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With the reemergence of Reading High, the always solid play of Wilson, the star power of Berks Catholic and hey-don’t-forget-us Muhlenberg Muhls making a lot of noise this winter, the BCIAA Division 1 boys basketball regular season comes down to four games over a six-day period.
All four teams are in contention for berths in the eight-team BCIAA tournament with defending champion Wilson standing in fourth place in Division 1.
Here’s five things to know as the Division 1 sweepstakes begin on Thursday.
1. The standings and the schedule
Berks Catholic leads the division with an 8-1 record, followed by Muhlenberg and Reading High at 7-2 and Wilson at 7-3. The four key games moving forward are: Muhlenberg at Berks Catholic, Thursday; Reading High at Wilson, Friday; Reading High at Berks Catholic, Saturday (2 p.m.); and Wilson at Muhlenberg, Tuesday.
2. The math
You don’t need to understand differential equations to know that Berks Catholic is in the best position, and not just because it has one loss and a full game lead over the Red Knights and Muhls. It’s also because the Saints host those two teams Thursday (Muhlenberg) and Saturday (Reading High). The Red Knights arguably have the toughest task with road games at Wilson and Berks Catholic.
3. Whose hot?
Since losing to Reading High 48-40 on Dec. 29, Berks Catholic has rattled off eight straight wins, including nice ones against Wilson and York Catholic, a non-league opponent. Reading High has also been playing well, winning six of its last seven, with wins over Muhlenberg, Camden High (N.J.) and Central Bucks West. Coach Rick Perez has cast a wide net to play top-notch opponents, a loss to Central York (85-76 in overtime on Jan. 7) served notice that the Red Knights are back to being not just a BCIAA contender, but also a District 3 Class 6A team to talk about.
4. Can the Muhls finally get that elusive BCIAA title
Since the BCIAA came into existence in the 2003-2004 school year, Muhlenberg has never won a conference title. The Muhls have proven this year that they can play with anybody in the county, district and state. Now it’s just a question of making the tournament, which means winning at least one of their two remaining key games in the division, and then playing top-flight basketball for three games in the BCIAA tournament.
5. Key players
When the conversation turns to the best player in Berks County, it starts with All-State guard Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic. The 6-3 senior is averaging 21.3 points per game and a year ago led the Saints to the District 3 Class 4A title and the PIAA championship game. Needless to say, McKoy knows what to do in big games. Reading High fans have their own shining star to brag about in junior Jostin DeCastro, who is averaging 21.7 points per game. The next three to four weeks will determine if DeCastro develops into a McKoy-like player, one who can carry his team to championships. Muhlenberg is a little more subtle in its star power, which consists of three juniors in Eli Hemmings (16.7), L.J. Armstrong (13-2) and Nelson Malave (11.6). There is something to be said for balance as opposed to one bright shining star. And what about Wilson? The Bulldogs are an interesting team in that two of their top three players are football players, meaning a late start to the basketball season, which sometimes translates to peaking at the right time of the year in basketball. Correll Akings (11.8) and Michael Glover (8.1) were also stars on the gridiron, while Peter Kelfalla (9.9) has shown signs of being a dominant player this winter. At 6-3, 220 pounds, Glover, just a junior and an all-state tight end, can be a handful underneath. He could be the difference, if Wilson can get him the ball down low, as the Bulldogs pursue their third straight BCIAA tournament title next month.
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All four teams are in contention for berths in the eight-team BCIAA tournament with defending champion Wilson standing in fourth place in Division 1.
Here’s five things to know as the Division 1 sweepstakes begin on Thursday.
1. The standings and the schedule
Berks Catholic leads the division with an 8-1 record, followed by Muhlenberg and Reading High at 7-2 and Wilson at 7-3. The four key games moving forward are: Muhlenberg at Berks Catholic, Thursday; Reading High at Wilson, Friday; Reading High at Berks Catholic, Saturday (2 p.m.); and Wilson at Muhlenberg, Tuesday.
2. The math
You don’t need to understand differential equations to know that Berks Catholic is in the best position, and not just because it has one loss and a full game lead over the Red Knights and Muhls. It’s also because the Saints host those two teams Thursday (Muhlenberg) and Saturday (Reading High). The Red Knights arguably have the toughest task with road games at Wilson and Berks Catholic.
3. Whose hot?
Since losing to Reading High 48-40 on Dec. 29, Berks Catholic has rattled off eight straight wins, including nice ones against Wilson and York Catholic, a non-league opponent. Reading High has also been playing well, winning six of its last seven, with wins over Muhlenberg, Camden High (N.J.) and Central Bucks West. Coach Rick Perez has cast a wide net to play top-notch opponents, a loss to Central York (85-76 in overtime on Jan. 7) served notice that the Red Knights are back to being not just a BCIAA contender, but also a District 3 Class 6A team to talk about.
4. Can the Muhls finally get that elusive BCIAA title
Since the BCIAA came into existence in the 2003-2004 school year, Muhlenberg has never won a conference title. The Muhls have proven this year that they can play with anybody in the county, district and state. Now it’s just a question of making the tournament, which means winning at least one of their two remaining key games in the division, and then playing top-flight basketball for three games in the BCIAA tournament.
5. Key players
When the conversation turns to the best player in Berks County, it starts with All-State guard Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic. The 6-3 senior is averaging 21.3 points per game and a year ago led the Saints to the District 3 Class 4A title and the PIAA championship game. Needless to say, McKoy knows what to do in big games. Reading High fans have their own shining star to brag about in junior Jostin DeCastro, who is averaging 21.7 points per game. The next three to four weeks will determine if DeCastro develops into a McKoy-like player, one who can carry his team to championships. Muhlenberg is a little more subtle in its star power, which consists of three juniors in Eli Hemmings (16.7), L.J. Armstrong (13-2) and Nelson Malave (11.6). There is something to be said for balance as opposed to one bright shining star. And what about Wilson? The Bulldogs are an interesting team in that two of their top three players are football players, meaning a late start to the basketball season, which sometimes translates to peaking at the right time of the year in basketball. Correll Akings (11.8) and Michael Glover (8.1) were also stars on the gridiron, while Peter Kelfalla (9.9) has shown signs of being a dominant player this winter. At 6-3, 220 pounds, Glover, just a junior and an all-state tight end, can be a handful underneath. He could be the difference, if Wilson can get him the ball down low, as the Bulldogs pursue their third straight BCIAA tournament title next month.
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