Five Players to Watch in Berks IV boys basketball
David Bednarczyk
Tulpehocken
The 6-1 guard finished his sophomore season with a flourish, scoring 34 points in a District 3 playoff loss to Camp Hill. That was coming off a 36-point effort against Hamburg and part of a stretch that saw him top 30 points three times in his final four games.
“He’s really good getting to the basket, and he can definitely put up shots,” said Trojans coach J.D. Ricapito. “He can get hot .”
Bednarczyk earned all-division honors after averaging a team-leading 17.6 points, hitting 20 3-pointers and shooting 77.9 from the foul line. His scoring average is second-highest among returning players in the division. He has 430 points after two seasons and is pace to reach 1,000 in his career.
Ricapito said Bednarczyk has shown improvement on the defensive end in scrimmages this season.
Xavier Goodman
Kutztown
The 5-10 guard made a huge impact with the Cougars after transferring in from Allen High for his junior season. He finished second on the team in scoring at 15.7 points, earned all-division honors and carried the load when leading scorer Marlon Creech couldn’t play the final few weeks of the season.
“He took over this team and put it on his back last year,” said Cougars coach Craig Mogel. “He’s one of the best passers I’ve seen in years. He runs the offense and is our most unselfish player.”
Goodman excels at defense and is fundamentally sound. He made 18 3-pointers in 19 games, shot 68.4 percent from foul line and scored 20 or more points five times.
He honed his skills in the fall playing for the Select Competition Basketball League in Allentown in the fall.
Bryce Mellen
Tulpehocken
Anytime you’re mentioned in the same sentence as Charlie Copp, that’s a good thing.
Mellen was last season when he scored a career-high 39 points vs. Antietam, just six off Copp’s program record. He eight eight 3-pointers in that game, joining Copp as the only player in program history to hit that many in a game (Copp has the record with 10).
The 6-1 senior averaged 15.7 points and earned all-division honors last season. He’s good at getting to the foul line and converting. His 119 free attempts were second in Berks last season to Stevie Mitchell of Wilson. He knocked down 77.3 percent at the line.
“He’s definitely a powerhouse down low,” said Trojans coach J.D. Ricapito. “He can do a lot under the basket but also step out and hit the 3. He steps up to make big plays. He’s always there when you need him.”
Hector Tiburcio
Antietam
The 6-1 guard/forward hybrid had a huge junior season, averaging 18.3 points — second-highest in the Berks Conference — topping 1,000 points and earning third-team All-State honors in Class 2A.
He led the Mounts in rebounds, assists and steals and came up huge in the playoffs, scoring 24 points against unbeaten Greenwood in the district semifinals and 29 in a loss to Lancaster Mennonite in the district championship.
He’s got a true outside-inside game. He can bury the 3 — he hit a team-best 33 last season — and go to the glass and score inside.
“He presents significant match-up problems for the teams we see on a regular basis, just because he’s so strong, and he can handle it,” said Mounts coach Mike Green.
Tiburcio has improved his all-around game the past two summers playing with the Penn Playmakers. He enters the season with 1,003 points, tops among active Berks players.
Danny Turchi
Oley Valley
Turchi led a balanced, senior-oriented lineup in scoring as a junior, averaging 11.3 points for the division champs. Now he’ll expand his role as the veteran leader on a team with a lot of new faces. He’s been in the starting lineup since he was a freshman.
“We’re looking for Danny to take a big step up,” said Lynx coach Matt Barrell. “He did that this summer in the West Reading League. He was really good. We need him to be that go-to guy. In our division he can be a physical presence.”
The 6-1 guard is not a natural shooter but he’ll get his points down on the blocks, with his mid-range game or in transition.
“He’s a very unselfish player, and lets the offense flow,” Barrell said.
Other key players to watch in Berks IV:
- Grant Fitzgerald, 5-8 senior G, Kutztown
- Jovan Hollis, 6-3 junior F, Antietam
- Jaden Kelly, 6-1 junior guard, Oley Valley
- Mike Mammarella, 5-8 senior G, Brandywine Heights
- Josh McKoy, 6-3 sophomore F, Antietam
- Spencer Miller, 6-0 senior G, Brandywine Heights
- Joey Vaccaro, 5-10 senior G, Oley Valley
- Gunnar Wetzel, 6-5 senior C, Brandywine Heights
- Ty Yerger, 6-1 senior F, Oley Valley
