SARACHEK PANEL GAME PREDICTIONS: Sunday
- MacsLive Staff
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
STANDINGS:
Marvin Azrak: 19-2
Zachary Sicklick: 16-5
Yosef Silver: 16-5
Ari Schopf: 15-6
Oren Glickman; 9-9
Akiva Poppers: 3-1
Akiva Poppers: Hillel has never been to a championship game, but I think they have the group to change that. They aren’t extremely talented, but they are physical and play hard. They’ll keep this game low-scoring and escape with a win. Hillel 39, Beren 37.
Yosef Silver: Beren had a great season, I really like the Beren had an impressive season, making it to the final four in state. That being said, I was impressed with the way that Hillel held their own against a strong Fuchs team that even gave Frisch problems. Give me Hillel in a close one. Hillel 34, Beren 31
Ari Schopf: Hillel did a great job defensively in their loss against Fuchs but came up just short. I expect them to match this type of defensive intensity against Beren and advance to the Tier 3 finals with a win.
Hillel 47 Beren 34
Marvin Azrak: This is the kind of game that doesn’t look pretty but means everything. Hillel isn’t going to wow you. They’re going to defend, scrap, and make every possession a battle. And honestly, after what they showed against Fuchs, you can’t overlook them. But here’s the difference. Beren has Rafi Miller. Hillel will keep this tight. Shaw and Itzkowitz will control tempo, they’ll defend like crazy, and this will be a one-possession game late. But eventually someone has to win it. And I trust Miller to do just that. Final: Beren 45, Hillel 41
Zachary Sicklick: Both these teams want a spot in the Tier III chip. An 11:00 am game is no fun for any squad, but expect both teams to come out wanting a victory. Hillel has some nice guard ability with Shaw and Itzkowitz; all-state selection Rafi Miller leads Beren. Give me a Pittsburgh victory here. Hillel 44 Beren 36
Oren Glickman: Beren had a tough go against MTA and it seemed Hillel made it respectable against a solid Fuchs team. I’ll take Hillel for their first win and a spot in Championship Monday at YU.
Hillel 38 Beren 24
AP: I’m just not sure SCY High will be able to both contain Ruby Tilis on-ball and Yossi Davidovits off-ball, and if you try to take those two out of the game HANC still has other guys who can put the ball in the hoop. Hurricanes win 67-36.
YS: HANC has proven they belong in this tournament, beating JEC in the play-in and going down to the wire with Montreal on Friday. Ruby Tilis and Yossi Davidowitz should feast as the Hawks won’t be able to contain the two leaders for the Hurricanes. HANC 58 SCY High 27
AS: HANC lost a close one on Friday against HA Montreal that pushed them into Tier 3. Led by Tilis, this HANC squad has a real shot to win Tier 3. They have a couple of terrific shooters that can get going from three and run away with games. I like them in this one.
HANC 52 SCY High 31
MA: This one feels like it comes down to a simple question: Can SCY High take away two things at once? Because if they can’t this gets away from them. HANC 52 SCY High 36
ZS: Davidowitz is a major threat and will be hard to stop, and after winning the qualifier, HANC is looking to bring home hardware. The Hawks will need to rely on Dimenstein to contain Davidowitz, which is no easy feat. HANC 57 SCY High 38
OG: HANC had a minor setback against Montreal and SCY had a hard time being competitive against TABC. Look for the Hurricanes to bounce back and play in the Tier 3 final.
HANC 60 SCY 18
AP: Shalhevet is the best defensive team in the tournament. They are extremely connected. Stepner will have to work for every basket. Frisch has a major size advantage and I expect they will have several more possessions to work with than the Firehawks will, but I think the looks they’ll be able to generate will be of lower quality. My prediction for the Sarachek 2026 title game in the Sarachek 2025 panel recap was DRS over some LA team. Shalhevet is that LA team. Shalhevet 49, Frisch 45.
YS: Frisch has been really exciting to watch this tournament. After getting off to slower starts against Fuchs and SAR, they have recovered nicely down the stretch and lived to survive another day. Stepner has been great so far this tournament. But he’s not the only star in this game. Sam Jacobson has been awesome in these two games as neither MTA nor Flatbush could contain the big man. Shalhevet has been absolutely shutdown in the tournament, and I think that trend continues today as the Firehawks return to the finals for the first time since 2019. Shalhevet 51 Frisch 47
AS: The matchup between Stepner and Jacobson is an exciting one. I picked against Shalhevet twice already and I am 0-2, but you know what they say? Third time’s the charm. Give me Frisch in this one.
