Like a mid-range jumper, Yosef Yacob liked one of his college offers … so he took it.

The Archbishop Carroll senior Tuesday night gave Binghamton University a verbal commitment. Yacob, a 6-0 All-Delco guard, chose the Bearcats out of five programs that had offered scholarships.

“That’s a great fit for him,” Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk said. “Of course, I believe in Yosef as a player and there might have been one or two schools that intrigued him. But he felt so comfortable (at Binghamton) on his unofficial visit that he made it his official visit. “

Yacob averaged 12.9 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds for Carroll, a Catholic League semifinalist which ended its season in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class AAA tournament.

He considered offers from Rider, St. Francis (Pa.), New Hampshire and Albany.

Yacob is the third player from Carroll in the last four years to commit to a Division I program, joining All-Delcos Juan’ya Green (Niagara University) and D.J. Irving (Boston University). The first season of Yacob’s college career with Binghamton, which competes in the America East Conference, will overlap with the final season of Irving’s at BU, in 2013-14.

Romanczuk said Yacob is the latest among that D-I trio to follow a successful formula at Carroll – get playing time as a freshman and develop gradually.

“I think Yosef came under ideal circumstances,” Romanczuk said. “No. 1, he got time as a freshman but didn’t get thrown to the wolves in having to do a lot because he had guys like D.J. and Juan’ya. He didn’t have a lot of pressure. He just had to knock down shots.

“No. 2, he learned from them and went against them in practice. He even got to play with Juan’ya another year and now he’s been the man. Last year, he carried us down the stretch. He broke out and became that player for us. I just see even better things for him next year.”

Haven't yet heard from Yacob, but awaiting his call. For more on the verbal, pick up Thursday's copy of the Daily Times.

In 2010, it was D.J. Irving's time to shine. In 2011, all eyes were affixed to Juan'ya Green. Tonight, when Archbishop Carroll opens the PIAA Class AAA tournament against Trinity, Yosef Yacob knows this could be his year to take top billing.

“When I was a freshman, we made it to the third round and lost. And last year, we made it to the first round and lost,” Yacob said the other day, when Carroll won District 12's third-place game. “So I'm excited to actually go far being one of the bigger players on the team. I've never made it far in states as one of the key players. I'm really excited to get onto the floor and start winning.”

Yacob, who averages 14 points per game to go along with a keen eye for knocking down 3-pointers, has become the focal point of Carroll's offense. When he's not driving the lane and attacking the rim, he's able to convert from long range or at the free-throw line. (He's a 75-percent shooter at the stripe.)

A junior shooting guard, Yacob has a pair of Division I offers, from Rider and Albany, and said he counts five others as “interested.” They are Princeton, Akron, Delaware, Niagara and Drexel.

So now that the Patriots are in states, the pressure is on for Yacob. And being that he's seen Irving, a star at Boston University, and Green, a standout freshman at Niagara, handle the duties on the state stage, Yacob knows what to do.

“I feel like I should be a leader on the floor – not even just in scoring, but in defense, boxing out and not being lazy,” Yacob said. “If I'm lazy, they're all going to be lazy. It's extra work for me, but if I want to be (viewed as) a leader, I have to do it. That's what I'm supposed to do anyway.”

Added Carroll point guard Isaiah Warren: “I play my role and I try to set Yosef up. He's a good shooter and I like to make him look good. If I have a jumpshot or a layup, I'll take it. But if Yosef has a shot, I try to get him the ball.”

(Times staff photo / ROBERT J. GURECKI)

Archbishop Carroll's Yosef Yacob isn't having the best season, but it's been good enough to garner a pair of offers from Division I programs.

Yacob, the Patriots' junior point guard, has received scholarship offers from Rider and Albany, according to Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk.

"I'm sure (his recruiting) will pick up on the AAU trail this spring and summer," Romanczuk said Wednesday, "but we've had a few teams pop in and out of the gym. I don't think it's anyone new exactly who is entering the picture.

"Last time I checked, Rider and Albany have offered full scholarships," he continued. "Delaware and Northeastern and Niagara have checked in on him, as well. I'm sure there's some I'm missing."

