Jamal Reid Selects Felician

6-foot Newark East Side combo guard Jamal Reid has made his college pick. Reid will stay in state and play at Division 2 Felician College.  Reid averaged 11.2 ppg this season while leading Eastside to a 19-6 record and final NJ Hoops ranking of 25th in the state.

Reid had 24 points in the Group 3 North 2 semifinal loss to Plainfield. Reid played his AAU ball with the Roadrunners and a few years back he was named All Tournament at the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest.

He is ranked among NJ Hoops top 60 seniors.

Cranford (45) at Newark East Side (68), NJSIAA Tournament, First Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Boys Basketball

Newark East Side keeps rolling along.

Sophomore Akbar Hoffman scored 16 points, including 10 in the first half, and sophomore Ismael Sanogo added 16 points, including 14 in the second half, to lead sixth-seeded Newark East Side to a 68-45 victory over 11th-seeded Cranford on Monday in the first round of the NJSIAA/ShopRite North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament in Newark.

East Side (18-5) has won seven straight and 13 of its last 14 games and advanced to the second round to play Chatham on Wednesday.

East Side started the game strong, going on a 12-4 run to start the first quarter, but Cranford fought back with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 12-12 on a Stefan Fedorchak layup with 1:36 left. East Side ended the first with a 19-14 lead and extended its lead to 24-14 with 6:05 left on a Jamar Gilbert layup to cap a 12-2 run en route to a 32-21 halftime lead.

Cranford pulled to within 11 points at 39-28 on a Reggie Green layup with 3:30 left in the third quarter but got no closer.

"It was a good game, Cranford came in here and played hard. This is the state tournament, no one wants to lose," East Side co-head coach Anthony Tavares said. "We have a bunch of athletes that defended and we did what we had to do. We have a little bit of depth this year and we have developed it. We got into some early foul trouble with Aaron (Bodie) and we needed our other guys to step up and they did."

Senior guard Jamal Reid added 16 points and senior forward Aaron Bodie added 13, including nine in the second half, for East Side.

"We needed to go through what we went through early on in the season," Tavares said. "We had some kids in and out, some suspensions, and I think we went 2-3 to start the season and now we are 18-5. The kids finally understand that we are going to do it the coaches' way, which is the right way."

Fedorchak, a junior, scored 16 points and Green, also a junior, added 12 to pace Cranford, which ended its season at 12-13.

"They were a little bit bigger and more athletic, but we needed to shoot the ball well from the perimeter in order to have a chance here and, unfortunately, we didn't do that," Cranford head coach Ryan Huber said. "Both of those guys (Fedorchak and Green) really stepped up for us. We are going to count on those guys a lot next year."

Bodie, East Side ride torrid first half to victory

by Mike Kinney on Tue, Jan. 17, 2012

Aaron Bodie got Newark East Side off to a quick start Monday afternoon by pacing the offense with strong interior moves and some overpowering putbacks.

A little later in the game, the 6-6 senior decided to reward the strong moves of others and also take away the need for putbacks with some crisp passing.

All part of being the veteran leader of a young team that sometimes needs to be shown the way before figuring it out for themselves.

Bodie scored 12 of his 18 points and hauled in six of his 12 rebounds in the first half and handed out three of his four assists in the second to guide East Side to a 53-35 win over Paterson Kennedy at the Freedom Fighters Hoop Challenge at Paterson Eastside.

"I had to get my teammates more active in the game. I can't do everything," Bodie said. "They need to be able to pick us up, too, so I have to get them the ball. That's the only way we’re going to keep getting better."

East Side (7-4) is certainly moving in the right direction, winning for the fifth time in the last six games and showing the kind of scoring balance that will ultimately make it difficult for opponents to focus entirely upon Bodie and fellow senior starter Jamal Reid.

Reserve sophomore forward Abdul Lewis tossed in 10 points, sophomore forward Ishmael Sanogo scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Reid finished with eight points, six rebounds and six assists. Paterson Kennedy (6-4), which is also a young club, got 20 points from senior guard Sammy Singletary.

East Side finished last season at 18-9 and with grand expectations for 2011-12, but veterans Tariq Carey (St. Anthony) and Kasim Chandler (Imani Christian of Pa.) transferred out last summer. That left Bodie and Reid as the Red Raiders' only returning regulars.

That lack of varsity experience was glaring in the first two weeks of the season as East Side lost two games by one point each and another by five.

"It was very frustrating," Bodie said. "I was used to two other people having the balll in their hands, last year--Tariq and Koz-- so it’s a big change. We still have a younger team, so they still have to get used to playing at varsity speed."

