St. Anthony Six Experiencing Varying Levels of March Madness

Tyshawn Taylor knows pressure. After all, he was a key player one year ago as St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) posted a perfect 32-0 record and was the consensus national high school basketball champion.

The 2007-2008 Friars at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

Photo By Kevin Yen

“Last year felt good because we hadn’t won the state in three years,” Taylor told MaxPreps. “We had a bunch of guys who could score 30 anytime, but we knew we had to sacrifice for the team. When the tourney came, we knew we couldn’t lose. Our hard work paid off and we deserved it.”

The 6-foot-3 guard is one of six 2008 St. Anthony graduates who earned Division I scholarships and this year have faced higher levels of pressure. With March Madness upon us, however, Taylor is the only one competing in the NCAA tournament.

{VIDEO_52aafc01-8282-41d6-b720-71868841b57e,floatLeftWithTable}

Taylor has started all but two games as a freshman at the University of Kansas, which won the Big 12 Conference regular-season championship. He is averaging 10 points, 3.1 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting .516 from the field (.381 from 3-point range) and .732 from the free throw line.

His high game was 26 points against the University of Oklahoma and he was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week four times.

“It feels good,” Taylor said of his starting position in a big-time program. “It shows that I came from a high school where I was able to play at this level.”

His biggest adjustments? “How much you work out and not many breaks. The pace is a lot faster.”

Asked about March Madness, Taylor replied, “I’m excited. I’ve been watching it since I had a TV. In high school, we had a lot of pressure, but not like March Madness. The pressure is a lot different. You lose and the season is over.”

The standout rookie already has played in two NCAA tourney victories as the Jayhawks earned a regional berth this week against Michigan State. He had 10 points and three assists during an 84-74 victory over North Dakota State and scored three points in a 60-43 win against Dayton.

Kansas freshman Tyshawn Taylor.

Photo By Kevin Yen

“It feels good and I feel like I’m a big part of it,” he said prior to the Sweet 16. “This is a lot different than high school. It’s the urgency of March Madness. It’s a little more exciting. In March Madness you never know – one bad game and you’re done. People come more turned up. Nobody wants to go home.”

One other former Friar, 5-11 freshman Travon Woodall, would have gotten a taste of March Madness with Pittsburgh, but he scored only 10 points in 10 games due to sickness and knee problems and is expected to be granted a medical redshirt.

Last year’s leading scorer, All-American Mike Rosario, had an outstanding debut at Rutgers, but the team won just 11 times in 32 games. The 6-3 guard was high scorer with a 16.2 average, while also setting the pace in 3-point baskets (76) and free throw percentage (.840). He also averaged 3.5 rebounds.

Rosario started 30 of 32 games and was named to the Big East Conference all-freshman team.

Rutgers freshman Mike Rosario.

Photo By Lisa Yen

“Last year felt great because we were there since freshmen and grew up (together),” Rosario related. “We were called the Fab Six. There was a lot of pressure because a lot of people expected us to lose again. My coach (Bob Hurley) said if you don’t win the state you won’t be remembered at St. Anthony.

“All we wanted to do was win the state championship (They had not won the Non-Public B title in three years). I stepped up and we just finished strong.”

Rosario said this year he had to make “a lot of adjustments for me physically. It was no (impossible) challenge for me because I’ve been taking on challenges my whole life. Once I learned how important I was to the team, I thought I would take on the role of being a leader. I think I did a good job by trying to make things happen for this program.”

Two other St. Anthony graduates started in the backcourt for Fordham this year and, like Rosario, suffered through a losing (3-25) season. Jiovanny Fontan (5-11), however, led the team in scoring (15.3), assists (4.7) and steals (1.2) as the point guard. Six-foot-four Alberto Estwick averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds at shooting guard.

The sixth St. Anthony graduate, 6-foot-6 A.J. Rogers, played sparingly for St. Joseph’s University, which finished with a 17-15 record. He appeared in 12 games, averaged three minutes and one-half point per game.

Hall of Fame St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley believes the sacrifices his players made last year have made it possible for them to have stellar college careers.

“Learning to blend is what’s helped those kids in college,” he said. “The roles get bigger as you go along.”

Five of the Fab Six hope to get their first shot at March Madness next year as sophomores. Rosario nicely summed up their feelings when he said hopefully, “It’s going to be great to be part of that – the excitement. It will be good to be on the big stage in front of a lot of people.”