GRAY BEES SURGING IN THE NATIONAL POLLS; RANKED AS HIGH AS NO. 8
Ennis leading a trio of stars in the backcourt

Jan. 19, 2012

The triumvirate of Tyler Ennis, Melvin Johnson and Isaiah Briscoe have quickly transformed St. Benedict's back into a national power.

"There's no way anyone can stop the Briscoe-Ennis-Johnson show," said St. Benedict's first-year coach Mark Taylor. "They are three guards who can do it all."

With Ennis as the lone returnee from a team that fell from grace last season, Taylor had a solid foundation to build around for the 2011-12 campaign. Adding Johnson, who committed to Miami in the Fall, and Briscoe, one of the most-heralded freshmen in the nation, gave St. Benedict's one of the most electrifying backcourts in the country.

The three guard set has proven itself from the season's onset. They are leading the fast-breaking Gray Bees in scoring and have their team rolling at 17-1. After falling out of the national picture last year, coach Taylor and his "Killer Bees" are averaging 82.3 points per outing and are now ranked No. 8 in the latest USA Today Super 25 Poll.

"Any media outlet that doesn't have the Gray Bees ranked in the Top 10 nationally needs to really take a hard look at their rankings," said national basketball writer Adam Zagoria, who came out to watch the Gray Bees' latest effort, an 89-67 victory over NIA Prep.

Ennis just missed his 11th double-double of the season against NIA when he hit for 23 points and passed off for 8 assists. He is averaging 15.3 points and nearly 8 assists per outing.

"Tyler is special. He can be the best point guard in the country," said Taylor, who has coached superstars such as former NBA player Jason Williams and current Lakers big man, Andrew Bynum. "Tyler is as good as anybody I've ever coached and has the ability to take the game over."

Ennis did just that last against a quality club in Maryland's Patterson High in the Dan Finn Classic on Jan. 14. He had just 6 points entering the fourth quarter, but he helped seal the game with 14 points in the final quarter and lifted the Gray Bees to an 89-63 triumph with a 20-point, 10-assist showing at the Jersey City Armory.

Johnson, who is averaging a team-high 23.1 points per game, and Briscoe, who sits behind Ennis with a scoring average of 11.9, also have the unique trait of being able to take a game over.

Johnson has scored in bunches this year, including when he registered a game-high 28 points against the vaunted defense of St. Anthony. Although the Gray Bees suffered its only loss of the year against the Friars, 51-50, it proved coach Taylor's team was back in the national spotlight as Johnson put on a display with his pure shooting ability.

Briscoe has been able to provide the scoring punch when the Gray Bees struggled early in its last two outings. He scored 8 points in the opening quarter when the Gray Bees could only manage a one-point lead over Trent Internationale (Tex.) before exploding for 36 second-quarter points en route to another rout.

Briscoe was solid again early on against NIA Prep on Thursday night when SBP looked sluggish and trailed, 15-7. The freshman scored 7 points in the first quarter as the Gray Bees closed out the stanza on a 15-0 run to take the lead for good.

"Our three guards are tough," said coach Taylor. "They love each other. That's something that's special right there - on and off the court - they get along very, very well."

That bond shared by the three guards has transcended throughout the entire team. While the backcourt has grabbed most of the attention, the Gray Bees couldn't be where they are thus far without the emerging presence underneath the basket of Isaiah Watkins, Kamal Richards and Denzell Taylor.

Watkins has averaged 7.3 points and almost 9 rebounds per game, while Richards has tallied 10.5 points and 8 boards per game, including a 21-point, 11-rebound effort against NIA Prep. Taylor has also been a force on the glass with 8 rebounds per contest.

"We have some great people on our team," said coach Taylor. "We play great together and that's a tribute to the kids' character and integrity. They are doing so much for each other and it's really paying off."

--By Ron Jandoli

CHESEREK GEARING UP FOR A HUGE TEST THIS SATURDAY - AND BEYOND
Basketball team continues to dominate the opposition

Jan. 17, 2012

Edward Cheserek has been invited to compete against the best the nation has to offer. And it's not just against his peers at the high school level.

The Kenyan sensation has accepted invites to contend this Saturday in the Elite Mile at the New Balance Games and the 5-K in February during the Millrose Games against both collegians and professionals. Both events will be staged on the New Balance Track & Field Center in New York City and it looks like Cheserek will be the only high school runner from America in the competitions.

Event organizers invited the St. Benedict's junior to the field in the Elite Mile this Saturday to see if he can challenge the national high school indoor record of 3:59.86 set by the great Alan Webb in 2001 when he was a senior at Virginia's South Lakes High. Webb, who finished 3rd in the field that day on the same track and event that Cheserek will be chasing the record, is the lone high school runner to ever run a sub 4-minute mile indoors.

"Edward is excited about the race," said St. Benedict's coach Marty Hannon. "However, we are making no predictions about a four-minute mile. We will be happy with anything below 4:05."

Cheserek, who won the National Cross Country Championship in San Diego last month, opened the indoor season by running a 4:09.90 at the Bishop Loughlin Games just two weeks after his sojourn out to California. His top time in the mile is 4:03.29, which he put up outdoors last Spring in the Dream Mile on Randall's Island for a national sophomore record.

Cheserek's next big race after Saturday will be at the Millrose Games on Feb. 11. He already qualified for the high school mile for the Millrose with his effort at Bishop Loughlin, but will forego that race in favor of the 5-K. He will be running in that race alongside the legendary Bernard Lagat, who will be trying to reclaim his American 5-K indoor record. Galen Rupp ran 13:11.44 last February to break Lagat's American indoor record of 13:11.50.

Cheserek, meanwhile, will be trying to break the national high school record of 14:06.78 set by Lukas Verzbicas last March at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. The St. Benedict's phenom just ran an 8:43 in the 2-mile race at the Stanner Games this past Saturday on the same track he will run this weekend. He was just off his mark of 8:42.66 when he took 2nd to Verzbicas at the Indoor Nationals last March when they combined for the 2nd and 3rd fastest times in U.S. scholastic history.

The Basketball team continues to put up some staggering numbers. Coach Mark Taylor's club has averaged 95 points per contest during its last four victories - which bridged the weekend and included triumphs over Upper Room Christian Academy (N.Y.), Patterson (Md.), Next Level Prep (Canada) and Trent Internationale (Tex.).

The Gray Bees registered a season-high for points when it posted a 114-44 victory over Upper Room Christian last Thursday on Long Island. Isaiah Watkins and Tyler Ennis each produced a double-double - Watkins finished with 14 points and hauled in 16 rebounds, while Ennis dropped in 23 points and handed off an astounding 17 assists. Melvin Johnson led SBP, which reached the century mark for the third time this season games, with 26 points, Isaiah Briscoe contributed 14 and Kamall Richards added 11.

Ennis came back two days later in the Dann Finn Classic and scored 20 points with 10 assists during the Gray Bees' rout of Patterson, 89-63, at the Jersey City Armory. Melvin Johnson chipped in with 19 points, while Kamall Richards and Isaiah Briscoe added 15.

With the Gray Bees leading scorer, Melvin Johnson, resting on Sunday, the freshman Briscoe stepped to the forefront nicely and posted a double-double of his own, along with Watkins and Kevin Mickle during an 87-42 victory over Next Level Prep. Briscoe put up a 17-point, 11-assist effort, while Watkins contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds and Mickle added 10 points and rebounds apiece. Ennis had a game-high 22 points.

The Gray Bees, which is ranked No. 8 in the nation by USA Today, finished the four-game stretch with another convincing effort, 91-56, over Trent Internationale on Tuesday in Dalton Gym. Melvin Johnson returned to the lineup and dropped in 13 of his 16 points during a 36-10 second quarter uprising that gave SBP a 51-24 lead at the break. Ennis (12 points, 11 assists) and Watkins (14 points, 12 rebounds) each produced another double-double, while Briscoe finished with 16 points and Richards had 14.

SBP, which has averaged 99 points per outing since its 51-50 setback to St. Anthony on New Year's Day, has another home contest on Thursday (Jan. 19) when it takes on NIA Prep at 7 p.m. in Dalton Gymnasium.

SBP HOOPS TEAM POSTS A PAIR OF DOMINATING EFFORTS AFTER FIRST LOSS
Track & Field team reclaims title that it just missed a year ago

Jan. 8, 2011

St. Benedict's basketball team has come back with a vengeance after absorbing its first setback of the season.

Coach Mark Taylor's club put forth two convincing victories since dropping a one-point decision to reigning national champion St. Anthony on New Year's Day.

The Gray Bees first went out and destroyed what was supposed to be a quality opponent in Philadelphia's Math, Civics and Sciences Charter School by a 101-55 margin on Friday night in Dalton Gymnasium.

Melvin Johnson led the Gray Bees in scoring with 31 points - two below his season high - and Tyler Ennis dropped in 16 points. Johnson, Ennis and Denzell Taylor combined for 24 points during a 30-8 first quarter showing.

SBP raced out to another huge lead against Bergen Catholic on Sunday en route to a 98-62 victory in the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children Festival at Kean University in Union. The Gray Bees scored the first 13 points of the game and led 26-12 after the opening quarter. Johnson scored 8 of his 24 in the first eight minutes, while Ennis (23 points) had 6 and Kamall Richards (11) added 5.

