City of Basketball Love

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)

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The Post & Pivot Fall League held its postseason thai weekend with a qualifying round and quarterfinal games on Saturday at West Catholic followed by semifinals and championship on Sunday at Cristo Rey.

Was there for Saturday’s action at West Catholic to take in an exciting day of hoops. Here are the standouts from the qualifying round and quarterfinals:

Devin Booker (2025 | Cristo Rey)
In a quarterfinal game versus West Catholic that felt like a heavyweight title fight, Booker threw haymakers for the Blue Pride. He opened up the game by stealing the ball away and turning it into an easy lay. As the match progressed, he continued getting to the rim and cashed in a couple threes. Late in the second half, he found success as a cutter, getting another dunk and a layup in back-to-back possessions. He tallied 21 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Naeem Colston (2024 | Samuel Fels)
Colston's performance against Mastery North was simple: play lockdown defense and get timely buckets. He overwhelmed opposing perimeter players with his strength and athleticism. Points off turnovers were Fels' bread & butter because Colston and Sam Etienne (2024) kept picking off passes. But when they needed to execute in the halfcourt, the 6-5 wing delivered by driving to the cup and getting to the free throw line. He tallied 15 points, six boards, and three steals. 

Dwayne Figueroa (2024 | Carver E&S) 
Even though he didn't score a ton, Figueroa still had a major contribution in his team's victory over Timber Creek. The late-bloomer hit a couple elbow jumpers and splashed what would've been a three if his toe wasn't on the line, scoring eight points. More importantly, he came away with 14 rebounds. Because the game was low-scoring (39-29) and TC had two physical post players, Figueroa's work on the glass was essential. 

Darrius Gaeta (2024 | Northeast) 
Gaeta showed why the Vikings were the No. 4 seed when he and Michael Freeman (2025) led them to a quarterfinals win against St. Elizabeth's. The underrated two-way guard put his stamp on the game with his instincts and feel. His decision-making in the lane was the backbone of their offense because of how quickly he processed and reacted to what was in front of him. Gaeta didn't take plays off defensively either. He was physical on-ball and as a help defender. His team needed all of the 14 points, five assists and three steals he gave them. 

Kenny Hunter (2025 | St. Elizabeth's, Del.)
St. E's kicked off the qualifying round against Sankofa and Hunter gave them the lift they needed to make it to the quarterfinals. The Vikings' stretch forward moved well without the ball, stepping into mid-range jumpers and catch-and-shoot threes. Also significant, at 6-4, he pulled down a number of boards in critical moments in the second half. Hunter filled the statsheet with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Saaid Lee (2025 | West Catholic)
Lee's quick hands and ability to create paint touches without a ball-screen were crucial to the Burrs' success in two games on Saturday. In their qualifying round matchup with Constitution, he had two steals and multiple deflections, effectively shutting down the opposing lead guard. On the other end, he continuously put pressure on the rim, resulting in kickouts and trips to the charity stripe. And as the game went on, his paint touches became converted layups. "Slee" contributed 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, before doing more of the same versus Cristo Rey. 

Ja Sabb (2026 | West Catholic)
Sabb made a splash in his debut with the Burrs. The sophomore guard hit one big shot after another to keep his team afloat against Cristo Rey, after just 6 points in their qualifying round win over Constitution. Whether he was spotting up or pulling from deep, Sabb's clutch threes were all swishes. Each one gave life to his team and animated the crowd. He scored 19 of WC's 39 points in regulation. And he finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, & 2 steals. 

Honorable Mention

Nafis Dubose (2026 | Sankofa), Sam Etienne (2024 | Samuel Fels), Michael Freeman (2025 | Northeast), Perry Fields (2024 | Constitution), Asim Hardy (2025 | Sankofa), Ryan Nasuti (2024 | Timber Creek), Amir Nelson (2025 | Cristo Rey), Steven Nixon (2025 | St. Elizabeth's, Del.), Tobias Reese (2024 | St. Elizabeth's, Del.), Tali Simpkins (2024 | Carver E&S), Rahmir Speaks (2027 | West Catholic), Amir Speights (2024 | Constitution), Aidan Tobiason (2024 | St. Elizabeth's, Del.), Tyler Tolbert (2026 | Cristo Rey), Jasir Tyler (2026 | West Catholic), Micah Waters Jr (2025 | West Catholic), Kingston Wheatley (2026 | West Catholic), Nasir Williams (2025 | Sankofa), Julius Wright (2024 | St. Elizabeth's, Del.).