PSAL boys basketball borough playoff preview

NYPost.com PSAL boys basketball beat writer Zach Braziller breaks down this week’s borough playoffs.

BROOKLYN

Favorite: No. 1 Thomas Jefferson

The Orange Wave has won eight straight games, it has defeated preseason title favorites South Shore, Lincoln and Boys & Girls in that time and may have the top 1-2 scoring punch in the entire city in Jaquan (Son Son) Lynch and Thaddeus Hall.

Sleeper: No. 4 South Shore

The Vikings would own Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island and be right there with Wings Academy in The Bronx. South Shore is loaded with talent, up to as many as five Division I prospects are on its roster, and of its four league losses (the fifth was a double forfeit) to top seeds Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln and Boys & Girls, were right there in three of them. Forward Shamiek Sheppard is enjoying an all-city caliber season.

Christina Santucci

Boys and Girls' Leroy (Truck) Fludd is having a huge senior year.

Denis Gostev

Justin Jenkins hopes to lead No. 1 Wings Academy to a third striaght Bronx borough crown.

Player to watch: Leroy (Truck) Fludd, No. 3 Boys & Girls

The 6-foot-4 forward is a Player of the Year contender because of his big numbers and clutch performances. Boys High has rallied to beat Jefferson, Lincoln and South Shore by forcing overtime late in regulation and Fludd has had a hand in each comeback.

Prediction: No. 3 Boys & Girls over No. 4 South Shore

Of the four boroughs, this is the most difficult one to pick by far. Any of the top four can win the title and it wouldn’t be much of a surprise – after all, Jefferson, Boys High, Lincoln and South Shore are the top four ranked teams in our PSAL boys basketball rankings.

South Shore had Jefferson beat in each meeting, only to falter down the stretch. Coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard was hoping to avoid the Vikings, since it is so difficult to beat a team three times in one year. Look for Shamiek Sheppard and Wayne Martin to have a field day. On the other side of the bracket, Boys & Girls will get by Lincoln, which will be without star sophomore Isaiah Whitehead (ankle), as Coney Island’s own Leroy (Truck) Fludd has a big game.

All in all, Fludd has been the borough’s best player, and possibly the best player in the city as well. He’ll continue his memorable senior season this week, leading the Kangaroos to the borough crown.

BRONX

Favorite: No. 1 Wings Academy

Depth, size, and explosive guard play – Wings Academy has all the components to win a city title. Justin Jenkins makes the Bronx dynamo go, wings Jaequan Brown and Marvilio Berroa are dynamic offensive pieces and forwards Steven Gomez and Damien Davis are formidable in the paint. The Wings were tested just twice by Bronx foes all year, rallying to beat No. 2 John F. Kennedy and No. 3 Eagle Academy, and enter the tournament heavy favorites to win a third straight borough crown.