2016-17 HERALD High School Basketball Preview
V.S. Central Eagles rebuild after mass exodus
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By TONy BELLISSIMO
ith a senior-heavy roster and some underclassmen mixed in last season, the Eagles split their 10 games against Conference AA-2 opponents and qualified for the Nassau Class AA playoffs where eventual county and Long Island champion Baldwin beat them for a third time in the quarterfinals. Not only did Central (9-11) graduate nine contributors, including four now playing at the collegiate level, but three others departed, leaving head coach Hayward Alfred with a major rebuilding project. “It’s been a long time since we lost so many kids at once,” he said. “We’re totally revamped. We have some talent and we’ll get better as the season goes on.” But with so much inexperience on the roster, Alfred said the non-league games are more imperative than ever to build chemistry and get a few wins that’ll help the confidence level. “Our conference may be the best in the county,” he said. “We gotta do whatever we can to get ready. We don’t have a great deal of size, so rebounding is my biggest concern.” Senior Elijah Robinson is the lone name on the roster with any varsity experience whatsoever. He’s a 6-foot-2 shooting guard who’s deceptively quick, rangy and athletic. “We’ll be counting on him to score,” Alfred said. Sophomore Ahunna Okoko is up from JV to take over the point. “He’s a heady player with a pretty good handle,” Alfred said. “It’s going to be trial by fire, but he’ll be OK.” Junior forward Ryan Germoseu does a lot of the dirty work, banging the boards and TO ADVERTISE CALL 516-569-4000
playing tough defense, and has a mid-range jumper to boot. Junior Malcolm Carter has a quality post-up game and is a nifty passer, while senior Amaninden Singh is the tallest (6-4) member of the team who’s getting acclimated to the system and speed of the varsity level. Singh could score some put-backs. Senior newcomers Khole Dock and Jamal Velox will also look to contribute. In addition to Baldwin, the Eagles will face East Meadow, Hicksville, Plainview, Port Washington and Westbury twice apiece.
Influx of youth for Lady Eagles
It was a tale of two different halves for the Lady Eagles in 2015-16. They won six of their first nine games, including the Conference AA-2 opener, but finished on a nine-game slide with a handful of single-digit defeats. “We had some injuries and we just couldn’t string anything together after the league opener,” head coach Malyssa Thorngren said. “We don’t have a lot of experience returning, but I’m excited about the freshman group and many of them will contribute right away.” Central returns two starters, senior guard Bella Gandasegui, a four-year member of the varsity, and senior forward Nicole Carter, who missed a chunk of last season after suffering a knee injury and a concussion. Gandasegui is likely to handle point guard responsibilities but is also a proven shooting guard who can get hot and drain threes. “Bella’s a strong lefty shooter and a smart defender who went through some streaks last season,” Thorngren said. “She’ll handle the point and be a
leader. She certainly has the capabilities.” When healthy, Carter is a strong presence in the paint and capable of scoring and rebounding in double figures. Her buzzer-beater lifted the Lady Eagles over Plainview in last season’s conference win. “She’s a good defender and rebounder who can also get to the basket,” Thorngren said. “She gives us a nice presence inside.” Some of the team’s five freshmen will crack the starting lineup and/or see considerable minutes. They include Janay Legagneur, Kailee Finn and Kayla Thomas. Legagneur can play either forward spot and brings a Elijah Robinson 6-foot-1 frame and athleticism. Finn, a 5-9 center, is another frontcourt with her reboundlefty who’s aggressive with ing and defensive abilities. and without the ball and can
Schedule
BoyS December 23 @ Plainview
7:00 p.m.
January 4 6 10 12 16 20 28
Baldwin 6:45 p.m. Hicksville 4:30 p.m. @ Westbury 6:30 p.m. East Meadow 7:00 p.m. @ Port Washington 12:30 p.m. Plainview 6:45 p.m. @ Baldwin 5:00 p.m.
February Nicole Carter score underneath. “She’s not shy and has raw talent,” Thorngren said of Finn. Thomas, a guard, comes off an All-County cross-country season and is one of the team’s hardest workers, the coach noted. Sophomore Kaitlin Gabbidon is a quality shooting guard up from the JV, and senior Alexis Howard will help hold down the fort in the
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PREVIEW
1 3 7 9
@ Hicksville Westbury @ East Meadow Port Washington
4:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
GIRLS December 23 Plainview
6:30 p.m.
January 4 7 10 14 16 21 28
@ Baldwin @ Hicksville Westbury @ East Meadow Port Washington @ Plainview Baldwin
7:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
February 1 4 7 10
Hicksville @ Westbury East Meadow @ Port Washington
6:15 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 6:45 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
Photos by Donovan Berthoud
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