"We just had to forget about the game with St. Anthony and move on," said the Miami-bound Johnson of the 51-50 setback to the Jersey City power. "It was nice confidence builder to put up the showings we did the last two games. Hopefully we can keep gaining more and more confidence as the season progresses."

The Track & Field team, after losing by a single point last year, came out Sunday and claimed the Essex County Relay Championships at Seton Hall University.

Coach Marty Hannon's club, behind the yeomen's work of Edward Cheserek, Darien Edwards and Naija Omari - each ran in four events - captured the team title with a 58-51 victory over West Orange. "A great victory - very satisfying," said Hannon. "(There's) a lot of pressure on these guys, but they gave everything and secured a very nice victory."

St. Benedict's won only 2 events - in the 3,200-meter relay and the Distance Medley Relay - but it was the runner-up finishes, especially in the High Jump and Shot Put, which played a key role in the Gray Bees' championship. SBP scored third or better in seven of the eight events in winning its second title in three years.

Kenyon Wright had the highest mark in the High Jump with a leap of 6-4, but Anthony Smith came through as the Gray Bees second jumper to lead SBP to a runner-up finish with a combined effort of 11-4. The Shot Putters, Obinna Nwosu and Idris Dails, also placed second with a dual mark of 85-3 3/4. Of course, the meet's catalyst was Cheserek.

Fresh off his victory last month in the Nike National Cross Country Championships, the Kenyan sensation split 4:21.9 as he rallied St. Benedict's to win the Distance Medley, following the first three legs of Edwards, Omari and Adebayo Eisape in posting a winning time of 10:49.32.

Cheserek also came from behind in the 4x800 and ran a closing 1:56.5 to lead the Gray Bees to victory in 8:26.08. He followed Eisape, Isaac Tucker-Rasbury and Edwards. The junior also help SBP claim second-place in the Sprint Medley and 4x400 relays.

Omari, a sophomore, also raised some eyebrows at the meet. He split 50.0 to bring his team across second in the 4x400, ran 51.2 on the Distance Medley, 51.9 in the Sprint Medley and ran a leg on the third-place shuttle hurdles - his first time ever running the high hurdles.

GRAY BEES PROVE THEY ARE AMONG THE ELITE TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY
SBP nearly pulls off upset of reigning national champions

Jan. 1, 2011

A splendid ending to the 2011 calendar year paved the way for an almost phenomenal start to the New Year for the Gray Bees basketball team.

Almost.

St. Benedict's went toe-to-toe with reigning national champion St. Anthony for the entire 32 minutes, but fell just short of becoming the first team in 40 games to beat Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. and his Friars.

When Tyler Ennis' shot from the left wing was deflected as time expired, the Gray Bees found itself on the wrong end of a thrilling, 51-50, decision in a battle of the top two teams in New Jersey and two of the better clubs in the country before a packed house at the New Year's Jump-Off in Hackensack.

"We played well enough to win," said St. Benedict's coach Mark Taylor. "We left it all on the court tonight."

Although the Gray Bees out-rebounded St. Anthony, 28-26, and tied the Jersey City school with 17 turnovers - two categories SBP felt were crucial in determining the outcome - coach Taylor's team needs to look no further than the fourth quarter as its downfall.

St. Benedict's, which came into the contest No. 20 in the nation, held a 40-34 lead heading into the final stanza. But St. Anthony, which is ranked 8th nationally, took advantage of 6 turnovers, including a pair of traveling violations, by the Gray Bees in the last eight minutes to post a 17-10 advantage in the fourth.

"What have to look at ourselves and understand what we didn't do at the end and learn from it," said Taylor. "We need to take this to heart and grow."

The Gray Bees proved they belonged on the court with the Friars, and any other team in the country, for that matter. Taylor's club took a number of blows from the Jersey City school and not only responded, but excelled.

St. Benedict's received excellent all-around guard play from Ennis and the Miami-bound Melvin Johnson, who combined for 39 points against a team that had yielded only 28 per contest in its previous six games. Coach Taylor also received a strong inside presence from Isaiah Watkins, Denzell Taylor and Kamall Richards.

It even looked, for a time, that the Gray Bees might hold off St. Anthony's vaunted pressure as the game came down to crunch time. St. Anthony scored 8 straight points bridging the third quarter break to knot the score at 40-40 with just under 6 minutes to play.

But Johnson responded with a tough fadeaway and a three-pointer to give the Gray Bees its lead back at 45-40. But those 5 points would be the final of Johnson's game-high 25. St. Benedict's would make only one more bucket the rest of the way as their turnovers continued to mount in the waning moments.

The Gray Bees did, however, have one last shot at the game-winner when Ennis pulled down a rebound off a missed one-and-one by the Friars and raced into the frontcourt where Taylor called his club's final timeout with 4 seconds left.

(Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. talks about St. Anthony's victory over St. Benedict's)

"We are not going to play a better team in the country this year," said Taylor, "and we proved we are good enough to hang with the country's best."

Notes: The Gray Bees ended 2011 with a pair of victories in the National Holiday Showcase at Plainfield High School.

Taylor's club soundly defeated Princeton Day of Maryland, 79-57, last Thursday as Johnson hit for 28 points, while Ennis and Watkins chipped in with 11 points apiece, just one more point than Richards.

St. Benedict's came back on Friday with a 68-54 verdict over Piscataway with Ennis leading the way with a 25-point effort. Johnson had 13 points and freshman Isaiah Briscoe tallied 11.

--By Ron Jandoli

GRAY BEES REMAIN UNBEATEN; HUGE TEST AHEAD

Dec. 20, 2011

The Gray Bees go into the Christmas break sky high.

Coach Mark Taylor has his squad at 7-0 after an easy, 89-63, victory over Prime Time Prep Academy of New York City on Wednesday in Dalton Gymnasium.

"We're getting better with each game," said Taylor. "Our defense still has to improve, but when we're on, it's going to be tough to beat us."

St. Benedict's raced to an 11-3 lead against its New York opponent, but quickly saw that lead evaporate after Taylor starting subbing liberally. The teams went into the 1st quarter break all square at 13-13.

The Gray Bees, however, stuck with its big guns in the second quarter and scored all but three of the first 24 points to take a commanding lead at 34-16 when freshman sensation Isaiah Briscoe connected on a three-pointer to cap the uprising with 3:56 left in the half.

Briscoe had eight in the second stanza and Melvin Johnson contributed a dozen points in the 30-10 run in which SBP put the game away and led, 43-23, at intermission.

The Gray Bees put it on cruise control in the second half as Johnson led four players in double figures with a season-high 33 points. Kamal Richards chipped in with 15 points, while Briscoe and Ennis dropped in with 13 points apiece.

"It feels good being 7-0," admitted Ennis, "but we can't get complacent. We have to come back after Christmas ready to work."

The Gray Bees compete in the National Holiday Showcase at Plainfield High with games against Maryland's Princeton Day Academy on Dec. 29 before coming back the next evening against an always talented Piscataway club. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m.

If coach Taylor's club gets through those two games unscathed, which they should, that'll set up a huge showdown 7 p.m. on New Year's Day at Hackensack High against the reigning National Champion, St. Anthony of Jersey City and their Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr.

"Everyone knows how serious that game is," said Ennis. "We have a lot of work to do before then and have to not look past anyone. We have to stay focused about doing our job and the game right in front of us."

(View more photos of game against Primetime Prep)

(Click here to view photos from the Kearny Invitational)

Jones and Forbes took part in their second national tournament in as many weekends and both came away with positive results. In this weekend's Beast of the East, Jones went 4-2 at 113 pounds and just missed out on a medal, while Forbes, who wrestled at 160 after taking on the 152-pounders last week in the Walsh Ironman in Ohio, went 3-2.

"This is the second week in a row they were both a break away from placing in a national tournament," said Fleckman. "But Terrell and Jawan both showed they are capable of wrestling at that level. They got the exposure and now look ready to explode."

What a way to cap the 2011 calendar year! Edward Cheserek, who only a week ago won the National Cross Country Championships, put an emphatic finish to the 2011 calendar year.

He opened his indoor track season on Saturday with a meet record in the mile with a 4:09.90 at the Bishop Loughlin Games at the Armory in NYC. The previous meet record of 4:15.16 was established by Marc Pelerin of Cherokee of Marlton, N.J. in 2001.

(Watch Cheserek's record-breaking effort in the mile from the Bishop Loughlin Games)

BASKETBALL, SWIMMING TEAMS REMAIN UNBEATEN

Dec. 14, 2011

The basketball and swimming teams each eked out close victories in front of their home fans on Wednesday in the HAB building.

The basketball team avenged a loss from a year ago by fending off a feisty challenge from the Hun School, 53-48, in its first home game of the young season in Dalton Gymnasium.

Melvin Johnson, who struggled from the floor all evening, made a key steal that led to two free throws and subsequently converted a lay-up just before the final buzzer sounded to hold off a furious rally by Hun in the fourth quarter.

