Gallagher taken No. 1 in MVISBL boys draft
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
The boys division of the Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League kicked off its season Monday with the inaugural player draft at Carriage Inn in Elizabeth Township.
Head coaches and their assistants sorted through over 100 names for the 37 eligible spots remaining on team rosters.
To no one’s surprise, Tim Tyree led off the draft for BeeGraphix by selecting Laurel Highlands’ stud sophomore Rodney Gallagher III.
“Obviously, picking Gallagher in the first round is huge, but I think we had a solid draft across the board,” Tyree said. “As long as you get people you like on your board, you have to be happy about the picks.”
Tyree may have picked up the steal of the draft with his next pick as all-section player Brayden Reynolds of Chartiers Valley fell into the round.
“With Brayden and Gallagher at guard, that’s going to give us a really solid backcourt,” Tyree said. “Overall, though, I think it’s going to be a really competitive league. I can’t wait.”
All the coaches were excited to get things started, with each landing standouts in the first round.
Elite Physical Therapy head coach Vada Epps, an assistant at South Allegheny, had a no-brainer with the second pick, taking his son Bryce, a standout sophomore with the Gladiators.
He followed that by going young in the second round with Robert Cain, a freshman from the Kiski School. His third pick is the one he’s highest on, and it’s a player he’s familiar with. Ayden Sloss, a 6-4 forward, plays for Epps at South Allegheny.
“I’ve known him since second grade and really got to watch him develop,” Epps said. “He plays hard and has really improved his game. I can see him doing big things on the court.”
Farmers Insurance coach and league commissioner Dana Zajicek went big for his first pick, selecting the Gladiators’ Omar Faulkner. The 6-5 big man was dominant on the court during workouts at the league’s home at Marx’s Court Time Sports Center.
“I expect to see some big things from Faulkner,” Zajicek said. “Adding him along with some of the guards we have, I think that gives us some good combinations.”
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