Who is best opposing player you’ll face this season?

Cicero, NY — Section III boys basketball is packed with star players throughout the section.

At syracuse.com’s winter sports media day, presented by Rainbow Lettering, we polled boys basketball coaches and asked who were the best opponents they would face this season. Here’s what they said.

“In our league, there’s three or four of them, probably. Makiah Johnson from Carthage, Seth Charlton and Jack Adams from Watertown, Bobby Piddock from South Jeff. “Our league’s going to be pretty tough.” —Zach Shambo, Lowville coach

Deacon Judd, Central Valley Academy

“The kid has a lot of attributes that you’d look for in a basketball player. “Very big, strong kid, he can shoot the basketball, but he’s probably the best around the basket.” —Mason Swancott, Camden coach

“He’s another great kid that we’ve been around that we’ve known for a long time and just very skilled and definitely a challenge for our big guys, for sure.” —Shannon Ruane, Waterville coach

“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s physical. “He was their leading scorer last year and he’s a player that’s going to be well-known around the area.” —David Smith, West Canada Valley coach

“I just think (Moesch and SAS’ Andre Pasha) are skilled. They’re basketball players and they’re good players. They know how to play. “They have an appreciation for the game and sometimes you get caught watching them, too, instead of coaching against them.” — Gallagher Driscoll, Bishop Ludden coach

“(Moesch) is pretty good. We had a chance to see him last year and he had a couple other guys with him, a couple 1,000-point scorers with him that have graduated. I think he’s option one there. “He’s a real good player.” —Ken Updike, Homer coach

“He is a stud. He’s been doing it for two years now. He puts the ball in the basket. He is athletic. He can get out and knock a shot down if you leave him open. “I can do it all.” — CJ Hodge, ITC coach

“He’s going to be tough to prepare for. Scored over 500 points last year I think as a sophomore. So he’s going to be tough.” — Jon Gagnon, Mexico coach

“We moved up with (Chittenango) to (Class) A and he was a superstar last year and it’s going to be more of his team this year. “So it’s going to be a challenge.” —John Connelly, Westhill coach

“He’s fun to watch. He’s not fun to coach against. He’s a player you can’t control. He’s even-keeled through the whole game. You can’t speed him up, you can’t slow him down. You do n’t ruffle his feathers. He just plays really well all the time.” —Jim Kilpatrick, ESM coach

“He’s a two, three-year returning player. We played against him many times throughout the years. “C-NS has had a very successful summer with him, so he definitely will be someone who will be on the scouting report, for sure.” —Luke Tucci, FM coach

“Everybody knows he’s a shooter, but he’s well on his way to 1,000 points this year and just pure shooters don’t get to a thousand points just from shooting. He’s got a knack for the game. He’s got a high IQ, he knows how to play basketball. “Andrew Benedict is going to be a tough prep when we get ready for our C-NS matchup.” —Brett Liedka, Liverpool assistant

“(Benedict and Fulton’s Gavin Doty) stand out to me right now. Those two kids are real good players. Play hard. You know what you’re going to get out of them day in, night out.” — Cornelius Vines, Nottingham coach

“Tega from Clinton is another really good player in our division that is going to have a good year, I’m sure.” –Kevin Vibbard, Sherburne-Earlville coach

“He’s a really tall guard. We played him this summer and he’s pretty much dunking everything now, and he can shoot the ball. He’ll definitely be the toughest we face. “He’s just really physical and he has a motor where he just goes 100% all game long and he never gives up, never takes a play off.” —Jesse Behm, Onondaga coach

“He went to prep school for a year and now he’s back. He’s a tough kid. He can score multiple ways. He didn’t have a jump shot. I understand he does now. So I think he’s really improved himself as a player. I know he is taller and stronger.” —Jim Marsh, Auburn coach

“I actually saw him play this summer, played against him in the summer league. Good player. Saw him dunk on a kid, so we’ll give it to him.” —Thomas Brown, Baldwinsville coach

“When I was coaching at Oswego, he won player of the year in our conference as a sophomore. He has gotten better. He is bigger, he is stronger, he has a high motor. “I think he’s hands down the best player in Section III, so everything they do is going to go through him.” —James LaMacchia, Central Square coach

“I heard he is back and he’s just a good shooter. You can’t speed him up, you can’t slow him down. He just plays within himself.” —Jim Kilpatrick, ESM coach

“(Doty and C-NS’ Andrew Benedict) stand out to me right now. Those two kids are real good players. Play hard. You know what you’re going to get out of them day in, night out.” — Cornelius Vines, Nottingham coach

“(Doty) coming back from prep school really changes things up a lot. “I wasn’t expecting to see that, but I think he’s probably the most dynamic player we’ll see this year and also potentially a Division I caliber player.” —Ed Adams, Watertown coach

“He’s really strong and they just look to have a good matchup against him.” — Karly Sherman, Lyme girls coach

