Video: Early Contenders - Huntington St. Joseph PrepMaxPreps 2015-16 High School Basketball Early Contenders, Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and Under Armour
Head coach: Arkell Bruce (31-3 career record)
2014-15 record: 31-3, No. 4 final national ranking
State association: Independent
Enrollment: 200 (Players attend St. Joseph Catholic Central)
The 2015-16 Huntington St. Joseph Prep basketball team
Photo by Randy Sartin
Players to Watch
Miles Bridges (6-7, Sr., G/F) … Committed to Michigan State
Ivan Gandia (6-1, Sr., G) … Puerto Rico junior national team member
Curtis Jones (6-3, Sr., G) … Committed to Indiana
Jonathan Kabongo (6-4, So., G) … Younger brother of former Texas guard Myck Kabongo
Micah Thomas (6-7, Sr., G/F) … Arkansas, LSU and Maryland among suitors
Trace Young (6-8, Jr., F) … Should capture attention of high majors this winter
Guard/forward Miles Bridges
Photo by Randy Sartin
Key Dates
Dec. 5 – vs.
Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.) at Marshall County Hoopfest
Dec. 7 – vs.
Montverde Academy (Fla.)Dec. 12 – vs.
Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) at Big E Classic
Dec. 19-21 – Chick-fil-A Classic
Jan. 2 – vs.
Chaminade (St. Louis) at Cancer Research Classic
Jan. 23 – vs.
Oldsmar Christian (Fla.) at ARS.com Tampa Hoopfest
Feb. 13 – vs.
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) at Primetime Shootout
Feb. 14 – vs.
Roselle Catholic (N.J.) at Primetime Shootout
Guard Curtis Jones
Photo by Randy Sartin
Fighting Irish Storylines
* HSJP doesn't have the depth of Division I-bound stars it has enjoyed in recent seasons, but Bridges and Jones have the ability to carry the Fighting Irish a long way. Bridges — a Top 25 2016 recruit — averaged 15.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior. Jones wasn't far behind at 15.3 points per game.
* Huntington St. Joseph Prep doesn't get the same level of attention as national powers like Montverde Academy and Oak Hill Academy, but perhaps it should. The Fighting Irish are 117-13 over the past four seasons and have finished ranked in the top five nationally three times.
* There's always a diverse cast at Huntington St. Joseph Prep. This year's team includes players from Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Serbia and Turkey.
View gallery from preseason Early Contenders photo shoot with Huntington St. Joseph Prep 
Players and coaches pose with personnel from the City of Huntington Fire Department.
Photo by Randy Sartin