Hun, which trailed by 10 entering the final stanza, closed the gap to 48-46 on a long three-pointer before the Gray Bees' Kamal Richards sank one-of-two from the line to extend the lead back to three. Hun was denied another chance for a trey that would have tied the game when Johnson picked a player clean at mid-court and was fouled going in for the lay-up.

Johnson, who connected on only 5-of-18 shots from the field, buried both free throws to give the Gray Bees some much needed breathing room at 51-46. Hun, however, responded with a bucket underneath with 9 seconds left and had a chance for a three-point play to cut the lead to two, but missed the free throw.

Richards hauled down the rebound and quickly unleashed a long pass down court to a breaking Johnson, who sealed the outcome with an uncontested lay-up. The senior guard, despite the poor showing from the field, still managed to finish with a team-high 16 points.

"I had to forget about the night I was having and needed to something to get the game back for my team," said Johnson of his crucial steal and lay-up that led to the game's final four points. "I can't worry about the shots I miss. I know eventually it will all pay off and tonight I was able to help my team in the end."

The Swimming team had a slight lead heading into the final event of the meet against New York's Horace Mann. But a victory by coach Glenn Cassidy's club in the 400-yard Freestyle Relay helped wrap up a 90-80 victory in the HAB natatorium.

"Another great performance," said Cassidy of his 2-0 squad. "The team is interesting this year because we have no real superstars. We have a team full of guys who are not the strongest, but we have more depth that is carrying us through."

The meet clinching 400-yard Freestyle Relay team, which posted a winning time of 3:47.83, consisted of David Philemon, Antonio De Sousa, Dennis Tassie and Eric Enriquez. De Sousa posted one of his 4 personal bests on the day with his 58.77 in his 100-yard, second leg of the relay.

Also establishing their best times during the meet were Dennis Tassie (1:54.22 - 200 Freestyle), David Philemon (2:07.81 - 200 Freestyle & 55.74 - 100 Freestyle), Eric Enriquez (2:20.71 - 200 Individual Medley & 1:06.94 - 100 Butterfly), Andrew Caetano (24.18 - 50 Freestyle), Zach Wojcik (54.48 - 100 Freestyle), Andrew Altamirano (1:24.31 - 100 Breaststroke), Brian Baez (1:02.99 - 100 Freestyle) and Donald Stokes (1:03.43 - 100 Freestyle).

SWIMMING & BASKETBALL TEAMS POST VICTORIES

Dec. 8, 2011

The swimming team opened its season with an impressive victory, while the basketball team continues to put up solid numbers in the early going.

Coach Glenn Cassidy's swimming team kicked off the season by winning every event except one during a 100-64 victory over Riverdale (N.Y.) in a home meet in the HAB natatorium.

The Gray Bees swept the top three places in the Backstroke with Antonio DeSousa, Bruno Coimbra and Oliver Brillant taking the top 3 spots, respectively. SBP also went 1-2 in the Medley Relay in the 200-yard IM, the 100 Butterfly and the 100 Freestyle.

"We lost a lot of talent in last year's seniors, so we are really looking to some younger guys to step it up and fill in the void," said Cassidy. "The kids swam very well, especially for their first meet"

The basketball team made it 3-for-3 to start the season with an 80-56 victory over Academy New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pa. Melvin Johnson dropped in 23 points, Isaiah Briscoe netted 17 and Tyler Ennis hit for 15 to lead coach Mark Taylor's squad.

Briscoe and Ennis combined for 15 assists, while Denzell Taylor dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. The Gray Bees led 34-21 at the half and outscored Academy New Church, 26-14, in the fourth quarter.

"We're getting better each game," said Taylor. "We just have to get more consistency throughout the entire game. We're just not putting it together for all four quarters right now."

NEW REGIME HAS BASKETBALL TEAM HEADED IN RIGHT DIRECTION
Wrestling team opens season in Caruso with a depleted lineup

Dec. 4, 2011

St. Benedict's basketball program signaled a new beginning over the weekend with a look that may just bring national prominence back to The Hive.

Although it's early, the new edition of the Gray Bees, headed by coach Mark Taylor, gave a glimpse of its up-tempo pace to post a pair of solid victories in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament at Blair Academy.

Taylor's team opened the campaign by running roughshod over St. Andrew's of Rhode Island, 97-49, on Saturday night before coming back during a Sunday matinee and registering a 59-47 verdict over Abraham & Monson Academy of Massachusetts.

"We do everything we can as coaches to prepare the kids for this moment," said Taylor, who is assisted on the bench by Bob Farrell and Art Pierson. "But you never know what to expect when the ball is tipped. Our guys were phenomenal. They showed focus and the chemistry was much better than I thought it would be."

The Gray Bees blitzed St. Andrew's from the opening quarter and raced out to a 52-17 first half lead, chiefly behind the play of senior guard Melvin Johnson, who hit for 17 of his 28 points during the first 16 minutes.

Isaiah Watkins, a 6-8 junior, came off the bench for the first game and produced a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while sensational freshman Isaiah Briscoe added 11 points and 5 steals. Senior Tyler Ennis distributed 7 assists, while another freshman, Caesar DeJesus, chipped in with a dozen points.

The Gray Bees came out a little sluggish in the second game and found themselves in a 22-22 halftime standoff against Abraham & Monson. But, after a stern talking by their coach during intermission, SBP came out energized in the third quarter and scored all but one of the first 18 points.

Taylor's club finished the third quarter with a 42-27 lead. Johnson leading the surge with 7 points, followed by Briscoe (6 pts) and Kamall Richards (5). The Gray Bees pressure defense also forced 5 turnovers during the uprising.

Johnson, the University of Miami-bound guard, led all scorers once again with 21 points, while Denzell Taylor added a double-double this game (10 points, 10 boards). Ennis, the ever steady floor general, added 7 more assists to go along with 7 points.

"We started a little slow in the second game," said Taylor. "But it was good to see the team respond to a little adversity early. They have to understand that when things are going bad, it's all on them. We'll point them in the right direction to get it fixed, but ultimately, they're the ones who have to get it done and they went out and did that. I was very happy the way they responded for the first two games."

The wrestling team opened its season by hosting the Caruso Invitational in Dalton Gymnasium. (read more...)

NEW SEASON BRINGS NEWFOUND OPTIMISM FOR GRAY BEES HOOP TEAM
First-year coach confident about turnaround after tumultuous year

Nov. 29, 2011

The Gray Bees come into the 2011-12 basketball season with a new look for the second time in as many seasons.

Mark Taylor, who led Ridge High to new heights during his five-year tenure there, is convinced that he has all the pieces in place to bring St. Benedict's Prep back into the national limelight after a dramatic fall from grace last season.

Taylor will look to bring stability - and national prominence - back to the level Danny Hurley had the Gray Bees during his nine years in charge before leaving to coach Wagner College after the 2009-2010 season.

"My real focus is not on what Danny did or what happened last season," explained Taylor. "This is our program and the face will be different - with our own preparation, fundamentals, chemistry execution and, of course, defense."

Taylor seems to be the right fit after a disastrous year in which the Gray Bees finished with an uncharacteristic, 13-12, ledger with former NBA player Roshown McLeod running a very chaotic situation. Taylor turned Ridge into a Somerset County champion after taking over a team that won just once in 30 league games prior to his arrival.

But unlike Ridge, where Taylor had to build from the ground up with a bunch of no-named players, he used St. Benedict's appeal to lure a number of go-to guys into the program.

He also received a huge boost when Tyler Ennis decided to stick around after being one of the lone bright spots on a very underachieving team last year. Ennis, a native of Canada, who came into the St. Benedict's program after the season had already started last year, is expecting much bigger things team-wise.

"We definitely have a lot more discipline this year," said Ennis, a junior, who gained national acclaim last season with his play. "But it's like starting all over again with an entirely new team again. At least this year, I've been here the whole time and have been able to build some chemistry with the players on the team before the season began - I don't think we ever had that last year."

With Ennis on board - he already has offers from Kansas, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, South Florida, and Dayton - other players decided to follow.

One of those players is Melvin Johnson, a 6-3 guard, a lights out shooter who was tearing it up in New York City last year while playing for Rice High. But, once Rice closed due to financial struggles, Johnson decided to come to Newark and gave Taylor his biggest coup.

"I was very disappointed when my school closed. I always dreamed of going to play for Rice when I was little," said Johnson, a native of Harlem, who committed to the University of Miami last month. "It was tough coming here (St. Benedict's). I had to build all new relationships not only with players, but with the school.

"The environment is a lot different here. But I learned that if you follow the rules, you won't have any trouble. I'm really looking forward to playing for coach Taylor and with the new players."

Taylor also got Ennis' compatriot, Isaiah Watkins, to come to The Hive. The 6-8 junior, along with 6-7 senior Denzell Taylor, offer the Gray Bees an inside presence that was sorely missed last year. Watkins is still a little raw, but highly-intelligent and should acclimate quickly to the nationally-charged schedule St. Benedict's plays year-in and year-out.

The Gray Bees, which will offer an up-tempo pace under Taylor, also features one of the nation's top freshmen in Irvington's Isaiah Briscoe, a 6-3 combo guard. According to some of the top collegiate basketball scouts in America, Briscoe's ceiling is unlimited and he could be among the top recruits in the country by the time his senior year rolls around.