The 6-6 Sanogo was ready for the pace against Kennedy by taking command of the offensive glass to drop in seven first-quarter points. Bodie added six to help forge a 15-6 lead, and followed that with six in the next period (along with sophomore Jamar Gilbert with a pair of 3-pointers) as the Red Raiders' lead grew to 31-14.

"It's been very challenging, but every win is nice," Bodie said. He entered the game averaging 12.1 points, 14 in the previous three games. "The point guards are getting more familiar with each other and they're learning how to play with each other, and so are the bigs. The team chemistry is definitely getting there."

Who's Left?

The early signing period for college Division 1 programs closed earlier this month. While over 20 NJ Hoopers from the Class of 2012 made commitments there are still quite a few good prospects still available.

One of the 5 NJ Hoops Top Available seniors (ranked among the top 20 in the class) is Newark East Side Aaron Bodie.

La Roche Player of Week

La Roche men’s basketball guard, Andre Flanigan, has been named the La Roche Player of the Week for the week of November 28, 2011.
Last week, Andre led the Redhawks in scoring, assists, and steals as La Roche went 1-1. Andre recorded 8 points and 4 rebounds in a 71-66 loss to St. Vincent and 17 points, 11 assists, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds in an 84-69 win over Geneva.
Andre is a 2010 graduate of East Side High School (Newark, NJ).

Chandler Named Nov. 21 Pioneer of the Week

WAYNE, N.J. – Men's basketball junior guard Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side)

Chandler was selected as the Stevens Tip-Off Tournament MVP, and in three victories last week he averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. He posted 17 points and three assists during a 72-61 season-opening victory Nov. 15 against York (N.Y.), shooing 6-for-12 from the floor. Chandler led WP with 21 points, six assists and three steals during an 82-66 win Nov. 18 against King's in the first round of the Stevens Tip-Off Tournament, and he had a double-double with 28 points and a game-best 11 assists, adding eight rebounds and five steals in a 112-107 triple-overtime victory against the host Ducks Nov. 19 in the championship game.

NJ Hoops Top 20 Preview: Newark East Side

Overview Surprisingly a pair of three year starters 6-foot-2 Tariq Carey and Kasim Chandler left the program. Carey ended up at St. Anthony's and Chandler left the state for prep school. Two year starter, junior Will Joyce also transferred. He surfaced at Piscataway Tech. Despite these substantial defections to the starting lineup there is still talent on hand.

Backcourt

6-foot-1 Senior Jamal Reid can hit the three and score in bunches. 5-foot-10 Junior Stephon McNair and 5-foot-10 So. Akbar Hoffman have excellent quickness and can handle the rock.

Frontcourt

6-foot-6 Sr. Aaron Bodie is a quick leaper who plays above the rim. He attacks the glass well and can make the highlight reel with his dunks. 6-foot-5 So. Ismael Sanogo is one of the better young big men in the state and has drawn comparisons to Bodie.

Bench

6-foot-7 Sr. Shauntez Hill showed he could be a factor with his play this summer and fall. 5-foot-10 So. Jamar Gilbert transfers in from Newark Tech and could see significant minutes.

Coaching

An interesting dynamic on the sidelines at East Side as Bryant Garvin and Anthony Tavares have successfully worked as co-Head Coaches the past few years.

Season Prediction:

Have a chance to contend for Essex County honors as well as Group 3 North 2 supremacy.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Aaron Bodie - Forward
Jamal Reid - Guard
Stephon McNair - Guard
Ismael Sanogo - Forward
Shauntex Hill - Post
Akbar Hoffman - Guard
Jamar Gilbert - Guard

Aaron Bodie MVP

Fall Ball Champs

East Side & NBA

New York Fall Exposure Classic Recap

October 5th, 2011
New York Recruiting Report
With many college coaches on hand, many players shined at the Island Garden in West Hempstead on Sunday.

Sunday was the feature day of Hoop Mountain’s Long Island invasion at the Island Garden, as the region’s top D2 and D3 coaches came out to watch the future stars of their programs. The day began with athletic testing. Once that was completed, the players took part in individual skill development drills. After, they were divided up into teams and engaged in round-robin match-ups. The games were close throughout, as players showed tremendous effort on both ends of the floor, making the games seem more than just “showcase” games. With over 100 players from the NY area, several stood out:

Top Performers:
Aaron Brodie (Newark East Side)- The senior definitely demonstrated the most polished post game of any player here. Able to get open easily in the post, the 6’6’’ Jersey product seemed relaxed and confident catching the ball and making his move. He had all the coaches buzzing with the types of spins, fakes, and rip throughs that should definitely make him a threat at the next level.

