I never put much stock in scrimmages, much less go to many, but Fairfield Prep vs. St. Joseph is an intriguing matchup I couldn't pass up.
Neither could Fairfield University coach Sydney Johnson, Quinnipiac assistant Scott Burrell nor Albertus Magnus coach Mitch Oliver. Temple was also on hand.
Prep returns four starters off the Class LL state finals last season, including 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chuwku and guards Tom Nolan and Ryan Murphy.
The best in the SCC? The Jesuits very well could be. St. Joseph lost Quincy McKnight (transfer), but the Cadets will still likely be a FCIAC contender.

On Saturday, Fairfield Prep hosts St. Anthony's of Jersey City, N.J. for a 2:30 p.m. scrimmage. Prep coach Leo Redgate said the scrimmage is still on as scheduled despite the inclement weather being predicted.
St. Anthony's is coached by Bobby Hurley, Sr. Admission is free.
"We learned a lot from the experience last year," Redgate said. "Coach Hurley is the most successful high school basketball coach in the country and his teams are always nationally ranked. I always tell my players that if you want to be considered the best, you have to play against the best."

Andre Frederick, a 6-foot-8 senior, transferred to Hand High in Madison in September from Detroit. The Tigers already had seven starters returning. Now with Frederick patrolling the lane, the Tigers are even better now. Can they be a top-tier team in the SCC? Frederick has already signed a national letter of intent to play at Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference. He is definitely in the conversation for the top 25 state players (not including prep schools). What other players belong in the top 25? Let's hear from you. Meanwhile check out Frederick below. Hand hosts Wilbur Cross in the season opener on Dec. 18.

The JCC Schoolboy/Schoolgirl Classic is moving from Bridgeport to Woodbridge.

The 53rd edition of this all-star classic will still be held under the Jewish Community Center umbrella, but now at the JCC of Greater New Haven facility in Woodbridge on Amity Road. The games will be held April 13, 2014.

"This is a great opportunity. It's great exposure for our center," said Bob Felice, the president of the JCC Center in Woodbridge. "I think New Haven is a hotbed for basketball and the Jewish Community Center is a hotbed for basketball. It's a great draw."

According to Alison Lurie, the tournament coordinator, the JCC in Bridgeport closed last August. Moving the game to Woodbridge was "a good fit for a number of reasons," she said.

"Keeping the games within the JCC is important to myself and a lot of people on the committee," Lurie said. "We would have liked to keep the game in Bridgeport, but the move to the JCC makes sense."

The first game will be a Connecticut East-West girls game, followed by the Connecticut boys against an all-star team from New Jersey.

"I don't anticipate much changing. Tradition is very important to the people on the committee," Lurie said.
For further information on the classic, contact Lurie at 203-387-2522, extension 313.

Fairfield Prep center Paschal Chuwku announced on Twitter Thursday evening that he made an oral commitment to play college basketball at Providence beginning in the fall of 2014.
The 7-2 center chose Providence over St. Joseph, according to Prep coach Leo Redgate. UConn and Boston College were among the other Division I schools to offer scholarships to Chuwku, Redgate said.
“Providence and St. Joseph were there from the beginning (of the season),” Redgate said. “They never missed any games.”
Chuwku was unavailable for comment.
“It wasn’t from a lack of trying by everyone else,” Redgate said. “I knew him being in a really big school to play basketball was not in his best interest. He really wants to excel in the classroom.”
Chuwku averaged 12.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocks per game for the Jesuits, leading them tho the finals of both the Southern Connecticut Conference and Class LL state finals last season. Prep finished 24-3 and second in the Register’s Top 10 basketball poll.
It was the second state final Chuwku has played in. As a freshman, he helped lead Trinity Catholic to the Class M state championship. He transferred to Prep after his sophomore season.
It’s the second state recruit Providence coach Ed Cooley has gotten in the past three seasons. Former New London guard Kris Dunn, the only two-time Register State Player of the Year, committed in August of 2011.

Analysis: This is a really good get for Cooley. When the lure of UConn is on your doorstep - and Kevin Ollie attended several games this season - it's not easy to turn them down. Look at how many state recruits in the past have gone there and ultimately transferred because they just didn't fit.

That is not to say it would have happened to Paschal. But Providence could work out well for him as he continues to develop physically. He already is a defensive terror in the middle.
He's also a pretty good free throw shooter for his size. He is better off in the "new Big East" rather than the old one, not having to see the former powerhouses year in and year out.



Also, it may be very, very hard to argue against Prep being a preseason No. 1 with Chuwku, Ryan Murphy and Tom Nolan among others back this season.

The Foran boys’ basketball program is holding the 3rd Annual Foran Hoops Mad Dash 5K Road Race/Fitness Walk on Oct. 19 at the high school.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. and is open to individuals of all ages and abilities. T-shirts will be provided to all entrants pre-registered by Oct. 5. Trophies will be awarded to top finishers in each age division.

All proceeds from the race will go directly to the Foran boys’ basketball program. For more information or to register, contact Tim Swaller at (203) 449-6770 or send an email to Tswallerbball@aol.com.

Jay Karlins has been named the new head boys' basketball coach at Hamden Hall Country Day, replacing Skip Falcone.
Karlins was the JV coach for the Hornets last year under Falcone, who resigned after just one season. Karlins, 50, also was an assistant for two seasons (1999-2001) under former head coach David Beckerman.
"I want to make sure everyone truly fits into that program," Karlins said Tuesday. "Kids don't necessarily remember the wins and losses, but they do remember being a part of that sport and that school."
Karlins, a Branford resident, was also previously a head coach at both Foran (2001-2003) and at Guilford (2003-07). The state prep schools play with a 35-second shot clock, unlike those that reside in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.
"I'm excited to have a shot clock," Karlins said. "What I have learned over the last six years being away from head coaching is more about dealing with life lessons (with the kids). I've learned to be more patient and I;m re-energized."
Beckerman had some very strong teams at Hamden Hall during his tenure, coaching the likes of Danny Oglesby, Casey Hughes and Scott Draughn to both Fairchester League and New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class D championships. Karlins remembers what a couple of those years were like.
"David made something very special here and I want to make it even better," Karlins said.

Chris, Herren, the former schoolboy star from Massachusetts who played briefly for the Boston Celtics, will be speaking at the Amity High School auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Herren wasted his career due to his variety of addictions. He has been both drug- and alcohol-free since 2008. and now speaks to both high school and college audiences across the country about his addiction. He spoke at Southern Connecticut State University earlier this year.

Doors open to the free show at 6 p.m. Seats are first-come, first-served. For any questions, contact Matthew Milner at (203) 927-7273. or at amitycommunityactionclub@gmail.com.