Also, the talent is spread out much more thinly in the PSAL then it used to be. There are probably twice as many high schools as there were 20 years ago.
More schools? Really?
More schools as schools close and are replaced by 2 -3 charter schools that function out of the same building. Not sure that the amount of talent is the same, but definitely more schools. Has more to do with kids going to prep schools and other schools in the surrounding area.
But do these charter schools have teams?
These charter schools that are opening aren't harboring any major talent. The talent continues to go to the traditional powerhouses. (Lincoln , Cardozo , boys and girls etc) . I'll use moe harkless as an example a kid who never had academic issues but left a psal program in forest hills to go to south kent to prepare him self for high level basketball because the talent in the psal is not good enough to prepare anyone for high level division 1 basketball. And for that matter NYC as a whole, and that's why u see mater dei beating Christ the king senseless on national television. That would have never happened a decade ago.
I love a little history lesson. When did NEPSAC schools start nabbing all the NYC talent? When did the mass exodus of NYC begin and what caused it?
great question because guys like sebastian telfair, showtime, and rafer alston would have never in a million years elected to leave thier beloved schools for some factory in the middle of a burb. i think this saga started as the AAU circuit became more prevalent, when the highschool coaches voices where being overshadowed by the aau coaches advice. The decline or lack of competition in nyc im sure had a bit to do with it along with exposure benifits but im sure not as much as having free room and board, free sneakers, playing a national schedule and a little pocket money from your new coach.