Frisch 55 Shalhevet 51
MA: This is the best defense in the tournament. Not just individually, but collectively. And that matters when you’re facing a player like Isaac Stepner, who’s been the best player in the tournament so far.He’s going to get his. That’s a given.But he’s going to have to earn every single bucket. And here’s where the game turns. Frisch might win the possession battle, offensive rebounds, size, second chances. But Shalhevet is going to win the shot quality battle. And over 32 minutes, that matters more. Offensively, it’s not just Sam Jacobson. It’s the system. The cuts. The spacing. The patience. They don’t force anything, they just execute and that’ll carry them to the finals. Final: Shalhevet 51 Frisch 46
ZS: The War of 1812, or the battle of the bigs. Not sure which I would be more excited to watch as a spectator. Today, we get the latter. Stepner vs Jacobson, 2 potential first-team all-Sarachek players, both hungry for a title. Both teams are full of great players, including the big guns, which will make it a battle. Both teams are under new head coaches who want to win big; Shalhevet wants a victory after falling to the Cougars in Glouberman. Frisch, though, has 2 big shooters, Neufeld and Suss, who will give the Firehawks some trouble. This one is going to come down to the wire. I still believe an upset can happen. Frisch 54 Shalhevet 49
OG: You have the best big in the tournament in Jacobson going up against the best player in the tournament right now in Stepner. These two teams battled it out in Glouberman all the way back in November where Frisch came out on top. This potential rematch has been on Shalhevet’s calendar ever since. In my mind, the Firehawks have been playing the best basketball in the tournament. They’ve beaten up on 2 YL teams already and while I think this will be a close game, I expect them to go 3 for 3 in a tournament where the higher seeds have mostly been victorious.
Shalhevet 55 Frisch 50
AP: Jewish Culture is big, strong, and physical. But this just isn’t a good matchup for them. In the halfcourt they are dribble-drive heavy and barely move without the ball. That will not work against DRS’ matchup zone. They’re good in the full court, but DRS is just as good playing at a high tempo. Lastly, Bennett’s athleticism and Solomon’s grit will be able to limit the Lions on the glass. Given that both a slow and fast tempo favors the Wildcats, I’m expecting a Greenhouse return to the Tier I Championship. DRS 61, Jewish Culture 49.
YS: The Jewish Culture Lions have put together some impressive performances, dominating TABC in the second half on Thursday before breaking Ramaz’s defensive dominance on Friday. They’re a pretty well rounded team with great size and shooting. However, they’re up against the #1 DRS Wildcats who are the back-to-back Yeshiva League Champions. Some were a bit worried about a championship hangover after last year but it’s safe to say the Wildcats have put those rumors to bed. Tier I remains chalk as we have a 1 vs 2 finals. DRS 60 Jewish Culture 54
AS: Jewish Culture has impressed with a couple big wins over Yeshiva League teams, but this is where they fall. The guard duo of Spodek and Tsaidi will control this game and propel DRS to a win as they continue their quest for a Sarachek title to add to their Yeshiva League championship.
