BY ZACH SMART
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC–Christ The King HS is one of the more tradition-rich programs in New York City and the country, having churned out a steady crop of high level Division-I talent for a long time now.
The CHSAA “AA” program recently helped nurture the development of guys such as point forward Brandon Williams (UCLA), hyper athletic forward and former NY Mr. Basketball Brandon Gardner (now at Sacramento State under first year head coach Mike Bibby), and a defensive backbone in Moussa Cisse (Memphis), among others.
During an action-packed weekend down South, which included EYBL and UAA events, several young CTK prospects prospered in what appears to be a harbinger of what’s to come. The program had representation across a busy weekend for both UAA and EYBL.
For the New York Lightning, Class of 2027 CTK guard Johnny Magna has been a stabilizing influence while staking his claim as one of the top scorers on the EYBL circuit.
With an adeptness for getting to the rim and scoring the ball at all three levels with efficiency, Magna culminated this weekend with offers from Arizona State and Mississippi State.
A focal point capable of engineering game-altering runs and impacting all areas of the game, Magna also holds offers from the likes of TCU, Texas A & M, Illinois, La Salle, East Carolina, Loyola Chicago and several others. He has heard from the likes of Boston College, Florida, and others this off season as well.
Nearly every program which has offered Magna was on hand to see him this weekend, including TCU head coach Jamie Dixon.
Magna turned in a wild 29-point game, along with eight rebounds, catapulting the Lightning to a pulsating 71-70 victory over The Family.
Meanwhile, playing for a promising young Riverside Hawks team, 6-foot-11 Stra Zelic continues to evolve rapidly.
The Class of 2028 recruit registered his presence as an inside-outside scoring presence with fluid mobility and upside, as he earned an offer from Illinois on Sunday in Emerson, GA.
Representing the Serbian national team, Zelic has improved incrementally with his mid post game, delicate touch from mid range and beyond the arc, and versatile defense. He will play a prominent role at Christ The King this ensuing season, after showing flashes as a freshman.
CTK will again have depth in the backcourt with veteran guard Judah Bontemps, a high energy and crafty guard who makes vital plays on both ends of the floor.
Class of 2028 point guard Skyler Ragoo has also readied himself for a prominent role next season. A slick NYC point guard, Ragoo has shown he can operate a high powered offense, as he recently had 12 assists in a game.
Magna said buying into the team concept and prioritizing winning his been vital for this NY Lightning team, which will compete in the hyper competitive Peach Jam this week.
“I came to this team they were 1-3,” Magna said.””My main goal was for us make Peach Jam. Since then, we’ve gone 6-2 and we’re about to qualify. love this program, coaching staff, and teammates.”