Counted on to be the go-to guy at Carroll -- after losing Juan'ya Green (Niagara) to graduation in 2011 and D.J. Irving (Boston U) in 2010 -- Yacob is averaging 10 points per game, though he's had to weather a few sluggish shooting nights. Yacob has hit for double-figures in scoring in only seven of 16 games for the Patriots (11-5, 6-1).

But Yacob has been known to shoot lights-out when it matters most. (See: 2010-11 PCL playoffs). I'm certain it'll pick up for Yacob soon ... and that goes for his recruitment, too.

Archbishop Carroll product Juan'ya Green is doing some pretty remarkable things at Niagara (4-8, 0-2). Take a look:

**19.1 points per game. That's what Green, the 2010-11 Daily Times Player of the Year, averages on a nightly basis -- good for 30th nationally and second among freshman.
**37.1 minutes per game. Part of the reason Green has been so effective is because he's staying in games. In 12 games for the Purple Eagles, he's yet to foul out. He ranks ninth nationally in playing time.

After reading those stats, you might wonder why Green -- a 6-3, 195-pound combo guard -- is at Niagara, in the MAAC. As a sophomore at Carroll, Green sprained his ankle and missed a couple games. As insignificant as that sounds, he fell off a lot of teams' recruiting radars because of it.

Either way, Green is making teams wish they had stuck around in Carroll's gym and recruited him. He's tearing it up at Niagara, and he got a well-deserved write-up from CBSsports.com this week. Check it out.

##

You may have noticed Matt Chandik and Matt DeGeorge covering boys basketball games in the last few nights. (That's because I needed to use some vacation time around the holiday, or run the risk of losing it.)

Hey, they both did great jobs. So if you didn't read DeGeorge's write-up in Friday's paper on Upper Darby topping Garnet Valley, or Chandik's account in Saturday's paper on Interboro squeaking past Penncrest, here's your chance.

Welcome back, readers. We're three days removed from opening night of the boys basketball season, and here's what to look out for in 2011:

***Chester. It may not come as a surprise, but the reigning PIAA Class AAAA champions are good. How good? The Clippers might be rolling with a 13-man rotation, with each player getting quality minutes. Keep an eye on junior Rondae Jefferson (pictured) and senior Erikk Wright.

***Big man on campus. The Haverford School has a new coach and a new outlook on basketball, after yet-another .500 season. Oh, and the Fords have a 6-foot-11 junior transfer student from China. Tao Xu is coming off a back injury, but he should have the Fords back in contention in the Inter-Ac League.

***Captain Yosef. For the first time in five years, Archbishop Carroll is fielding a roster without D.J. Irving and Juan'ya Green, a pair of All-Delco guards. So the keys to the Patriots' season have been handed to Yosef Yacob, the junior captain.

***Cluttered Central League. Outside of Lower Merion, the heavy favorite in the Central, it appears to be a mixed-up league. Some coaches point to Ridley and Marple Newtown as favorites, others say Haverford and Upper Darby. It'll be a nice race to watch.

That's it for now.

Keep an eye out for Thursday's Daily Times, which will feature the basketball previews.

For the second straight season -- and to the same opponent -- Archbishop Carroll lost the Catholic League championship game.

Monday's 59-55 loss to Neumann-Goretti meant the Saints were able to take home their 15th league crown while concluding their third consecutive unbeaten slate in league play.

All the while, Carroll was unable to win its second such crown.

The Patriots relied too heavily upon All-Delco Juan'ya Green, who poured in a game-best 30 points. He shot 9-for-25 from the floor; his team combined to shoot 10-for-24, which doesn't sound all that bad ... but it was.

The Patriots' second-leading scorer this season, Yosef Yacob, who had 18 points in the league semifinal, finished with six. Alec Stavetski, another usually reliable offensive cog, was left scoreless. Jay Donovan, a long-range sniper, had only one trey and seven total points.

"We didn't do enough," Donovan said.

"Sometimes we stand too much. It happened tonight," he added. "We stand around and watch Juan'ya too much. We should set picks and get each other open better. We need to play better as a team. We can't rely on Juan'ya like that. One versus five won't work. He's a great player, but we need to help him out."

