By Russ Waterman
MaxPreps.com
Basketball fans in Rhode Island might be spoiled, but the St. Andrew's School of Barrington really is like any other program. The Saints can have their down years, too, and with a current record of 10-10, they are in jeopardy of missing the 2008 New England Prep School Athletic Council playoffs.
Yet a drop-off was expected this season, since St. Andrew's successive NEPSAC Class B championship squads were above all buoyed by 6-foot-6 Rakim Sanders, currently a freshman and already a major contributor (12 points per game) at Boston College.
You don't replace a player of that magnitude overnight.
"It is a rebuilding year and we don't have high major players," admits St. Andrew's coach Mike Hart, the architect of a program that has soared to success in his 14 years at the helm, climbing the heights not only in Rhode Island, but regionally and often nationally among prep teams. "We are trying to compete for eight playoff spots among 30 teams and there are more opportunities for kids to play so it gets tougher all the time."
Thus far, leading the way for the Saints is a pair of seniors that Hart says are being looked at by several Division One colleges: 6-foot-7 Brian Hanucshak of Cumberland, R.I. (15 ppg, 11 rpg) and 6-0 point guard Mike Culpo (15 ppg) of Pittsfield, Mass. "Brian is a mobile 4-man who is good inside and can score in different ways. Mike is a very, very good point guard who averages seven assists and only two turnovers per game."
The roster has some familiar family names, too, such as Accoui, Ogdubela and Sanders (all brothers of former players). Junior guard Mike Accoui (11 ppg) is "a sharpshooter" that follows his brother Joey, now at the University of Vermont. Manny Odugbela, a 6-3 senior, is the brother of Joseph Odugbela, now at North Platt Community College in Nebraska, and Josh Odugbela, who attended the University of Hartford. Nyheem Sanders, a 6-3 slashing guard, is the brother of Rakim.
Other players include 6-5 junior Ndubisi Ezeigwe, 6-0 sophomore Jordan Jones, 6-6 junior forward Russell Deremer and 5-9 freshman Myles Brilhante.
"We teach them offenses and defenses, along with the skills," Hart says of his methods of teaching, one that does not consist of 'star treatment.' "We teach them how to play basic basketball."
And that formula of intense preparation has paid off for several players who have moved onto higher levels. "Most of them play right away at the next level," Hart says. "They usually don't sit on the bench for long. We do a good job of developing kids here."
Hart also is disappointed that some of the schools the Saints play don't prepare kids academically and socially nearly as well as St. Andrew's. "We've lost some games to factories (schools who concentrate mostly on basketball)," he says.
Ironically, his teams could have been even stronger, but has turned away some kids in the past. "I don't normally accept high-maintenance kids," he says. "And we lose some because we don't give scholarships, though we are able to give them lots of aid in most cases."
But there is a far more important bottom line for Hart, as well as for his decade-long assistant, John O'Shea (a former teammate of his at the Community College of Rhode Island and at the University of Maine-Fort Kent), and for the faculty and administration of this school of slightly more than 200 students.
Yes, Hart has masterminded teams to six New England Prep titles, had more than two dozen players awarded NCAA Division One scholarships and has had a host of others who moved on to Division Two and Three levels, in addition to NAIA colleges and junior colleges.
And he has immense pride and satisfaction in seeing Demetris Nichols, the former Syracuse star now with the Chicago Bulls, or in Tony Robertson (Connecticut) who "put us on the map" now playing professionally in England. Jon Kale plays just down the road at Providence College and Ray Cross was a walk-on a few years ago for the Friars.
Some have opted to play at lesser-known schools; Lamar Barrett, for one, decided to attend Division One Longwood University. "He decided to go there because he thought he could start there right away," Hart says. "We are looking to find the perfect fit for each of our kids.
"I always tell them to have a back-up plan," he adds, noting his team academic grade point average is over 3.0 again this season and that all his players continue to participate in other activities such as chorus and theater. "It's all about the three A's- academics, athletics and the arts."
Hart thus loves to tell the stories of former players who are not playing basketball but who have found a niche elsewhere. "Eric Mack (2000) is a lawyer now," he says of his former standout point guard who "hitchhiked to school the first few years. He went on to be a captain at Tufts and then went to Tulane Law School." Goutie Gaye, another recent college graduate (Bryant University), works in sports marketing.
"We want them to aim for a higher level of success because when (college) basketball ends, most are not going to be making a living playing basketball," Hart said. "I'm more worried what they are doing at age 24 and if they are leading productive lives then."
Of Note: Little Rhody Turns Out Big Stars
Who would you pick for a true high school all-state team from the state of Rhode Island?
The first team and several on a second team would come mostly from either St. Andrew's or from those currently attending prep schools in other states. First and foremost is 6-10 junior forward Erik Murphy, who recently committed to the University of Florida and plays at St. Mark's School in Southboro, Mass. (look for upcoming feature article on Murphy).
At Northfield-Mount Hermon in Massachusetts, there are three Rhode Islanders: Mike Marra, a 6-5 junior shooting guard and 2007 first-team all-stater; Matt Brown, a 6-0 sophomore guard and Bishop Hendricken graduate, and 6-4 shooting guard Dave Rufful, another first-team all-stater last year who has committed to Dartmouth College. Worcester Academy has 6-8 junior center Ben Crenca of Exeter and 6-2 senior guard Sam Martin of West Warwick.
And that provides the proper buildup to games next week involving many of the above-mentioned Ocean State players:
Worcester Academy travels to play St. Andrews in Barrington on Monday, Jan. 28 at 4:30 p.m. And on Friday, Feb. 1, St. Andrew's visits the St. Mark's School at 4:30 in another battle of squads featuring Rhode Island standouts.
Russ Waterman covers Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the New England Preps for MaxPreps.com. He may be reached at rwathoop3@aol.com.
