Canisius sophomore Howard Washington entered the season with serious recruiting credentials, and he got another one on Thursday.
Washington, the point guard for the Crusaders team that has been ranked atop The News large school basketball poll all season, was named to Scout.com’s top 50 list for 2016 players.
Washington is not only ranked 42nd nationally by the recruiting website, he is also the first player on the list from New York State, quite an accomplishment when you consider that these kinds of lists are usually populated by New York City-area players.
Washington entered the season with Division I scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Boston College, Boston University, Canisius and the University at Buffalo. Since then, he has also had offers from Dayton, Charlotte and Siena.
The site lists several other “Schools of interest” for the 6-foot-2, 150-pound point guard: Butler, Notre Dame, Stanford, Syracuse and Villanova. Washington told me Thursday evening that the list of programs that have been in contact also includes Texas, West Virginia, Cornell, Bucknell, George Washington and Ohio University.
Many of those schools were evaluating Washington based on his standout summer basketball performances, including with the Albany City Rocks.
Scout.com considers Washington a four-star recruit; the top 25 on the list are listed as five-star players.
He is also the 10th-rated point guard on the list.
The only other player from New York State on the list is at No. 47: Rawle Alkins, a 6-4, 190-pound shooting guard from New York City’s Christ The King.
The top of the list includes players whose “schools of interest” are a who’s who of major college basketball. The top three players are 6-9, 205-pound power forward Harry Giles of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C.; 6-7, 190-pound small forward Jayson Tatum of Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, Mo.; and 7-foot, 200-pound Thon Maker of the Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va. Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State are all listed among the trio’s “schools of interest.”
Canisius closes its regular season Sunday against St. Joe’s at Canisius College at 4 p.m. and Tuesday at home against Bishop Timon-St. Jude, who the Crusaders beat by 30 in South Buffalo on Tuesday evening. The Monsignor Martin Association’s Manhattan Cup playoffs begin with quarterfinals on Feb. 22.
The seedings and schedules for both the boys and girls basketball sectional tournaments will be posted as soon as possible on the Prep Talk blog at BuffaloNews.com.
By Saturday evening, we will post PrepTalkTV videos in which some guests and I will break down all of the boys basketball brackets.
The Section VI tournaments begin Tuesday with opening rounds. The boys’ annual Quarterfinal Friday, in which the semifinal berths at Buffalo State and Jamestown Community College will be set, is one week from today.
• Val McNamara of Nichols soccer signed with Binghamton this week.
• Lauren Hudson of Williamsville North track and field is signing with Bucknell.
• Amherst girls lacrosse goalie Emily Bitka has committed to the University of Albany.
• Four rowers from the West Side Rowing Club have been recruited to row for Division I schools: Patricia Beaulieu (Sacred Heart) to Canisius College; Emily Evans (City Honors) to Columbia University; Ashley Johnson (Clarence) to Syracuse; and Emily Radziwon (Orchard Park) to Clemson.
Please send signings to kmcshea@buffnews.com.
Last year we were able to pay tribute to “All-WNY legends” Dick Harvey (Dunkirk, 1959-60), Roosevelt Nixon (Emerson 1960-61) and Frank Swiatek (St. Mary’s/Lancaster, 1960-61).
We are trying to contact the following All-WNY first-teamers, especially those from the 1958-59 (first All-WNY team ever) and 1963-64 (50th anniversary) season. If you have contact information, please email it to me.
1958-59: Tom Chester (North Tonawanda), Frank Cipriani (Timon), Talbot Freeland (Bennett), George Mayer (Williamsville), Gene Morrow (Seneca).
1959-60: Pete Bisgeier (Kenmore West), Cootie Blanks (Bennett), Joe Bossert (Seneca), Jim Robinson (Cleveland Hill).
1960-61: Norb Baschnagel (Kensington), George Carter (Silver Creek), Jim Maglisceau (North Tonawanda).
1961-62: George Carter (Silver Creek), Phil Kontrabecki (Duffy), Garry Munson (Amherst), Dan Shea (Lackawanna), Willie Shine (Trott).
1962-63: Andy Anderson (Maryvale), Tom Bobenread (Amherst), Dwight Bonk (Dougherty), George Hicker (Franklinville), Frank Starks (Trott).
1963-64: Tom Balen (Lackawanna), Jack Hassett (Timon), George Hicker (Franklinville), Greg Hudecki (St. Joe’s), Bill Young (Angelica).
email: kmcshea@buffnews.com
Washington, the point guard for the Crusaders team that has been ranked atop The News large school basketball poll all season, was named to Scout.com’s top 50 list for 2016 players.
