City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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The Suburban One League has some new blood in the title game this season with none of the four teams from last season’s championship games returning.

Both top seed Upper Dublin squads have been tough to beat all season and continued to flex their strength in the postseason. Neshaminy has had some good teams over the last several seasons but is this the squad that adds an SOL Tournament title to the resume? And what a turnaround season for the Central Bucks West boys that continues to get better and better.

The event takes place at Holy Family this year with the girls at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m. Here’s a breakdown of both matchups: 

Girls: No. 1 Upper Dublin (23-1) vs. No. 3 Neshaminy (20-4)  
Previous Meeting(s)
N/A

Projected Starters
Upper Dublin: G Amy Ngo, G Brighid Brady, G Nora Brady, W Tamia Clark, W/F Bridget DiMartile

Neshaminy: G Alena Cofield, G Lola Ibarrondo, G Ava Irizzary, W/F Reese Zemitis, F Ashlyn Duffy

Biggest strength
It’s been a bit of a switch up for Upper Dublin this season as coach Morgan Funsten has given his perimeter-oriented squad the green light to run. Senior Amy Ngo, a Holly Family commit, is a terrific shooter and will likely have to play floor general with her sister Megan out. Seniors Bridghid and Nora Brady, both Neumann commits, are two good athletes who can shoot and defend, while freshman Tamia Clark Bridget DiMartile have some high-level athleticism that suits the fast-paced style the Cardinals are playing with this season.

Keep an eye on
Upper Dubiln’s Amy Ngo and Neshaminy’s Ibarrondo will be teammates at Holy Family next season, getting a chance to face off against each other before teaming at the next level. They may even match up a little bit. Another matchup may involve DiMartile (5-11) who has a unique blend of length and footspeed to throw at Zemitis that a lot of teams don’t, though the veteran will be tough to stop regardless.

An anonymous coaches’ viewpoint
“Upper Dublin/Neshaminy will be a great matchup between two high-level offenses. … Reese has shown that she’s arguably the best player in the SOL. Upper Dublin plays each possession as a team and runs their offense to a ‘T’. Upper Dublin also has a very strong supporting cast. Amy Ngo can go off for 20+ any given night. I think the key here is who UD has on Lola. Reese has filled up the stat sheet this year but Lola can at a high clip as well. Irizarry stretches the floor out nicely for Neshaminy.”
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Boys: No. 1 Upper Dublin (21-3) vs. No. 6 Central Bucks West (18-6) 

Previous Meeting(s)
N/A

Projected Starters
Upper Dublin: G Ryan Mulroy, G Kobe Bazemore, G Chris Kohlbrenner, G/W Brady Fogle, F Idris Rines

CB West: G Matt Engle, G Roman Kulesa, W Bowen Gugger, W/F Julian Phillips, F Sam Jankowski

Biggest strength
The depth and variability of both these teams stands out as a strength. Both squads have pieces that complement each other and the team’s style of play. 

It’s fair to say Upper Dublin will have the best player on the floor in Mulroy, a talented 6-3 slashing guard who is hard to keep in front. The Cardinals can pound you inside with Mulroy on the drive or bruiser Rines. They’re lethal outside with Fogle and Kohlbrenner. Bazemore can shoot it too and he’s adept at breaking down a defense and putting pressure on. 

CB West has four seniors in its starting lineup and that chemistry has showed up this season with a 12-win improvement. With older guys with some years in the weight and a little bit of length in Guggers (6-4) and Phillips (6-4), the Bucks also have a squad that can really play defense, grinding down opponents with their zone. 

Keep an eye on
This feels like it’s going to be a grind of a game and a bit of a chess matchup as there are quite a few strong athletes on both sides. Upper Dublin’s going to throw some pressure at the Bucks, but Engle is a terrific answer to that as a four-year varsity player who’s an extension of coach Adam Sherman on the floor. The Cardinals have some shooters, including sophomore Brandon Altman off the bench to counter the CB West zone.

An anonymous coaches’ viewpoint
“Upper Dublin is athletic and they’re going to press so CB West is going to need to be ready to break the press, the full-court press is one of the things Upper Dublin does best. And CB West, their zone is unique and they have a bunch of guys that can get hot from the perimeter.”

“I think it’ll be a good matchup. Both teams have some good size. I know Upper Dublin’s got a really good point guard, and CB West plays the matchup zone and they’ve got it down. They’re a group of seniors, they’ve been paying together for a few years now, so you definitely have to make shots from the outside. Upper Dublin’s been really hot lately because they have size, shooters, guards. I think overall it’ll be a really good matchup.”