Tracy Peal was Carroll's only other double-figure scorer, tallying 12 points with eight rebounds.

For more on the game, including a column by Jack McCaffery and sidebar special to the Times by Tom Kerrane, pick up Tuesday's edition of the Daily Times.

A POINT OF PRIDE
In Archbishop Carroll's quarterfinal win Friday, All-Delco Juan'ya Green scored 39 points. No player ever has scored more in a Catholic League playoff game.

Only one has ever scored as many, though.

Roman Catholic's Kyle Locke dropped 39 in the 1992 CL final. Anyone wondering what Locke is up to these days? It took a little bit of looking around, but it seems Locke is an assistant coach with the University of Washington women's basketball team. Huh. What'ya know?

QUOTE OF THE TOURNAMENT
Pennridge coach Dean Behrins and the Rams Friday earned their first home playoff victory in program history. Their reward? They get to face Plymouth Whitemarsh in Round 2.

"What the heck," Behrens said. "It's a great situation. The kids are going to get an opportunity to play against Jaylen Bond and whoever else they recruited into that school. It's a great opportunity for us." (Courtesy The Intelligencer)

A FINAL NOTE
A while back, I asked Springfield senior Zack DeVito about how different it will be with the Cougars jumping into the District One Class AAAA bracket. He offered me this quote:

"I think it'd be cool to play Chester in Chester. Packed house, lots of fans yelling, the whole thing. I don't know if it'll happen. ... I've never played there before, but I think it'd be cool."

Tuesday, DeVito and 17th-seeded Springfield get their chance against No. 1 Chester.

Penn Wood's Aaron Brown and Archbishop Carroll's Juan'ya Green have been nominated for the McDonald's All-America Game, which will be played next month in Chicago.

While the seniors face stiff odds to make the game, which pares down a list of 2,000 nominees to a 24-man game, it's still a considerable honor to be nominated in the first place.

Brown and Green are enjoying eerily similar senior seasons for their respective schools. The All-Delcos have been back and forth in the county's scoring-leader list. Green, who averages 21.3 points, holds a slight edge over Brown, who tosses in 21.1 per game.

Brown is a West Virginia commit. Green has signed on to play at Niagara.

For more on this, check out the boys basketball notebook in Friday's edition of the Daily Times.

There's no easy way to put this, so here goes: Neumann-Goretti has Archbishop Carroll's number.

OK, now that that's out of the way.

The Patriots' 74-68 loss to the visiting Saints Sunday typifies a rivalry that has been competitive of late, but more one-sided than outsiders might think.

Neumann-Goretti has won 23 of the team's last 24 meetings in the last 10 years. (The only contest that Carroll stole from N-G? A 70-65 decision in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals in 2008-09. Two wins later, and the Patriots were state champions.)

In their most recent meeting, the Patriots (10-3) held a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. They were up by 13 heading into the final period, at 51-38.

So what happened? The Saints, the reigning Class AAA state champs, went to the line and knocked down shots so regularly that the Patriots could not keep pace.

Tracy Peal (pictured) had 15 points and 10 rebounds, All-Delco Juan'ya Green had 22 points, nine assists and five boards and Shane Randall coupled eight points with 11 rebounds.

What it boils down to is Carroll has to beat Neumann-Goretti. Plain and simple. The only time the Patriots beat the Saints in the last decade, they made it count by winning the state crown. If they intend on making another lengthy run, they'll have to go through Neumann-Goretti.

Entering Thursday night's games, here's how my stat book shook out:

1. Juan'ya Green, Arch. Carroll ... 22.1 ppg
2. Aaron Brown, Penn Wood ... 22.0 ppg
3. Jordan Tucker, Academy Park ... 20.4 ppg
4. Shawn Church, Ridley ... 18.3 ppg
5. Ian Campbell, Penncrest ... 17.3 ppg
6. Jordan Sbraccia, Delco Christian ... 17.1 ppg
7t. Erikk Wright, Chester ... 16.0 ppg
7t. Taylor Wright, Episcopal Acad. ... 16.0 ppg
9. Omar Randall, Strath Haven ... 15.4 ppg
10. Steffon Poole, Glen Mills ... 14.8 ppg

More to come next week, when I unveil the county's top 25 scorers in the first installment of the boys basketball notebook.