The Gray Bees will also get plenty of support from Kamall Richards (6-6, guard), Kevin Mickle (6-7, forward), Ceasar DeJesus (6-2, guard) and Shakaris Laney (6-3, guard).

Taylor, who nurtured former first-round NBA draft picks in Jay Williams and current Lakers big man Andrew Bynum when they were honing their skills at St. Joseph's of Metuchen, has his team ranked No. 21 in USA Today's Super 25 Poll to begin the season.

The new coach, who is assisted on the sidelines by Bob Farrell and Art Pierson, is supremely confident that St. Benedict's has what it takes to regain its national reputation. He has scheduled some of the nation's best to prove his point - the Gray Bees play last year's national champion, St. Anthony, on New Year's Day - a game people have been waiting on for years.

The Gray Bees also take on St. Patrick (Feb. 12), the national runner-up last season, Arlington Country Day (Feb. 25), Montrose Christian (Feb. 26) and Life Center (March 5).

This also marks the fourth year of the Newark National Invitational - the Gray Bees take on Blair in the final of three games during the Saturday matinee at 2:30 on January 28. The following weekend (Feb. 4 & 5), SBP hosts The Battle of The Hive, which features an eight-game weekend set.

The season tips off this Saturday (Dec. 3) with a 6 p.m. tilt against St. Andrew's of Rhode Island in the first of two games in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament at Blair Academy. The first home game is Dec. 14 against Hun at 5:30 in Dalton Gymnasium.

(Click here for entire schedule)

--By Ron Jandoli

GRAY BEES HIRE PROVEN WINNER AS NEW HOOP COACH
Taylor expects to "turn things around" at The Hive

April 27, 2011

The Gray Bees have a new coach for second time in as many years.

Mark Taylor, who nurtured former first-round NBA draft picks in Jay Williams and current Lakers big man Andrew Bynum when they were budding scholastic superstars, was named Wednesday night as the new coach of the Gray Bees basketball team.

"This is a great opportunity for me," said Taylor. "St. Benedict's should be one of, if not the best, teams in New Jersey year-in and year-out. I believe we can get back there sooner than later."

Taylor, 46, takes over for Roshown McLeod, who lasted only one season after finishing the 2010-11 campaign with a 13-12 ledger. McLeod, the former NBA player, took over last season for Dan Hurley, who built the Gray Bees into a national powerhouse during his nine-year tenure before moving on to Wagner College.

"Mark is a very driven and organized individual with a good knowledge of the game," said St. Benedict's Athletic Director Jim Wandling. "When you combine these traits as a coach, with an ability to lead young men in a positive direction on and off the court, then you have the tools to be successful."

Taylor also has a history of turning programs around. He did so at St. Joseph's of Metuchen at the start of his nine-year tenure there before doing likewise in his most recent, five-year stint at Ridge High School.

St. Joe's won just 4 games the year before he took over and, within three years, he had them ranked nationally. Ridge won just 1 of 30 conference games before Taylor took the reins - they lost just once in league play with him at the helm.

"I'm really good at turning things around and I expect do that quickly here," said Taylor, who has a career record of 255-111. "St. Benedict's isn't broken. They just need to get back to basics with some stability, direction and guidance."

Taylor, who won two Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championships at St. Joe's and one Somerset County crown at Ridge, also has some family ties to St. Benedict's. He is the nephew of former graduates of The Hive, Bud Foley '39 and Noel Taylor '52.

"St. Benedict's is a great campus with a great history and I'm looking forward to this journey," Taylor said. "I'm excited to get things started and bring this program back to where it was."

Taylor, who played collegiately at Fordham with current Rutgers coach Mike Rice, and his wife of nearly 20 years, Tammy, and their five boys reside in Basking Ridge.

"The situation I'm coming into is exciting," he said. "I'm a firm believer of not looking too far ahead, but I'm delighted about the challenge of putting St. Benedict's where it belongs."

--By Ron Jandoli

ST. BENEDICT'S BASKETBALL TEAM TO MOVE IN NEW DIRECTION
April 7, 2011

The Roshown McLeod era is officially over.

St. Benedict's announced Thursday that McLeod submitted his resignation as the head basketball coach after only one season.

"We'd like to thank Ro for his efforts over the last year," said St. Benedict's Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy O.S.B. "But it's time for us to move on and evaluate the direction of our basketball program."

McLeod, the former Duke star who was a former first-round draft pick of the NBA, took over for Dan Hurley last year. Hurley took the Gray Bees to national prominence during his nine years before leaving last spring to take over the program at Wagner College.

With McLeod at the helm, the Gray Bees could never quite maintain their lofty status of the last few years and struggled this year with a 13-12 record.

McLeod, who beat out a number of candidates to land the St. Benedict's job last season, is grateful for the opportunity.

"I am truly grateful to Fr. Edwin for allowing me to coach and work here this past year," he said. "It was a tremendous experience coaching at this school with such a prestigious academic and athletic reputation."

Fr. Edwin hasn't given a timetable for the hiring of a new coach. But he promises there won't be a long process like there was last year when Hurley left after building 223-21 record.

BASKETBALL TEAM WRAPS UP SEASON IN MARYLAND
Gray Bees salvage final game of Alhambra Invitational

March 19, 2011

The basketball team concluded its season in the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Maryland.

Although the weekend didn't turn out like coach Roshown McLeod would have liked, the Gray Bees salvaged the final game of the tournament at Frostburg State University with a 59-54 victory over St. Frances of Baltimore.

Unlike the previous two games of the Alhambra - losses to the John Carroll School and Bishop Walsh - the Gray Bees managed to hold on to a fourth quarter lead against St. Frances.

St. Benedict's built a double digit lead in the first half, but saw that dwindle to only two points by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. But, in its final game of the 2010-11 campaign, McLeod's team hit some clutch free throws down the stretch.

Mike Young connected on seven free throws as part of his nine point effort to help protect the lead in the final quarter. Tyler Ennis scored 16 points, while senior Andris Misters, playing in his last game for the Gray Bees, scored 12 points.

Young also pulled down eight rebounds, one less than Philip Nolan, who also scored seven points and had 2 blocks in St. Benedict's second victory over St. Frances this season. McLeod's team posted a 64-54 verdict in their last meeting on Feb. 4.

This victory assured the Gray Bees of finishing above the .500 mark on the season after seeing its record fall to 12-12 when it suffered losses in the first two games of the Alhambra.

"We came out and had poise and were able to hold until a lead - something we haven't done especially well all year," admitted McLeod after the St. Frances game. "I'm just proud of the kids that we got a win like this before the season was over."

The Gray Bees dropped the first game of the tournament, 66-54, to Carroll on Thursday. After scoring the first bucket of the final quarter to take a 39-37 lead, SBP was outscored, 29-15, the rest of the way. Ennis led the Gray Bees 14 points, while Misters and the George Mason-bound Vaughn Gray scored 11 & 10 points, respectively.

Things didn't get any better for McLeod and company on Friday against Bishop Walsh (Md.) in the consolation bracket. Ennis, who was voted to the All-Tournament's Second Team, dropped in a season-high 29 points, including a pair of free throws with 59 seconds left when SBP to a 60-59 lead.

Bishop Walsh then held the ball until Pat Jones hit a jumper in the lane with 6 second left on the clock. The Gray Bees had a chance to win the game, but Misters missed an open look at a three-pointer, Gabby Anglero got the rebound and failed on an off-balance attempt before Nolan scored off a put-back, but the shot was disallowed cause the buzzer already sounded.

MORE STRUGGLES SEE BASKETBALL TEAM ELIMATED FROM PREP TOURNAMENT
"Alarms" sound as team hits low-point in season

Feb. 11, 2011

The basketball team's showing in the New Jersey Prep Tournament on Wednesday epitomized the tumultuous first season under coach Roshown McLeod.

The Gray Bees were eliminated for the tournament after only one game of the Preps when Peddie, the same team SBP beat by 29 points on Jan. 6, registered a 45-43 victory in Dalton Gym.

A technical foul for too many men on the court to start the second half and an untimely fire alarm, coupled with a strong inside presence by a former player, ultimately spelled the demise for the Gray Bees.

St. Benedict's (12-9) opened the third quarter with the ball, but a technical foul for playing with 6 players on the court eventually turned into three points for Peddie, which gained a five point advantage - the same spread it would take into the final quarter.

And when the Gray Bees finally got untracked in the final quarter - going on a 12-0 run to take a 42-37 lead - a fire alarm forced the evacuation of the building with 5:05 left in the game.

After the Newark Fire Department gave the all-clear, the game resumed after a 20-minute delay and all the momentum SBP had before the evacuation ceased. Peddie closed the contest on 8-1 run to win the game for only its fourth victory of the season. Vaughn Gray, whose two treys keyed the Gray Bees' run before the alarm, missed an attempted three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for SBP.

Gray finished with a dozen points, while Tyler Harris scored 13 to lead the Gray Bees. Peddie's Alex Rosenberg hit 8-of-10 from the line down the stretch for the school from Hightstown, which received a 14-point, 5-block effort from former SBP player Blaise Mbargorba, the 7-footer who only had 4 points the last time these two teams hooked up.

