2022 Boys Varsity Basketball Season Recap: Building A Championship Culture

3/15/2022

by Brian Shure

The 2021-2022 Boys Varsity Basketball season will go down as the most successful in York Prep history. Ending the season with a state championship will be what most recall, but the entire four month journey will hold a special place in the hearts of each player and coach.

Due to a very young core and beginning the rebuilding process during the 2020 season, there was a lot of optimism about what could be accomplished over the next few years. The Panthers finished just short of their lofty goal of winning a league title in 2020, but that experience prepared them for some future success. As Assistant Coach Nick Turi predicted, “We knew coming off that league title loss in 2020, we would not only be back in that game, but ready to win it since we had such a young team.”

After losing the 2021 season completely due to the COVID pandemic, York had very little time to waste. After an entire year of no basketball, the players and coaches knew they needed a sense of urgency, and in order to reach their full potential they would need to schedule the toughest teams they could find and play them all in their gyms.

Process-driven from the very beginning, the Panthers set the blueprint in their early November team meetings to create a championship culture. Prioritizing character over basketball, York’s focus was on behaving like champions off the court, as a prerequisite to having any on court success. It was established that working as hard as possible was the key ingredient needed to beat teams who may have advantages in other areas. Junior captain Shane Fisher notes, “You can’t win solely based on talent, it takes hard work to improve performance and build team identity.”

The vision was clear; the Panthers were gunning for a state title. And as the season took shape, it became more realistic each day. Suffering a couple of early season losses to Trinity and St. Johns Prep only furthered those ambitions. After playing the first two months without two vital starters and captains (Benny Mermelstein and Shane Fisher), those losses proved how good they could be if all the pieces fell into place. A full commitment and dedication to the team was mandatory, and as the team began to see success on the court, players started to believe in the message by the middle of January.

York caught a glimpse of their potential against Fieldston during their January 14^th game. Although that game was a two point loss, everyone watching knew that York had finally arrived on the big stage. The game could have gone either way, but what really boosted the Panthers’ confidence was that no one felt they played their best. Clicking on all cylinders in the first half, York built a twelve point lead and surprised many. While they couldn’t get the job done on that particular day, it only proved that York could take the court against anyone and win. It was undoubtedly the turning point of the season and marked the Panthers’ last loss of the season.

Immediately following the heartbreaking Fieldston loss, York went on to beat Riverdale, securing their first Ivy League victory in over a decade. After finishing the non-league schedule with tough wins against Collegiate and Columbia Prep, York would then complete an undefeated league season, culminating in an easy win against rival Brooklyn Friends in the I.S.A.L. Championship Game.

Once the spot in the State Tournament was clinched, the Panthers ramped up their preparation during mid-winter break. Off from school, the team was able to put in seven hours each day, making sure nothing would distract them from their shot at sports immortality. Entering the State Tournament on a 13 game winning streak, York was awarded the #2 seed for their excellent resume and difficult schedule. After enjoying a first round bye, York defeated Columbia Prep 94 – 78 in the State Quarterfinal. Moving on to the semifinal round, York met another familiar foe in Riverdale. After building a twenty point lead in the first half, York held on after Nikko Barnes fouled out with seven minutes remaining to advance to the championship game.

The NYSAIS State Championship against Trevor Day would serve as the perfect ending to a magical season. After falling behind by 14 points in the first half, York simply outworked their opponents in the second half. Still trailing 52-56 with about three minutes remaining, star player Nikko Barnes would hit two difficult shots to tie the game at 56, setting the stage for co-star Benny Mermelstein’s clutch three pointer to give York their final lead of the game, 59-56. York would hang on 63-60 after another Nikko basket and two free throws, as well as a superb defensive play by senior Ryder Morse.

While reflecting on the special season, Nikko explains, “The main thing I learned from the season, from our first practice to our last game, is it becomes really hard to lose once you acquire the mindset to outwork everyone.”

Benny adds, “Our team since day one has been built on a shared understanding of and commitment to character and work ethic. Since our first team meeting, the process was highlighted and we’ve embraced that. We put in the necessary work and it was exemplified on the court and now we can call ourselves state champions. York Prep basketball is more than a basketball program, it’s a culture and a family. I hope that it continues to grow and our legacy continues after I graduate.”

After a historical season leading to increased interest in the program, York will attempt to entrench their winning culture even more next season, looking to maintain and grow their newfound success.