Could it have been easier for Juan'ya Green? Sure, but what's the fun in that?

"We didn't come out with any momentum," Green said Friday night, when he and his Archbishop Carroll teammates needed a comeback to force overtime and get a 62-58 win against Philadelphia Electric Charter. "So we needed to find some momentum after halftime."

Along the way, Green became the eighth player in Carroll's program history to score 1,000 points in his career. The 6-3 All-Delco did so on a second-quarter 3-pointer from the left wing. During a timeout, it was announced to the Patriots' home fans that Green had eclipsed the mark.

"I'm proud to be a part of it," said Green, who finished the night with 21 points. "A lot of guys have been a part of this program and I'm proud to get to this point."

"He's working hard and it's showing on the court," said Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk, a great player at Carroll in his own right, but one who didn't reach 1,000. "(Green) will go down as one of the best in the program's history."

Green, through three games (all wins), is averaging 25.7 points per game. The Niagara University commit said it was nice to hear from his future coaches.

"The assistant coach was there (Phil Martelli, Jr.), and I got a text after the game from Coach (Joe) Mihalich, which was nice," Green said.

Read more about Green's accomplishment, the Patriots' win and all of Friday's boys basketball action in Saturday's Daily Times.

Archbishop Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk, who has sent three players from his 2008-09 state-championship team to Division I programs, talked Thursday about the most recent to make the leap: Juan'ya Green.

Thursday, Green - an all-state and All-Delco 6-4 combo guard - gave Niagara University a verbal commitment. He joins D.J. Irving (Boston University) and Ben Mingledough (Delaware) as members of the Patriots' PIAA Class AAA championship team to accept D-I scholarships.

Here's what Romanczuk had to say about Green.

On choosing Niagara:
"Obviously he got recruited by a bunch of different levels. There was A-10 interest, Big East interest. ...When all is said and done, this is the best fit for him. I feel he's in great hands with (head coach and La Salle alum Joe) Mihalich and (assistant coach Phil) Martelli. They're good people and they'll take care of him."

On playing point guard at the college level:
"I feel like point guard is his best position. He sees the floor better than most I've seen while around our program. He sets up defenses, knows the pace of the game, gets guys involved, all of that. I think he's well suited for point guard. He's big enough to play off the ball, but I think you get the most out of him at point guard. At the high school level, you don't get a 6-3 point guard often. He's a luxury for me to have. I can post him up if they put a smaller guy on him. They could probably get away with that a little at the college level. Juan'ya is a tough matchup."

On moving from the city to the 'burbs:
"I think it'll be a little bit of a culture shock. It'll get a little colder and there will be a little more snow than he's used to seeing. I think it always is for a freshman. He's probably 6 or 7 hours away by car. He's very close with his mother. I just know having a little taste of Philly helped him out. ...They always have Philly area kids up there."

On his interest from Villanova, which went from hot to cold:
"Villanova has gotten to the point where they are not just a top-25 program; they're a top-10, top-15 program. Coach (Jay) Wright has done a wonderful job in making it a national program that they can get a little picky and the way coach Wright put it to me was that they want to get it right with a Philly-area kid. They don't want a Philly-area kid not to play as a freshman or as a sophomore. It's tough on a Philly-area kid to go to Villanova and to have the spotlight on him and be a success early. (Wright) was a little apprehensive. They went in a different direction, but I think Juan'ya could have figured it out there."

On sending Carroll players to Division I programs:
"Back when I first started coaching, I had a Division III college coach who I knew very well and respected, and he said to me, 'What do all great coaches have in common?' I'm 23, 24 at the time and I feel like I know nothing. I also feel like I'm going to learn the lesson. And he says to me, 'All great coaches have great players,' and that pretty much sums it up. I've had some very good players in recent years. I think it's just a great thing for Carroll. It makes a coach's job that much easier to have that kind of talent to continue to come through our school and represent our program."

####

For more on Green's decision, check out Friday's edition of the Daily Times.

Before Thursday, only three people had known where Juan'ya Green planned on continuing his basketball career: his mother, Octavia Green; his AAU coach, Lonnie Lowry of Team Philly; and his coach at Archbishop Carroll, Paul Romanczuk.

