Home // Sports // Sports Columnists // Dave Konopki

WVC hoops: A great escape from the cold Dave Konopki OPINION

Friday December 11, 2009 | 12:00 AM

The squeaking sneakers on the gymnasium floor, the lack of parking spaces on South Grant Street in Wilkes-Barre, and the five-minute national anthems can mean just one thing. It’s basketball time in the Wyoming Valley Conference.

The action begins tonight as several WVC boys and girls teams will take the court in exhibition and tournament play. The WVC boys regular season begins Jan. 5, while the girls begin play Jan. 4. While you’re heading out to the gymnasiums, here are a few things to keep an eye on this season:

PETER ALEXIS. The 6-foot-11 junior from Holy Redeemer will most likely become the most-highly recruited player from the WVC since Bishop O’Reilly center Dave Popson in the mid-1980s. And before anymore brings up Bob Sura – who played at Florida State – remember, the former GAR great wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school. You won’t be able to say the same thing about Alexis.

OFFICIATING. There might not be a group of officials in any sport in the region with more veterans than the WVC boys basketball league. From the Leighton brothers to Bruce Weinstock to Steve Skammer to Charlie Majikes to Norm Magyar, the conference is full of officials with at least 15 years experience. And the next time you feel compelled to open your mouth and voice your displeasure about a call, try doing it yourself sometime.

GIRLS SHOWDOWN. If the struggling economy will force you to buy just one ticket this season, be sure it’s for the Jan. 21 showdown between Hazleton Area and Holy Redeemer in Hazleton. The two heavyweights will battle just once this season.

PARIS CLEVELAND. If you attend a Hazleton Area boys basketball game this season, you better bring a thesaurus. That way, you’ll be able to find the words to describe what you saw the Cougar senior do on the court. The do-it-all Cleveland is, arguably, the most exciting player in the conference.

LAKE-LEHMAN. It’s hard to believe it’s been 16 years since the Black Knight boys have posted a winning record. But that’s the scenario that greets new head coach Brian Cutter as he takes over the program from Dave Clancy. In fairness to Clancy, the former Black Knight standout took over a program in 2004 that had posted a combined 3-46 record in the two previous seasons. Lake-Lehman appears to have enough young talent – and interest in the program – that it won’t take long for Cutter to end the streak.

CITY RIVALRY. OK, so the Meyers vs. GAR boys game hasn’t been much of a rivalry in recent years, with GAR posting a 9-1 record against its Wilkes-Barre neighbors in the last 10 meetings. That could change this year. Led by Naquan Spicer, the Mohawks enter the season has one of the favorites to capture the WVC Division III championship.

DISTRICT PLAYOFFS. There’s still a lot of basketball to be played – and there’s not a coach in the conference will who admit to looking ahead – before the District 2 boys basketball tournaments get under way. But once they do, it will be interesting to see if WVC can recapture its magic from a few years ago.

In four seasons from 2004 through 2007, the WVC combined to win 14 of the possible 16 championships in Class 4A, 3A, 2A and A. For the past two seasons, however, teams from the Lackawanna League have dominated the district tourneys, winning seven of the eight possible championships.

Enjoy the season.