’27 Heaven: NYC Sophomore Class Is Teeming WIth Talent
Anderson Diaz, St. Raymond’s–The 6-foot-1 guard grew up fast during an eventful freshman year in the Bronx.
Boasting a crafty repertoire that features a floater, ambidextrous finishing, and a now-reliable 3-point shot which he extends to NBA range, Diaz is one of the country’s quickest stock risers.
The shifty lefty is able to beat defenders in one-on-one situations and utilize a vaunted first step.
He’s become a stabilizing influence in the transition game, as he’s known to leak out and hammer his patented left-handed dunk from 2-3 feet away from the rim.
Diaz changes directions, swiftly changes locations, eludes defenders, and creates opportunities off his handle in the Ravens’ high-powered offense.
Diaz is now a linchpin in the speedball attack of a seasoned, veteran-laden team.
The Ravens are again catalyzed by the sublime inside-outside tandem of Georgia Tech commit Brandon Stores and four-year starter Tai Turnage.
Stores is a catch-and-post, catch-and-stick threat at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds.
The prolific-scoring Stores (he had multiple games of 30+ points as a junior) is a throwback small forward with a deft touch from mid-range.
Stores is known to elicit Adrian Dantley comparisons in nearly every gym he steps foot in.
Turnage, a quick 6-foot guard and high-level shot-maker buoyed by a knack for transition three-pointers, thrives as a heady dish-first facilitator.
Like his close friend Stores, a nearly lifelong AAU teammate of his, Turnage has been putting up gaudy numbers since his freshman season in the hyper-competitive CHSAA “AA.”
Josh Rivera, Stepinac–The 6-foot-7 guard provided a major spark off the bench for an ocean-deep Stepinac team.
With Rivera authoring production during meaningful minutes as a freshman, the Crusaders captured a second consecutive CHSAA “AA” title in 2024. They’ve now shifted their focus to making history with a three-peat.
Rivera has been a timely, opportunistic outside shot-maker.
He bolstered Stepinac’s perimeter game, most evidently during a renewed blood feud against traditional rival Iona Prep at the Westchester County Center.
With his broomstick-long arms, Rivera is able to yank in boards. The Yonkers native’s length creates issues defensively, as he sits down on smaller guards and can now shadow wings and big forwards.
With McDonald’s All-American Boogie Fland off to Arkansas, Braylan Ritvo now plying his multi-dimensional, multi-positional trade up the Merritt Parkway at Quinnipiac University, and 6-foot-9 interior banger Jordan Gabriel (who has now committed to Marist in the 2025 class) taking the prep route at Perkiomen (PA), Rivera’s role is enhanced in 2024-25.
The leadership gap left by Fland, a generational talent, must be filled by a cohesive committee effort.
Stepinac returns a surplus of experienced guards and wings, underscored by blurrishly-quick and highly-recruited 2025 play-generating point guard Danny Carbuccia.
Amir Dockery, Eagle Academy Brooklyn–The PSAL Freshman of the Year last season, Dockery is one of the most certifiably pesky and oft-harassing defenders in the city and the tri-state area.
The waterbug guard instigates turnovers and converts them into transition leak-outs in smooth fashion.
Playing with his eyes perpetually up, Dockery has been a witty facilitator. He creates looks, engineers the running game, and feeds the post when Eagle operates in its half-court set.
A feisty game manager who can play off the ball as well, Dockery is fearless in his hard surges to the rim. He’s been crafty with Eurosteps and up-and-under finishes.
He’s developed consistency from up to 2-3 feet beyond the 3-point line as a trigger man.
Eagle has bid adieu to one of the most dynamic guards in the city, bullish point guard/poised shot-maker and 2024 graduate Jakai Sanders (who enters his freshman season at St. Peter’s).
Dockery will come of age next year, inheriting the leadership reins of a balanced offense under defensive tactician head coach Kevin Hamilton Jr.
If there’s a player to be tasked with neutralizing a high-end scorer and applying suffocating pressure throughout 32 minutes, it’s definitely the kid they call “Doc.”
Dillon Callahan, Iona Prep–Wait…David Lee has a son?
The 6-foot-4 lefty showed out during the CHSAA “AA” playoffs last year, as he anchored the Gaels with his bouncy and explosive game.
Callahan is a skilled three-tier scorer, capable of putting the ball on the deck comfortably and sparking runs with his shooting aptitude.
He’s become a rhythm shooter with his consistent 3-point stroke.
A motor and relentlessness on the glass have become the finer points of Callahan’s hardwood trade.
With 6-foot-7 point forward Lucas Morillo recently opting to transfer to Newman School in Massachusetts, Callahan is likely to increase his production rate on an experienced Iona Prep team. The Gaels return a gritty veteran point guard in Johnny Keenan.
Callahan is a multi-positional defender who contests and alters the trajectory of shots in the trenches. He brings the hard hat and work boots and sustained focus with his one-on-one defense.