“He’s going to be really challenging for us this year because we don’t have a lot of size. He’s big and he finishes well around the rim. “He plays hard, he’s a big rebounder and we are not going to be big, so it’s going to be a big test for us.” —Ryan Dando, Tully coach

“His size, quickness, general basketball instincts, ability to handle the ball as well as play strong on the inside will be a problem for everyone Little Falls plays this year.” —Sean McLaughlin, Pulaski coach

“He’s just got a great all-around game.” — Jim Ryan, Skaneateles coach

“Shoots it a little bit. He’s athletic. He’s 6’5. “He can go inside, outside.” —Bob McKenney, Bishop Grimes coach

“Just a strong player. He can shoot, he can get to the rim. He’s just can score on all three levels. “He’s a good rebounder and he is a good defender.” —Kyle Martin, C-NS coach

“Just a super big kid. Athletic, strong and, you know, last year we struggled in the big guy game a little bit, but I’m excited to have Patrick Fisher back and, hopefully, those two have some battles.” —Tyquan Horton, Corcoran coach

“(DeGroat) gave us fits last year.” —Jeff Ventiquattro, Carthage coach

“I got 1,000 (career points) last year. So he’s a great shooter. Everything goes in. He’s quiet about it. He gets to the spots he needs to. His buddies pass to him, he’s intelligent and he just takes the open shot. “He’s a good player.” —Brian Porter, Fabius-Pompey coach

“(Davis) has been a horse for quite a while.” —Mike Strong, Madison

“He can just do it all. He is a big, tall, athletic kid, multi-sport athlete, physical and tough. He can shoot from range, he can drive the ball. He’s a good defensive player, block shots. “He kind of does it all.” — Jon Sgarlata, Weedsport coach

“The three guards from RFA are going to be very good.” —Lucas Judd, Central Valley Academy coach

“They’re just, they’re quick. They’re good. They’ve been playing a long time and they’ve already had a taste of success. Sackets is always our toughest opponent and this year’s not going to be any different.” —Andrew Walldroff, Alexandria Bay coach

“(Griner) is a great leader for his team and he is an all-around good player.” —Jude Fusilli, Belleville Henderson coach

“(Griner) is a three- or four-year veteran of varsity and he’s putting the work in the offseason, so he’s going to be a handful.” —Jay Shimel, LaFargeville coach

“He’s very good.” —Kevin Vibbard, Sherburne-Earlville coach

“He’s a shooter. He’s just a tough kid. …He’s definitely a smack talker a little bit, which our guys like. They’ve known him forever, so they kind of get into it a little bit with each other. And then after the game everyone’s fine. But he’s just a tough kid. He could shoot it. He’s been around for a while now. I think he’s been on varsity for his third year. So I think that just makes them really tough.” — Nick Perioli, Phoenix coach

“He’s just a workhorse. …He is always motoring, he’s aggressive, he’s physical, he’s fast. He doesn’t take a play off. He just goes and if he has to go through you to get the ball, he’ll do it. He’s an aggressive player.” —Mike Strong, Madison

Andre Pasha, Syracuse Academy of Science

“I just think (Pasha and Chittenango’s Ryan Moesch) are skilled. They’re basketball players and they’re good players. They know how to play. “They have an appreciation for the game and sometimes you get caught watching them, too, instead of coaching against them.” — Gallagher Driscoll, Bishop Ludden coach

“(Pasha) is big. He’ll be difficult for us because of his size. … (Pasha) has got something that we don’t always see every day.” —Scott Cotter, Marcellus coach

“The guy is 6’9. He’s really just a force in the paint. He has perimeter skills, so he can kill you in a lot of ways. You can’t keep him with one person, so he’s going to be a problem for us and everyone in Section III, in my opinion.” —Doneilous King, UAS coach

“We might pick up a game with Utica Academy of Science and they have (King Jr.). He’s a really good player there.” —Jeff Ventiquattro, Carthage coach

“We had to play a lot for him last year. He’s the type of player that if you’re not prepared for him, he’s going to really take advantage of it. So I would say he’d probably be a big one. They’re our opening game. He is a big rival for us, so he’s probably going to want to beat us this year.” —Matt Purcell, SAS coach

“Great shooter, can drive, everything. “That’s who we will focus on stopping when we play them, for sure.” —Scott Jones, Holland Patent coach

“Seth Charlton’s very good from Watertown, and Jack Adams. They have a good combo there and a post player, Moffett. “He was a really good player.” —Jeff Ventiquattro, Carthage coach

“They’re both good players, so we know we’ll see them in the league and we’ll see them in the section. There’s a couple others from Section IV that aren’t really considered for up here, but we’re looking forward to having a very competitive season.” —John Lambert, Cooperstown coach

“There is a lot of great talent this year in our league, but I feel like the one that sticks out is Lucio Cole from Weedsport. He handles the ball well, wants to get his teammates involved and can finish around the rim well.” —Cody Humberstone, Cato-Meridian coach

“I think he’ll give us a little bit of tough time. “I think his play, his hustle and his heart makes him one of the best players in the division.” —David Cornish, Port Byron coach

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