Dwight, a senior guard for Iona, and Jenkins, a senior guard at St. Peter’s (pictured), are cousins who played together under coach Nick Mariniello at Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech High School.

“He texted me and said, ‘We’ll see you in the championship,” Dwight told the New York Post after Iona beat Rider, 83-59, in Sunday’s semifinals. “It’ll be a family feud, good to go against each other. One of us will be going to the NCAA Tournament. May the best man or best team win.”

The final will be shown live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. and Mariniello plans to be there in person.

“It just continues to be a great experience for me to see these two play,” Mariniello, now the head coach at Hudson Catholic, said Monday. “They’re not only cousins but they’re best friends.”

As backcourt-mates at Bloomfield Tech, Dwight and Jenkins won three Group 1 state titles and an Essex County championship.

As seniors, they went 30-3, won the Group 1 state title and reached the Tournament of Champions final.

Both went on to become captains in college, with Dwight a three-year captain at Iona and Jenkins a two-year captain at St. Peter’s.

Dwight matched his career-high with 19 points and was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc against Rider, while Jenkins had 14 points as St. Peter’s beat Fairfield, 62-48.

Jermel Jenkins, no relation to Wesley, led Iona in scoring for the first time this season, shooting 7 for 13 and 6 of 10 from deep to finish with 20 points to go with five assists. Junior Mike Glover added 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting and junior point guard Scott Machado dished a game-best 12 assists.

After this season, Mariniello said, “Rashon will get into coaching and Wesley will go play overseas someplace.”

Before that, they will square off for a bid to the Big Dance.

Iona, winners of nine straight under first-year coach Tim Cluess, will face St. Peter’s for the fourth time in a MAAC title game. Iona is 2-1 all-time.

“I’m not going to be rooting for anyone,” Mariniello said. “I want them both to have a very good game.

“Unfortunately, one guy gets to go home and his college career is over and the other guy will move on.”

“His ligaments are intact,” said St. Peter’s coach John Dunne, whose team faces Rutgers Thursday at the RAC. “He will most likely  be out for a few weeks.”

Jenkins initially injured his knee in a pickup game Oct. 1 at the Jersey City school. It was eventually diagnosed as a partially torn ACL, but Jenkins returned to the court Nov. 27 against LIU. In seven games, he’s averaging a team-best 11.6 points.

Forward Ryan Bacon is also out approximately two weeks with a foot injury, Dunne said.

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With senior guard Wesley Jenkins back in the fold, the Peacocks (2-3) have a chance for a big win Monday at the Prudential Center against the Pirates (2-3), who are playing without leading scorer Jeremy Hazell, out with a broken wrist.

“I just think at the end of the day we’ve got to play really well to beat them, with or without Hazell,” said St. Peter’s coach John Dunne, a former Seton Hall assistant under Louis Orr.

Eugene Harvey hit a one-handed 28-footer at the buzzer to lift Seton Hall to a 53-51 victory last year. This year’s game will be shown at 7 p.m. on SNY.

Jenkins returned Saturday from a partially torn ACL suffered Oct. 1 and scored 13 points on 4 of 11 shooting in 29 minutes in a 65-62 victory over LIU.

Dunne said his star was “sore” during practice Sunday.

“Obviously, he’s 100 percent healed,” Dunne said. “As far as not being in game shape and being rusty, I played him more yesterday than I wanted to.”

St. Peter’s is obviously looking to win this game, but one factor to keep in mind is that the Peacocks have league games Thursday (at Loyola, Md.)  and Saturday (Manhattan), meaning Dunne will have to manage Jenkins’ minutes.

“You never want to think ahead,” Dunne said. “You always want to win the game you’re playing. But you also gotta be smart.”

Both Seton Hall and St. Peter’s participated in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Both clubs went 1-2, beating Alabama for their only wins.

Hazell, a first-team All-Big East pick, scored 27 points in the victory over Alabama, but broke the scaphoid bone in his left wrist.

He left the Virgin Islands to return home to see a hand specialist, and Seton Hall has not commented since initially saying he would be out 4-6 weeks.

Pirates coach Kevin Willard did not return phonecalls or text messages seeking further comment.

“Obviously, they’re better with Hazell,” Dunne said. “I’m not going to deny that. At the end of the day they’re still Big East players, still a Big East team. They’re a little bigger, a little stronger.