GRAY BEES WIN ANOTHER CLOSE BATTLE

Feb. 8, 2011

The Gray Bees have played their share of tight games this year.

And Tuesday night was no exception.

Tyler Ennis drove the lane and hit a tough off-balance shot in a crowd with only three seconds left on the clock and lifted the Gray Bees past Pennsylvania's Solebury Prep, 61-59, in Dalton Gymnasium.

This was the third game in the last two weeks decided in the waning seconds. The Gray Bees beat Life Center on Tyler Harris' three-pointer at the buzzer in the Newark National Invitational on Jan. 28 before dropping a game in similar fashion last Sunday when Plymouth Whitematsh (Pa.) drained a trey with only a couple seconds left on the clock.

St. Benedict's set up the game-winner by calling a timeout with 11.7 seconds on the clock. Ennis took an inbounds pass from Jamel Artis and drove the left side of the lane before being forced to take an awkward shot as two Solebury players collapsed on him while taking away the passing lanes.

"The play was designed for me to take it to the hoop," explained Ennis, "but it got pretty congested. I was just hoping it would go in or someone would be there to get the rebound for us."

Luckily for Ennis, the ball found the net with three ticks left and lifted the Gray Bees to their 12th victory of the season.

"It feels good," said Ennis. "We needed a good win and hopefully this will gives us some momentum to finish the season on a strong run."

The Gray Bees played the game without their leading scorer, Tyler Harris (14.3 ppg.), who was attending a funeral. A number of players helped contribute in his absence.

Ennis finished with a team-high 11 points and Artis scored 10. Philip Nolan added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks, while Jaylen Reid and Vaughn Gray put up 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks apiece for the Gray Bees.

--Photos by Mark Molder
Staff photographer, Telolog

GRAY BEES HAVE TOPSY-TURVY WEEKEND

Feb. 6, 2011

The Gray Bees wrestling team highlighted the weekend sports scene with "Senior Day" on Saturday in Dalton Gymnasium.

A nice crowd showed up to pay tribute to St. Benedict's seniors, Chris Dowdy, Vinnie Bellaran, Isaiah Cromwell, Chris Reynolds, Kevin Gil, Josue Del Rios and Bobby Bah.

Click here to read more and watch video as Bellaran took down the seventh-ranked wrestler in New Jersey.

Ben Villaret, a post-grad wrestler, was at Lafayette College over the weekend and came away with the title at 165 pounds in the 14th Annual Doug Cherry Invitational.

The Track & Field Team competed at the Jersey Armory on Sunday and placed second in the New Jersey Catholic Conference Championships.

Edward Cheserek won a pair of events, including establishing a meet record in the 1,600-meter run. Cheserek shaved 3 seconds off the standard in the 1,600 with a time of 4:16.82 and also won 3,200 in 9:12.62, nearly 35 seconds better than the runner-up and the top time in the nation this season.

Cheserek, also ran a 51.9 anchor leg on the Gray Bees' third-place 4x400-meter relay team, while Ryan Rhodes (49-8 1/2) grabbed a second-place finish in the Shot Put.

Also scoring for coach Marty Hannon's team, which finished behind CBA in the team standings, 113-62, were Tahlief Jackson (4th in the 1,000: 2:39.35), Garland Miller (4th in the 1,600: 4:32.48), Kalonji Foster (3rd in the 55 hurdles: 7.88), Darien Edwards (5th in 55 hurdles 8.21), Kenyon Wright (4th in the high jump: 6-0) and the 3,200 relay team (5th in 8:47.77).

The hoop team opened the weekend with a trip to Baltimore on Friday night and put forth one of their better efforts of the season.

Philip Nolan was among three players in double figures with 10 points, but he also added 7 rebounds and 3 blocks to spark the Gray Bees effort during a 64-54 victory over St. Frances Academy, which came into the contest with a 17-3 record.

SBP also received 12 points from Vaughn Gray, 11 points from Tyler Harris and 8 points and 6 assists from Tyler Ennis.

All, however, wasn't good for coach Roshown McLeod's team. The Gray Bees came back on Sunday and lost to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the Battle by the Bay in Atlantic City.

The team from Pennsylvania connected on a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to post a 59-56 verdict. Harris paced the Gray Bees with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Ennis added 12 points and Gray chipped in with 11.

The fencing team, which eked out a 14-13 verdict over Newark Academy in its previous match, lost by the same score against Lawrenceville on Saturday in Mercer County.

Idris Mitchell and Jamar Victor, both Sabreists, were the only two fencers to go unbeaten on the day for coach Jeff Austin's team. Nick Walker, at Foil, was the only other member of the team to boost a wining record on the day.

The Gray Bees lost for just the second time in 10 matches this year - both losses coming via a 14-13 score.

BASKETBALL, TRACK & FIELD TEAMS SHINE OVER THE WEEKEND
Hoop team produces dazzling victory in NNI
Track & Field team runs away with ECC

Jan. 30, 2011

The Gray Bees Basketball team kicked off the weekend with a scintillating victory in the Newark National Invitational and the Track & Field team capped it by scoring a dominating triumph in the Essex County Championships.

Coach Roshown McLeod's team avenged an earlier season loss to Life Center Academy when Tyler Harris buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Gray Bees to a 56-55 verdict on Friday night at the Prudential Center.

Harris, who dropped in 12 of his 14 points in the final 5:18 of the game, sent the crowd into a frenzy when he took an inbounds pass from Jamel Artis with 0.4 and unleashed his game-winning shot from well beyond the top the key.

"I knew I was gonna make it," Harris said. "I just told my teammate if you throw me the ball I'm gonna make it."

The North Carolina-bound Harris gave the Gray Bees a 51-50 lead when he scored inside with 1:29 remaining left in the game before Jaylen Reid raised the lead to three with a jumper with 42 seconds left.

Life Center, however, scored the next five points, on a pair of free throws John Johnson and a trey from RaShawn Cunningham with 5.5 seconds left before Harris' own three-pointer rescued the Gray Bees as time expired.

The victory avenged an 80-77 loss on Dec. 21 when Life Center's LaQuinton Ross, who is headed to Ohio State, poured in 25 points. A tenacious defense limited the 6-8 senior to only 7 points this time around.

Harris carried the momentum from that game into Sunday's match-up against Penn Wood High when he erupted for 18 more points during a 65-60 victory in the Lehigh Valley Hoopfest in Allentown, Pa.

Reid and Vaughn Gray contributed with 9 points apiece, while Philip Nolan had a solid outing with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 blocks.

It was also payback time for coach Marty Hannon's Track & Field team on Sunday in the Essex County Championships.

They Gray Bees, which lost a one-point decision to Seton Hall Prep on the county relay championships last month, destroyed the Pirates this time around with All-American Edward Cheserek in the lineup.

Cheserek, the sensational sophomore from Kenya who missed the relay meet, almost outscored Seton Hall by himself as the Gray Bees ran away with an 83-35 victory.

"The guys were itching to get to this meet after what happened in the relays," said Hannon. "It was just a great all-around team effort with Edward once again leading the way."

Cheserek totaled 30 points by-way of his trifecta - victories in the 1,600-meter, 800-meter and 3,200-meter runs. Ryan Rhodes chipped in with his second straight county crown in the Shot Put with a heave of 51-3 3/4, while Kenyon Wright claimed the High Jump title with a leap of 6-2.

(Read more about the Essex County Championships in The Star-Ledger)

URQUILLA LEADS A GREAT EFFORT BY SWIMMERS IN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Showing caps a busy sports weekend for Gray Bee athletes

Jan. 23, 2011

Gio Urquilla was so sick on Friday night that he had to be scratched from a race for the Gray Bees swim team.

"I was mad at myself, but I knew I could make up for it," said Urquilla, who blamed his sickness from eating too much before the Gray Bees 89-81 setback to Pennington. "I owed it to my teammates to get ready mentally and physically. So I settled down that night and relaxed."

Less than 24 hours after getting nauseous, Urquilla was back in the pool on Saturday and competing in the Essex County Championships.

The senior, who last year became the first Gray Bees swimmer to hold a county title since Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones dominated in 2002, claimed two more Essex crowns in the pool at Seton Hall University.

Urquilla, who doubled in last year's county's by claiming the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, won the 50-yard freestyle this time around by swimming a personal-best 22.64. He was the lone swimmer to break the 23-second mark.

He then went out later in the meet and swam a 50-split of 21.97 as the anchor for the Gray Bees 200-yard freestyle victory in 1:33.67. Dennis Tassie, Gavin Mulholland and Kieran Lenahan joined Urquilla in SBP's upset over Seton Hall, which was kept from sweeping all three relays in the meet for the first time since 2006.

The victory in the relay, a time that beat their previous personal best by two seconds, was the first relay crown won by the Gray Bees since Jones anchored the same race back in '02. Jones is still the country record holder in the 50-free with a 21.17.

Jones, in fact, sent a text to coach Glenn Cassidy congratulating Urquilla and the team of their efforts afterwards.

