City of Basketball Love

Garrett Miley (@GWMiley)
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For the first time in recent memory, St. Joseph’s Prep doesn’t have a big name on its roster. There’s no Steve Vasturia, Miles Overton, or Chris Clover. There isn’t a clear cut, No. 1 scoring option for head coach Speedy Morris’ offense.

But what's clear about the Hawks from camps at Villanova and Temple this month is that this is one of the deeper groups that Morris has had in some time.

The Hawks are returning just two varsity players who logged key minutes for the team in 2014-15. Big men Pete Gayhardt and Chris Montie, seniors, will continue to shoulder the load in the post this season.

Gayhardt, a 6-6 post, is headed to Notre Dame next year to play lacrosse, and around him are several more high-level athletes that could have these Hawks playing their most exciting brand of basketball in years.

Rising senior wings Temi Aiyegbusi and Keith Williams, neither of whom have logged serious varsity minutes in their high school careers, will provide Morris with athleticism on both ends of the floor that he didn’t have in 2014-15.

Aiyegbusi, in particular, is going to be counted on to by Morris and will look become a key player in the Catholic League next season. 

“Seniors are supposed to step up,” Morris said. “This is [Aiyegbusi’s] time now to step up. He didn’t play much last year but he’s working hard and he’s getting better and we’ll count on him.”

Morris will need to count on him after the graduation of guard Chris Clover, who will play for Phil Martelli and Saint Joseph’s at the collegiate level. Clover’s scoring punch will be missed but both Aiyegbusi and Williams are confident in the team’s ability to fill the void.

“Chris [Clover], he taught me and Keith a lot this year,” Aiyegbusi said. “Personally, I think I can fill a big void of that. Our point guard Kyle Thompson is a good shooter and we have a good shooter in Ryan Griffin. Keith can score the ball down low. Personally, I think I can do a lot of scoring and help out. I think we should be alright.”

“We just have to work hard and push ourselves everyday in practice,” Williams added. “I think we can get there.”

Williams and Aiyegbusi will provide a newfound athleticism on the wing, but rising sophomore point guard Kyle Thompson will also be a key factor for St. Joe’s prep next season. While Thompson dressed for varsity in 2014-15, he didn’t log any playing time. However, he's already picked up a Division I offer from Binghamton, and it would be shocking if they're the only one to do so over the next 2-3 years.

Morris knows his new point guard still has a ways to go, though.

“He’s gotta work and and has to get a lot better,” the legendary coach said of Thompson. “He could be good, but he has to get a lot better. He’s not nearly as good as he can be.”

And there's more--James Leible, a 6-7 forward with a near college-ready body, is just a rising sophomore, and looks ready to start alongside Gayhardt to form one of the more physically imposing frontcourts around.

Thanks to that size, Aiyegbusi believes that they could surprise some people in 2014-15.

“We are bigger than usual,” he said. “We have a good four or five guys above 6-4 or 6-5 so I think that’s pretty solid for us. We’re slept on again...I think we can bounce back, though. We have guys that work hard and play as a team.”

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Photo credit: Josh Verlin/City of Basketball Love