Event Recap: 2025 Gotham Hoops Classic

The 6th Annual Gotham Hoops Classic took center stage on February 1st and 2nd at Stevenson High School in The Bronx. The two-day event showcased 17 boy’s teams across NY, NJ, CT and PA. Over 300 student-athletes competed in front of fans, media, and college coaches, delivering competitive performances across 11 games.

Final Scores from the Showcase

Day 1 Results (February 1st)

Game 1: Lawrence Woodmere Academy - White (NY) 63 def. Wings Academy (NY) 59

Long Island’s LWA started strong, powered by a combined 18 first-quarter points from guards Josh Smith (‘26) and Hank Williams (‘27). Despite a late push by Wings Academy, highlighted by Rushawn Greene’s 16 second-half points, LWA held on for the four-point win. Williams, who finished with 22 points, earned Game MVP honors presented by The Zone.

Game 2: Holy Cross High School (NY) 59 def. Forest Hills High School (NY) 56

In this all-Queens Catholic vs. Public School showdown, Holy Cross maintained control throughout. Senior Avery Taitt-Christina led the way with 24 points, including 16 in the first half, earning Game MVP honors. Freshman standout Aaron Tutt impressed for Forest Hills with a team-high 18 points.

Game 3: Mount St. Michael Academy (NY) 67 def. Stevenson High School (NY) 62

Host Stevenson led at halftime but Mount St. Michael’s defensive intensity secured the comeback win. Freshman guards Matthew Santiago (16 points) and Shane Lopez (9 points) shared Game MVP honors. Stevenson’s Yohansel Batista Castro led all scorers with 17 points.

Game 4: Bridgeport Prep (CT) 96 def. Broome Street Academy - National (NY) 95

A high-scoring thriller saw Bridgeport build a commanding lead before Broome Street’s Andre Wright Jr. erupted for eight second-half three-pointers. Despite his 30-point explosion, Bridgeport held on, led by Josue Kangudi’s 21 points, which earned him Game MVP honors.

Game 5: Knox School - Post Grad (NY) 107 def. Life Center Academy (NJ) 54

Knox dominated from start to finish, turning an 18-point halftime lead into a 53-point rout. Christopher Eldredge (18 points) and Bryceson Dobie (16 points) shared Game MVP honors. Life Center’s Rasheem Yon poured in a game-high 33 points in the loss.

Day 2 Results (February 2nd)

Game 6: Bridgeport Prep (CT) 120 def. Rocktop Academy (PA) 86

Bridgeport followed up their first win with another dominant performance, placing eight players in double figures. Big man Harvin Guevara led with 18 points and was named Game MVP. Rocktop’s Nick Oliver countered with a game-high 33 points.

Game 7: Thurgood Marshall Academy (NY) 57 def. Baldwin High School (NY) 45

In their third Gotham Hoops Classic matchup since 2020, TMA secured the rubber match. Norfolk State commit Ahmad Torrence led the way with 22 points and Game MVP honors, while Baldwin’s standout senior Chase Timberlake posted 12 points in the loss.

Game 8: Covenant Prep (NY) 90 def. Redemption Christian Academy (NY) 89

In a nail-biting battle, Covenant took control late before Redemption Christian’s Yeison Liberato was fouled on a three-point attempt with under a second remaining. Liberato made the first two free throws but missed the last, and RCA’s last-second tip-in attempt rimmed out, sealing the win for Covenant. Keenan Gray’s all-around performance (26 points) earned him Game MVP honors, while Teron Murray Jr.’s huge second half (32 points) helped secure the victory. Liberato led all scorers with 36 points in the hard-fought loss.

Game 9: Knox School - Post Grad (NY) 98 def. Rocktop Academy (PA) 88

A closer contest than their first game, Knox edged out Rocktop despite Nick Oliver’s 28-point second half. Arkansas-native Ben Manuel led Knox with 25 points, earning Game MVP honors. Oliver finished with 39 points, and teammate Joe Brown added 23 in the loss.

Game 10: Lawrence Woodmere Academy - White (NY) 72 def. WHEELS (NY) 53

LWA pulled away in the final quarter to secure their second victory of the Classic. While sophomore Hank Williams followed up his stellar Day 1 performance with 19 points, it was class of 2029 standout Flory Kuminga (15 points) who earned Game MVP honors for his overall dominance. Maurice Western-Boyd led WHEELS with 21 points in the loss.

