A Dispatch entry in October?! No, your eyes are not fooling you.

In order for us to continue growing this newsletter, it is imperative that we stay active year-round. Moving forward, I’m targeting at least one edition a month. We’ll cover important Dyckman Basketball news, as well as track how our summer participants—across high school, college, and the pros—are doing in their respective seasons.

In this edition, I’m recapping Day Two of the Test the Waters Preseason Classic, hosted by Coach Chris Williams at St. Raymond High School for Boys. C-Will—head coach of one-time champions at Dyckman The Program and our NY vs NY squad—invited me out to cover the tournament and get an exclusive look at top CHSAA and PSAL programs before their official tip-off.

The two-day event ran on Saturday, October 10th, and Monday, October 12th. I pulled up for Day Two—here’s what went down.

Game 1: Queens Crusaders (McClancy) vs. NYC Finest (John Bowne)

Game 1 really set the tone for what the rest of the day had in store. NYC Finest (John Bowne) controlled the early action behind Aven Goodhope’s 12 first-half points, taking a 38-28 lead into the break. Sparked by Player of the Game Eric Lamparter’s 10 third-quarter points (17 PTS total), the Queens Crusaders (McClancy) stormed back with a 16-5 run to open the second half and momentarily take the lead. NYC Finest answered right back to build another double-digit lead early in the fourth, but the Crusaders had one last push in them. With under a minute remaining, Cameron Gibbons tied the game at 61. Ryan Keough then poked away a clutch steal on the inbound to give the Crusaders their first lead of the second half before sinking two ice-cold free throws after a defensive stop to seal the 67-63 comeback victory. 

Game 2: Queens Eagles (Eagle Queens) vs. Manhattan Bulldogs (Brandies)

Game 2 featured a clash of contrasting styles: the Manhattan Bulldogs (Brandies) brought physical size inside, while the Queens Eagles (Eagle Queens) relied on uptempo guard play and perimeter shooting. It was a tight battle early, and ironically, it was the outside shot that pushed the Bulldogs to a 34-31 halftime lead. The Bulldogs briefly stretched their advantage to double digits at 44-33, but by the end of the third quarter, the Eagles had cut the deficit back down to three. With the score knotted at 60 late in the fourth, Paris Roots converted a massive and-1 to put the Eagles ahead for good before Player of the Game Dennis Smith Jr. (14 PTS) and company closed it out at the charity stripe for a 70-60 win. Jaden Carrington dropped a team-high 15 points for the Bulldogs in the loss. 

Game 3: Queens Stanners (Molloy) vs. Queens Vee Bees (Van Buren)

Game 3 was a classic Queens vs. Queens slugfest between the Queens Stanners (Molloy) and the Queens Vee Bees (Van Buren). It started as a defensive grind, with the Stanners holding a narrow 9-7 edge after one quarter and a 19-18 lead at the break. The Stanners maintained control for most of the second half, though the Vee Bees never went away. A late Vee Bees three-pointer cut the deficit to 40-37 with 1:22 remaining, but the Stanners answered immediately with an and-1 bucket to put the game out of reach, securing a 46-43 win. Player of the Game Anthony Elor and Nolan Gomez led the charge for Molloy, finishing with 22 and 15 points, respectively. 

Game 4: Orange Wave (Jefferson) vs. Westchester Panthers (Masters)

It took until Game 4 to get our first lopsided result of the day. To be fair to the Westchester Panthers (Masters), they were missing 4-star prospect Damian Mojica. Orange Wave (Jefferson) built a 20-11 lead after the first quarter and held a 37-26 cushion at halftime. The Brooklyn powerhouse completely overmatched the opposition in the second half, sparking a 14-1 run to open the third quarter and outscoring the Panthers 51-24 over the final two frames to cruise to an 88-50 blowout. Orange Wave’s offensive firepower was on full display, led by Co-Players of the Game Justin Rodriguez (24 PTS) and Christian Marbury (23 PTS), with Dylan Hickman chipping in 18. 

Game 5: BX Ravens (St. Rays) vs. Queens Rangers (Forest Hills)

In Game 5, we got an impressive showing from the home team as the BX Ravens (St. Rays) took on the Queens Rangers (Forest Hills). The Ravens blew the game wide open with a dominant second quarter, taking a commanding 49-26 lead into halftime. Player of the Game Todd Arrington (12 PTS) looked elite at point guard—setting the table for his teammates while flawlessly picking his spots to score. The Ravens showcased deep depth in the 80-54 win, dressing 15 players with 12 cracking the scoring column. Elijah Jenkins and Zaire Johnson paced St. Rays with 13 points apiece, while Arrington and Elijah Espada added 12 and 11, respectively. 

Game 6: BK Lions (Brooklyn Collegiate) vs. Queens Terriers (St. Francis Prep)

Game 6 was a gritty battle between the Queens Terriers (St. Francis Prep) and the BK Lions (Brooklyn Collegiate). After managing just 5 points in the opening quarter, the Terriers exploded for an 18-4 run in the second frame to take a 23-22 lead into the break. Sparked by Player of the Game Jamil Kimbrough’s 9 third-quarter points (20 PTS total), the BK Lions regained control and never looked back. They carried a 41-36 lead into the fourth and built a double-digit margin before the Terriers made a late push to keep it competitive, with the Lions holding on for the 62-56 win. Ethan Edwards displayed some nice outside shooting for the Terriers, draining 5 threes in the contest. 

Game 7 (Main Event): The Academy (Eagle BX) vs. BX Crusaders (Scanlan)

The main event of the evening featured defending PSAL champions The Academy (Eagle BX) taking on a talented BX Crusaders (Scanlan) squad. The Crusaders caught some by surprise early, holding a 16-11 lead after one quarter and taking a 30-28 advantage into halftime. But as you'd expect from a Coach Rose-led squad, The Academy came out firing after the break. A swift 17-5 run gave them a 45-35 lead, led by Player of the Game Elijah King, who scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the second half. Gio Moran served up dime after dime on a platter, while Kayleeb George anchored the defense, blocking everything in sight as The Academy coasted to a 69-55 victory. 

It felt great being back in the field—it’s been a minute since I was posted up in a gym covering a 10 AM tip-off! With that said, we’re going to be real selective about the events we tap into this Fall and Winter to bring you the best coverage possible. Catch y’all on the next one!

As always, thank you for tapping into the Dyckman Dispatch! 🗞️

-Miguel signing out, Peace ✌️