Fall Jam Fest Photo's

From Hoopgroup Facebook page......Friend Request them.....

Eddie Griffin NJ Sophs

The Eddie Griffin Challenge annually matches up the top NJ players versus their counterparts in Philadelphia. The 3 game showcase will be held on Sunday October 9, 2011 @ the Haverford School in Haverford Pennsylvania. It is the 9th year for the prestigious event.

Ismael Sanogo
6'5 Forward
Pictured

Alternate - Akbar Hoffman
5-foot-11 Combo
Newark Eastside

Ahmad Harrison Intro

Info from Basketball Spotlight:

Ahmad Harrison Guard (Newark, NJ)- Harrison had a MVP type performance. He was truly in attack mode all afternoon. The Brick City product drove the ball down the teeth of the defense and converted in traffic. He also showed range from the perimeter when knocking down a couple of treys

Ahmad Harrison - Harrison played well against his former squad. He attacked the glass for rebounds and showed an improved mid range jump shot. Ahmad is an impact player when he’s playing under control.

SMU and Carey Reconnect...

E.J. Holland
PonyPride.com

Rumors regarding 2012 point guard Tariq Carey have been swirling around the recruiting circuit. Statements have been made that Wake Forest is his only offer and that the Demon Deacons are his clear cut favorite, but Carey denies both of these accusations. In fact, the highly touted ball handler has official offers from seven schools and Wake Forest is not one of them.

"I don't know what happened. I went to camp down at Wake Forest, and a scout put up that I had an offer. That's just not true," Carey said. "I don't have an offer from them. I thought I would have had an offer by the way I performed, but I don't so it is what it is. I don't have any favorites right now because there are a lot of schools that are showing interest in me. I'm definitely open to everybody."

One viable option for Carey happens to be SMU, which extended an offer two weeks ago. The New Jersey native has a growing interest in the Mustangs after initially visiting the Hilltop as a freshman and loves what both the program and school have to offer.

"SMU called and offered me right after the Reebok Breakout Challenge. They said that they like my game and stuff like that. They want to try to get get me down there, and they think I'll be a good fit in Conference USA," he said. "They really noticed me when I played there at their school during the Reebok Underclassmen as a freshman. I like that SMU plays in Conference USA, so you can't go wrong. I saw them play a couple of times last year, and I like the way they play.

"I actually went back down there for a visit after I played there as a freshman so I know a lot about the school. The campus is nice, and it's in Dallas. I would definitely feel comfortable playing there. Basketball is big down there so I know I'll get a lot of love, and I have a good relationship Coach [Matt] Doherty. Steve Lutz, who recruited me back as freshman left to Creighton, but I still like SMU, and they are definitely in the running. "

Carey hopes to see an even bigger spike in his recruitment this fall after transferring from East Side to St. Benedict's Prep at the end of this past school year.

"I start at St. Benedict's in August. I transferred right after the school year finished. I played a lot of summer league games with them, and we were 11-0. It seems like a lot people don't respect inner city basketball so I just decided to do what's best for me and take my talents to St. Benedict's," said Carey of the move. "The coaches are really great. Their head coach Mark Taylor coached at St. Joe's Metuchen when Jayson Williams and Andrew Bynum were there so he has a lot of information to give out. Troy Long is still my mentor, he handles all of my recruitment."

As Carey stated, he still keep in close contact with Troy Long, who coached him at East Side and helped him make the transition from shooting guard to point guard last season. When asked about his former player, Long praised Carey's abilities on the court and affirmed that the 2012 prospect would be a valuable asset to any Division I program.

"This summer has been all about showing colleges that he can play point guard. He's sacrificed his scoring numbers and is out to prove that he can run a team. He's done a good job, and his size for the position is great," Long said. "I think if he goes to a mid-major, he can make an immediate impact. If he goes to a bigger school, I see him as a role player during his freshman year, then breaking out as a sophomore. I just think he has a tremendous upside."

Carey has spent all summer playing AAU, but plans to take some recruiting trips soon. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, has an idea on where he wants to take his official visits and will begin narrowing down his list before summer ends.

"I want to try to get down to Clemson and Virginia soon. I don't have any officials planned yet, but by September I should know what's going," Carey said. "I definitely want to take a trip back down to SMU and Marshall so those are two definite schools right there, but as far as the other ones, I'll just have to wait."

Carey also added that he will make his final decision during early signing period.