Hoops Journal acknowledges the memory of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His fight for equality is the reason most of us have the opportunities we have today! Born January 15,1929, Dr. King was shot  and killed on the balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee April 4, 1968. If you get a chance, try to listen to the ” I Have A Dream” speech today. Probably the most powerful speech of all time!

              With the loss of  junior point guard Shane McLaughlin to torn ligaments in his foot (injured in practice), Old Tappan needed a special game from their other star Thomas Messina. The senior answered the call with a 34 point performance as he elevated Old Tappan to a 61-52 victory over a good Indian Hills basketball team. Messina(pictured) got it done when it counted,scoring 23 of his points in the second half. The lefty started the game off with a steal and layup and became a difficult guard the entire way as Hills went into a box and one defense to contain him. Hills took a 25-22 lead into the 2nd half, but Old Tappan( 8-1) took the lead at the end of the 3rd as Sammy Elias (12 pts., 4rebs.) woke up to  give Old Tappan another scoring option. Indian Hills (5-3) has a few talented players of their own led by 6’3 senior Jason Chalmers who led the squad in scoring with 19 points and 5 rebounds and knocked down a few buckets late to keep Hills within striking distance.  Senior Andrew Ballester (10 pts., 5asts.) and senior Chris Torres (9 pts.,7 rebs., 3asts., 3stls) also had moments where they shined on the offensive and defensive ends. The game however, became a showcase for the 6’3 Messina as, in this game he was the best player on the floor.  Old Tappan got solid floor games from guard Tim Brophy (7 pts., 3 asts, 2 stls.) and Nick Bianca (9 rebs.,4 blks.)                                                                                                         

                                                             Notes : McLaughlin will be out at least 4 weeks.

         The U.S.A. Today brought out it’s Highschool rankings and Paterson Catholic has come into the National spotlight bigtime. After not being ranked, the Paterson school went to Florida and won the Palm City Classic, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country,beating two ranked teams in the process. That championship and a win against Huntinton Prep in West Virginia has catapulted the Cougars to a #6 ranking in the country! After a win against Eastern Christian H.S. tonight, Paterson Catholic now have a 9-0 record for the year. The #1 team in the country status belongs to powerhouse St. Patrick  H.S. of Elizabeth, New Jersey and it seems inevitable that these two squads will meet in the States later this season.

U.S.A. Today Top 10:

1)  St. Patrick – Elizabeth, N.J.  9-0

2)  Northland H.S. – Columbus, Ohio  4-0

3)  Yates H.S. –  Houston, Texas  15-0

4)  Findlay Prep –  Henderson, Nev.  20-1

5)  Ames H.S. –  Ames,Iowa   7-0

6)  Paterson Catholic –  Paterson, N.J.  9-0

7)Westchester H.S. – Westchester, Calif.  11-2 

 8)  Oak Hill Academy –   Mouth Of Wilson, Va.  18-1

9)  Bloomington South –  Bloomington, Ind.  10-0

10)   DeMatha H.S.  –  Hyattsville, Md.   14-0 

other area notables :  18)  St. Benedicts  – Newark, N.J.   9-1

                                                    23) Rice H.S. –  NewYork, N.Y.   8-2