By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
Jason Shields and the Scranton Knights lived up to lofty expectations in the first 10 days of the boys basketball season before taking a break to clear some COVID concerns within the program.
Shields is the reigning Lackawanna League Division 1 Player of the Year and the only first-team, all-District 2 selection by NEPABasketball.com to return from last season.
Scranton, the Lackawanna League Division 1 and District 2 Class 6A defending champion, opened the season as the most-feared team in the district.
Individually and collectively, their play matched that status.
Shields scored 53 points and the Knights won twice by a total of 34 points in a performance that led to his recognition as the second Brucelli Advertising District 2 Boys Basketball Player of the Week award of the season. The honor covers the time period of Dec. 13-19 and repeats his selection from last season.
“He’s been a great all-around player,” Scranton coach Tony Battaglia said.
Shields hit four 3-pointers while scoring 23 points in a 69-49 victory over Wyoming Valley West Dec. 13.
“We were trying to slow down their big guy in the middle (Jon Mann) because he’s a real threat in there,” said Shields, a 6-foot-5 senior. “He had something like 17 rebounds against Riverside.
“That was definitely the main focus, to limit his production, and to get our and run. That’s our focus every game, but especially against them because we were able to catch them walking back on defense a few times.”
Shields went 7-for-8 from the line against Wyoming Valley West, then 9-for-11 during a 30-point, 9-rebound effort against Old Forge in a 76-62 victory. He made all five of his free throws while scoring 13 of Scranton’s 25 fourth-quarter points.
The win improved the Knights to 3-0 and left Shields with 75 total points to that point. The team has since returned and added one more win.
“They definitely played us well,” Shields said of the defending Class 2A district champions and 2021 state semifinalist Blue Devils, who returned only one starter. “They knocked down shots.
“A team like that, you expect nothing less than for them to play hard. They did really well for what they had back.”
With his finishing flurry, Shields made sure it was not quite enough.
After a strong summer playing for the NEPA Elite Coyle 17U AAU team out of Riverfront Sports in Scranton, Shields entered the season with National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II scholarship offers in hand and other interested colleges. He said he is still talking to schools and there is “nothing conclusive” in terms of a decision.
Jason is the son of Jim and Teri Shields of Scranton.
Adriel DeNaples from Dunmore and Matt Prociak from Holy Redeemer were also considered for the award.
DeNaples led Dunmore to its first victory with six first-half 3-pointers on the way to 27 points in a 59-46 win over Valley View. He added 13 points in a 53-46 win over Mount Carmel in the Coal Cracker Classic. DeNaples made nine 3-pointers total in the two games.
Prociak made it three straight games of 20 or more points in wins by the Royals to start the season. He was considered for the second straight week after scoring 22 points in a 53-49 victory over St. John Neumann and 20 in a 58-28 rout of Holy Cross.