“We have to play very well to beat them. I don’t think they’ll be as explosive a scoring team from the perimeter without him but they’re a very good transition team and they can get a lot of paint scores if you’re not ready and focused to battled against that.”

Still, without Hazell, and with Jenkins, the Peacocks know they have a big opportunity ahead of them.

Said Dunne: “It’s always great for your program when you can perform well or beat a so called higher level team.”

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Dunne also said sophomore guard Steven Samuels suffered a “deep bone bruise” in the LIU game but was “probable” for Seton Hall.

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“I was going up for a layup and came down wrong,” the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Jenkins said in a phone interview. “I  didn’t know it was messed up, so I kept playing.”

Jenkins went to see the trainer the following day and that’s when he received some potentially devastating news from the team doctor, Dr. Tom Wickiewicz of the Hospital for Special Surgery: he had a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

“The first thing that came in my mind was this is supposed to be our year to win and for me to be going down with an ACL injury complicates the whole season,” Jenkins said.

The Peacocks were picked to finish third in the MAAC and Jenkins, a Newark native who starred at nearby Bloomfield Tech under Nick Mariniello, was chosen first-team All-MAAC.

“I chilled with the team and didn’t want to sit in a room and think about it too long,” Jenkins said of the initial diagnosis.

But the following week, Jenkins went for an MRI and his outlook changed.

Jenkins was now told that it was possible he wouldn’t need surgery and that his knee might heal on its own.

“I was real happy to hear that because now it gives me a chance to get back on the court and try to win a MAAC championship,” he said.

St. Peter’s coach John Dunne was understandably relieved.

“I think we have a chance to win a championship with him,” Dunne said. “Without him, I think we would have been similar to what we were last year. We would’ve been in every game, competed hard every game. We still could’ve pushed for a championship without him.

“But with him I think obviously are chances are a lot better.”

Dunne feels especially pleased for Jenkins because the young man could have left the program after his freshman season, when the Peacocks won just six games.

“He could have easily transferred, bailed on the program,” Dunne said. “He didn’t, he stuck around and helped build the program along with us so to see him be able to finish it off is great.”

Jenkins will accompany his teammates to the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday, but he won’t compete in the 2010 US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. St. Peter’s opens against Old Dominion Friday, while Seton Hall meets Alabama.

“It’s going to be hard for me to watch because being that I’m a big part of the team, it’s hard to sit down and watch the team play without me,” he said.

Jenkins is targeting the start of the MAAC conference schedule in early December for his return to the court.

In the meantime, he rehabs every day, trying to strengthen his knee.

Mostly, though, he’s thankful that he’ll be able to return to the court for his senior season instead of sitting idly by and watching his team go forward without him.

“Yes, because a lot of people that have ACL injuries really don’t come back,” he said. “I dodged a bullet this time.”

DUNNE TO TAKE ‘SHOTS FROM THE HEART’

Dunne is one of 64 Division I head coaches from across the nation to participate in the “Shots from the Heart” shootout sponsored by CollegeInsider.com and the American Heart Association.

Dunne will compete Tuesday against Monmouth head coach Dave Calloway in the first round (Calloway must shoot by Nov. 21), with the coach who accumulates the most points in a free throw contest advancing to the next round. Also competing is Peacock assistant coach Bruce Hamburger who will take on Duquesne’s Grey Gray in first round action.

Donations and sponsors are being accepted for Coach Dunne and can be made by emailing shots@collegeinsider.com.

Coaches will not have to actually compete against each other on the same court. Each coach will shoot 25 free throws at his convenience. A member of the athletic department will tally the results and the coach with the most makes would advance. To avoid ties, 1-20 shots made are worth one point, shots 21-24 are worth two points and shot 25 is worth three points.

The event will also pay tribute to the late Skip Prosser who passed away on July 26, 2007 of a heart attack. Prosser spent 21 years as collegiate head coach at Loyola (MD), Xavier and Wake Forest. He made 18 postseason appearances and is the only coach in NCAA history to take three separate schools to the NCAA Tournament in his first year coaching the teams.

In 2008 CollegeInsider.com created the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, which is given annually to the coach who not only achieves success on the basketball court but who also displays moral integrity off the court as well.

(Photo courtesy St. Peter’s)

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“Williams is a 6-7 guard who scores in bunches, passes extremely well and runs the point,” said his coach, Vincent Robinson. “He makes everyone around him better and can play multiple positions.”

