Basketball Preview
Here’s what to expect from the boys and girls high school teams as the season gets underway.
For most high school basketball programs, the graduation of a star senior in Matt Veretto (20 points, 10 rebounds per game) and transfer of a talented junior forward in Trey Hall, who now plays prep basketball at New Hampton, could spell the end of a run of dominance.
Eagles coach Luke Reilly isn’t sweating it, though. It’s part of the cycle of high school basketball.
“We graduated some seniors, but we graduated some seniors before we went 25-1,” he said. “And the year before that, and the year before that going back. It’s kind of what’s expected, and the leaders will emerge.”
East Catholic is lucky in that its leader has already emerged, in the form of senior Joe Reilly. Reilly, the nephew of Luke Reilly, was an All-Courant guard last season, and averaged 21 points and six rebounds as a junior on a team that went 20-0 in the regular season, was the top seed in the Division I tournament, and lost a double-overtime thriller to Windsor in the state quarterfinals, 82-81.
Coaching is in Reilly’s blood. His father, Joe, is the head coach at Wesleyan. His grandfather, Joe Sr., was a legendary coach at South Catholic.
It may be cliche, but Reilly, now in his fourth year playing varsity basketball, is like a second coach on the court for his uncle.
“I’ve been here for four years, and I feel like I really understand the system,” Joe Reilly said. “I feel like I can play an important role and bring us together.”
Reilly is a known commodity to opposing coaches and players. He leads a talented trio of players — which includes junior Matt Knowling and senior Jaylin Hunter, a transfer from Creighton Prep in Nebraska.
Each has their own skill sets. Reilly is a dead-eye shooter, who shot 48 percent from three-point range last year. Hunter, who won a Class A state championship with the Junior Jays last season, is a ferocious on-ball defender that can command the court at guard, too. Knowling is an athletic 6-foot-5 wing, who’s a veteran in Luke Reilly’s system.
“They bring a lot of firepower,” Luke Reilly said. “But be ready when your opportunity comes.”
That’s something that both Reilly’s have preached early on in preseason. While Reilly, Knowling and Hunter bring veteran experience, Luke Reilly wants the rest of his players to be prepared for their moment.
He singled out seniors Sam Walch, a 6-6 forward and Matt Byam, a 6-5 forward as players who could step up and be difference makers, and said that they’d been “waiting their turn.”
“We have guys waiting in the wings,” Reilly said.
“Although you haven’t heard of them, these are guys that are ready to seize their opportunity.”
With star transfer, Weaver has its eyes set on return to top
Weaver coach Reggie Hatchett was met with the same dilemma time and time again last season. When junior forward Tristan Reid — an All-Courant, do-it-all star — got into foul trouble, or needed a breather, he’d look down his bench for reinforcement.
He frequently asked himself the same thing, over and over. What now?
The Beavers had Reid, but struggled to field a deep roster past him. It’s partially the reason they went 8-15 a year ago; a far cry from the four consecutive 20-win seasons which Weaver had posted in the seasons before.
“Last year I would have to use timeouts if he got tired,” Hatchett said. “I couldn’t sub him.”
This year, though? Things are different.
Hatchett isn’t reliant on Reid totally, anymore. Marcus Goss, who starred at East Windsor last season, transferred to Weaver for his senior year. He and Reid have been playing basketball together since middle school, and have followed each others’ games as they’ve grown and developed.
“Pretty hyped,” Reid recalled of Goss’ transfer. “Playing with your old school friend.”
Added Goss: “Coming from a different school, it kind of feels like you’re back at home, since you’re back with your friend.”
Cromwell not satisfied after title run
Cromwell coach John Pinone circles the Panthers’ gym, with 10 days until his team opens its season against Hale Ray.
Pinone, in his 18th year coaching the Panthers, stomps his feet and crumples a sheet of paper in frustration. He laughs — sarcastically, of course — yells, and folds his arms over his navy Villanova shirt, tucked into his grey Cromwell sweatpants.
“Sprint, sprint!” he screams, as his players dart from end-to-end of the gym.
“What are you on sabbatical?” he asks, after an errant pass goes out of bounds.
“That works at 3:45,” he said. “If you want to try and play at 7, it won’t.”
It’s nearly impossible to please the veteran coach, who’s seen it all in his lengthy basketball life, which included a star-studded career for the Wildcats of the Big East, one season with the Atlanta Hawks in the 1980s, a 10-year run in Europe and two state championships as a coach.
His players have grown accustomed to the high expectations of Pinone, who coaches as if the Panthers didn’t end last season on top of the state, hoisting a Division V trophy at Mohegan Sun Arena after taking down Wamogo 5840 in the title game.
“He works us hard,” Cromwell senior Nick Wright said between drills. “He’s a good coach, he knows what he’s doing.”
Pinone knows that intensity and drive will be just as important to Cromwell’s success this season as any on-court talent. It’s why he pushes them in every practice, and isn’t afraid to blow the whistle multiple times each play to dissect each move a player makes.
To him, nothing is given — especially now that the Panthers will be playing in Division IV. He coaches as if last year’s Division V title never happened. As if the Panthers went 4-23, not 23-4. The players are looking to keep the same mentality as well.
“We try to forget about last year’s championship,” senior J.J Tracey-Gavin said. “Because it’s a new year.”
Out is Noah Budzik (15.7 points per game last year) and Reese Reyes (14 points per game). In is senior Nick Wright, who averaged 9.3 points per game, and lengthy junior Gabe Charleston, who averaged 7.8 points as a sophomore.