Many of you basketball folks are trying to push the good football people out. Sorry, but it’s not going to be that way.

We’ll be easing into basketball this weekend, breaking down each conference. Let’s start at the top:

CLASS AA
Early favorite: Mount Vernon. Real shocker here. The Knights have arguably the best player in the area in 6-8 forward Kevin Jones, who’s part of easily the best tandem around with junior forward Sherrod Wright. Add into two other returning starters in point guard Ketema Brooks and forward Odayne Clarke; plus another regular in Jordan Lessane and the area’s best freshman in Jabarie Hinds, and another sectional title should be coming.
Top contender: White Plains. A Mount Vernon-White Plains repeat in the final seems almost inevitable. Sean Kilpatrick and Rashad James, with this athleticism and versatility, will be a near-impossible matchup for any team in the conference outside of Mount Vernon. The Tigers have good, but inexperienced, post players in Sean Brooks (6-0), Cody Martin (6-4) and Darrell Ward (6-6).
Don’t forget about: Poughkeepsie. I thought about putting Ossining here, with the return of Jeff Ward and the addition of Myles Thomas. But the Pioneers are going to rack up victories in their league and be one of the top four seeds in the Class AA playoffs. Assuming there’s been no significant changes to the roster, Moquan Dickens and Antonio Williams (16.4 ppg) are back.
This year’s Horace Greeley: Scarsdale. If any team can duplicate Greeley’s unexpected rise in the conference from last year, it’s Scarsdale. The Raiders played Stepinac tough in a scrimmage last week and have the guards to contend with anyone. David Zaitz has come into his own as a star. With nine returning seniors, this is a team that has the potential to be a scary matchup come February.
Sleeper: John Jay. It’s hard to call this team a ‘sleeper’ when it has Kevin Drew, who had a stellar summer playing alongside Mookie and Kevin Jones with the Westchester Hawks. Drew, a 6-3 lacrosse star who is hoping to walk-on at Syracuse next season, is a phenomenal scorer, and has a quality shooter in Anthony Iacomini to take some of the pressure off. In a wide-open league, the Indians have a chance at winning 14 games.
Super sleeper: Mamaroneck. The Tigers are young but experienced with juniors Taylor Mondshein and Gabe Yizar returning to the backcourt, and a nice newcomer in 6-4 Chris Valentin, a transfer from the Bronx. They’re in a brutal league with Mount Vernon, White Plains, New Rochelle and Scarsdale. But they sure won’t be a pushover in the postseason.
Team that will improve most by January: Lincoln. There’s some good young talent on that roster and the Lancers seem to go through 2-3 year cycles where they can contend.
Going to the County Center: Mount Vernon, White Plains, Poughkeepsie and New Rochelle
Championship: Mount Vernon over White Plains.

Three bold prediction for the season:
1. Kevin Jones will be averaging 30 points per game at some point during the month of January
2. Scarsdale and New Rochelle will split their regular season meetings
3. North Rockland will repeat as league champs

Preseason all-stars
First team
G: Sean Kilpatrick, White Plains
G: Rashad James, White Plains
F: Sherrod Wright, Mount Vernon
F: Antonio Williams, Poughkeepsie
F: Kevin Jones, Mount Vernon

Second team
G: Ketema Brooks, Mount Vernon
G: Markell Rice, New Rochelle
F: Kevin Drew, John Jay
F: David Zaitz, Scarsdale
F: Odayne Clarke, Mount Vernon

Breakout team
G: Jabarie Hinds, Mount Vernon
G: Taylor Mondshein, Mamaroneck
F: Dustin Hogue, Lincoln
F: Sean Brooks, White Plains
F: Ryan Markley, Yorktown