The key contributors

Senior Captain Nikko Barnes led the team in all major statistical categories and carried the team from start to finish with an average of 34 points per game. He matched his career high of 54 points against Bay Ridge in the I.S.A.L. Semifinal. While missing games due to injury his freshman season and losing his entire junior year to the Pandemic, Nikko still finishes with 1,573 career points and establishes a York Prep single-season record of 814 points this season. Widely considered the best player in school history, Nikko’s legacy was cemented with the school’s first state title in 30 years. Aside from his stellar on court play, Nikko will be remembered for establishing new character standards for future varsity players.

Senior Captain Benny Mermelstein saved one of his best games for last. Hitting seven three pointers, the last of which was the last shot of his high school career, giving York the lead for the last time, eventually winning the State Championship. Benny has had a flair for the dramatic all season with his two biggest shots beginning and ending the team’s 16 game winning streak. January 19^th at Riverdale, Benny hit a half court buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter that gave York their first lead in the game that would start the winning streak.

Once junior Captain Shane Fisher entered the fold in January, the team began to take off. In fact, Shane only played in one game this year that resulted in a loss. Shane’s playmaking ability makes everyone around him better, which was evident when he returned to the lineup. His calm demeanor, ball handling, and decision making were on full display in the close win over Riverdale in the State Semifinal.

Freshman Ron Kullashi stepped up and played years above his age. Forced into a big role while missing two starters, “Ronnie Buckets” established himself as a major contributor and held on to his starting spot all season long. Each York win in the postseason saw their best stretches all include a flurry of points from Ron. His first quarter in the I.S.A.L. Championship (20 points), third quarter of the State Quarterfinal (15 points), and third quarter of the State Championship (9 points) were all much needed contributions.

Consistently one of the hardest working players, Senior Nate Doldron finishes up playing at the highest level of his career. After an up and down few seasons, things began to click for Nate at just the right time. He was instrumental to the championship run on both offense and defense, doing most of his damage close to the rim. Nate scored six crucial points late in the game against Trevor.

The emergence of several Panthers

Senior Chad Jonas emerged as one of the best defensive players on the team and provided terrific post defense in every game this season. Starting several games, Chad was a reliable player all season, as the improvements to his all-around game in just a couple of short years is impressive. Chad was responsible for a few stops at the end of the Championship Game which put York in position to win it late.

Ryder Morse found his sixth man role late in the season by providing smart defensive play, playmaking ability, and unrelenting hustle. A vital member of our zone defense, Ryder came up with an outstanding defensive play with time winding down in the State Championship.

Junior Jacob Hume made the most of his minutes down the stretch. Not playing many minutes throughout the season, Jacob came up with important baskets, defense, and rebounding in a few games, but none bigger than the end of the State Semifinal against Riverdale.

Senior Zach Grodman provided key leadership and logged minutes in several important games. He helped the Panthers gain advantages at the end of quarters with disciplined defense and rebounding. Zach has also been known to give out critical coaching advice in big spots.

After starting a few games early in the season, senior Jack Sabbagh settled into a reserve role once the team was healthier. The ultimate team player, Jack scored his career high in points during our Senior Night game against Mary McDowell.

Senior Josh Izhaky provided consistent production off the bench all season. In addition to great rebounding and defense, Josh scored points in 16 games this season. Josh was one of the hardest workers and made tremendous improvements to his game this year.

Needing additional offensive weapons to open the season, Dylan Freedman stepped up to provide a spark. There is no bigger example of Dylan’s instant offense than during the second half against Leman, while the Panthers struggled to find consistent scoring. Dylan hit some key three pointers to help York secure a quality road victory.

Jonathan Hume flashed his potential offensively throughout the year, as he's one of the better Panthers at slashing to the hoop. He also has shown a knack for rebounding and we look forward to him taking a leap and providing high-level play during his senior campaign.

Using this year as a great learning tool, sophomores Hayden Gere and Max Ehrlich got valuable experience immersing themselves in the varsity culture that they, along with other returners, will be counted on to lead in the future. There is plenty of excitement regarding how these two can be integrated over the next couple of years.

Team Highlights:

2022 State Championship [2^nd in school history]
25 – 4 overall record [school record for wins]
15 – 0 league record [regular season and postseason champions]
Beat every league team by at least 30 points
Beat several non-league opponents for the first time in 10 years or more [Friends Seminary, Riverdale (twice), Collegiate, Columbia Prep (twice), Trevor Day]
16 game active winning streak [4^th longest in New York State]
Averaged 79.3 points per game [school record; 7^th overall in New York State]
Scored at least 60 points in all 29 games [school record]
Scored 100+ points four times [most in New York State]

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