2. 1989 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)While the rest of the country took note of the unblemished, uncontested national champion St. Anthony Friars last season, Friar faithful knew that their team, as outstanding as it was, would probably come up a hair short when ranking the top St. Anthony teams of all time.
Bob Hurley would have coached his
1989 team to a first round victory.
Photo by Kevin Yen
Though Dominic Cheek, Tyshawn Taylor, Mike Rosario and the rest of the 2008 Friars would have more than held their own against the undefeated teams of 1996 and 2004, the 1989 St. Anthony team probably would've gotten the better of them.
The 1989 squad featured Bobby Hurley (son of legendary St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley), Terry Dehere and Rodrick Rhodes, each of whom was a first-round NBA draft pick.
Hurley was New Jersey's premier guard, and one of the best in the country that year. His ability to excel in the NCAA Tournament was clear in his time at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four three times.
Dehere first started in 1989 but he excelled as well, earning a scholarship to Seton Hall and finishing his collegiate career with almost 2,500 points.
Rhodes was merely a freshman, but his talent was clear. By the time he was a senior, he was a top-five recruit in the country, and eventually slid into the starting lineup at the University of Kentucky as a true freshman.
Jerry Walker, who like Dehere played for Seton Hall, was an ultra-intimidating forward. At 6-7 and 240 pounds, Walker displayed the physical attributes and aggressiveness atypical of high school post players. He was one of the nation's best forwards, and helped the Pirates win two Big East titles.
After getting upset by neighborhood rival Ferris late in the 1988 season, St. Anthony returned the next season with a vengeance. The Friars beat nationally acclaimed Miami Senior (Fla.) and Flint Hill (Va.) They also knocked off state rival Elizabeth (N.J.), and captured the inaugural Tournament of Champions.
That Elizabeth team featured 7-1 Luther Wright, who began his career on St. Anthony before transferring.
His presence alongside Jerry Walker would have made the 1989 team even better. But the presence of another 7-footer would have made the 1989 St. Anthony team a hands-down favorite for best ever.
Shaquille O'Neal spent part of his childhood growing up in Bayonne, which borders Jersey City. As part of a military family, O'Neal moved around frequently, and even spent time in Germany before his stepfather relocated to the San Antonio army base where Shaq attended high school.
Local legend has it that O'Neal's family was close to relocating back to New Jersey, and that O'Neal would have attended St. Anthony. As it worked out, he and Hurley played together at the McDonald's All-American game.
Even without O'Neal, Hurley Sr. would have mapped out a top notch game plan for his collegiate opponent, utlizing his team's depth and riding his talented trio of guards and bruising post player to victory.
Continue reading
