City of Basketball Love

Konner Metz (@konner_metz)
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The pieces for Bonner-Prendergast are beginning to mesh at the right time for the new-look Friars. Kevin Rucker Jr. feels like he’s finding his place, and Friday night was another step in the right direction.

“I fit in pretty well,” Rucker Jr. said. “We all play as a team, and that’s really what it comes down to. Everybody has been trying to build chemistry. We pass the ball, we swing the ball a lot. We try not to be selfish.”

The 6-foot-4 junior didn’t have near his best day on the stat sheet, even in his limited time at Bonner, but he made a key impact with 11 points in the Friars’ slow-paced 39-34 victory at home against La Salle College High School.

Nine of those points came in the first half, including a couple drives to the basket with a full head of steam. The lengthy-but-quick wing has been encouraged by coach Billy Cassidy to exert more aggression on the opposition.

“He’s a dynamic player, he can score at all three levels,” Cassidy said. “He’s one of those kids, he likes to get after it during the game. So once he catches that rhythm, he’s definitely really dangerous. We want him to be aggressive, which is knowing when to slow it down or when to go at the right time. He’s starting to understand those things.”
Rucker Jr. had a starting role at Chester High as a sophomore, then transferred to Bonner (8-1, 1-1 PCL) this spring. While offenses on both ends ran slow on Friday, Rucker Jr.’s size and quickness combination helped break the ice on a couple stale possessions.

“I like getting downhill,” Rucker Jr. said. “I feel like nobody can really stop me.”

It was even more difficult for La Salle (7-4, 0-2 PCL) to handle considering they were also tasked with stopping junior wings Nelson Lamizana (6-foot-8) and Deuce Ketner (6-foot-7). The former had an off night, with only four points, while Ketner netted 10 points and handled the ball a bit more than normal, according to Cassidy.

They were often matched up with 6-5 wing and Drexel commit Horace Simmons, who struggled in the first half for the Explorers but reached a team-high 10 points thanks to three second-half field goals. Their next chance for their first PCL win will come Sunday at home, hosting a tough West Catholic (5-6, 1-1) squad that fell to Neumann-Goretti by just a point Friday.

Meanwhile, both Lamizana and Ketner dealt with a bit of foul trouble (three apiece) during the second and third quarters. More of the onus fell on Rucker Jr., and despite Bonner just scoring 13 points in the entire second half due to a valiant La Salle defensive effort, he showed a few flashes on the offensive end.

One of those flashes came on a catch and shoot 3-pointer with under five seconds in the second quarter to put Bonner up 26-11. Rucker Jr. missed a couple other long-range attempts, but said there’s no hesitancy when he’s open beyond the arc.

Rucker (above, in December) is one of three newcomers to the Bonner starting lineup, along with fellow juniors Nelson Lamizana and Reggie Selden Jr. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“I feel like today was an off night for me around the perimeter,” Rucker Jr. said. “But any other night, I feel good. Short-term memory. Next shot, next shot.”

He was building off of a 20-point performance (8-19 FG, 2-5 3-pt) in Bonner’s PCL opener, a 67-51 loss to Neumann-Goretti. Now two games into PCL play, Rucker Jr. already feels the bar has been raised for him by being at Bonner, with a big road matchup versus Roman Catholic (10-1, 2-0 PCL) on the horizon this Sunday at Holy Family.

“We’re in the PCL, we play better competition,” he said. “You can really test what you’re about.” 

It’s a new set of opponents and a new role for Rucker Jr. with the Friars, being right next to two stout wing scorers in Lamizana and Ketner. 

Just a week ago, the two tallest players on Bonner combined for 32 points in a win over Malvern Prep. The luxury of such productive teammates on the offensive end is something Rucker Jr. definitely appreciates.

“I can rely on them to do other things,” Rucker Jr. said. “I don’t have to score that many points for us to win. They can get the job done, too.”

As the scoring is often spread out and the dynamic trio of featured scorers switch off who is leading the charge, Rucker Jr. has his sights set on improving one specific skill aside from his aggression to the hoop and pull-up jumper.

“My handles,” Rucker Jr. said.. I’m confident, but just being able to really keep it on a string.”

And as for Bonner, the team as a whole is settling into a new makeup under a first-year head coach in Cassidy. Lamizana transferred in from West Chester Henderson, and 6-2 junior guard Reggie Selden Jr. played with Bishop Eustance (N.J.) last season.

That leaves Ketner, a three-year veteran of the team, as one of the premier leaders on and off the court, and the only starter with prior experience other than senior wing Brady Eagan. Just how much has Rucker Jr. absorbed from Ketner during the early portion of the season?

“A lot,” Rucker Jr said. “He’s showing me like, it’s not all about me. It’s about playing as a team. He’s our leader and I really respect that.”

By Quarter
La Salle:   4   |   7   |  11  |  12  ||  34
Bonner:   12  |  14  |   5   |   8   ||  39

Scoring
La Salle: Simmons 10, Bartchak 7, Hawley 7, Warren 6, McKee 4
Bonner: Rucker Jr. 11, Ketner 10, Selden Jr. 7, Eagan 5, Lamizana 4, Hicks 2