"I'm so happy because I got my best times and I helped my school win a relay for the first time in nine years," said Urquilla in an interview with The Star-Ledger. He also took second place in the 100-free with another personal best (49.75).

Urquilla, Tassie, Mulholland and Lenahan also took third in the 400-yard relay with a clocking of 3:29.60.

The Gray Bees finished fourth in the team scores, just 1 1/2 points behind Millburn for third place. All told, Cassidy's club posted 29 personal records out of 40 swims, which is incredible considering most of the same swimmers established records the day before against Pennington.

"I was hopeful that we would have a great day, but even I wasn't prepared for everything that the kids accomplished," praised Cassidy. "Many of the times they were trying to beat were the ones they set the day before. To see times drop on both days is crazy."

The track team was up in Connecticut competing in the Yale Invitational on Friday and Saturday and had both Tahlief Jackson and All-American Edward Cheserek in the lineup for the first time this winter.

The Gray Bees were expecting a much better outcome for its Distance Medley and 4x800-meter relay teams. But coach Marty Hannon called it a "learning experience."

The DMR team finished fourth in 10:28.50 with Tahlief Jackson (3:12.1 in the 1,200), Kalonji Foster (52.1, 400), Garland Miller (2:03.5 for 800) and Cheserek (4:19.2, mile) carrying the baton on Friday.

On Saturday, the same contingent came back in the 4x800 and picked up another fourth-place effort with an 8:05.24. Cheserek ran an anchor leg of 1:52.5 in that race.

The basketball team was in West Virginia over the weekend and split a pair of games in the Prime Time Shootout. The Grays Bees dropped a 62-49 effort on Friday to Florida's Arlington Country Day, USA Today's 15th-ranked team in the nation.

Coach Roshown McLeod's team, which combined for only 6 assists in the opener, came back on Saturday and put forth a much better team effort in beating Huntington Prep, 62-53.

Jamel Artis led four players in double figures with a season-high 17 points. Tyler Ennis also posted a season-best with 15 points, while Jaylen Reid and Philip Nolan hit for 11 points apiece. Nolan's trey with 3:21 left in the game gave the Gray Bees the lead for good at 51-49.

The Gray Bees fencing team got the sports action going over the weekend with a convincing, 20-7, victory over Moorestown Friends on Friday in Shanley Gym.

Tashon Little, Idris Mitchell and Jamar Victor opened the match with three straight victories in Sabre and wound up with a combined 8-0 ledger on the day.

Mike Daniel and Nick Walker in Foil, and Khris White in Epee, also went unbeaten for SBP, which upped its record to 6-1 on the year.

The wrestling team has a busy weekend, traveling to Pennsylvania on Friday for a tri-match before headed to Baltimore to compete in the Gilman Duals. Read more...

FENCING TEAM VICTORIOUS IN HOME OPENER IN SHANLEY GYM
Hoopsters beat team from Canada in Dan Finn Memorial Classic
Swimming, Track and Wrestling teams also in action

Jan. 15, 2011

The Gray Bees fencers may not have taken Hun too seriously and lost a tough decision the last time the team from Princeton visited Shanley Gymnasium.

St. Benedict's coach Jeff Austin, however, wasn't about to let his team to overlook the same opponent again.

"I told my guys Hun would make up for lack of skill with a lot of heart," explained Austin of his pre-match advice. "It was frustrating the last time they were here and I didn't want us to make the same mistakes again."

The Gray Bees heeded their coach's advice and came out focused and never relented in Hun's return visit to Shanley and posted a convincing 20-7 verdict last Friday.

In their first home match of the season, the Gray Bees won the first four bouts of the day and nine of the first 10. Austin's Sabre contingent went 8-1 on the day, the Epee team boosted a 7-2 mark, while the Foilists fashioned a 5-4 record.

Idris Mitchell (pictured) spearheaded Sabreists with a 3-0 mark, the same record posted by Khris White in Epee and Elliott McFarland in Foil. Also going unbeaten on the day were Jamar Victor (2-0) and Tashon Little (1-0) in Sabre, and Darren Sr. Ange (2-0) in Epee.

The basketball team competed in the Dan Finn Memorial Classic on Saturday and put forth a solid defensive effort in besting Canada's Next Level Prep, 66-39, at the Jersey City Armory.

Tyler Harris hit for 12 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for St. Benedict's (7-5), which stretched six-point first quarter lead into a 31-21 spread by the halftime break. Philip Nolan and Jaylen Reid also had 6 boards, while Vaughn Gray chipped in with 8 points.

The Gray Bees will now have a few days to prepare for Florida's Arlington Country Day, the 17th-ranked team in the country, in the Prime-Time Shootout on Friday evening in West Virginia.

The Gray Bees swimming team ended a long layoff and competed in their first competition in 2011 and wound up 7th in the Pirate Invitational at The Bubble in West Windsor on Saturday.

Coach Glenn Cassidy's club, which hadn't competed since beating Horace Mann on Dec. 14, was led once again by Gio Urquilla.

Urquilla, the reigning Essex County champion in the 100-frestyle and 100-breakstroke - the first Gray Bees swimmer to hold a county crown since Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones dominated in 2002 - scored points for his team by placing second in the 50-yard freestyle and 6th 100-yard backstroke.

The senior also help the 200-yard freestyle relay team place third. He was joined by Dennis Tassie, Gavin Mulholland and Andrew Caetano. The same tandem also placed 5th in the medley relay.

Coach Marty Hannon's track & field team traveled to the Stanner Games in The Bronx on Saturday and competed in their final event without the services of All-American Edward Cheserek and Tahlief Jackson.

Shot putter Ryan Rhodes led the Gray Bees effort by placing second with a heave of 51-1 in the Invitational finals, while Kenyon Wright placed third in the high jump with a leap of 6-2. Wright, who was joined by Kalonji Foster, Okhumale Igeter and Tyler Cooper, also anchored the third-place effort by the 4x200-meter relay team, which posted a time of 1:33.64.

With Cheserek and Jackson back in the fold for this weekend's Yale Invitational, expect the Gray Bees to chase the best time in the nation in the Distance Medley Relay, which was just established this past weekend by Jeramy Elkaim-led Livingston, who posted a time of 10:23.36 at the state Group 4 relays.

The wrestling team competed in the National High School Coaches Association Festival and went 2-3 during their five matches Saturday at Pleasant Valley High School in Pennsylvania.

Isaiah Cromwell was the lone wrestler to score a perfect 5-0 mark on the day for coach Solomon Fleckman's team, which posted victories over Emmaus (40-23) and Northwestern Lehigh (48-22).

The wrestlers returned to action on Monday to take on Seton Hall Prep and suffered a heartbreaking, 33-32, loss on the road in West Orange. The Gray Bees came into the final bout of the match trailing, 33-28, but Whitney Forte could only muster a major decision at 135 pounds, thus Seton Hall held on for the one-point decision.

Forte, Terrell Forbes, who registered a major decision at 152 pounds, and Vinnie Belleran, who posted a fall at 189 pounds, were the only ones who scored bonus points on the mat for Fleckman's squad.

GRAY BEES DROP ANOTHER GAME, BUT GAIN PLENTY OF RESPECT

Jan. 9, 2011

The Gray Bees basketball team, if their game against the No. 2 team in the nation is any indication, will be just fine.

Coach Roshown McLeod's team stood toe-to-toe for the better part of three quarters against St. Patrick, the second-ranked team in America, according to ESPN. A slow start, however, was the only reason the Gray Bees dropped a 73-68 decision on Sunday at Kean University.

"People need to have patience with a new a coach and new system," said St. Patrick coach Kevin Boyle of St. Benedict's first-year coach. "I'd be very surprised if they're not back in the national picture soon and there to stay for awhile. I really think (McLeod) will be able to get it done."

The Gray Bees lost their fifth game of the season. But, the loss showed McLeod has his team headed in the right direction. And he may finally have all the pieces in place to keep SBP from getting beaten again during the regular season.

"If we only played like this the first part of the year, we'd only be talking of one loss instead of the five we have," said McLeod. "But, if we build on the way we played today, I really like the direction we are going."

The only difference between the Gray Bees and St. Pat's was that the school from Elizabeth went on a 13-0 run bridging the first and second quarter. When the dust settled, the Gray Bees found themselves behind, 26-11, with 6:33 left in the opening half.

From there, SBP held its own against Boyle's club and even looked like the better team in spurts, especially in the fourth quarter when Tyler Harris (25 points) caught fire.

Harris scored SBP's first six points of the final stanza and, after Tyler Ennis' driving layup, the Gray Bees found themselves trailing only by six, 59-53, with 4:11 left in the game. But a three-pointer by St. Pat's - its seventh in 14 attempts in the game - stemmed the tide.

The Gray Bees still had chances, but failed far too many times from the free-throw line in the final period. They missed on the front end of three one-and-ones as part of a 3-of-8 effort from the charity stripe in the final eight minutes.

"We won the game in the last three quarters, but the game is 4 quarters long," said McLeod. "Call it butterflies or whatever, but we were not sharp in the early going. But, once we got into our game, we were right there the entire time."

Harris hit for 25 points, including 13 in the final period, and had 10 rebounds, while Tyler Ennis and Nehemias Morillo had 13 points apiece for the Gray Bees.

