City of Basketball Love

Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)
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When 6-foot-10 forward Anthony Longpré first realized that if he joined the St. Joseph’s 2017 recruiting class, he’d be teaming up with a player of similar size and playing style--the 6-foot-8 Taylor Funk out of Manheim Central--he had the same first thought that most would given the circumstances.

“I was kind of concerned about another dude playing my position basically with the same skills that I have,” said Longpré. “I was asking (St. Joe’s) coach (Phil) Martelli, like, ‘am I going to have to compete with this guy for playing time and stuff?’”

Martelli assured him this wouldn’t be the case, and that the staff would make sure to use both of the big men to the best of their abilities.

Not long after, Longpré bit the bullet and committed to make Hagan Arena his home for the next four years, officially rounding out the Hawks’ full 2017-18 roster barring a transfer.

And now, the player whose similar playing style and abilities initially concerned him will not only be his teammate for the next four years, but also his roommate at St. Joe’s.

“After talking to Taylor, we just had the same ideas that we both think we can complete each other and play well together,” Longpré said. “We’re just going to start learning about each other.”

Although SJU lost forwards DeAndre’ Bembry and Isaiah Miles to the NBA draft and graduation respectively, the team is full of forwards, as the commitments of Longpré and Funk make seven total members of the Hawks’ projected frontcourt for next year.

That said, Longpré will be able to learn from talented and experienced players like current junior James Demery, who provided a key spark off the bench for the Hawks in 2015-16.

Longpré, who moved to the United States from Canada in 2014 and enrolled at Glenelg Country School in Maryland, quickly became one of the top forwards in his region thanks to his versatility inside and out on the court.

As far as his experience with St. Joe’s was concerned, Longpré really felt that, overall, the school was the best fit for him. Strong relationships with each of the members of the coaching staff also made a big difference.

“It’s a mix of everything really, it’s close to home, I really liked the school, the campus is really nice,” he said. “It’s kind of a small school and I liked that better compared to other schools.”

Other schools that courted him--programs like Washington State, Kansas State, and Missouri--had the larger, state school campus feel that didn’t appeal as much as SJU’s small campus in Philadelphia, which is much closer to home than his other options.

The Hawks’ strong performance last season, winning the Atlantic 10 tournament and coming within one heartbreaking loss to top-seed Oregon of reaching the NCAA Tournament sweet sixteen, certainly didn’t hurt their cause in snagging his commitment.

“I was watching them play last year and I really liked the way they play, they play great together and had a really good year last year,” Longpré said. “I like how they all play as a team.”

With such an impressive season now in the rear-view mirror, there’s reason for optimism within the SJU program, and Longpré recognizes that and sees himself and Funk being major contributors to some long-term success on Hawk Hill.

The Hawks will open their 2016-17 campaign in just a few short months, on Saturday, November 12 at home against Toledo.