DRS 58 Jewish Culture 53
MA: I’ve been riding Jewish Culture all weekend. The “new kids on the block” narrative is real. They’ve got size, shot-making, and they’ve proven they can beat legit teams. But this is where it ends.This isn’t TABC. This isn’t Ramaz. This is DRS — and more importantly, this is a matchup problem. The matchup zone clogs everything, forces decisions, and turns dribble-drive into late-clock possessions. And offensively, DRS doesn’t care what tempo you play — they’ll beat you fast or slow. Then there’s the backcourt. Gabe Spodek controls games. Elisha Tsaidi gives them another steady scorer who punishes gaps. And that’s the difference. Jewish Culture will have moments — Kahn will hit shots, Hazan will create, maybe even a run that makes you think, But over 32 minutes? DRS has more answers. Final: DRS 58 Jewish Culture 46
ZS: Yeshiva League champions, versus the newbie. 2 teams vying for 1 spot on championship Monday. Spodek has clearly shown why he is the point guard for DRS, and Hazan has shown he knows how to control play for the Lions. Kahan and Albelia are great shooters for the Lions, but are evenly matched by Tsaidi and Gabay. DRS hasn’t had their strongest of weekends to get here, but they rightfully are here. Jewish Culture soundly defeated TABC before playing a much more contested affair against Ramaz. I think the Wildcats want to get Monday off from school for the chevra, and I think they will execute. DRS 67 Jewish Culture 61
OG: Jewish Culture in their first ever Sarachek are in the final four and proved everybody on the panel wrong after defeating Ramaz. Nobody is surprised that DRS are here. Culture with their size will pose a unique type of matchup that the Wildcats have never faced before. However, Gaby Spodek, Yitz Bennett, Michael Solomon and co. are gamers and more than experienced enough to handle the challenge. Wildcats in the finals.
DRS 61 Jewish Culture 51
AP: Not sure what TABC’s plan to slow down Alex August will be. He’s the best player in this game and will carry Berman to a Tier II Championship appearance. Berman 60, TABC 52.
YS: I think this game will be closer than people think. TABC has done pretty well, hanging with Culture, blowing out SCY, and outlasting YULA. While Berman has been shaky at times, I think this is the game they figure it out and move on to the finals, powered by a signature performance from Alex August. Berman 56 TABC 50
AS: There are two key metrics I looked at when determining who I think will win this game:
Does your team have a player who has scored over 3,000 points?
Berman- Yes. TABC- No.
Has your team ever won a Potomac Valley Athletic Conference Championship?
Berman- Yes. TABC- No.
Can’t argue with the data. Berman 64 TABC 34
MA: TABC competes. Alex August closes. And Berman moves one step closer to a Tier II title.
Berman 53 TABC 47
ZS: Alex August wants a Tier II title. Berman had a tough loss to Valley Torah on Thursday, but they responded well since. TABC after winning the Tier I finals last year, wants a shot at something, but they run into a tough team. I think August will be too much to handle for the TABC guards. Berman 54 TABC 45
OG: Cannot make a prediction.
AP: Fuchs Mizrachi is as well-coached as any team in this tournament. What they are able to do with limited talent is remarkable. Their ability to win this game will come down to whether they can get Jacobs the ball in good spots often enough. I think the Aces pressure will be sufficient to prevent that from happening too often. Give me Ida Crown in a nailbiter, 48-45.
YS: Fuchs Mizrachi has consistently been a fan favorite over the years at Sarachek, and for good reason. They’re well coached, and play really hard. This game, they’re going against the kings of Tier II in the Ida Crown Aces. Ida Crown is a talented team led by Judah Well and co that had a great season and play really well together. I think this one comes down to the wire in a gritty back-and-forth game. I picked against Fuchs last night and I’m not going to make that mistake again. Give me the 14 seed to cause some Mayhem down the stretch and advance to their second Tier II finals in 4 years. Fuchs 47 Ida Crown 46
AS: I can’t say enough good things about this Fuchs Mizrachi team. They set a great example of what it means to play hard and leave everything on the floor. Jacobs is a star and this team is very well coached and has players that know what needs to be done to win games.
Fuchs 49 Ida Crown 45
MA: Fuchs fights. Jacobs delivers. But Ida Crown’s pressure makes just enough plays late. Ida Crown 49, Fuchs 45
ZS: The Aces and the Mayhem are both strong out-of-town teams. Ida Crown’s pressure-intensive 1-3-1 is going to cause Jacobs and Co. some problems, which will give the Aces a lot of fastbreak opportunities. Fuchs always plays hard, and they will need Sharvit to hit shots and Pizem to avoid fouling out. This might be the closest game of the day. I have the Aces pulling away in Crunch Time (shoutout Chaim Stark). Ida Crown 49 Fuchs 44
OG: Fuchs have really been the darlings and fan favorites of this tournament- led by 15 at one point on Frisch and have bounced back nicely ever since. Ida Crown have been underwhelming. This could be a game that goes down to the final possession. I’m thinking a one shining moment type play from Jacobs. Mayhem to the Tier 2 final.
Fuchs 49 Ida Crown 46