OAKDALE, Conn. – Our first prep school open gym workout of 2011 was at the school that took home last season’s National Prep Championship. St. Thomas More has one of the best prep coaches in Jere Quinn, one who has coached a number of future college stars. In fact, when a colleague asked him on Monday to come up with his own all-time St. Thomas More team, suffice it to say that Quinn kept changing his mind on one player or another as worthy players kept coming back to mind.
This year’s team doesn’t appear to have one big name like the last two teams did, but as is often the case there are plenty of capable players who will get a chance, especially on the perimeter. At the point, Manhattan commit Curtis Jones (6’1″ Sr. PG, Chicago (IL)) made several nice passes and looked solid all-around, and he might have the first crack at that job. He’ll get some competition from Barrington Stephens (5’11” Sr. PG, Allen (TX)), who shot the ball well with some good range but also showed the ability to finish with the left hand and also got a tip-in among the trees.
A host of players will get a chance at both wing spots. Torin Childs-Harris (6’3″ Sr. SG, New London (CT)) is a local product doing a post-graduate year, an athletic wing who is more of a scorer than a shooter. A.J. English (6’3″ Sr. SG, Middletown (DE)) is the son of a former NBA player and can score from the wing, looking like a good mid-major prospect. Ky Howard (6’3″ Sr. SG, Swarthmore (PA)) finished his career at Shipley High School as their all-time leading scorer, and here he showed some of that ability although he didn’t stand out on this day. Rodney Sanders (6’2″ Sr. SG, Linden (NJ)) might not leap out at you at first glance, but he plays stronger than he looks, has some length and was one of the better wings on this day. The lefty hit from mid-range off the dribble a few times while also driving and scoring. Anthony Walker (6’4″ Sr. SG, Lakewood (NJ)) has a slight frame but has some strength and had some good moments on the day.
Arthur Edwards (6’6″ Sr. SF, Temple Hills (MD)) played better as the day went along. He has a little ways to go physically, but he’s athletic and showed some skills to score away from the basket. The best wing prospect might be the team’s youngest player, Denzel Gregg (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Syracuse (NY)). A very good student, he made some tough shots in close, was active and has some length and athleticism to go with clear room for growth. Give him some time under Quinn and that growth is almost certain to happen.
The frontcourt player who might get the most attention didn’t play on the day due to a bad ankle. Chier Ajou (7’2″ Sr. C, Mansfield (TX)) has been in the U.S. for several years and isn’t a baby physically. The player who might be the most productive is Stuart McEwn (6’9″ Sr. SF-PF, Sydney (Australia)), who made a pretty good impression. His body’s not there yet, but he has solid offensive skills from range on his shot to post scoring. Most of all, he’s so into the game that even when he was taking a breather, he was talking to his teammates and encouraging them from the sidelines, on top of constantly talking on defense. Michael Rudy (6’7″ Sr. PF, Falls Church (MD)) has improved noticeably from when Quinn first saw him and had some good moments on the day, as he was active on the boards and hit a couple of mid-range jumpers.
Ajou was not the only Chancellor to not play on the day, as James Outlaw (5’10” Sr. PG, Harlem (NY)) and Taylor Mulvey (6’7″ Sr. PF, Albany (NY)) also sat out the action.
The Chancellors’ home court got a facelift recently and has a nice new look. Tuesday will be their first day on it, and they are eager for that to come. They will open their season on the new home floor in mid-November with the first of more than a dozen home contests. While there may not be one stud on the roster like last year, Quinn has a group he can coach once again as he sees who wants to go to work, and given his track record one can count on this team getting more than their fair share of wins.
