The Boys Varsity basketball team has passed the midseason point, and they’ve given their spectators the opportunity to see some amazing performances in January and February. The team hit some natural bumps with hot and cold streaks, which have proven to be both setbacks and prime moments for those who thrive under pressure. Several surprises and new habits have popped up during the year, and the Friars have been able to handle them with grace in spite of them. They currently stand among the top teams in CHSAA standings, ready to put on a show before playoffs begin on the 23rd, with a lot to take away from the past few weeks.
The Friars currently stand at 16-5 with one regular season game left before the postseason starts, and after last season, fans were a little unsure how they would perform in 2021-22. So far, they have not disappointed.
Individually, many players have exceeded their minimum, and shocked supporters and opponents alike, starting with the senior team captains: Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt and Dakari Thomas.
Gaines stands at the top of the CHSAA scoring leaderboard with 20.9 points a night, Thomas at the #6 spot, putting up 18.1 a night. Several other members of the team have taken great strides to prove themselves, starting with Josh Rodriguez ‘22, Aidan Morel ‘23, and Ian Strong ’23.
Rodriguez has averaged a solid six points per game while establishing himself as one of the premier sharpshooters in the league, as when he’s hot, he’s near impossible to stop from behind the arch. Morel has emerged as a great option as a ball handler averaging six points per game as well. He has an excellent touch from distance; when he’s in his groove, he’s automatic from anywhere. Strong only appeared in the rotation at the LI vs. NYC classic game vs All Hallows HS. There, he showed excellent prowess in both paint defense and an all-around offensive game. He’s one of the crowd’s favorites when he’s seen performing, and he hasn’t slowed down one bit in maximizing his impact on both sides of the court.
This year, St. Anthonys is an offensively dominant team, defined by their defense; Head Coach Sal Lagano has made sure everyone around the league knows this, as his team has had some of the most impressive defensive outings of any team in the CHSAA. Coach has tried several approaches this season looking for the perfect defensive scheme, whether it be heavy zoning, small ball like that tried against St. John the Baptist, or the recently-used heavy rotation of the rosters’ big men.
Up front, there’s a certain group of players that have been firing on all cylinders this year when guarding up and protecting the hoop, including Kasaan Green 22’, Caleb Aurelien 23’, Will Snyder 22’, and Strong. Either paired on the top of a zone scheme with Thomas or feasting on a star player of any size one-on-one, Green’s value cannot be understated to this Friar squad. Aurelien has been used at every position and with good reason; he’s a Swiss-Army knife kind of player with the height and wingspan of a center, the athleticism of the shiftiest forwards, and all the intangibles needed to excel on the defensive end. Alongside Aurelien in the front-court is usually Snyder or Strong; they’re both incredibly lengthy and smart bigs who when put into the right lineup have built and can build the ideal defensive wall.
Throughout the season, this team has come face to face with several obstacles, many of them unexpected. Whether self induced or not, they have proved to be eye-opening for the Friars, and now there’s so much they can learn from them. St. Anthony’s hasn’t dealt with too many player losses night-in and night-out, but a major con has come out of it; the dire reliance on efficiency.
When tight and repetitive rotations feature some low consistency nights, the team can lose all previous momentum and composure. Due to a stretch like this in the midseason involving a three game skid, the Friars’ record took two major hits from inefficient nights against Chaminade and St. John the Baptist. This issue first arose as the Friars’ relied too much on their captains, but since that cold run, the team has evolved, composing a hyper-fluent offense over a stretch of three recent league wins.
This year’s St. Anthony’s Varsity Basketball team has been a sight to behold. They’ve gone through heart-wrenching losses, spirit lifting wins, and everything in between as they look to succeed in the postseason. This group has proved to the rest of the CHSAA that it has enough drive and heart to cause some major damage by any means necessary; and no one on the roster isn’t daring enough to lead them to that.
Eamon Bevan is a sophomore writer for Scoreboard at St. Anthony’s High School. He is a member of the JV Soccer team and is involved in several clubs including Franciscan Youth Ministry.
