DATES & SITES (all Sundays) Fall menus are getting released. Spirit Halloween is already open. It’s not blazing hot anymore. It might not say ‘fall’ on the calendar, but it’s around the corner. Year #12 of Empire State Takeover fall event season is upon us! Time for the EST Fall Showcase Series. My goal remains … More The 2026 EST Fall Showcase Series

For a few hours on the night of June 12, the epicenter of Northeast women’s basketball was in NY’s Capital District. The 9th Annual EST Summer Kickoff – the initial Empire State Takeover spring event that has since birthed spring sessions in Rochester (since 2022) and Scranton, PA (since 2025) – took over the courts … More EST Summer Kickoff: Stream of Consciousness Recap

I write about everyone else’s stuff. Maybe I should get back to diving deeper into my own? Rewind a couple weeks back to April 24, the Friday after the first evaluation period of the year, when the epicenter of Upstate New York basketball was in the 585 for the night. The 5th Annual EST WNY … More EST WNY Warm-Up: Stream of Consciousness Recap

*** THIS EVENT IS CURRENTLY AT CAPACITY! Any submitted registration forms going forward will ensure a spot on the wait list, which often gets tapped into with backouts leading up to the event. (as of 5/19) *** Since its inception in 2018, the Middle School Combine quickly grew into being one of my favorite days … More 8TH ANNUAL EST MIDDLE SCHOOL COMBINE

DATES & SITES (all Friday nights) How Many Sessions? One Event/Location $99.00 USDTwo Events/Locations $179.00 USDAll Three Events/Locations $225.00 USD Scholastic season in the books, AAU season underway – and that means it’s EST event season. Back at it for Year 12! 2026 brings another edition of the EST Spring Showcase Series. My goal remains … More The 2026 EST Spring Showcase SERIES

THE UPSTATE 20, comprehensive team rankings for all areas of the Empire State north of NYC, is back for a new installment. Not only are we well into the dog days of winter, it’s crossed into what I call the “wild card weeks” – a two-week span of late January/early February that tend to bring … More The Upstate 20 & Weekly All-Upstate (Class B)

THE UPSTATE 20, comprehensive team rankings for all areas of the Empire State north of NYC, is back for a new installment. Not only are we well into the dog days of winter, it’s crossed into what I call the “wild card weeks” – a two-week span of late January/early February that tend to bring … More The Upstate 20 & Weekly All-Upstate (Class A)

THE UPSTATE 20, comprehensive team rankings for all areas of the Empire State north of NYC, is back for a new installment. Not only are we well into the dog days of winter, it’s crossed into what I call the “wild card weeks” – a two-week span of late January/early February that tend to bring … More The Upstate 20 & Weekly All-Upstate (Class AA)

THE UPSTATE 20, comprehensive team rankings for all areas of the Empire State north of NYC, is back for a new installment. Not only are we well into the dog days of winter, it’s crossed into what I call the “wild card weeks” – a two-week span of late January/early February that tend to bring … More The Upstate 20 & Weekly All-Upstate (Class AAA + CHSAA)

Setting the Scene: I’ve watched Susquehanna Valley play countless times since the 2014-15 season, my first year covering the game. The program has won two state championships in that timeframe. I’ve watched them at HVCC, regional games, sectionals, road games across the STAC & beyond, offseason events like various Southern Tier summer leagues and the … More Susquehanna Valley Storms Away in State-Level Showdown