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Boys Basketball Notebook Slam Dunk Showcase, BCANY Hoops Festival

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High school basketball at the Westchester County Center has long been a holiday tradition. The Slam Dunk Showcase brings together some of the area's top boys and girls programs, and the weekend concludes with another showdown between Stepinac and Iona Prep in the Crusader Classic.

Section 1 teams with championship aspirations are lobbying for invitations because a Slam Dunk game gives them the opportunity to feel more comfortable on the expansive court that will host the semifinals and finals later in the season.

The annual Crusaders Classis usually fills the building and is the main event. Stepinac and Iona Prep both return with a mix of established talent and new faces. It's an opportunity for local fans to see a number of Division I recruits.

Here is the schedule:

Friday, January 3

Slam Dunk showcase

Tuckahoe vs. Pleasantville (girls), 4:30 p.m.

White Plains vs. New Rochelle (boys) 6:15 p.m.

Peekskill vs. Woodlands (boys), 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 4

Slam Dunk showcase

Ardsley vs. Ossining (girls), 10:15 a.m.

Ursuline vs. Walter Panas (girls), 12 noon

Christ the King against Albertus Magnus (girls), 1:45 p.m.

Rye vs. Mamaroneck (boys), 3:30 p.m.

Scarsdale vs. Byram Hills (boys), 5:15 p.m.

Seventh Annual Crusader Classic

Stepinac vs. Iona Prep, 7 p.m.

The top game for the girls is Christ the King vs. Albertus Magnus. The Royals are 30-time CHSAA NYC champions and are one of the best programs in the country. The Falcons just won a NYSPHSAA Class AA title and return 31st-ranked Julia Scott.st in the HoopGurlz Class of 2026 recruiting rankings. Three of the top guards in Section 1 will be featured in the Ursuline vs. Panas game – Cadence Nicholas and Sofia Tavarez of the Panthers and Sophie Nascimento of the Koalas.

Mamaroneck vs. Rye is the boys game that Section 1 fans should watch. Both teams suffered heartbreaking losses in the section last season and are now coming back with experienced teams. The best crowds will likely see Woodlands vs. Peekskill, which captured hearts and the Section 1 championship last season.

Danny Carbuccia is now the headliner for Stepinac, which also returns Jasiah Jervis and Hassan Koureissi. There will also be some newcomers in lead roles. Dylan Perry, Adonis and Darius Ratliff, and Josh Rivera all have Division I offers. Iona Prep was young last year, but has Johnny Keenan, Lucas Morillo and Dillon Callahan back. Last season, the Gaels were a pain to keep up, but the gap is closing.

University sports: Section 1 maintains the start date of football and decides to end extra time in football

Participant list for the BCANY Festival is finalized

There is no shortage of All-Star talent on the Hudson Valley roster, which will travel to Johnson City later this month for the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Summer Hoops Festival.

The shortlist includes Tavien Tyler (Mount Vernon), Kamryn Boyd (Sacred Heart), Jake Pampolina (Suffern), Jaden Chavis (Peekskill), Malik Gasper (New Rochelle), Jake Sussberg (Scarsdale), Brandon Burrell (Mamaroneck), Kai Harvey (Mount Vernon), Kaden Gonzalez (Yorktown), Tyrone Dubose (Poughkeepsie), Ryan Duffy (Yorktown) and Rotimi Esiso (Clarkstown North).

Tyrone Carver of Mamaroneck returns as head coach and is joined by Garee Bryant of Mount Vernon and Scott Wright of Suffern.

Next on the schedule are four rehearsals for the festival, which will take place at Johnson City Schools from July 26-28.

Recruitment news

During the CHSAA's annual team camp in June, the stands at Iona Prep were packed with college coaches over the weekend, with offers being made.

Here’s a look at the current situation of some of the most promising talent in the region:

Iona Preparation

Lucas Morillo (2025): Fairfield, Manhattan, Fordham, High Point, Washington, UMass.

Johnny Keenan (2025): Manhattan and Fordham.

Scarsdale

Jake Sussberg (2025): NJIT, Kent State.

Stepinac

Danny Carbuccia (2025): Bryant, Dayton, East Carolina, Fairleigh Dickinson, Fordham, LIU, Maryland, UMass, Providence, Robert Morris, Saint Louis, Seton Hall, Stony Brook, West Virginia and Xavier.

Jasiah Jervis (2026): Seton Hall, Quinnipiac, St. John's, St. Louis, Rhode Island, Iona, Manhattan, St. Bonaventure, Hofstra and Fordham.

Hassan Koureissi (2026): UMass, Iona, Manhattan, St. Louis, Dayton, St. John's and St. Bonaventure.

Dylan Perry (2026): Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Iona and Manhattan.

Adonis Ratliff (2026): St. Bonaventure, Bryant, Manhattan and Central Florida.

Darius Ratliff (2026): Manhattan, St. Bonaventure, Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Central Florida.

Josh Rivera (2027): St. Bonaventure, Manhattan, Bryant, Hampton.

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