OAKDALE, Conn. – Jere Quinn is known for his ability to coach. His reputation precedes him, and anyone who has followed his teams at St. Thomas More over the years know one thing is true: give a young man a few months with him, and he comes out a better player. Looking at the team he has this year, it is similar to many of his recent teams in that there isn’t a big-time player, but there is plenty of talent and there appears to be a good mix of the various talents as well.
If Monday’s open gym is any indication, opposing teams will have to guard the three-point line against the Chancellors this season. They have a couple of deadly shooters from long range and plenty of others who are capable of hitting from deep.
The first player that will come to mind among the former is Travis Tomer (6’4″ Sr. SG, Morgantown (WV)), who barely missed on Monday, especially off the catch. He has a mature body and knows what he is, to the point where he made an ill-advised pass that led to a layup at the other end, but came right back on the next possession and buried a three-pointer. The other one opponents will have to locate at all times is Alex Doche (6’6″ Sr. SG-SF, Fairpoint (NY)), who has some other skills in addition to a good frame and relatively mature body. He also finished with contact and was able to use his off hand, and one of his shots was from very deep.
But those two have plenty of help, including among the point guard candidates. One of them, Cane Broome (6’0″ Sr. PG, East Hartford (CT)), returns for his second season at the school and had a fine all-around day on Monday. He capably ran the show, getting in the lane often even though he’s not jet-quick, and the lefty also shot the ball very well from mid-range and long range. His body isn’t there yet, so he has some upside. He has some good Division I suitors and will probably have more before long.
Albany commit Mike Wells (5’10” Sr. PG, Delaware (OH)) had a stretch on Monday where he looked like a gunner, but in all he had a nice effort that included a nice pass through the defense to a cutter for a layup and a nice read when an opponent tried to save the ball that led to a layup opportunity. Although he settled at times, he has good range on his jumper and also drove and made a reverse layup. The player at that position who might really blossom is Taverick Roberson (5’9″ Sr. PG, Pittsfield (MA)), who has a slight frame but also above-average quickness, can leap to help his attempts to finish, and has range out to the three-point line.
Off the ball, Tomer and Doche are joined by Francis Kiapway (6’3″ Sr. SG, Hamilton (Ont.)), who has a slight frame but is athletic and can shoot. He hit a couple of mid-range shots off the dribble, hit from deep and also made a nice bounce pass for a layup. Thomas Whipple (6’2″ Sr. SG, Ledyard (CT)) is a hometown kid who is athletic and has a good body, and he should see some minutes there as well.
There are plenty of wings, giving Quinn many options. Fordham commit Eric Paschall (6’6″ Sr. SF, Dobbs Ferry (NY)) is athletic and can use his body to help finish, and he might even be described as being a bit more athletic than he looks. He also got shaken up at one point, but returned later and continued playing well, including using his left (off) hand and hitting more from long range. Calvin Crawford (6’7″ Sr. SF, Montgomery (NY)) is long and his body has a ways to go, and the Manhattan commit has some range on his jumper but needs to gain strength. Josh Williams (6’6″ Sr. SF, Trenton (NJ)) isn’t the most skilled player at first glance, but he’s athletic, has some length, was very active on Monday and his body has a ways to go.
The most intriguing prospect on the team, without question, is Yuta Watanabe (6’7″ Sr. SF, Kita (Japan)). He doesn’t speak a word of English, but he has picked some things up quickly and showed a great motor on Monday. The lefty had a recent growth spurt of seven inches in about two years, isn’t lacking athleticism, has long arms and his body still has a ways to go. He willingly set screens, showed a little range on his jumper and showed he can go to his right.
The other forwards on the team are Ajou Deng (6’9″ Sr. PF, London (England)) and Scott Toresco (6’8″ Sr. PF, Westfield (NJ)). The former has a good frame and isn’t a baby physically, and tended to hang on the perimeter more than the post on Monday. Deng has some range on his jumper and a little length. Toresco has a mature body and stood out with a couple of long outlet passes in addition to some post baskets. He also got a stickback and hit from mid-range, while also running the floor well.
St. Thomas More will play in the National Prep Showcase early on, then the Hall of Fame Winter Classic nearly a month later. After the calendar turns over to 2014, they host the Founder’s Tournament (with Coastal Academy, Bridgton Academy and Kingdom Prep), play in a tournament at Bridgton later the National Prep Schol Invitational, and just before the NEPSAC Tournament they take on West Point Prep in the West Point Showcase.
The Chancellors will have a team to be reckoned with this year, especially if opponents don’t guard the three-point line. Quinn will put them to work and make them better like he always does, and based on what they showed Monday that could be a scary proposition for opponents as the season goes on.