--By Ron Jandoli

BASKETBALL, FENCING TEAMS POST IMPRESSIVE VICTORIES
Hoop team now faces No. 2 team in nation on Sunday
Fencers compete in the prestigious Cetrulo Invit.

Jan. 6, 2011

The Gray Bees basketball and fencing teams each put together dominating performances on Thursday.

The Hoop team rebounded from a pair of losses over the Christmas break by besting Peddie, 68-39, before a host of Alumni in Dalton Gym who came out to support the team before a gathering afterwards for a reception.

Coach Roshown McLeod's team hopes to build upon the effort as it readies itself for Sunday's 2 p.m. clash with St. Patrick of Elizabeth, the No. 2 ranked team in the nation in the in the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children Benefit at Kean University.

"We are going to approach St. Pat's the same way we did tonight," said sophomore forward Jaylen Reid, who led the team with 12 points against Peddie. "We need to come out with the same intensity and keep it for the entire game."

The Gray have won two of the last three meetings against St. Patrick, including a thrilling, 65-64, buzzer-beating victory last year in Elizabeth. The year before St. Pat's posted a 66-62 verdict in the Hoop Group Showcase.

In 2008, the Gray Bees snapped of five-game losing streak to the Celtics by claiming a 68-62 victory behind Samardo Samuels' 30-point effort at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Samuels went on to play for Rick Pitino at Louisville and is now a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The fencing team went out on Thursday and proved it may just have what it takes to claim its first State Prep Championship since 2007 when it posting a convincing, 20-7, verdict over Princeton Day School.

Princeton Day ended the Gray Bees streak of 15-straight Prep titles in 2008 and won the title again over SBP again in 2009. The Gray Bees also finished second last year, but this time to Lawrenceville, a team Austin's club will face Feb. 5.

"We are reflecting some hard work in practice and fencing confidently and intelligently," said Coach Austin. "Our team has grown up and is claiming the wins they deserve."

The Gray Bees' received unbeaten efforts against PDS from Elliott McFarland (3-0), Jamar Victor (2-0), Idris Mitchell (3-0) and Kris White (3-0). McFarland competes in foil, White in Epee, while Victor and Mitchell are Sabreists.

The fencers face a huge test as a team on Sunday when they compete in the Cetrulo Invitational at Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner

BASKETBALL TEAM STRUGGLES OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK
Team expected to get a lift as players become eligible

Jan 2, 2011

The Gray Bees opened the New Year like they closed 2010 - with a loss.

Coach Roshown McLeod's team, which dropped a low-scoring contest to Abraham Lincoln of New York on New Year's Eve, began 2011 with a 68-64 setback to Scotch Plains on Sunday.

St. Benedict's looked as though it would began the year on the right foot against Scotch Plains in the New Year's Jump-Off in Teaneck. The Gray Bees scored 20-straight points bridging the first and second quarters to take a commanding, 25-8. They still maintained a 14-point cushion at the halftime break.

But Scotch Plains rallied and outscored SBP, 23-6, in the third quarter to take a 45-42 lead. The team from Union County scored another 23 points in the final quarter to keep the Gray Bees at bay.

Tyler Harris led the SBP with 21 points, while Vaughn Gray scored 13. Gray led the effort with 10 points in a 47-41 setback on Friday to Lincoln in the National Invitational Holiday Showcase at East Orange Campus. Lincoln scored the final eight points of that game to pull off the victory.

McLeod's team did, however, win the opening game of the Holiday Showcase in East Orange last Thursday with a 65-54 victory over Satellite Academy (N.Y.). Gray hit for 18 points and pulled down 8 rebounds.

The Gray Bees are expected to get a huge lift this week when a couple players become eligible, including 6-9 forward Philip Nolan, who is expected the give the team some much-needed presence underneath.

RESILIENT GRAYS BEES REBOUND FROM LOSS WITH A BIG VICTORY
Beat quality Gill St. Bernards during matinee at home

Dec. 23, 2010

The Gray Bees got with they desperately needed - a victory over a team with quality guards.

A strong perimeter defense, coupled with a balanced scoring attack, allowed coach Roshown McLeod's team to a rally for a 58-54 victory over Gill St. Bernards on Thursday.

St. Benedict's (4-2) finished the game with another strong fourth quarter showing, outscoring the team from Gladstone, 21-14, to pull out the victory in Dalton Gym.

"Guys didn't rush the pace today and, for the most part, we did a really good job against a really scrappy team," said McLeod. "This definitely will help us in the long run."

St. Benedict's, which also had a strong fourth quarter effort only to lose to Life Center two days earlier, went on a 10-4 tear to open fourth quarter to wipe out a 40-37 deficit. But Gill St. Bernards wouldn't go away and kept the pressure on from long range and squared the game back up at 52-52 Jaren Sina's trey with 3:32 left.

The Gray Bees, however, went on a 6-0 run from there, with all of their points coming from the free throw line. Jamel Artis and Jaylen Reid connected on one-or-two from the line before Tyler Harris hit both ends of a one-and-one to give the Gray Bees a 57-52 lead with 33.4 seconds left.

Gill, which went toe-to-toe with St. Anthony last weekend before running out of steam in the end, attempted to close the gap to one-point with another three-pointer. But Sina's attempt went awry and, although Gil secured the rebound, they threw the ball away trying to set up their young sophomore gunner for another trey.

Mike Young sealed to outcome for St. Benedict's with another free throw with 12.3 seconds left to give his team an insurmountable, 58-52, lead.

"I'm happy with the way we finished, but I would love to see us start putting the type of effort we've been having in the fourth quarter lately into the beginning of games and sustaining it from there," said McLeod.

Vaughn Gray led all Gray Bee scorers with 15 points, while Harris added 12 and Young and Artis hit for 9 apiece.

"If we can start playing and developing the patience we showed today," added McLeod. "We can be the great team we want to be down the road."

Notes: To view photos of the game, please visit Mike Scanlan's wesbite.

--By Ron Jandoli

GRAY BEES SUFFER SECOND LOSS IN THE EARLY GOING
Fourth-quarter rally falls just short against Life Center

Dec. 21, 2010

St. Benedict's woes containing aggressive guard play came to the forefront again Tuesday night.

Life Center Academy slashed, dashed and back-doored their way to an 80-77 verdict over the Gray Bees in Burlington.

"Our help defense was not as good as it needed to be to keep them out of the lane," said St. Benedict's coach Roshown McLeod. "We need to get better at what we do - controlling the game and slowing it down, especially against a team like this."

Despite all the problems the Gray Bees had with their transition defense, McLeod's team rallied from nine points down in the four quarter and closed the cap to two points with 23.3 seconds left. Vaughn Gray, who led the fourth quarter surge with seven of his 19 points, followed a put back by Jaylen Reid with a three-pointer from the right side of the arc to make it a 77-75 game.

After a foul shot by Life Center pushed the lead back to three, the Gray Bees couldn't get Gray loose for another trey and had to settle for an inside move and bucket by Tyler Harris to close the gap to 78-77. But trying to free Gray up for an open look, took way too much time off the clock and left only 4 ticks remaining.

On the ensuing in-bounds play, the Gray Bees let Life Center's best player, LaQuinton Ross, slip free and he was fouled. The Ohio State-bound Ross, who was 8-of-8 from the line to that point, calmly sank both free throws with 2 seconds left to extend his team's lead back to three, 80-77.

Andris Misters' desperation three-pointer from beyond half-court hit the top of the backboard as time expired and gave the Gray Bees its second loss in just five games.

"The energy level we showed coming back in the fourth should have been there all game," said McLeod, whose team posted a 30-23 scoring advantage in the final stanza. "The pressure we put on the ball and the traps we utilized were very effective at the end of the game.

"But we have to start the game the way we finished. I take the blame for that - it's my job to have them ready." Gray was followed in the scoring column by Harris (17 points) and Mike Young, who had 15 points and 8 rebounds. But the Gray Bees never had an answer from Life Center's triumvirate of Ross (25 points), Andre Horne (21) and John Johnson (15), who caused havoc all night penetrating the lane, most times while the Gray Bees struggled to get back after taking ill-advised shots. "We're big and long and instead of playing to our strengths, our kids want to play fast," said McLeod. "But we don't have a fast team and that cost us. As a coach, you want to let them play and take the leash off them a bit, but until we get disciplined enough to be able to do it, we've got to slow the game down to play at our own pace."

Notes: The Gray Bees will definitely have revenge on their minds when these two team hook up again in the Newark National Invitational on Jan. 28 at the Prudential Center. SBP will play Life Center at 8 p.m. as the final game of a triple-header in the third annual NNI at the Rock. McLeod's team returns to action Thursday for a 1 p.m. matinee against Gil St. Bernards at home in Dalton Gym.

--By Ron Jandoli

GRAY BEES REBOUND FROM LOSS BY POSTING A PAIR OF VICTORIES
Beat teams from DC and NYC over the weekend

Dec. 19, 2010

A loss could devastate a team that prides itself on being in the national title hunt every year.

But the Gray Bees responded to last week's setback to Hun by showing their moxie.

