So much happened this weekend in New York City boys high school basketball. Cardozo won its second straight SNY Invitational, and in so doing beat Christ the King for the second time in a little over a week, the latter coming on a neutral court in front of the television cameras. Kennedy Catholic and Monsignor Scanlan, two teams that were undefeated in league play, finally met in a highly-anticipated match-up, with Kennedy Catholic coming out on top. Playing its third game in three days and its second game in less than 24 hours, Christ the King defeated Archbishop Molloy to inch closer to the top of the Brooklyn-Queens CHSAA AA Division, in pursuit of a record-breaking fourth consecutive City Championship.
All of this aside (and that's a lot), something else significant occurred this weekend that has flown beneath the radar screen of NYC high school basketball. Coming into the weekend, there were only three undefeated boys varsity basketball teams left in NYC. All three lost over the weekend.
John Bowne, currently the top-ranked team in New York State Class A boasting a 19-0 record coming into the weekend, lost a 59-55 battle with perennial PSAL A Division powerhouse Frederick Douglass Academy on Sunday. Fannie Lou Hamer, the second-ranked team in New York State Class B with a 22-0 record coming into the weekend, lost 62-52 to Uncommon Charter of Brooklyn on Saturday. Finally, Democracy Prep, who, heading into the weekend was 14-0 but somehow overlooked in the rankings, lost a 52-51 heartbreaker to Scholars Academy on Saturday in the closing seconds.
These losses are not, however, sheer coincidence. All three games were part of the PSAL's A Division and B Division showcase events, pitting the top teams from these respective divisions against each other. This is a fantastic concept, as the participating teams graduate from the regular-season victories that are often lopsided affairs and get a tough test with the playoffs right around the corner. Thanks to the PSAL, the participating teams and, of course, the players, for giving us such competitive and exciting games to watch.