Washington is not only ranked 42nd nationally by the recruiting website, he is also the first player on the list from New York State, quite an accomplishment when you consider that these kinds of lists are usually populated by New York City-area players.
Washington entered the season with Division I scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Boston College, Boston University, Canisius and the University at Buffalo. Since then, he has also had offers from Dayton, Charlotte and Siena.
The site lists several other “Schools of interest” for the 6-foot-2, 150-pound point guard: Butler, Notre Dame, Stanford, Syracuse and Villanova. Washington told me Thursday evening that the list of programs that have been in contact also includes Texas, West Virginia, Cornell, Bucknell, George Washington and Ohio University.
Many of those schools were evaluating Washington based on his standout summer basketball performances, including with the Albany City Rocks.
Scout.com considers Washington a four-star recruit; the top 25 on the list are listed as five-star players.
He is also the 10th-rated point guard on the list.
The only other player from New York State on the list is at No. 47: Rawle Alkins, a 6-4, 190-pound shooting guard from New York City’s Christ The King.
The top of the list includes players whose “schools of interest” are a who’s who of major college basketball. The top three players are 6-9, 205-pound power forward Harry Giles of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C.; 6-7, 190-pound small forward Jayson Tatum of Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, Mo.; and 7-foot, 200-pound Thon Maker of the Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va. Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State are all listed among the trio’s “schools of interest.”
Canisius closes its regular season Sunday against St. Joe’s at Canisius College at 4 p.m. and Tuesday at home against Bishop Timon-St. Jude, who the Crusaders beat by 30 in South Buffalo on Tuesday evening. The Monsignor Martin Association’s Manhattan Cup playoffs begin with quarterfinals on Feb. 22.
Prep Talk bracket talk
Speaking of the basketball postseason, Section VI’s Selection Saturday is a day away.The seedings and schedules for both the boys and girls basketball sectional tournaments will be posted as soon as possible on the Prep Talk blog at BuffaloNews.com.
By Saturday evening, we will post PrepTalkTV videos in which some guests and I will break down all of the boys basketball brackets.
The Section VI tournaments begin Tuesday with opening rounds. The boys’ annual Quarterfinal Friday, in which the semifinal berths at Buffalo State and Jamestown Community College will be set, is one week from today.
Signings
Recent signings by Western New York seniors that have been reported to The News:• Val McNamara of Nichols soccer signed with Binghamton this week.
• Lauren Hudson of Williamsville North track and field is signing with Bucknell.
• Amherst girls lacrosse goalie Emily Bitka has committed to the University of Albany.
• Four rowers from the West Side Rowing Club have been recruited to row for Division I schools: Patricia Beaulieu (Sacred Heart) to Canisius College; Emily Evans (City Honors) to Columbia University; Ashley Johnson (Clarence) to Syracuse; and Emily Radziwon (Orchard Park) to Clemson.
Please send signings to kmcshea@buffnews.com.
Hoops banquet April 7
The third Buffalo News/Basketball Coaches Association of New York boys basketball awards banquet will be April 7 at Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant in Blasdell. The event will again be supported by The Buffalo News, the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, ADPRO Sports, UNYTS and high school sports advocate Dick Gallagher. For those interested in sponsorships, email me at the address below.Last year we were able to pay tribute to “All-WNY legends” Dick Harvey (Dunkirk, 1959-60), Roosevelt Nixon (Emerson 1960-61) and Frank Swiatek (St. Mary’s/Lancaster, 1960-61).
We are trying to contact the following All-WNY first-teamers, especially those from the 1958-59 (first All-WNY team ever) and 1963-64 (50th anniversary) season. If you have contact information, please email it to me.
1958-59: Tom Chester (North Tonawanda), Frank Cipriani (Timon), Talbot Freeland (Bennett), George Mayer (Williamsville), Gene Morrow (Seneca).
1959-60: Pete Bisgeier (Kenmore West), Cootie Blanks (Bennett), Joe Bossert (Seneca), Jim Robinson (Cleveland Hill).
1960-61: Norb Baschnagel (Kensington), George Carter (Silver Creek), Jim Maglisceau (North Tonawanda).
1961-62: George Carter (Silver Creek), Phil Kontrabecki (Duffy), Garry Munson (Amherst), Dan Shea (Lackawanna), Willie Shine (Trott).
1962-63: Andy Anderson (Maryvale), Tom Bobenread (Amherst), Dwight Bonk (Dougherty), George Hicker (Franklinville), Frank Starks (Trott).
1963-64: Tom Balen (Lackawanna), Jack Hassett (Timon), George Hicker (Franklinville), Greg Hudecki (St. Joe’s), Bill Young (Angelica).
email: kmcshea@buffnews.com