Johnny Magna, Christ the King HS–Since he was a seventh-grader, Magna possessed a natural, ahead-of-his-time feel for the game.
Now 6-foot-3 with long arms, Magna has blossomed into a pesky on-ball defender capable of negating high-scoring guards and wings.
The Queens native is buoyed by a purity of vision as a playmaker, delivering pinpoint assists and exploiting seams.
The most enticing attribute of Magna is perhaps his deadly mid-range game. He’s deadly with his mid-range pull-up and relentless in splashing shots from 15-18 feet off the bounce.
With ball-on-a-string caliber handles, Magna has a natural ability in space creation.
Magna’s knack for creating for his teammates has been visible this summer, as he’s whizzed high-low assists and thrown darts with either hand while triggering the break.
The kid they call “Johnny The Gun” has become a more viable physical threat with his slashing and ability to snare in-traffic rebounds.
He’s opened up a 3-point shot from 3-4 feet beyond the confines of the high school arc.
The certifiable gym rat is entertaining a significant role at CTK in 2024-25, playing alongside a battle-tested and high-major level guard in Queens Bridge’s 6-foot-3 senior Markell Alston.
Magna averaged 22 points per game during Gary Charles’ event, Big Time, in Las Vegas back in July. He’s garnered offers from Fairfield, Portland State, Wagner, and Chicago State.
Damian Mojica, Horace Mann–The 6-foot-4 sophomore was an eye-opener this summer, establishing a heavily versatile presence on courts from down south to Dyckman.
Mojica boasts a blooming mid-range pull-up. With length and will, he is known to swoop in for stick-backs and tear down rebounds. He’s developed advanced-level footwork and a back-to-the-rim game, with several enticing spin moves in traffic and proficiency around the rim.
Mojica averaged 11 points and seven boards as a freshman at Horace Mann.
With his notable work rate and the flashes he showed this summer, the Yonkers native is projecting as a consistent double-double threat this coming winter.
Mojica scored 15 points in spearheading the 16U NY Wizards to the championship at the Holcomb Rucker Park Tournament.
He compiled multiple double-doubles and was given the nickname “Baby Food” while gauging his grit on the fabled Dyckman asphalt, playing 19U ball with Team Gator.
Mojica’s blend of instincts, adeptness of feel for the game, and smooth stroke (which he’s extended beyond the 3-point line) are unique, translatable assets.
He’s already sporting size 16 sneakers as a 15-year-old.
Look alive, as this could get interesting over the next three seasons for the 914 boy.
Kamari Whyte, Vermont Academy–The 6-foot-3 guard will prolong his career in the NEPSAC, after blossoming as a tough, shot-making guard at St. Raymond’s last season.
Whyte turned in a whopping 52-point game, sticking deep 3-pointer after deep 3-pointer while seizing the hot hand, during an end to end 91-62 drubbing of Cardinal Hayes.
The sheer aggression Whyte plays with is emphasized by his persistent toughness on the offensive and defensive glass. He rebounds at the pace of a big and battles for 50-50 balls.
Whyte hit a handful of timely, momentum bolstering 3-pointers at St. Ray’s this past year.
Most notably, he seized the hot hand at the opportune time against Stepinac, en route to a 2024 Diocesan championship.
Unselfish, the kid dubbed “Wolverine” by his coaches kicks in that extra pass, locates cutters and feeds the post. With a frame that projects at a high level, Whyte has the build of a Joe Dumars-like, bigger built guard. He keeps defenders giving chase as he carves his way to the rim and embraces contact.
Ray Fernandez, Iona Prep–An outside shot is a good shot for Fernandez, who has steadily flowered into a significant floor-spreading threat at 6-foot-4.
Fernandez stuck a barrage of timely 3-pointers under Tim Philp with the Gaels last year, including several 3-pointers from the parking lot during the regular season.
He showed out during the CHSAA tournament at Fordham University in the Bronx, his range and the elevation on his shot rendering him difficult to guard.
The high academic prospect is proficient at carving out space for his mid range pull-up and getting to his spots. He’s starting to register his presence as a better passer than credited for.
Fernandez has length, awareness on both ends of the floor, and possesses a beyond his years feel for the game.
Judah Bontempts, Christ The King HS: Bontempts is wired to score. The 6-foot-1 guard is able to really work defenders off the dribble in getting good, clean looks.
The mid range game has become an effective piece in his repertoire, as he was a prolific scorer on JV this past season.
After getting his teeth cut with the PSA Cardinals, playing a national schedule, Bontempts is ready-made for an impact season under Joe Arbitiello at Christ The King. He’s a rugged defender with stout on-ball tactics, as he makes it difficult for ball handlers to take 2-3 dribbles on him.
Bontempts has a deft touch from long range and has proven he can reel off points in a hurry and spark runs. He’s creative, crafty and smooth in his forays to the rim.
Bontempts was notably impressive during CHSAA camp, as he was able to really snatch the ball away from ball handlers and convert live ball turnovers into run out buckets.