Quinn enjoys success of ex-players Harvey’s first start is moved back to tonight
Monday’s Mets-Phillies game gets snowed out
ment for his prep school basketball program.
Not only did Paschall and Spellman represent St. Thomas More, but several other former players competed in the NCAA tournament on the Division I, Division II and Division III levels, and another was on the coaching staff of Penn State, which won the NIT title last week. More on the others later. The spotlight sharpened its focus on Paschall and Spellman during Villanova's tournament run.
"This has really been interesting because they've both had such a pivotal role in their success," Quinn said. "They both have done things that the team needs when the team needs it."
Take Villanova's 95-79 rout of Kansas in the national semifinal on Saturday.
Paschall, a 6-foot-9 redshirt junior forward, finished with a teamhigh 24 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. He also went 10 for 11 from the field, including 4 for 5 from 3-point range.
A 6-9 redshirt freshman, Spellman contributed 15 points, a teambest 13 rebounds and three blocks.
"It's been fun," Quinn said. "This has been great. We've been texting and talking with the kids. They're so elated and their families are so happy. It's just so good to see how they've matured as athletes and certainly as people, because they've handled themselves with such humility."
"At the press conference the other day, they were wonderful."
It's not surprising to Quinn that Paschall and Spellman, who graduated from St. Thomas More in 2014 and 2016, respectively, have made such a major impact this season in their starting roles.
While at St. Thomas More, both players received the New England prep player of the award and helped their teams reach the national prep school final.
And then they both benefited from sitting out a year at Villanova — Paschall as a transfer from Fordham and Spellman as an academic redshirt.
"Sitting out for a year really gave them the opportunity to grow up as students, as athletes, and as people and then transform their body, which is what they've done," Quinn said. "They were sneaky athletic. They both always could shoot the ball and they both liked to play. They both were as happy with making a pass or a good defensive play as making a shot. They're both very quiet and polite kids and both very intelligent.
"So it's certainly not unexpected. But, at the same time, it's wonderful to see it happen. Some people waste their potential and these two have taken advantage of their potential and they made the most of it."
This is the second time that two ex-STM players reached the Final Four in the same season with the Wildcats.
Dwayne Anderson and Antonio Pena were members of the 2009 Villanova team that lost to North Carolina in the national semifinals. Ed Cota went to three Final Fours with North Carolina but never won a title.
From a St. Thomas More basketball program perspective, it will be hard to top this season. Besides the Villanova duo's accomplishments, several other ex-Chancellors have danced in March. Here's an impressive rundown: • Sophomore starting forward Arkel Lamar had in 12 points and 10 rebounds in University of Maryland Baltimore County's historic upset of top-seeded Virginia. Lamar played two seasons for St. Thomas More.
• Julian Batts, a sophomore point guard, had 13 points and eight rebounds for LIU Brooklyn in an NCAA first round loss to Radford.
• Sophomore E.J. Crawford made his first NCAA tournament appearance for Iona in a loss to Duke.
• Dwayne Anderson is an assistant coach at Penn State, which won the NIT.
• Junior D'Vonne Trumbo and freshman Hashem Abbas helped Bridgeport go 25-6 overall and advance to the NCAA Division II East Regional quarterfinals.
Also, junior C.J. Asuncion-Byrd played a role in Le Moyne College reaching the Div. II quarterfinals and winning a program-best 27 games.
• Sophomore Trey Witter was a reserve for Division III Springfield, which lost in the national semifinals.
Quinn takes great pride in all his former players' accomplishments.
Monday night, he planned to watch the national championship game in Florida. No big party. Just a beaming Quinn soaking it all in.
"I'll really kind of watch it by myself instead of being there," Quinn said. "And I've been to a bunch of those. Sometimes it's just easier to sit and watch it. Honestly, when they're introducing them, it will be just like, 'aw shucks.'
"I think I'd enjoy being there."
The Mets' series opener against the Phillies on Monday at Citi Field was postponed because of the snow storm that hit the New York area.
The game has been rescheduled as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Monday, July 9 at 4:10 p.m. That makeup contest will start a fourgame series against Philadelphia, the Mets' second-to-last set before the All-Star break.
The Yankees' home opener against the Blue Jays was also postponed. A winter storm crushed New York City, dropping several inches of snow amid blizzard conditions early Monday morning.
The field and seats in Flushing were completely covered.
Fun in the snow
Catcher Kevin Plawecki posted a photo to Instagram of a snowman he and teammates A.J. Ramos, Travis d'Arnaud and Phillip Evans built on the field.
"Only one playin today is this dude!" Plawecki wrote in the caption.
Ramos also took a video of the snowman, named "Salty," that the Mets tweeted from their official account.
In the afternoon Monday, MLB.com sadly reported that the snowman had been destroyed.
Mystic's Matt Harvey was slated to make his first start of the season Monday after voicing excitement over his improved health in the leadup to Opening Day. The Mets announced that Harvey will now start today's 7:10 p.m. contest against the Phillies.
Seth Lugo was scheduled to start tonight, but he will now be skipped over in the rotation. Noah Syndergaard — who allowed four earned runs in six innings while striking out 10 batters on Opening Day — will start Wednesday on five-days rest.
Jacob deGrom will then start the series opener at the Nationals Thursday at 1:05 p.m. on normal rest. DeGrom surrendered one earned run and four hits while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings in Saturday's 6-2 victory over the Cardinals.
He has a 1.98 career ERA during day games.
Conforto nearly ready?
Outfielder Michael Conforto — who started this season on the disabled list while he finishes rehabbing from September shoulder surgery that fixed a torn posterior capsule in his left shoulder — was supposed to take live at-bats in a simulated game Monday against lefthander Jason Vargas.
According to MLB.com, Vargas still threw his simulation game Monday afternoon, albeit indoors. It's unclear if Conforto participated.
Vargas also started the season on the DL after a line drive connected with his non-pitching hand during a minor-league spring training game, resulting in a fractured hamate bone.
Conforto is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday.
And manager Mickey Callaway said Sunday after the Mets dropped their series finale to the Cardinals that it's "possible" the 25-year-old outfielder could return to the lineup for Thursday's game at the Nationals in Washington.
Now there's a chance that timetable gets pushed back.
Conforto flew to New York from Port St. Lucie on Sunday to re-join the team.