South Bronx to the PSAL Class A final, the school’s first appearance in a championship game.
All-Bronx boys basketball Player of the Year: Jeffrey Short, John F. Kennedy
In one year, Jeffrey Short transformed himself, from a spot-up shooter to an aggressive, do-it-all swingman. He attacked the basket with abandon and sank 3-pointers from absurdly long distances most guards wouldn’t even consider taking.
He was second in the PSAL in scoring during the regular season, averaging 28 points per game. The 6-foot-4 senior also grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out more than five assists, carrying the Knights when star guard Naquan Pierce was out for two weeks because of disciplinary reasons.
“I had to get better,” he said. “It was my time to step up and lead the team.”
He did a fine job of that. Even when Kennedy’s season came to a shocking halt in a 68-67 second round loss to Transit Tech, Short did all he could to keep the Knights’ season alive, scoring 30 points in defeat.
All-Bronx boys basketball Coach of the Year: Oliver Antigua, St. Raymond
Few teams survive losing four potential Division I players, including one forward heading to the University of Arizona. But St. Raymond’s not only survived, it thrived this season. Despite the mass exodus, the Ravens advanced to the CHSAA Class AA intersectional semifinals, one step further than it did with its previous players.
Oliver Antigua didn’t throw up his hands and use the transfers as an excuse. Instead he played, and won, with what he had. These Ravens became a tight-knit group, embracing its underdog role. The eighth-year coach might have had more talented teams, but it is hard to imagine he had a closer group.
“I think the sky is the limit for some of the guys we have talent-wise,” Antigua said after a semifinal loss to Christ the King. “I think we are only going to get better … We got to the final four with the youngest team in the league.”
All-Bronx first team
G Jordan Aaron, Wings Academy
After three nondescript, albeit productive seasons at Bronx Leadership, the electric 6-foot guard made a name for himself at Wings Academy by finishing third in PSAL Bronx AA in scoring. He carried Wings offensively at times, lightning up the scoreboard from the perimeter, where he hit a team-high 51 3-pointers.
G Peter Aguilar, Mount St. Michael
The 6-foot-2 junior was a scoring machine, leading the entire CHSAA by averaging 26.4 points per game. When his 3-point shot was on, he was unstoppable, but he was also wise enough to find other ways to score when it was off. Already a 1,000-point scorer, Aguilar is arguably the top returning player in the CHSAA ‘A’ next year.
G Michael Alvarado, All Hallows
The 6-foot-2 shooting guard could score in a variety of ways, on drives to the basket, from beyond the arc and inside the paint. The Manhattan-bound senior was fourth in the CHSAA ‘AA’ in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game, but it was his leadership that most impressed Gaels coach John Carey.
F Krystian Foriest, Wings Academy
A versatile 6-foot-5 forward, the Queens College-bound Foriest finally was healthy after battling nagging knee problems, and he produced for the Wings, leading The Bronx school to the PSAL Class AA semifinals. He was at his best in February and March; his postseason numbers – 16 points and eight rebounds per game – dwarfing the ones he put up during the regular season.
G Naquan Pierce, JFK
Pierce emerged his junior year and became a full-fledged star as a senior. If not for missing two weeks for disciplinary reasons he would’ve been in the running for Player of the Year honors. One of the top unsigned guards in the city, the sharp-shooting Pierce, nicknamed “AI” for his uncanny scoring ability, averaged over 22 points per game.
All-Bronx second team
F Daniel Dingle, St. Raymond
The future at St. Ray’s is bright, and Dingle is a big reason for such optimism. In his first varsity season, the 6-foot-6 sophomore averaged 14.2 points per game, good for second on the team. Not just a post presence, Dingle could also take his defender off the dribble and has good range on his jumper.
G Carlos Galan, Gompers
The best freshman in The Bronx – and among the best in the city – Galan averaged more than 15 points per game for Gompers. Blessed with a silky jump shot, the 5-foot-11 Galan also proved adept at moving without the ball and setting up teammates off the dribble.
G Dashawn Joyner, South Bronx
Despite being legally blind in his left eye, Joyner averaged a triple-double during the regular season. He led South Bronx to its first-ever appearance in a boys basketball city championship game, a 76-63 loss to Bedford Academy in the PSAL Class A final. The dynamic 6-foot point guard did it all for the high-scoring Phoenix – scoring, rebounding, defending, and distributing – and will be virtually impossibly to replace.
F Chris Manhertz, Cardinal Spellman
Surely coaches around the CHSAA are throwing a party knowing that this man-child will no longer terrorize guards attempting to drive to the basket. The most ferocious shot blocker in the CHSAA ‘A’ division, the 6-foot-5 Canisius-bound forward averaged 18.5 points per game.
F Kerwin Okoro, St. Raymond
The other part of the Ravens sophomore dynamic duo, the 6-foot-4 forward embraced a leadership role despite his youth. Like Dingle, Okoro is a difficult match-up. He led St. Ray’s in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game, eight times scoring 20 or more points.
All-Bronx third team
F Gary Acquah, Mount St. Michael
Proof that size doesn’t matter in the paint, the 6-foot-2 bulldog was dominant on the glass and nearly unstoppable once he got his big mitts on the ball. The undecided senior, who is also a star of the school’s football team, averaged 11 points per game despite playing the entire season with a broken finger.
F Stedman Allen, Eagle Academy
The Eagles enjoyed a productive season, just their second in Bronx AA, and the athletically gifted 6-foot-6 Allen was integral to that success. He averaged a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, was a monster off the glass and a consistent scorer in the paint.
G Nay-Quan Bloomer, Cardinal Hayes
The Cardinals made a somewhat surprising run to the CHSAA Class A intersectional title game and it was the powerful 6-foot-1 shooting guard who carried them there. Bloomer, an undecided senior, averaged 17 points per game.
G Deonte Houston, Wings Academy
The future of the program, Houston showed poise beyond his years as a junior. He successfully got everyone involved, which is saying a lot considering all of Wings’ weapons, and took it upon himself to be a scorer when needed.
F Omar Kellman, All Hallows
The 6-foot-5 unsigned senior forward perfectly complemented Alvarado. He was a dominant force in the paint and finished second on the Gaels in scoring, averaging 13 points per game.
All-Bronx honorable mention
G Aaron Barnes, Lehman
G Devin Brooks, St. Raymond
G James Blue, Wings Academy
F Brandon Goode, Monroe
G Brandon Hill, Monsignor Scanlan