Now, Green wants everyone to know - he's heading to Niagara University.

"As soon as I get off the phone with you," Green told the Daily Times Thursday afternoon, "I'm calling the coaches to let them know I'm committing."

An all-state, all-Catholic and All-Delco, Green chose Niagara ahead of higher-tiered programs that had extended offers. Boston University, Temple and George Mason were top candidates, and Saint Joseph's and Maryland were in the conversation, too.

Villanova, for a time during Green's freshman and sophomore years, had plenty of interest in Green. Wildcats coach Jay Wright was a staple at Carroll's games.

Playing time - and immediate playing time - carried plenty of weight for Green, a 6-4 combo who has been assured that he could be the Purple Eagles' starting point guard for the 2011-12 season.

Green averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for Carroll, which advanced to the PIAA Class AAA playoffs in the Catholic League's first seasons of PIAA eligibility. The Patriots won the state title in 2008-09 and made state quarterfinals last winter. Green improved his scoring averages during both state-playoff pushes.

A big-game player, Green said he doesn't expect any hitch playing under the not-so-bright lights of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He said he likes how a city boy like himself will fit into Niagara's rural setting.

"I think I'll adjust real well," he said Thursday by telephone. "The players like me and I like the campus and the school. It'll be a great fit."

For more on Green's decision, check out Friday's edition of the Daily Times.

It's getting tougher to argue with the sheer numbers … and Juan'ya Green is putting up big ones.

The junior guard/forward scored 21 points, had five rebounds and handed out four assists in Archbishop Carroll's 64-51 PIAA Class AAA second-round victory Tuesday over Danville.

Temple assistant coach Matt Langel was spotted outside Carroll's locker room after the game.

When asked what that meant to him, Green had this to say:
“It's exciting, but I can't give it too much thought right now. I guess it's the way I play that people like. And I think I'm getting better every day, in practice and in games. I'm just playing hard.”

It's worth noting two additional things, for those Temple fans out there: Green, who lives in Conshohocken, grew up in North Philly. The other is that Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk played for Temple coach Fran Dunphy while both were at Penn.

Green said he has offers from Temple, Saint Joseph's, Maryland, George Mason and Boston University. He has gotten interest, as well, from Georgetown, Marquette and Providence.

As for Ben Mingledough, the Patriots' 6-4 senior forward ... If I had to take a guess, I'd say he's headed to St. Peter's (N.J.) The Peacocks' assistant coach, John Morton, made the trek to CD East from their New Jersey campus to see Mingledough. Does that mean a commitment is imminent?

“I haven't made a decision," said Mingledough, who also has an offer from St. Francis (Pa.) "You could say I'm close.” How close? “I don't know," he added. "I can't tell you yet.”

Oh, the intrigue of college recruiting...

For those counting at home, that would bring Carroll's Division I count to three. Senior guard D.J. Irving is headed to Boston University. And, if we're talking total D-I kids from last year's state-title team, the Patriots have four: Kasheef Festus is a freshman at Coppin State.

NOTE: The fifth and final starter from that 08-09 title team - the only one yet to be mentioned in this long, long blog post - was in attendance at Tuesday night's game. Andre Wilburn, who plays at Delaware State, joined the team in the locker room during postgame.

Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg: 118 miles, 2 hours.

In a little while, I'll be hitting the road en route to Archbishop Carroll's second-round, PIAA Class AAA matchup with Danville at 6 p.m. It's going to take some time to get there and, according to the CD East folks, I've been told there's no Wireless in the building.

Bummer.

That being said, you can rest assured that right here on Gettin' Schooled you will see a synopsis of the game and some quotes from players and coaches within an hour after the final buzzer sounds. And, of course, you can always check Wednesday's Daily Times for the full report.

I'll keep you informed from Harrisburg. See you there.

UPDATED 10:23 P.M.
The Patriots pulled out a 64-51 victory over Danville and move into the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal round for the second time in as many seasons of PIAA eligibility.

Of course, they'll have to get through Neumann-Goretti to go further.

