By Jonah Bronstein<br><a href="mailo:bronsteinj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Jonah</a>
If you’ve forgotten about Tyrell Lynch — and are still awake after the Bills game — here’s your chance to catch up on the former Niagara Falls High School standout.
Lynch, the pivot man on the 2006 Niagara Falls High School team that Jonny Flynn led to the state title game, could be in the starting lineup tonight when Massachusetts meets Memphis at midnight.
The game, to be televised on ESPN immediately following Monday Night Football, pits UMass coach Derek Kellogg against his mentor, Memphis’ John Calipari.
Lynch, a 6-foot-9 forward, is averaging 18 minutes in his first season of college basketball. He played 24 minutes in Wednesday’s loss at Southern Illinois, while starting center Luke Bonner sat out with an injured ankle.
Bonner’s status for tonight’s game is uncertain.
After averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in his senior season at NFHS, Lynch spent the next year at a prep school in North Carolina. He signed a letter of intent to start his NCAA career at Auburn, but the Tigers pulled their offer due to concerns about Lynch’s academic performance in prep school. After signing with UMass, the NCAA Clearinghouse declared him last season.
Six weeks shy of his 20th birthday, Lynch still has four years to play, after solidifying his academic eligibility last year.
“It’s been a long wait,” he told The Republican newspaper, “but UMass is turning out to be all I’d expected.”
The game pitting last year’s NCAA championship runner-up against last year’s NIT runner-up begins a 24-hour marathon of games on ESPN.
Tabb scores 26
Recent Niagara Falls graduate Rahshon Tabb scored 26 points Saturday night for Central Florida Community College in a loss to Hillsborough CC.
Tabb is averaging more than 12 points per game as CFCC has started off 6-3. He was named to the all-tournament team at the Twins Falls Tournament in Idaho earlier this month.
Walker leads D’Youville
Charles Walker, a former Niagara County Community College player, had 18 points and four assists for D’Youville in a 70-61 season-opening loss to Lancaster Bible. Walker, a first-team all-conference selection last season, was 0-for-8 from 3-point range Saturday, as the Spartans missed all 18 of their 3-point attempts.
