It’s been an exciting start to the 2019-2020 boys high school basketball season, to be sure.
We’ve seen a few nail-biters between some of the area’s top teams, and we’ve also seen some near upsets, too.
The NTL has a few teams contending for a league crown this year, as Cameron County, Coudersport and Otto-Eldred are all 3-0 in NTL play (for overall records, check our scoreboard on page B-3).
Behind them, Smethport and Austin are each 2-2.
Coudy, which lost D9’s all-time leading scorer Owen Chambers to graduation, has utilized strong defense and a by-committee approach on offense this year, with point guard Hayden Keck leading the charge. Keck is averaging 18.2 points per game to date.
The Red Raiders, meanwhile, are 3-1 overall and that lone loss was a last-second 51-49 defeat against 6-1 Ridgway. Cameron County has the benefit of a four-pronged attack, as Caden Beldin, Dino Brown, Hayden Brown and Dylan Guisto each have shown they’re capable of popping off for double digits in any given game.
Beldin and Dino Brown are leading that offense, as Beldin is averaging 19.5 points per game and Brown 19.7.
O-E, meanwhile, features a large amount of balance, as well, featuring Jake Merry (13.4 points per game), Gavin Jimerson, Braden Maholic and Cole Sebastian each scoring in double digits at least twice in the Terrors’ first six games.
But for all the excitement we’ve had so far, perhaps the best portion of the 2019-20 season is still to come. None of those top three teams have played each other yet, but that changes today, as Cameron County visits O-E in a battle of league unbeatens tonight in Duke Center.
Next week, on Jan. 8, Cameron County travels to Coudy for another marquee road matchup for the Red Raiders.
The Falcons, meanwhile, host Northern Potter tonight before taking on Ridgway in a pivotal Class AA showdown Friday night.
O-E and Austin are set to meet Jan. 6, as well. The Terrors will finally meet Coudy on Jan. 14 in the Terror Dome, and then make the return trip to Coudersport on Feb. 12.
Those matchups will go a long way in determining both the NTL champion and the potential District playoff seeding.
Best performances so far
The NTL has seen its share of big games from individuals already, too.
In an 84-59 win over Northern Potter on Dec. 11, three different Cameron County scorers were above 20 points, as Hayden Brown scored 28, Dino Brown netted 25 and Beldin had 21.
Keck, meanwhile, has scored at least 20 points three different times for Coudersport: 26 in a 71-22 win over Smethport to open the season, 25 against Oswayo Valley on Dec. 16 and 21 in a narrow 57-54 loss to Olean in the IAABO Tournament.
NoPo’s Carter Anderson has perhaps had the most impressive scoring performance of any NTL player so far, as he poured in 36 points in a 59-58 thrilling win over Cowanesque Valley on Dec. 7. Anderson has been in double digits in all but one of the Panthers’ games so far.
Port Allegany’s Howie Stuckey has also broken the 30-point mark. The senior guard drilled six treys in a 33-point performance as the Gators topped Jamestown 72-49 to open the year on Dec. 6. Teammate Jordan Card scored 26 in that game.
With such a fast start, the remaining six weeks of the 2019-20 season will certainly be full of excitement.
(Joel Whetzel, a Bradford Era sportswriter, can be reached at jwhetzel@bradfordera.com.)
