After winning the school’s ninth overall and second consecutive NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title last March, St. Anthony’s famed basketball program was faced with the prospects of having to move on without the trio of talented guards, namely All-American Elijah Ingram, Dwayne Lee and Donald Copeland.
"You know it’s going to happen," legendary St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said. "You just don’t want it to happen. Those three kids were through some wars. But knowing that those three would eventually graduate, we tried to prepare for it."
However, it’s not easy.
"We’re going to have to play sophomores and juniors again at those positions, just like we did with Elijah, Dwayne and Donald," Hurley said. "They all played as sophomores. The new kids have experience. They just don’t have St. Anthony experience. It’s been quite a culture shock for them getting ready. Quite often, it’s more of a mental thing than physical. The younger kids struggle with the sheer amount of responsibility."
While the backcourt continues to battle through inexperience, the Friars have three key players returning from last year’s 28-1 team.
Leading the returnees is 6-9 senior center/forward Terrence Roberts, who is considered to be one of the top players in the nation and has already committed to Syracuse. Roberts averaged nearly 12 points and nine rebounds per game last year.
"Last year, Terrence was an option," said Hurley, second on the all-time New Jersey list for coaching victories. "Now, he’s the go-to guy."
Also returning is 6-3 senior forward Obie Nwadike, a workhorse who averaged nine points per game last year and has also committed to a NCAA Division I school (Central Connecticut State).
Hurley is working on changing Nwadike’s approach to the game.
"Last year, Obie did all the grunt work, but now, we need him to do more," Hurley said. "He has such great energy. He used to look for his teammates when he got the ball. Now, we need him to look for himself more."
The third key returnee is 6-2 junior guard/forward Marcus Williams, who has been a varsity performer since he was a freshman. The talented Williams, who averaged seven points per game last year, has the most amount of experience of any Friar and may add some leadership, even for a junior, this year.
From there, the Friars have to count on newcomers. But Hurley seems to be comfortable with their performance level, including a talented transfer who may have the biggest impact of all.
Sean McCurdy, a 6-1 sophomore transfer from St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, moved to Jersey City when his mother changed jobs.
"I didn’t know anything about him, but he got out on the floor and showed us that he can really play," Hurley said. "He’s a very good all-around player and he’s so smooth already. He can play three positions and is one of the strongest kids we have."
McCurdy has been such a pleasant surprise that he was the Friars’ leading scorer in two preseason scrimmages.
Sean’s father, Bob McCurdy, was a fine player at the University of Richmond during his day and Sean’s mother has two brothers who were fine basketball players in Indiana.
"His blood lines are very good," Hurley said.
The other starting guard is 5-8 sophomore Derrick Mercer, who will play the point guard position.
"Derrick defends very well and can shoot the ball well," Hurley said. "He’s very athletic."
The Friars have some talented players coming off the bench, like 5-11 junior guard Ahmad Mosby; 6-2 junior swingman Lamar Alston; 6-2 junior swingman Shelton Gibbs, who is the son of the former St. Peter’s College standout of the same name; and 6-5 sophomore forward Barney Anderson, who will be the prime backup to Roberts and Nwadike up front.
Junior Thomas Hall, a 5-5 bundle of energy, will backup Mercer at the point.
Despite the massive changes, Hurley likes the makeup of this year’s version of the fabulous Friars.
"I think the kids know they have to be good defensively, because we don’t know how well they will do offensively," Hurley said. "Every single kid on the team is taking on a new role, so that’s tough. Last year, we were pretty set off the bat, so we tried not to lose. This year, we’re trying to win. The potential is tremendous, but we have so many new pieces, so it’s hard to tell."
The Friars tip off the 2002-2003 season Dec. 22 against Morristown at the Seton Hall Tournament, then head off to San Diego for the Christmas holidays to play in a national tournament.
"Early on, we’re going to try to be competitive," Hurley said. "But by the end of the season, we could be tough, come state tournament time."
Which means, it will be just like old times for the Friars, only with a different look.