Sarachek Panel Roundup:

Final standings:

Yosef Silver (YS): 25-5

Marvin Azrak (MA): 24-6

Akiva Poppers (AP): 23-7

Oren Glickman (OG): 20-6

Ari Schopf (AS): 22-8

Combined record: 114-32 (.780 winning %)

Quotes from our panelists:

YS: Two time panelist, two time champion. A 50-10 overall record through two years has got to be some kind of record. That being said, being on the panel has been a blast and I’m looking forward to the three-peat next year.

AS: I finished last. I think I need to reflect on my life as a whole. If I’m not an expert in Jewish high school basketball then what is the point? I’ll be back and better next year. At least I got the Frisch over DRS pick correct. Small wins. 

MA:  Fittingly, the Panel Picks championship was decided by the Tier I championship. Akin to MDY, I  went on a Cinderella run of my own that fell one game short. I was in last place for the first half of the weekend, trailing Silver by two games entering Monday, needing all three finals  picks to hit. Thanks to Valley Torah and North Shore for their contributions in my efforts to dethrone the king; but it wasn’t enough. TABC, who Silver predicted a year ago to become 2025 champions fruitfed his prophecy. There’s going to be a bevy of Gold in the Silver household after this triumph, so I hope we find some Bronze to complete the trio. He can take my Silver medal too, because I only go for Gold. Regardless, I had a blast. Thanks all of you for following throughout the tournament and congratulations to everyone affiliated with the Storm of Destiny and Oren Glickman on TABC’s maiden national championship. See y’all again next year.

AP: I got 77% of games correct and only finished in third place? 3 of the 7 games I got wrong were 1 or 2 point losses, and if Berman would’ve beaten MDY I would’ve tied for first. Enough of the excuses, next year I will tie Silver by grabbing my second panel picks trophy.

OG: If I was able to pick TABC’s games then maybe I could have won. 

Coach of the Tournament:

YS: Since Oren can’t say Coach Oz I will. The Storm had an incredible tournament, becoming the first team since SAR in 2011 to win Sarachek while being ranked outside the top 3. The Storm locked down defensively and Oz did a great job of making in-game adjustments, on both ends of the floor. He clearly has great relationships with his players and it was about time TABC took home some hardware.

AS: Coach Yonah Singer and the entire Berman staff. The way they execute their game plan is top notch, specifically with the way they front the post and swarm big men who pose significant matchup disadvantages to their smaller team. 

MA: Spike Dweck and the MDY coaching staff get love for bringing his team from to the finals for the second consecutive Spring even if they became the fourth installment to be a runner-up in back-back Sarachek’s.  It’s the best Warriors squad to have no hardware next to their efforts this year. They became the first double-digit seed to reach the final, which included defeating Brooklyn rival Flatbush in a “Syrian Civil War” play-in game. They were the darlings of the Jewish Basketball world. 

However, my vote goes to Coach Oz of TABC. That’s not easy to rebound after a heartbreaking overtime defeat in the Yeshiva League final, but they rectified their wrongdoing on the same MSAC  floor by winning nationals. The Storm were ranked fourth but you could tell from day one they were truly #1 and now it’s a reality.  For years, people questioned when it would be the second tournament hosts' turn to lift the trophy and now we have our answer. Behind every great team is a great coach and Oz can say he was the one who got this program over the hump. Great pick by Athletic Director/GM Oren Glickman.

AP: Dani Katz’s halftime interview on MacsLive during the Tier II Consolation Game at something like 11pm on Sunday night wins him Coach of the Tournament. What did he tell his team in the locker room? “To listen to what I have to say, because my fingernail knows more basketball than they all know combined. So if they ever listen to me, then maybe something good would happen.” Truly poetic words. 

OG: If I’m not allowed to say Coach Oz, I will pick Spike Dweck. Truly amazing what he was able to do with this group. Going from playing your way in to getting all the way to the championship game is truly remarkable. 

Best Moment:

YS: Nathan Neufeld’s buzzer-beater three to upset DRS. To go from falling just short after a valiant effort to downing the Yeshiva League champs was incredible. It changed the whole landscape of the tournament. I had the privilege to be on call for that one and as a broadcaster I’ll always look back on that moment. Shoutout to Joe Aaron’s ridiculous buzzer-beater in OT against Montreal.

AS: The degree of difficulty combined with the situation makes the Joe Aaron shot the best moment for me. 

MA: It was going to be Nathan Neufeld’s buzzer-beater to sink DRS on Thursday, until Joe Aaron one-upped him with the best shot I’ve ever seen live to send the WildCats  72-66 Tier II double-overtime win over Montreal on Sunday, to a second bonus frame tied at 62.

AP: Michael Solomon comforting and hugging Joe Aaron with a smile on his face one second after he blew a 3-footer which would have sent the Tier II Championship to OT.

OG: No question Joe Aaron’s shot against Montreal. 

Biggest Surprise:

YS: Valley Torah’s comeback against Maimo in the Tier III semis. The Wolfpack looked dead in the water but were able to put on a magical run in the last five minutes to advance to the Tier III championship.

