Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
NEW YORK — Very few high school teams in the nation next year will have a point guard/power forward duo that matches that of St. Benedict’s Prep.
Mike Young, a 6-foot-9 2013 forward, plans to come back to St. Benedict’s after leaving Hudson (N.J.) Catholic, and will pair up with Tyler Ennis, one of the top point guards in the Class of 2013. The two played together at St. Benedict’s two season ago before Young enrolled at Hudson Catholic.
The Gray Bees will also feature 2015 guard Isaiah Briscoe, Young’s Playaz Basketball Club teammate who excelled this past weekend at the Nike Elite 100 in St. Louis and may garner an invitation to the LeBron James Skills Academy next month.
“I played with Tyler most of my sophomore year so I know how he plays and I got a feel for his game and he got a feel for my game,” Young, a Pittsburgh native, said before putting up 19 points and 8 rebounds Sunday in the Playaz’s 57-55 triple-OT loss to Sports U in the 17U gold championship at the Rumble in the Bronx.
“And obviously Isaiah plays with us on the EYBL circuit so we’ve been playing together, so I don’t think it will be a major change or adjustment, but it will be some type of adjustment.”
One year after finishing 35-3, the Gray Bees could challenge for a mythical national title with the addition of Young and several other players to a core that revolves around Ennis, Briscoe and 2013 forward Isaiah Watkins.
“Yes, I think we got a great chance,” said Young, who averaged 15.9 points and 11.6 rebounds last season for a 25-3 Hudson Catholic team. “Coach [Mark Taylor] believes we’re going to be a Top 5 so I think we got a great chance at getting a national championship. That’s the goal.”
Young’s move back to St. Benedict’s will give college coaches even more reason to flock to the Newark school this fall.
So far Young says his list includes Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Miami, St. John’s, Xavier and Marquette.
“After July I’m going to narrow my list down to about five and then September I’m going to think about where I want to go,” he said. “In October I’m going to take my visits and I’m going to try commit around November or early December before the season starts.”
For now, Young and the Playaz have a busy summer schedule, including a stop at the prestigious Peach Jam next month.
After the summer, he will re-join a St. Benedict’s team where the sky’s the limit.
**For more on the additions at St. Benedict’s, read here.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
NEW YORK — Very few high school teams in the nation next year will have a point guard/power forward duo that matches that of St. Benedict’s Prep.
Mike Young, a 6-foot-9 2013 forward, plans to come back to St. Benedict’s after leaving Hudson (N.J.) Catholic, and will pair up with Tyler Ennis, one of the top point guards in the Class of 2013. The two played together at St. Benedict’s two season ago before Young enrolled at Hudson Catholic.
The Gray Bees will also feature 2015 guard Isaiah Briscoe, Young’s Playaz Basketball Club teammate who excelled this past weekend at the Nike Elite 100 in St. Louis and may garner an invitation to the LeBron James Skills Academy next month.
“I played with Tyler most of my sophomore year so I know how he plays and I got a feel for his game and he got a feel for my game,” Young, a Pittsburgh native, said before putting up 19 points and 8 rebounds Sunday in the Playaz’s 57-55 triple-OT loss to Sports U in the 17U gold championship at the Rumble in the Bronx.
“And obviously Isaiah plays with us on the EYBL circuit so we’ve been playing together, so I don’t think it will be a major change or adjustment, but it will be some type of adjustment.”
One year after finishing 35-3, the Gray Bees could challenge for a mythical national title with the addition of Young and several other players to a core that revolves around Ennis, Briscoe and 2013 forward Isaiah Watkins.
“Yes, I think we got a great chance,” said Young, who averaged 15.9 points and 11.6 rebounds last season for a 25-3 Hudson Catholic team. “Coach [Mark Taylor] believes we’re going to be a Top 5 so I think we got a great chance at getting a national championship. That’s the goal.”
Young’s move back to St. Benedict’s will give college coaches even more reason to flock to the Newark school this fall.
So far Young says his list includes Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Miami, St. John’s, Xavier and Marquette.
“After July I’m going to narrow my list down to about five and then September I’m going to think about where I want to go,” he said. “In October I’m going to take my visits and I’m going to try commit around November or early December before the season starts.”
For now, Young and the Playaz have a busy summer schedule, including a stop at the prestigious Peach Jam next month.
After the summer, he will re-join a St. Benedict’s team where the sky’s the limit.
**For more on the additions at St. Benedict’s, read here.