Robinson said Williams turned down offers from DePaul and South Florida of the Big East to attend Iona due to his relationship with assistant coach Jared Grasso.

The 6-8 Hanner committed to Marshall after previously decommitting from Seton Hall.

“I feel as though the coaches are great,” Hanner said by phone. “I like the coaching staff. I liked the individual workouts. Their workouts are great. It’s a great team, great coach [Tommy Herrion]. I’m just happy to be a part of the team.”

He claimed offers from Seton Hall, Rutgers and Rice.

Hanner recently left Newark NIA Prep and could land at Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep.

“Most likely that’s the school I’ll be going to,” he said.

“Obviously, we have a close relationship with the folks at Marshall,” Notre Dame Prep coach Ryan Hurd said. “If this is something they’re interested in, we’d be happy to listen. We have not had a conversation to this point.”

Also, Lamin Fulton, a 5-9 point guard from Neumann-Goretti committed to St. Peter’s over Canisius, St. Francis (Pa.) and Central Connecticut State.

“He is a tough defender and a winner,” Goretti assistant John Mosco said. “He won two Philadelphia Catholic League championships. He has a great basketball IQ and will make everyone on the floor better.”

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6-8 PF Greg Lewis of Baltimore has a top 5 of Maryland, Rutgers (10/8 visit), USF (10/15), Indiana, and UNC-Wilmington, per Dan Painter…Amir Garrett of Findlay Prep has no officials set, but Oregon coach Dana Altman came out last week and St.John’s is coming this week, per Findlay assistant Todd Simon…Kansas assistant Joe Dooley was in to Brewster (N.H.) Academy Monday to see point guard Naadir Tharpe.

(Photos courtesy NJHoops.com)

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St. Peter’s assistant coach John Morton has been offered an assistant coaching position under Tom Pecora at Fordham and is expected to take it.

Morton, a Bronx, N.Y. native, played on the 1989 Seton Hall team that reached the NCAA championship game before losing to Michigan.

He replaces Van Macon, who left Fordham to join Mike Rice’s staff at Rutgers.

Meantime, Kimani Young, the athletic director of the New Heights AAU program, will join the Rice High School staff under new coach Dwayne Mitchell while retaining his position at New Heights.

Mitchell was a longtime assistant to Moe Hicks, who recently became the Director of Basketball Operations under STeve Lavin at St. John’s.

Young worked at Rice two years ago and also served on Norm Roberts’ staff at St. John’s.

“Rice is a great program to be a part of,” Young said. “I worked on the staff two years ago under Moe Hicks and Dwayne Mitchell. It was a great experience. Dwayne and I have great working relationship. I’m excited and honored to be a part of his staff and just build on the success that Rice has had over the last 15 years.”

GOLDEN HOOPS RETURNING TO NYC IN AUGUST

After fifteen years, NYC will once again experience its greatest   grassroots basketball tournament with the resurrection of the legendary Golden Hoops on August 8, 2010 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The reinstated signature program marks a commitment to youth basketball and will bridge the gap between the legacy of NYC basketball past with the current youth basketball experience. A collective of the city’s prized youth basketball leaders and the New York Daily News will host the one-day tournament with the top high school boys and girls competing for NYC bragging rights.

Golden Hoops 2010 marks the revival of the signature tournament initially launched by the New York Daily News in 1985, modeled after the successful “Golden Gloves” amateur boxing property.  Similar to the initial program, Golden Hoops will reclaim its position as the premiere tournament for NYC elite boys basketball.  The top 40 NYC area prospects will be organized onto 4 teams, with players, coaches, current and former NYC-bred NBA players and Golden Hoops alumni competing for bragging rights and resolution on the ultimate question in town: “Which borough breeds the best ballplayers in NYC?”

Golden Hoops 2010 also marks the introduction of an All-Girls NYC tournament with the top 20 high school girls competing for the same hotly contested debate of borough greatness.

Under the new format, both boys and girls divisions will be led by notable coaches from the world of AAU youth basketball.  NYC-bred NBA and WNBA players will act as honorary coaches including NBA legend and Queens native, Kenny Smith and the Chicago Bulls’ star center, Joakim Noah.

“New York players take pride in our city and within that, we take pride in our borough.  I grew up in Queens in the Aim High program under my brother Vince.  No question, Queens produces the best players in the city.  Golden Hoops will prove this fact.  I can’t wait to be involved, and I am excited Vince will be honored for his dedication to kids, to New York basketball and to the game,” says Smith, Archbishop Molloy alum.

