Best St. Anthony’s Team Ever?
Words. HShoop
After taking the New Jersey State Title last week for the first time in three seasons with a win 74-44 romping over Trenton Catholic, the Friars came out Monday night with one last thing to prove: of all the teams in New Jersey this season, St. Anthony’s is the best.
In the New Jersey Tournament of Champions, the Group 1 Champion Science Park hung tough through the first half, but couldn’t muster any offense at all after the break. St. Anthony’s held them to 8 points in the final 16 minutes on 3-27 shooting (0-14 3FG). The Friars extended a six-point halftime lead to 33 points by the time the final buzzer sounded, a 69-36 win.
Rutgers-bound guard Mike Rosario led the Friars with 21 points, and Marquette-commit Tyshawn Taylor added 17. Rosario’s spot-on shooting and Taylor’s quickness were simply too much for Science Park to handle.
And because of that, this group completed a 32-0 season, entering into the annals of St. Anthony’s prestigious history as one of the three best teams the school has ever seen. With six Division I scholarship players, this group of Friars is second only to the storied ’88-89 team of Bobby Hurley Jr., Terry Dehere and Rodrick Rhodes.
“Everyone’s been rooting for this team,” Hurley said. “Guys from ’89, ’96. My son, Bobby, has been calling from Florida. Terry Dehere and Jerry Walker have been around.”
Hurley would not say which was his best team, but is happy now that “these guys can trash talk with any of them,” he said.
You always know you have a great program when players always come back and support the current kids. That’s what makes coach Hurley so special. Next year he gets to coach one of the best players in the nation in Dominik Cheeks. Who can play for any other high school and average 30 if he wanted to.