Juan'ya Green scored 21 points, Ben Mingledough tossed in 20 and D.J. Irving recovered nicely from the opening round, in which he posted the first scoreless game of his career at any level. The All-Delco point guard finished with 13 points.

Carroll (24-4) overcame a hot spell by Danville, during which the Ironmen made 11 straight baskets in a 9-plus minute span. The Patriots trailed at the break but poured it on after halftime.

For more check out Wednesday's Daily Times.

(Photo by Varsity365.com)

So Archbishop Carroll, minus two of its best players, hung on for a 48-43 victory Wednesday over Simon Gratz. The win does a number of things for the Patriots:

*** It assured them of District 12's third and final slot in the upcoming Class AAA tournament.
*** It guarantees that they'll have a chance to defend their state title.
*** It grants extensions to the careers of seniors D.J. Irving and Ben Mingledough, who missed the play-in game for varying reasons. (See previous posts)

Without Irving and Mingledough, the Patriots had to go young. Just how raw was Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk's lineup?

A first-time starter, freshman Yosef Yacob needed to be coached on how to bump fists with the game's officials following introductions. At first, he broke the huddle and went back toward the Carroll bench.

"He went to shake my hand," Romanczuk said. "It was obvious he had never started before."

And junior guard/forward Juan'ya Green, a first-time captain, knew little of the goings-on in the pregame meeting at midcourt.

"There was a funny exchange at center court, with the captains and coaches there," Romanczuk continued. "(The officials) asked who the speaking captain was for us and Juan'ya was the only one out there who was going to play and D.J was the other one, so Juan'ya raised his hand and said, 'I'm No. 10.'

"The officials said, 'We still need to see your jersey.' So usually the captains pull up their (warmups) and show their jerseys. But Juan'ya didn't grasp that concept because that's the first time he's ever been out there for a captains' meeting."

Either way, the Patriots move on. And, according to their coach, "they matured" Wednesday.

There are so many reasons to like Archbishop Carroll's odds to get past La Salle Wednesday and punch its ticket to the Catholic League championship game: Mainly, you've got three: D.J. Irving, Juan'ya Green and Ben Mingledough.

These are three of Delco's top 12 scorers this year. Irving, an All-Delco guard (pictured), provides leadership in the backcourt whereas fellow senior Mingledough, a forward, does so down low. And Green, well, he does just about everything right.

Against La Salle, however, the Patriots will face one of their stiffest tests of the season. The Explorers (19-4) have won 11 of their last 12 games, including Saturday's Catholic League quarterfinal. They are the Red Division's top team.

Sure, La Salle hasn't won a league title since 1981. But they own eight, which ranks among the league's leaders in that category. And in Eddie Mitchell and Troy Hockaday, the Explorers have two potent scorers who will create fits for any defense.

It's going to be a heck of a game (Palestra, 7 p.m.), so be sure to get there early to guarantee yourself a ticket.

Despite winning a state title a year ago, fan turnout at Archbishop Carroll's home gym hasn't been exactly what Juan'ya Green expected. But Sunday, there was one member of the crowd who was most noticeable.

Temple coach Fran Dunphy was there, watching Green and the Patriots fall, 66-58, to Neumann-Goretti. Dunphy is one of many coaches volleying for Green's services.

“I see the coaches in the stands,” said Green, a junior, “but I try to just go about my business.”

Once considered the darling of Jay Wright's 2011recruiting class at Villanova, Green has dropped off the Wildcats' radar (probably because the No. 3 team in the country figures it can do better). In any case, Green is an incredibly skilled guard/forward that any Division I school would be willing to have.

Need evidence of that? Green has offers from Maryland, Temple, Saint Joseph's, George Mason and Boston University – where his Carroll teammate D.J. Irving is headed next fall. Green also has recruiting interest from Georgetown and Providence – Villanova's rivals in the Big East.

Should be an interesting decision for Green.

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ALL-CATHOLIC TEAMS ANNOUNCED
Speaking of Green, he was Delco's lone representative on the All-Catholic League Blue Division team. The All-Catholic teams, decided upon by the league's coaches, were unveiled Wednesday.