AS: In years past we have seen the top teams be far ahead of the rest of the pack. This year the difference in talent between the 1 seed and 10 seed were virtually non-existent. This is exciting to see as it can mean that the Jewish basketball talent as a whole is improving. Very curious to see if this trend continues next year. 

MA:  Jack Turell calling the Valley Torah miraculous Tier III semifinal  comeback against Maimonides  with Matthew  Loren and I. Then proceeding to howl  on air during Meir Dan’s takeover in the waning minutes. Shoutouts to the boatload of games Zachary Sicklick sideline reported. I also didn’t think Frisch’s Jon Milgrom had cat-like reflexes but he showed the national audience by being the only one to go 6/6 in the MacsLive Reflexes challenge. Another thing I was surprised to learn was Elephants being considered “rude”  by Montreal’s Elisha Mouyal. They don’t have the capacity to understand what that even means.

AP: MacsLive debuted a Coach Cam to highlight the emotions of being on the sideline and immediately received positive feedback from the most animated coaches themselves. Maybe next year we can add a panel award for Most Cuckoo Coach.

OG: Frisch beating DRS. 

Best Jerseys:

YS: I think North Shore had the best lineup of jerseys this year. Any time a team has an alternate third jersey it’s a big boost. The stripes on the side are very nice and overall the jerseys are really clean. I wish the green “North Shore” ones would be a bit of a brighter green but it’s still a great look.

AS: I thought the refs looked really sharp this year. They never get enough credit for their appearance. Kind of makes me consider being a ref. I think I’d look good in that uniform. 

MA: The best uniforms award goes to Berman. They were spot-on with their redesigns. I look forward to seeing them again next Spring.

AP: The TABC yellows with navy on the sides. The random white and yellow spots in the navy are a nice touch.

OG: I liked the Berman jerseys even though my friend Yosef Silver does not. 

Best Fanbase:

YS: In what was probably a down year in terms of fanbases, I would have to give it to Frisch for the way they overflowed the fan section behind the benches, especially in the Berman game. I also want to mention the TABC crowd in the championship as they were loud for the entirety of the final game. As always, shoutout to everyone who came from near and far to support their teams.

AS: It’s impossible to pick one when there are so many passionate and great…

Berman for sure. 

MA: It’s tough because I loved the Canadian presence but those were mostly made up of   current YU guys and alum.  I like to give this award to the best school that showed out in its current form. That’s the Frisch Cougars. I was impressed by the turnout in both of their games against DRS and Berman, especially with the latter being a 10:30AM tip-off. They had the best crowd, but if we were giving an award  for the best chants, I’ve always enjoyed the “TABC playlist”.  It’s good to see them finally rewarded for their work with a title, court storm and flag plant. Each time i see a  Thunderstorm throughout the offseason, I’ll be sure to reminisce about “Let’s go Storm” storming through YU in the final week of March. 

AP: L'Académie Hébraïque.

OG: I thought Frisch had the most impressive turnout when they were competing in Tier 1. 

Team you are most looking forward to seeing next year:

YS: Frisch. Isaac Stepner made first team all-Sarachek as a sophomore and the Cougars will be returning a solid chunk of their young core. Even though Max Schachter and Jared Reich are graduating, Frisch is going to get some reinforcements from JV as an exciting sophomore class will rejoin Isaac Stepner–this time at the varsity level.

AS: Whatever Akiva Poppers says. I fully trust his opinion on these things. 

MA: The Berman Cougars. They reached the final four for the first time in school history and return Alex August for his senior season alongside a hungry supporting cast after falling a point and a bounce shy of the finals this year. 

AP: Berman with a healthy Gabey Margulies and a senior Alex August? Sign me up.

OG: Berman for sure. 

Sarachek 2026 Championship Prediction:

YS: Before I make my prediction, I just want to say that last year I picked TABC to become the 2025 champs. I was the only panelist to pick TABC, so I guess you can say I’m really 51-10 over two years. Once again, I’m gonna go with my gut and pick the MAY Eagles over the Netzach Knights in a huge rivalry game. However, if those teams don’t make it, give me Berman over DRS. DRS returns a solid core and should have a nice season next year but the senior version of Alex August will take the tournament by storm. Gabey Margulies coming back only adds to Berman’s chances and Coach Yonah Singer was my runner up for this year’s Coach of the Tournament. Look for the always unbiased Ari Schopf to get burned for not picking his hometown school.

AS: Ramaz over Berman

MA:  Berman over DRS.  It took two unlucky bounces for the Wildcats to be defeated in this year’s tournament.  Moshe Cohen’s group should be back in national contention again next year. They were preseason, Satran, and 16-1 Yeshiva League champions for a reason. Yet siding with the Cougars because after three years of losing, I think this core has finally learned what it takes to win.

AP: DRS over some LA team. It’s a pretty safe bet we won’t go two years in a row with no LA teams making the championship game. Spodek/Bennett/Solomon is an unreal returning core. Tzvi’s Tsaidi’s younger brother Elisha will make an immediate impact next year.

OG: SAR over Berman. The Yeshiva  League dominance goes back to back. 

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