Game 11: Cardozo High School (NY) 61 def. Stevenson High School (NY) 58

In a rematch of last year’s showcase, host Stevenson controlled most of the game before Cardozo’s defense and clutch free throws secured the win. Senior Jayden Brister led Cardozo with 17 points, earning Game MVP honors. Stevenson’s Yohansel Batista Castro had a game-high 19 points in the hard-fought loss.

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A special thank you to all participating teams, players, and fans for making this year’s Gotham Hoops Classic a success. We also appreciate our event sponsors, including The Zone, Dr. Dish, Ballerz NFT, Aviv Sports, and DunkData.

Stay tuned—full game replays and highlights will be available on our YouTube channel in the coming weeks!

2024 Gotham Hoops Classic Recap

The 5th Annual Gotham Hoops Classic showcased a weekend of intense competition with over 25 high school and prep teams battling it out in The Bronx.

Here's a detailed game-by-game breakdown of the showcase:

Day 1 - SATURDAY, February 3rd

Game 1: WHEELS (NY) 56 def. South Bronx Prep (NY) 54

In a PSAL 4A vs. 2A clash, WHEELS secured a narrow victory. Despite a game-high 24 points from senior Sirpatrick Livingston, South Bronx Prep fell short at the end. WHEELS, led by junior Sincere Henderson and senior Camry Perez with 12 points each, emerged victorious.

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Game 2: Rothesay Netherwood (CAN) 64 def. Earl Monroe School (NY) 56

New Brunswick-based Rothesay Netherwood controlled the game throughout. Junior big man Greg Dorsey dominated the paint with 19 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Raymond Kinnard led Earl Monroe School with 20 points.

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Game 3: HS for Construction (NY) 78 def. King’s Christian Academy (MD) 62

Despite a slow start, HS for Construction secured a victory against the Maryland visitors. Senior guard Darnell “Bam” Childs dazzled with a 31-point performance. Junior Jalen Waller Jr. posted 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

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Game 4: Bridgeport Prep (CT) 84 def. Life Center Academy (NJ) 72

Bridgeport Prep led from start to finish, with five players scoring in double figures. Senior big men Isaac Munkadi (18 points, eight rebounds) and Stefano Rodriguez (16 points, 11 rebounds) led the charge. Junior guard Elijah Brown poured in a game-high 22 points in the loss.

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Game 5: Redemption Christian Academy (NY) 64 def. Broome St. Academy (NY) 60

RCA stormed out to an early lead, and despite a comeback attempt by local BSA, they fell short. Senior guard Yeison Liberato's 23-point performance led RCA. Junior Jalan Johnson contributed with 17 points in the win. BSA was led by Andre Wright Jr.’s game-high 27 points in the hard-fought loss.

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Game 6: Carolina Basketball Academy (NC) 63 def. Covenant College Prep (NJ) 60

A back-and-forth battle throughout the first half ended with CBA opening up a double-digit lead in the final quarter, eventually holding on for a narrow 63-60 win. Junior Martain Rusev led CBA with 17 points, while standout senior guard Sutan Fitzpatrick paced CCP with a game-high 23 points in the loss.

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Game 7: Our Saviour Lutheran - Prep (NY) 62 def. Rothesay Netherwood School (CAN) 47

Local OSL jumped out early and never looked back against their foe from the North. Despite a late comeback attempt by RNS, OSL secured a 62-47 victory. Ten players scored for OSL, led by 15 points from senior big man Ziyade Ndancky. Junior John Ikpotokin had a solid day, finishing the team’s second bout with a game-high 18 points.

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Game 8: Forest Hills (NY) 83 def. Wings Academy (NY) 76

Sophomore star Keiji Clifton's stellar performance anchored Forest Hills’ hard-fought win over PSAL opponent Wings Academy. Clifton scored a game-high 26 points, and teammates Chancellor Tillman (22) and Pregnon Titi (18) combined for another 40 points in the victory. Wings were led by their dynamic junior Mohamed Bah’s 21-point outing.

