by RENALDO DORSETT
D’Andre Vilmar’s storied high school career continues to reach new milestones as the Bahamian native won his second consecutive basketball state title.
The 6’4” guard out of Abaco and Roman Catholic High School Cahillites in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania captured the 2016 PIAA Class 4A title with a 73-62 win over the Allderdice Dragons.
Vilmar finished with six points and a team leading five assists in the win at the Giant Center in Hersye, Pennsylvania.
After they trailed 10-0 midway through the first quarter, the Cahillites staged a comeback effort, sparked by a 13 rebound advantage on the boards.
They took their first lead of the game late in the second quarter and took a 33-30 lead into the half. Their lead grew to as much as 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Cahillites pulled away.
The Cahillites overcame a stretch of three losses in five games to get back on track in the playoffs.
They opened their playoff run with a 73-58 win over Academy Park, and also won 60-41 over Central Bucks West, 73-60 over Parkland in the quarterfinals and 64-45 over Plymouth Whitemarsh in the semifinals.
Roman Catholic will lose three starters to graduation, thrusting Vilmar into the spotlight and a leadership role for his senior season in.
This season he was named to the roster for the All-City Classic’s Philly vs. New York event, featuring the best players from both cities.
Vilmar continues his improvements on the college recruitment circuit and making his way toward the ESPN 60 rankings. He is now ranked fourth in the state and 27th nationally at his position.
Vilmar has received one Division I scholarship offer thus far, from the Colorado St Rams while other schools such as La Salle and Penn and Iona have all showed considerable interest.
At the international level last summer, he was a part of the Bahamas team that finished fifth at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-17
Championship.
At the tournament hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas finished with a 3-2 record overall, but won just a single game in group play before they were relegated to the lower bracket. Despite the end result, Vilmar emerged as a rising star in the region.
He led the tournament in scoring at 19.6 points per game and rebounding at 12.4 boards per game. He was also second in assists as he dished out 4.6 per game.
Vilmar had several standout games during the tournament, including 20 points and 13 rebounds against Guatemala – 19 points, 16 rebounds and five assists against Costa Rica – 18 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists against the USVI – and a near triple double against Puerto Rico with 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Vilmar is scouted by Philadelphia recruiting website cityofbasketballlove.com as: “An athletic wing with tremendous upside, and the athleticism of a major college player. He’s a slasher who can finish strong at the basket and likes to use his athleticism to attack the offensive glass. Vilmar has good form on his jumpshot, and though he plays clean up because of his team he could be a scorer if relied on more. A versatile wing guard, Vilmar has an intriguing developing game that could propel him into high-major territory by a year from now.”
