Top Players to Watch in Berks II boys basketball
2023 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Brendan Gaines
Daniel Boone
The 6-2 guard averaged 15.2 points per game as a sophomore and is the leading returning scorer in the league. He figures to keep filling it up this season.
“He does a great job getting to the basketball,” said Boone coach Craig Tranovich, “he dunks, he’s a tremendous shooter.”
Gaines, a three-year starter, made 45 3-pointers in 22 games.
“He’s deadly from anywhere, the college line and anything inside,” said Tranovich. “His shot is spot-on; he put a lot of time into it.”
Gaines is also strong at the free throw line, where he hit 73.3 percent.
He was an All-Star pick in the West Reading Summer League.
Reece Garvin
Exeter
Garvin made a triumphant return from a late-season ankle injury, returning from a two-week layoff to score 11 points in the District 3 championship win over Manheim Central. He followed with several big games in the state playoffs, including a career-high 21 points with five 3-pointers against Mechanicsburg.
He earned all-division honors after a terrific all-around season that saw him average 11.3 points, second on the team, grab 7.2 rebounds, block 81 shots, shoot a team-best 65.7 percent from 2-point range and 34.0 percent from 3-point range. His 50 3’s topped the team.
“Reece is one of the best shooters in the area,” said Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder. “He has improved other areas of his game this offseason that will only help him and our team. He’s a complete player.”
Garvin was an All-Star pick in the West Reading Summer League.
Donovan Gingrich
Conrad Weiser
The 6-1 Gingrich averaged more 3-pointers per game than any player in the county last season but his new coach, Mike Dooley, wants to see his game expand beyond the arc.
“Don’t get me wrong, I want us to shoot the most 3’s in the county,” Dooley said, “but you can’t rely on them. Fourth quarter up two, down two, you need to get more efficient shots, get to the rim, foul shots, layups.”
Gingrich has the ability to get to the rack and convert from the free throw line; he hit 75 percent last season, among the league leaders.
The all-division pick averaged 14.3 points per game, second-most among returning players, and made 58 3’s, also second-most.
A quarterback in the fall, Gingrich brings that same vision and play-making instinct to the court.
“When we put him in position to make plays, you see the quarterback come out in him,” Dooley said. “You see him read defenses really well.”
Brady McKee
Conrad Weiser
The 5-10 junior gave up soccer in order to concentrate fully on basketball and on becoming one of the league’s top players. He played close to 60 games in the summer and fall honing his skills and was named an All-Star in the West Reading Summer League.
McKee was certainly one of the top underclassmen in the Berks Conference last season when he averaged 12.3 points and made 57 3-pointers. Now it’s time for the guard to expand his game.
“We want Brady to be more of a play-maker than (just) a shooter,” said Scouts coach Mike Dooley. “That’s what we’re trying to get out of him. He can shoot, but just because you make a lot of 3’s (doesn’t mean you can’t) add layers to your game.”
He’ll play both the point and off guard and is one of the Scouts’ best on-ball defenders.
McKee ended last season in a big way with a career-high 25 points against a Class 6A playoff-bound Cedar Crest, then with seven 3-pointers and 24 points vs. Class 5A qualifier Bishop McDevitt. He averaged 18.6 points and made 21 3’s over his final five games.
Josh McKoy
Berks Catholic
The 6-3 McKoy quietly filled a big hole inside last season after transferring from Antietam and was a key in the Saints’ second straight District 3 championship.
He’s a true inside/outside scorer, though he’s sometimes reluctant to put up the 3-ball. Saints coach Snip Esterly would like to see that change.
“He can take the ball to the basket, he has great moves off the dribble,” said Esterly. “I’d like to see him shoot more 3’s. His outside shot is really, really good. We definitely need him to score.”
McKoy averaged 9.6 points per game, third on the team, as a junior. He shot 71.7 percent from the foul line and made 17 3’s.
He was the No. 2 scorer at Antietam as a sophomore, averaging 15.4 points with 22 3’s in 26 games. He scored a career-high 29 points against Tulpehocken.
He had a season-high 20 points last year against Reading High, hitting 9-of-10 shots in a 63-59 loss to Reading High.
McKoy enters the season as the league’s top career scorer, with 730 points.
Kingston McKoy
Berks Catholic
The freshman came into the league last season with a lot of hype and more than lived up to it, playing a key defensive role off the bench to help the Saints go 23-5 and win a second straight District 3 championship.
The 6-2 guard proved to be an effective on-ball defender, with his long wingspan, quick feet and natural instincts for the game.
Before the season Saints coach Snip Esterly compared him to Stevie Mitchell at the same stage; that proved not to be a stretch. He averaged 6.7 points, shot 78.4 percent from the foul line and was earning starter’s minutes over the second half of the season.
“He’s a tremendous defensive player,” Esterly said. “We’re trying to get him to create and take the ball to the basket more. His shot is very good. He can score off the dribble. He’s a nice all-around player. He’s got to become a little more selfish as a scorer.”
Not only was he a summer league All-Star but McKoy led both his West Reading teams, junior and senior leagues, to championships.
Kevin Saenz
Exeter
“Showtime Kev” came up huge in the playoffs last year, helping carry the Eagles to their first District 3 championship and all the way to the PIAA Class 5A championship game.
As a wing guard he was third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game as a junior, shot 71.6 percent from the foul line and was good on 36.4 percent of his 3-pointers.
The 6-3 senior will take on a new role, moving to point guard. His new coach, Jeff VanGorder, likes his basketball IQ and his court savvy and believes those skills will bode well for him in his new capacity.
“Kevin is poised to have a breakout year,” said VanGorder. “He has worked extremely hard in the offseason. His basketball IQ is one of the highest I have coached. He is much more than just a scorer. He is a player-maker and knows where guys are supposed to be. That’s what we need from that spot. That’s the most important guy on the team.”
Other players to watch in Berks II:
- Aiden Dauble, sophomore, Exeter
- Matt DiGiacomo, junior, Daniel Boone
- Alex Kelsey, senior, Exeter
- Matt Knight, junior, Twin Valley
- Brady Murray, junior, Exeter
- Parker Nein, senior, Berks Catholic
- Tyson Pinchok, senior, Daniel Boone
- Josh Plummer, junior, Conrad Weiser
- Jayden Ware, sophomore, Exeter