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Game 9: Benjamin Cardozo (NY) 64 def. Adlai Stevenson (NY) 62

Cardozo narrowly held on in this nail-biter against the host school. Despite Stevenson's early lead powered by Dishon Herrea’s 13 first-quarter points, Cardozo stormed back in the second half. Senior guard Jordin Walker made big plays down the stretch, scoring seven of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter. Senior Joseph Ching contributed 12 points in the second half, finishing with 17 total, aiding Walker’s attack.

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Day 2 - Sunday, February 4th

Game 10: Our Saviour Lutheran - Regional (NY) 59 def. Shots with Patience (NY) 55

A fiercely competitive game saw OSL Regional secure a hard-fought victory. Despite a seven-point advantage late in the fourth quarter, SWP came back to tie it up only to fall short at the final buzzer. Latrell Mark led OSL with 16 points, while College of Staten Island-commit Leiton Woods scored 20 in the closely contested match.

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Game 11: Louis Brandeis (NY) 52 def. King’s Christian Academy (MD) 49

In another nail-biting contest, Louis Brandeis clinched a hard-fought victory against King’s Christian Academy. Star senior Alexis Ramirez emerged as the hero, scoring 11 crucial points in the final quarter, including a game-winning and-one basket that sealed the win. Ramirez's stellar play, combined with junior Christian Straughter’s 13 points, played a pivotal role in securing Brandeis's first-ever Classic win. For King’s Christian Academy, senior guard Diallo Long led the charge with a 12-point performance.

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Game 12: Paterson Eastside (NJ) 55 def. Wings Academy (NJ) 37

Paterson Eastside handled Wings Academy in a dominating performance, with Nyreek Clyburn leading the way with 14 points. All six of Eastside's scorers contributed seven points or more. It was quite the Classic debut for the Ghosts.

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Game 13: Bridgeport Prep (CT) 70 def. Carolina Basketball Academy (NC) 64

After both teams won their first Classic games a day prior, this one was a dogfight to see who would leave the weekend undefeated. Although Bridgeport Prep held on for the win, CBA didn’t go down without a fight. A huge third quarter from CBA, led by senior Mor Mboup’s eight points, helped get them back in the game. Bridgeport Prep senior and NYC-native, Kalifa Outtara, made the most of his homecoming, netting a game-high 18 points in the win.

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Game 14: Redemption Christian Academy (CAN) 83 def. Earl Monroe School (NY) 70

This was a tight game throughout until junior guard Jalan Johnson exploded for 22 points in the second half en route to a game-high 31-point performance. Earl Monroe was paced by junior backcourt Devin James (18 points) and Raymond Kennard (16 points) in the loss.

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Game 15: Brooklyn Collegiate (NY) 57 def. James Monroe (NY) 47

In arguably the most anticipated game of this year’s Classic, this PSAL 4A battle didn’t disappoint. James Monroe quickly jumped out to the lead, but Collegiate clawed back and dominated the second half on their way to a double-digit victory. Point guard Flavio Jean cemented himself as one of the premier prospects in the area with an emphatic 23-point outing where he connected on four three-pointers. Monroe was led by Moe Rashid and Kari Conde’s 10 points, apiece.

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Game 16: Thurgood Marshall (NY) 66 def. Baldwin (NY) 64

In a rematch of an overtime thriller between these two teams in the 2020 Classic, this one did not disappoint. TMA saw their lead balloon up to 20 points late in the first half. From that point though, it was the Chase Timberlake show. The star junior put on an absolute performance, scoring 22 of his game-high 41 points in the final two quarters. TMA’s Terrell Hood (25 points) and Ahmad Torrence (17 points) continued their hot offensive stretch to hold on to the eventual victory.

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Game 17: Abraham Lincoln (NY) 75 def. Adlai Stevenson (NY) 72

Another finale, another heartbreak for host Stevenson. This time, it was Lincoln who defeated them in emphatic fashion. This one was back-and-forth the entire game until the fourth quarter when Stevenson gained a 10 point advantage. The visiting Railsplitters quickly erased that deficit. There were several and-1 baskets by both teams down the stretch but none bigger than AJ Soloman’s full-court dash and lay-in plus the foul in the games final moments, giving Lincoln the three-point win. Junior Ethan Ostane led a well-balanced Lincoln attack with 12 points. Stevenson’s senior big man Tristan Burth posted a dominant 27 point-performance in the hard-fought loss.

This year’s Gotham Hoops Classic was electrifying from start to finish. Stay tuned for more updates.