With the renewed support of the New York Daily News, Golden Hoops 2010 will maintain its roots and focus on elevating the game of grassroots basketball.  During its initial reign from 1985-1995, Golden Hoops attracted countless elite young basketball players, many of whom moved on to celebrated collegiate and NBA careers including Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, Roderick Rhodes, Bobby Hurley, Lamar Odom, God Shammgod and Ron Artest.

Golden Hoops 2010 signifies NYC grassroots basketball’s continued commitment to the youth game.  This mission has attracted the support of notable past participants, such as NYC basketball legend Kenny Anderson.

“Golden Hoops was a tournament I looked forward to playing in every summer,” says Anderson, who will participate this year as an Honorary Coach.  “Every year, it brought together all the best players from the NYC metropolitan area.  Great competition.  Great atmosphere.  I am excited Golden Hoops is coming back and I look forward to being a part of it this summer.”

(Photos courtesy St. Peter’s Athletics)

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The network had Drexel and Niagara lined up for an 8 a.m. game and Clemson and Liberty set for a 10 o’clock tilt. But it needed two teams to fill another slot.

“They didn’t have anybody slated for the 6 a.m game,” St. Peter’s head coach John Dunne said Monday by phone. “When they were talking about it in the meeting, me and Pat Elliott, our AD, were making eye contact.”

After the meeting, Dunne got on the phone to Monmouth coach Dave Calloway to see if he was interested in playing that tilt. The two teams were scheduled to play a regular season game this Wednesday.

“He called me from the meeting and said if we move it to Tuesday we can play on ESPN,” Calloway said. “He said, ‘We have to play at 6 o’clock.’ 

“I said, ‘That’s OK.’”

“He said, ‘a.m.’” Calloway added.

“I thought about it and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

Both coaches talked it over with their respective university presidents and athletic directors and now the two teams will square off at the Yanitelli Center at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

“We’re just excited about it so there will be some time to rest afterwards, I guess,” Dunne said.

Both teams are coming off games against in-state rival Seton Hall.

The Pirates routed Monmouth, 87-72,  on Sunday behind Jeremy Hazell’s 26 points and Herb Pope’s 15 points and 17 boards in Monmouth’s new $57 million Multipurpose Activity Center.

Monmouth (1-1) was coming off a victory Friday night over Isiah Thomas and his Florida International squad in which the former Knicks coach and executive was verbally harassed all game long by the student section.

St.  Peter’s played Seton Hall much closer on Friday, losing 53-51 on a last-second buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Pirates point guard Eugene Harvey.

“It was like a 27-foot running one-handed double clutch shot,” Dunne said. “It was a heck of a last-minute shot, that’s for sure.”

St. Peter’s and Monmouth will each prepare differently for the contest.

“Today we’re not going to have a full practice,” Dunne said. “We’ll do some fullcourt and halfcourt skill work at about 4 o’clock.”

The St. Peter’s players won’t wake up until 4:30 Tuesday morning before coming to the gym for breakfast. Head manager Dalip Bhatia gets the job of making wake-up calls.

“We’re talking about a 4:30 wakeup, which is really close to the game,” Dunne said. “We’ll call them to make sure they’re awake by 4:30.”

While the players are getting taped, they can munch on bagels, oranges, bananas, Gatorade bars and juice before the game. Dunne said his players would move upstairs to the gym 22 minutes before the game.

The Monmouth players will already have been on a bus for more than an hour before the St. Peter’s players even wake up.

“We have a bus leaving at 3:15 a.m. and we’ll load it up with bagels and juice,” Calloway said.

What if the players oversleep? Who calls them?

“They’re big boys. If they want to play on TV, they’ll be there on time,” the coach said.

Calloway, who hoped to be asleep by about 9:30 Monday night, said the trip up the Garden State Parkway shouldn’t take more than an hour at that time of day and he plans to arrive by 4:15, ”the latest.”

In an effort to spur interest in the game around campus, Dunne and assistant John Morton, a former Seton Hall star, hit the school cafeteria last Thursday to inform students of the game.

A free breakfast will be served at 4:30 for students and at halftime of the game, there will be a halfcourt shooting contest. Winner gets free tuition for the spring semester.

“We had a really, really good reaction,” Dunne said. “They were all saying they were going to be there, that they were coming.

“Whether they get up when the alarm goes off at 4:30, well see.”

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