Dan Lynch is one of a kind

December 15, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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No one else in the history of New York City basketball has achieved all these things:

New York City All-City performer twice
New York City All-Met three years
Won a high school City Championship
New York High School Coach of the Year
New York City College Coach of the Year

And, he’s not in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Someone’s not doing their homework.

Dan Lynch, Sr., was an All-Met basketball performer all four years at St. Francis College, Brooklyn. He amassed over 500 coaching victories at Trinity High School, St. Francis Prep and with the Terriers of St. Francis College.

He won a City Championship at the Prep, and was named Coach of the Year. At St. Francis College, he was the Met Coach of the Year in ’54, ’56, ’63 and in ’67. From 1949- ‘56 he won 144 and dropped just 70 as Terriers’ coach.

As for Hall of Fames, he’s in the ECAC, St. Francis College, St. Francis Prep and New York City Basketball Halls of Fame.

Springfield, Mass., are you listening?

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It was close, but Medgar Evers College Prep sidestepped Frank J. Macchiarola for a 53-51 victory last week for back-to-back wins for the Prep. Dejon Williams had 12 points and six rebounds. The game was Williams’ seventh in-a-row with at least 10 points. Joshua Edwards added eight rebounds and 12 points. The win pushed Medgar Evers College Prep to 6-1. As for Frank J. Macchiarola, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-2.

Everything came up roses for Brooklyn Tech at home against Robeson Business Tech last week, as they secured a 61-33 win. The win made it back-to-back wins for the Engineers.

Chadwyck Beckford scored 15 points along with six rebounds for the winners. Troy Hornbeck had 16 and six. Tech bumped their record to 3-1; Robeson Business Tech fell to 1-2.

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This week’s New York Basketball Rankings saw Medgar Evers College Prep at 29. The other local school to crack the top 31 was Seward Park (31).

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Perhaps it was a coincidence – Israel Abanikanda cracked the lineup for the New York Jets Sunday – and the Green Machine beat Houston, 30-6 to up their season record to 5-8.

When the Jets released Michael Carter, a former fourth-round pick last month, the thought was to give Abanikanda some playing time. The rookie running back from Lincoln High was expected an increased role with the offense.

Abanikanda had played in just one game since Carter’s release. The rookie running back who starred at Pitt, had touched the ball just two times on offense.
Until Sunday.

Three carries with a long of three yards in the win.

Why hasn’t Abanikanda getting more playing time?

Jets Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett told reporters last week – prior to the Texans game — that Abanikanda has “a long way to go” as a pass protector. Yet the fifth-round draft pick wasn’t required to do much pass-blocking at Pitt. Since being called up to the active roster in Week 12, Abanikanda has failed to get on the field in every game – save Sunday and his first against the Buffalo Bills.

During the preseason he totaled 113 rush yards and one touchdown on 25 carries in two-plus games. He suffered a thigh injury against Tampa Bay in the third preseason contest.
He was the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference rushing champion, scored 21 touchdowns in 11 games during his final season at Pitt.

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The Pratt Institute men’s and women’s track and field teams set a handful of personal bests in their final meet of 2023 competing in the Wagner Shootout at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, last week.

For the men, Dominic Paolini set an indoor personal best in the 3,000-meter clocking in at 10:08.32 to finish 23rd overall and fourth-best among DIII runners. First-year Andrew Langpap lowered his time in the same event from last week finishing in 11:20.90 good for 32nd.
Asa Brandyberry tossed an 11.09-m in the shot put to finish in 24th overall and third among DIII competitors. He also tossed an 11.26-m in the weight throw for 20th place and fourth against DIII.

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For the women, Christina Sancho-Spore was the top Division III runner in the indoor mile with a personal-best 5:26.77 and cracking the top 10 in eighth place. Siena Sujitno ran a personal-best for the second-straight week in the 60-m dash, clocking in at 8.06 for 30th and third among DIII sprinters. Kayla Galvan also lowered her best time again in the 60-m hurdles to 12.09 to take 27th overall. Ava Hunwick lowered her previous best in the 300-m by over two seconds, posting 47.38 for 80th overall and sixth among DIII runners. Hannah Kim tossed a 9.78-m in the shot put for 19th overall and second among DIII throwers.

Pratt returns to action in the new year with the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational on January 12th at Ocean Breeze at noon.

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The Pratt Institute men’s basketball team heads into the new year with a .500 record following a 76-63 setback in the Constitution State to Mitchell College, Saturday.
Senior Patrick O’Gorman had a game-high 23. Pratt travels to St. Joseph’s University-Long Island, Thursday, January 5th for a 7 pm showdown.

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In borough competition last week, Pratt’s men topped Brooklyn College, 79-72 in overtime with first-year Cameron Windt pacing all scorers with 26 — and eight in the overtime.

It was Windt again – this time with the game-winning three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to lift the Pratt Institute men’s basketball team to a 68-65 home win over Medgar-Evers.

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Despite a double-double from Anabela Jakelic, and a game-high in scoring from Kylie Grant, the Pratt Institute women concluded the 2023 portion of their schedule with a 65-34 road defeat to Bard College, Saturday. Grant finished with 18 points to lead all scorers and pulled down seven boards while Jakelic recorded her fourth-straight double-double and fifth of the season by way of 11 points and 10 boards.

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The Iona University men’s and women’s swimming and diving team reached the mid-point of the ’23-’24 season in the ECAC Winter Championship Meet –a 26-team event held at Nassau County Aquatic Complex featuring three days of NCAA Championship trials and Finals racing 40 events.
The Iona men placed fourth, junior Brian Baldwin, a Brooklyn native via Xavier High School – scored 37 points. His best effort came in the 100 back where he was 14th at 52.09. Baldwin was also 15th in the 200-pbutyterfly (1:56.46); 18th in the 200-IM at 1:55.62 and 20th in the 100-butterfly at 50.98.

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The St. Joseph’s University (Brooklyn) men’s basketball team snapped a four-game skid with a 52-42 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Saturday. The win was also the Bears’ first in Skyline Conference-play this season, improving to 1-1. Max Butler produced a game-leading 20 points and 12 rebounds, both season bests.

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The LIU wrestling team produced a decisive win in its 2023-24 home opener. The Sharks defeated visiting Bloomsburg, 31-8, at Pratt Recreation Center, Saturday afternoon. Robbie Sagaris (125 pounds) and Christopher Betancourt (133) set the tone with early wins. LIU next hosts Edinboro, December 22nd at PRC.

The LIU women’s hockey team headed home Saturday having taken care of business in consecutive games against Saint Michael’s. The Sharks posted their second-straight 3-1 victory against the Purple Knights behind goals from Mary Rachel Lenaeus, Grace Babington and Mikayla Lantto. Goaltender Tindra Holm made 24 saves in the win. LIU improved to 14-0 against NEWHA competition. The Sharks have a layoff before returning to action Dec. 30th at Quinnipiac.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR