On Wednesday, March 27, the DRS Wildcats and Frisch Cougars will face off in the first-ever Sarachek play-in game. The winner will become the thirteenth seed and face the #4 Shalhevet Firehawks on Thursday, March 28, while the loser will go home.
The Wildcats are looking to make the tournament and finish the job they started last year. The Wildcats had a rough beginning to Sarachek, losing their Tier I qualifier to Magen David in the 8-9 matchup. Once they cemented themselves in Tier II by beating Cooper in the Tier II qualifiers, they stormed through RASG Miami and Berman en route to the Tier II Championship. However, in the championship, DRS had no answer to Fuchs Mizrachi’s aggressive defense, and the Wildcats fell to the tune of 53-39.
Max Schachter will look to lead the Frisch Cougars against the DRS Wildcats in the opening tilt of the 2024 Sarachek tournament. (Photo Credit: Isaac Reicin)
This season in the Yeshiva League, DRS had a respectable 7-7 record and lost in the quarterfinals to North Shore. The Wildcats are led by 6’2” guard Joe Aaron and 6’1” forward Aiden Buchbinder. Aaron serves as the point guard and plays at the top of DRS’s zone defense. He is able to create shots for himself and his teammates, and his 6’2” frame gives him above-average size at the position.
Buchbinder is a smart player who does most of his damage inside. Never one to give up on a play, the 2023 Sarachek All-Star will be instrumental to the Wildcats’ success. Look for DRS to try to get him the ball down low.
On Frisch’s end, their tournament last year was relatively uneventful. After taking care of Berman in the Tier I qualifier, they fell to SAR in the quarterfinals. Although Frisch defeated them twice during the Yeshiva League season, at Sarachek they struggled offensively and couldn’t contain SAR and Akiva Schanzer.
Frisch started this season red hot, going 9-1 in their first 10 games.
Their identity was their defense, allowing an average of 38 points during that span. After game 10, they faltered, finishing with a 10-4 record. In the first round, they faced a tough SAR team and lost by a score of 63-46. Frisch is led by their big man, Ezra Berkowitz. At a towering 6’5”, Berkowitz proved himself to be one of the best bigs in the Yeshiva League this year. Teams have struggled to contain him in the paint and on the glass. Look for Frisch to work their offense through him.
Both of these teams have shown they can face tough competition. DRS hasn’t lost to any team outside of the 4 Yeshiva League semifinalists, while Frisch was the only team to beat #1 Magen David in the Yeshiva League. Each team is looking to prove that they belong in Sarachek 2024. The inaugural play-in game is scheduled for 6:30 pm at the Max Stern Athletic Center. It will also be streaming right here on MacsLive.