HBC Metro Classic Notes and Recap
by Ray Floriani
MADISON, N.J. – From the day Danny Hurley took over the St. Benedict’s program it was decided he would not face his dad, Bob Sr., and his legendary St. Anthony’s. Not in regular season. Forget even a scrimmage. The two are intensely competitive and it was mutually agreed not to face each other.
On Sunday at the HBC Metro Classic there was a collision course. St. Anthony’s and St. Benedict’s both advanced to the championship game. Still, the agreement had a way of staying intact. Both Danny and Bob Sr. watched from the stands as assistants ran the teams. And both were ready to head home following the semis as trusted aides ran the respective clubs. There was no game, though, due to St. Benedict’s being down to only six players after a semifinal win over White Plains on a sweltering Sunday afternoon. The result saw a final forfeit per tournament director Adam Chiappano and St. Anthony’s took home the title.
St. Anthony’s sent a distinct message in their semifinal. The Friars soundly defeated New Jersey’s reigning Tournament of Champions titlist St. Patrick’s 67-53. In March St. Pat’s, the TOC runnerup in 2005, defeated St. Anthony’s in the Parochial B North finals en route to the title. The game was definitely on the minds of a number of Friar players during that semifinal matchup.
Sixty four teams competed in the event. Two sites were utilized: Fairleigh Dickinson (Madison) and Drew University, which is just down the road from FDU. The “elite eight” included the following: Bloomfield Tech, Christian Brothers Academy, Eastside (Newark), St. Anthony’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Patrick’s, St. Raymond’s (NY), Seton Hall Prep, Bloomfield Tech and White Plains.
On the officiating circuit your writer worked five games, three Saturday and two Sunday. Easily the best game of the five was a quarterfinal between Bloomfield Tech and St. Patrick’s. The contest at FDU was even early on. St. Pat’s built a lead largely on transition. Bloomfield Tech made a run to tie midway in the second half, but St. Pat’s then answered with another decisive run of their own during the next few minutes to put the contest away.
Many of the head coaches choose to watch from the stands while the assistants run the team. Nick Mariniello of Bloomfield Tech was one. While Marinello took in the action, the team was run by assistant Shaheen Holloway. If the name sounds familiar to Big East fans it should be. Holloway was a star guard at Seton Hall in the late 1990s.
The prospect of fully air conditioned facilities was enticing, as the mercury was breaking ninety both days. The AC was fine Saturday but both FDU and Drew (except for court one) had no relief on Sunday. And that was a day the temperature rose to 95.
On Sunday St. Benedict’s was minus the services of Corey Stokes (at an NBA camp), Samardo Samuels (in Jamaica) and Zach Rosen, who suffered a hand injury in a game the night before. St. Benedict’s did get a solid performance in the semis from a name to keep in the memory bank. Arnell Alexis, a 6-6 forward, led St. Benedict’s with 15 points and 7 boards against White Plains. Alexis transferred from St. Joe’s (Metuchen) and is headed into his junior year. He also comes from outstanding stock. His dad, who was in attendance, is Wendell Alexis, who played for Syracuse from 1982-86 and was one of the better players in the Big East Conference during his tenure. Wendell, at 6-9, could play inside and hit the perimeter shot. Arnell, by his play is proving the age-old adage, “like father like son”.
St. Anthony was led by some familiar names such as Miles Beatty and Travon Woodall. Beatty in particular is more poised and primed for an outstanding senior campaign. A player who really stepped up during the two days and made a huge difference for the Friars was Chris Gaston. A 6-6 senior, Gaston had a solid sixteen-point effort and was a force inside against St. Pat’s. Gaston didn’t get a great deal of playing time and spent his time in the dog house last Winter. He appears to be a different player with a good mindset and determined to have a solid senior campaign.
In the quarterfinals St. Pat’s was especially tough in transition. Senior forward Jeff Robinson, who appears to be Memphis bound, was a major reason. The 6-6 Robinson is tough around the basket but can get out and run. He finished several transition plays with alley-oop dunks.
Among the familiar and friendly faces that attend this event, it was good to see Walt Townes, who is currently the head coach at Drew. “Ray, you’re in my house make yourself comfortable,” he told me Sunday. Townes was formerly an assistant at Rutgers, then Columbia before heading to Drew.
Working for the Hoop Group this Spring and Summer is Chris Kenny. He recently finished his career at Monmouth and is helping the Hoop Group especially at these events. That will end August 1 as he joins Dave Calloway’s coaching staff at Monmouth.
Beside Kenny, the Northeast Conference had other representation. Officials were coordinated by NEC supervisor Edgar Cartotto with assistance from conference officials Joe Battiato and Joe Held.
A good number of the schools were from New York and New Jersey. Other states as Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland had schools in the field. The longest distance for an entrant was logged by the International School of Trinidad.
Another player of note from the officiating end of this was Quintrell Thomas. A 6-7 junior from Newark’s Science High School, Thomas worked well inside and was virtually unconscious when he stepped out to take the 15-foot jumper.
Bloomfield Tech, a New Jersey TOC semifinalist this past March, lost three outstanding seniors. Coach Nick Mariniello was encouraged with his club’s performance in the Metro. On an individual basis, the work of 6-2 senior Rashon Dwight was especially encouraging.