In the Blue Division, Green made the first team along with three members of Neumann-Goretti's division-championship squad – including MVP Tony Chennault. Also for Carroll, senior point guard DJ Irving and senior forward Ben Mingledough made the Second Team.

In the Red Division, Monsignor Bonner had three players earn all-league honors. Senior point guard Jamal Melvin was a Second-Team pick while senior forwards Kiefer Francis and Scott Slade were chosen to the Third Team.

Roman Catholic's Rakeem Brookins was the Red's MVP.

What's that old parable? It has something to do with a tree falling in the woods... Anyway, a high-school boys basketball game started Saturday and ended Sunday. It didn't go to overtime. And it certainly wasn't televised, so there weren't any television timeouts.

So why did Archbishop Carroll's nonleague game against Mount Lebanon require two calendar days to complete? It's the fault of showcase tournaments, creating glossy games that have more to do with feeding bodies through turnstiles than with maintaining the well-being of the student-athletes involved in the game.

Maybe it's just this reporter's opinion, but it seems absurd that a high school game be started - and finished - so late in the night. Maybe the players actually enjoy a break from the monotony of 3:45 and 7:30 p.m. starts. Maybe the fans enjoy taking in a game that requires a few coffee trips to prevent snoring while watching.

I don't. I'm old school that way. It's a shame Carroll's Juan'ya Green, pictured, one of the county's finest scoring guards, posted 26 points and made 15 of his 17 shots from the free-throw line ... and nobody probably saw it. It's a shame All-Delco D.J. Irving scored 16 points and added five steals and four assists for Archbishop Carroll ... and nobody read about it in the newspaper.

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In games that started (and ended) Sunday:
Penn Wood 86, South Philadelphia 48: The Patriots absolutely pummeled their Public League foes in a game at Villanova's Pavilion. Four scorers hit for double figures, including All-Delco Tyree Johnson and forward Aaron Brown.

Parkland 61, Chester 59 (OT): The Clippers lost for the third time in five games and their second straight, in an overtime game at Parkland. Erikk Wright, a sophomore forward who scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, continues to emerge as a formidable player in the paint.

There were only three games Wednesday. Allow me to take you beyond the box score for each of them:

CHESTER 69, CHICHESTER 47
In the Del Val League opener for both teams, this was always Chester's game - even if Chi led, 15-13, after one quarter. Four Clippers hit for double figures - Kareem and Laquan Robinson, Erikk Wright and Darius Collins. And Wright, though I'll need to check on this, fell one rebound shy of a double-double in his seventh straight game. The Eagles are good, and better than they have been in recent years, but the Clippers are still the Clippers.

ARCHBISHOP CARROLL 74, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 44
Eight games in, we're finally starting to see how balanced Carroll's team is. Matt Donaldson, who has very limited hoops experience, bullied LC for 11 boards. I have yet to see him in person but Yosef Yacob (10 points, four steals) is looking solid. And Ben Mingledough had 22 points, a career-best. LC never stood a chance. And that's before you count All-Delco D.J. Irving and Juan'ya Green, who had 12 and 16 points, respectively.

EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 48, GERMANTOWN FRIENDS 33
Even with star center Isaiah Baker feeling ill and missing the game, the Churchmen rolled. Taylor Wright is beginning to prove that he's a threat you can't leave open on the perimeter, with his three 3-pointers. And three others scored in double figures.

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One thing I forgot to bring up didn't happen Wednesday. It was part of Tuesday's action.

Penncrest barely snuck past Marple Newtown, 58-57, using a pair of free throws by Matt Atkinson with 7.5 seconds remaining. The thing about Atkinson, the First-Team All-Central League quarterback pick in 2009, was that he hadn't scored all game prior to stepping to the line.

Also, the senior limited Marple stud two guard Soutiri Sapnas to a rather pedestrian 23 points, which almost has become an off night for the senior.

"Soutiri got two looks in the last six-and-a-half seconds and he missed on both," said Penncrest coach Mike Doyle. "Matty did a great job. He didn't worry about scoring - he had zero - and he hit those shots. The gym was rocking. It was close to standing-room only here and it was a great high school experience."

Part of what I love about high school hoops is the atmosphere. Sounds like it was a good one at Kaufman Gymnasium.