– Charlie Croff started his senior campaign at Lockport like a man on a mission.  The 2025 2nd Team All-Centercourt selection was unstoppable for 4 quarters in the Lions’ victory over Williamsville East, dropping  WNY season-high and new career-high 42 points (35 of them through the first 3 quarters) while hauling in 14 rebounds.  The performance included contested buckets in the paint, fall-away baseline jumpers, deep 3-pointers, a concerted effort defensively, and a near perfect performance from the free throw stripe, making 15 of 16 attempts.

– Aidan Neumann scored 16 of his game-high 38 points in the final frame of Wilson’s comeback victory over Cardinal O’Hara on Saturday at the Cataract Classic.

– All five games played at the Cataract Classic featured the winning team taking a double figure lead and then absorbing a furious comeback attempt before earning the eventual victory.  Wilson was the only winning team that yielded its lead late before winning.

– When I saw Lew-Port head coach Pat Krawczyk at the Cataract Classic on Friday prior to his team’s game, I said there’s the coach of the 21st ranked large school (after attempting to detail a Top 20 on the Centercourt Weekly Show on Wednesday).  He laughed and said “I bet you say that to every team that’s not in your Top 20”.  The Lancers went on to sink 12 triples in their 67-60 victory over Timon, who entered the game with the #7 overall ranking from the preseason.  Lew-Port now occupies the #10 ranking in WNY.

– Randolph freshman Syrai Johnson lit it up at McKinley on Friday evening, scoring a career-high 36 points and drilling 7 treys in the Cardinals’ 78-33 win over Hutch Tech.

– Joe LaVare ran a successful Coaches vs Cancer event at Daemen College in the opening week of the 2026   Season, with a three game lineup that featured three of the area’s Top 10 large schools, along with three more annually relevant programs.  It brought back memories of the Pastor Cooper Showcase, an event played in the same gymnasium that for years signaled the start of high school basketball season for the WNY hoop-heads.

– When I walked into Lumsden Gymnasium at Daemen College on Wednesday, the first and only person I saw sitting in the building was none other than the GOAT of high school coaches himself, Jeff Anastasia.  The legendary former head coach of the Olean Huskies and all-time winningest coach in our area with 602 victories & 14 Section VI titles said he was going to call me, but thought he would just surprise me instead and tell me in person that he was there as an assistant coach with Williamsville North, who was playing in the first game.  With his tutelage, the Spartans should become one of the top defensive programs this season.

– I’ve noticed recently that photographers really seem to like taking pictures during the playing of the national anthem and a quick shot from the baseline just won’t do – they distractingly move about the floor as we try to focus on the tribute to Old Glory.  But there’s really no reason for them to wear hats while doing it – they pictures would look the same even if they exposed their domes like the rest of us.  

– My sincere apologies to Jonah Thompson.  On Wednesday evening I was tasked with PA duties for the first game at the Coaches versus Cancer Snowball Showdown, and incorrectly called him by his father’s name throughout the first half of the team’s win over North as the Nichols junior put the ball in the basket.  Both Jonah and his father Jerrell were most gracious about it.

– A pair of former First Team All-Centercourt selections were on hand to support their alma mater and former high school coach Starling Bryant when East opened the season against Tapestry on Monday.  Jamal Webb (2008) who was the original Centercourt MVP, along with 2018 state champion Willard Anderson were on hand.  Willard’s teammate, Justin Allen, also a Top 25 selection from 2018, was there in support as well.

– Akron opened defense of their overall Class B title from a season ago with a pair of victories by a combined 91 points.

– Top 10 small school Global Concepts scored 94 points in a 73-point win over IPrep to start the season.  Senior Eric Davis recorded a career-high 31 points in the win.

– Global’s 73-point win wasn’t even the largest margin of victory by a team in the opening week.  That distinction went to Grand Island in a 75-point blasting of Buffalo Arts that saw the Vikings eclipse the century mark (107 points).  Last season, they only beat Arts by 64.

– Dane Brown began his junior season with a 35-point & 11 rebound performance in Grand Island’s win over Buffalo Arts.

– Justus Kleitz also scored 35 points in the Iroquois opener, a win over Alden. It’s the 8th time Kleitz had scored over 30 points in his last 14 games.

– Second year Cassadaga Valley head coach Phil Schrader earned his career first victory in the team’s 43-22 win over Pine Valley on Thursday.

– Dunkirk scored 87 & 89 points in a pair of season-opening victories to claim the championship of the Chautauqua Lake Tournament.  Junior K’Vion Tell earned Tournament MVP honors for the Marauders.

– In a season-opening victory over Hutch Tech, Buffalo Science (BASCS) allowed just 15 points in the win. 

 

–🏀centercourt🏀