Coach Roshown McLeod's troops put together back-to-back wins over the weekend - first beating Woodson of Washington, D.C. on Friday evening before knocking off a quality St. Raymond's squad of The Bronx on Sunday.

"The loss put the fire in us," said sophomore forward Mike Young. "We weren't playing as a team against Hun and we knew we needed to focus on that to get things going."

Teamwork helped the Gray Bees right the ship.

The Gray Bees came out with a vengeance in their 99-54 verdict over Woodson. North Carolina State-bound Tyler Harris scored the first nine points of the game and before most of the crowd settled into their seats, the Gray Bees had built a 24-4 cushion.

Harris, who had 15 points by the halftime break, dropped in 14 more in a 30-6 third quarter showing that gave SBP a 75-35 lead. Harris led all scorers with 29 points, while Young chipped with 27 in a dominant performance in the paint.

Vaughn Gray added 16 points, five steals and six assists. Jaylen Reid shot 6-of-7 from the field and had a double-double, finishing 14 points and 10 boards.

"We needed everyone to get involved and focus on getting to the post more," said Young after the Woodson game. "That's what we did and need to continue to play like that in order to keep improving."

Gray led 3 players in double figures on Sunday night during a 67-62 victory over St. Raymond's at the 12th Annual Hoop Group Tip Off Classic at Seton Hall's Walsh Gym in South Orange.

Gray, a senior wing player, who is headed to George Mason, scored 18 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and had 5 assists. Harris and Young scored 16 points apiece for coach McLeod's team.

"I felt we responded well and played really hard after the loss," said McLeod. "My guys are starting to buy into what we are trying to do here - a ball control game with attention to detail."

The Gray Bees have a huge game on tap Tuesday (Dec. 21) against Life Center at 6:30 in Burlington (South Jersey). SBP will have their hands full trying to contain LaQuinton Ross, who is headed to Ohio State next year is currently ranked as the 16th best small forward in the country.

"We need to stay sharp on what we do and limit his opportunities," said McLeod. "We are getting much better at running our offense so it should make for a good game."

GRAY BEES LOSE FIRST GAME UNDER MC LEOD'S LEADERSHIP
SBP falls in overtime to Hun

Dec. 15, 2010

After being frustrated for more than half the game on Wednesday night, the Gray Bees looked as though they would be able to stave off a stiff challenge from Hun.

But coach Roshown McLeod's team stood in stunned disbelief as Hun forced overtime when Doug Macrone, a post-graduate player, buried a long three-pointer as time expired in regulation.

St. Benedict's never recovered from that long range bomb - not that they didn't have their chances - and wound up dropping an 80-78 decision in Princeton.

"Give them credit. They played hard and made a big shot at the end of regulation," said McLeod, who dropped his first game as coach of the Gray Bees program. "But for us, we didn't stay poised and it cost us."

McLeod was right on about his team's lack of composure. They let a 15-point first half lead slip away. They even saw a six-point lead with 41 seconds left in regulation evaporate.

They missed a number of free throws and failed to break the trap in crucial moments.

But perhaps they Gray Bees' biggest culprit was second chance points. McLeod's team was beat time-after-time on the defensive boards, which translated into 16 points off put backs by Hun throughout the course of the game. Dylan Sherwood, another post-grad, led Hun's effort with 24 points.

Despite all that, and coupled with the fact that Hun grabbed a five-point margin in overtime, St. Benedict's still had a chance to win in the end.

The Gray strung together a six-point run in the extra session - that last two points coming off a steal and drive by Tyler Harris - to grab a 78-77 lead with 53.1 seconds left.

The Gray Bees went for another steal on the ensuing inbounds, but two players collided and allowed Hun's Myles Melville to go the distance for an uncontested layup to give his team the lead back, 79-78.

A pair of missed three pointers, sandwiched by a Hun free throw, spelled the demise for the Gray Bees over the final 30 seconds. Vaughn Gray missed the final 3-pointer as time expired in an attempt to give SBP the victory.

"We couldn't handle the pressure with the lead at the end of the game," explained McLeod. "I don't what to take anything from (Hun), they played a very, very hard game. But we beat ourselves."

The Gray Bees, which were paced by Harris, who had 25 points, Mike Young (12 points), Andris Misters (10) and Nehemias Morillo (10), return to action tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 17) for their first home game. McLeod's team takes on H.D. Woodson of Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. in Dalton Gym.

"The good thing about this is that we play again on Friday," said McLeod. "Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes and take all the disappointment and put it into the next game."

--By Ron Jandoli

MC LEOD, GRAY BEES OPEN SEASON WITH DECISIVE VICTORY
Seniors Harris & Gray lead the effort

Dec. 10, 2010

Roshown McLeod passed his first test as the coach of the high-profile basketball team at St. Benedict's.

McLeod unveiled the new look Gray Bees on Friday night and steered his team to a convincing, 73-49, victory over Atlantic Christian in Philadelphia.

"It feels great. My players supported me through the entire time leading up to this game and got the job done," said McLeod, the former first-round NBA draft pick. "But it's all on them. They were the ones who went out there and performed and got the job done."

Leading the charge for St. Benedict's in the opener were Tyler Harris and Vaughn Gray, who each recently signed with N.C. State and George Mason, respectively. Harris paced the attack with 16 points, two more than Gray.

Jaylen Reid chipped in with nine rebounds and Nehemias Morillo had 13 points for McLeod's team, which turned the ball over just 9 times and combined for 11 blocked shots. They broke away from a 30-22 halftime lead with a 20-12 surge in the third quarter.

"If we keep playing the way we played in this game, we will be tough to beat," said McLeod, who took over for Dan Hurley (now at Wagner College). "And there's still plenty of room for improvement. So I'm totally happy with the effort right now."

The Gray Bees return to action 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 15) when they face Hun in Princeton. The first home game will be played two days later against Woodson of Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. in Dalton Gym.

NEW ERA SET TO BEGIN FOR GRAY BEES BASKETBALL PROGRAM
McLeod at the helm for the first time on Friday

Dec. 8, 2010

The new look Gray Bees, after months of speculation and wonderment, will hit the hardwood this Friday to officially tip-off the Roshown McLeod era.

"I'm always nervous," said St. Benedict's first-year coach McLeod, the former NBA player and collegiate coach. "But that just lets me know I've prepared to the best of my ability. I felt that way as a player and now feel the same as a coach."

McLeod, the former first-round NBA draft choice, who succeeded Danny Hurley as coach at St. Benedict's, has been chomping at the bit to get the season underway. That will happen 9 p.m. Friday night when the Gray Bees travel to Philadelphia to take on Atlantic Christian at Holy Family College.

"I'm excited to get things going, especially after seeing how my guys have been developing day-after-day," said McLeod. "They've really been coming together, and I'm sure they are just as ready to go as I am."

McLeod will introduce a whole new starting five for the 2010-11 campaign. The Gray Bees' only holdover from a year ago is Andris Misters, a reserve for coach Hurley the last two years.

But Misters, a member of the Under-18 Latvian Junior National Team this past summer, is being thrust into a starting role at guard for McLeod.

"Andris is the one guy that understood from the beginning the responsibility of what it means to be a player on St. Benedict's team," said McLeod of his 6-4 guard. "He's been getting the guys to buy into how important it is to play here and to represent the 'Gray Bees' on the jersey. He's been a consistent leader for us."

McLeod will also count on the leadership of Tyler Harris (6-8 forward) and Vaughn Gray (6-5 guard/wing), two players who've already signed with NCAA Div. 1 programs next year. Harris is headed to North Carolina State and Gray to George Mason.

"We will lean on them a lot for leadership, and they are a big portion of our team," explained McLeod. "But I'll lean on everybody else just as hard. I have a few guys I expect to step up every game, but at the end of the day everyone is going to have to contribute to make this work."

The two underclassmen in McLeod's starting 5 are junior Jamal Artis (6-4 guard) and sophomore Mike Young (6-8 fwd.). Junior Nehemias Morillo (6-4 guard) and sophomore Jalen Reid (6-6 fwd.) are expected to make a huge impact off the bench.

Assistant coach Joe Sokolewicz, who knows a thing or two about Gray Bee basketball - this is his 21st year, including all 9 as the lead assistant to Hurley, and he was even the head coach in the 2000-01 season - likes the makeup of this team.

"I have not seen this much depth in a program of ours before," said Sokolewicz. "In the past, we may have had better teams 1-through-5, but we were never deeper than we are this year. I'm confident in putting nine guys in a game - that's legitimate."

Sokolewicz also has confidence in McLeod, who played under some of the top basketball minds in the country, including Hall of Famers Bob Hurley, Sr. (St. Anthony), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Lenny Wilkens (Atlanta Hawks) and Larry Brown (Philadelphia 76ers).

"Ro has done a commendable job," said Sokolewicz. "He's got his vision on how he wants to do things, and he's doing that. But we'll have to wait and see how that works down the road."

The Gray Bees open the season unranked in USA Today's Top 25, a poll in which St. Benedict's finished No. 4 last year after going 20-1, 7th in '09 (24-3), 2nd in '08 (24-1) and 5th in '07 (24-1). McLeod's team, however, is ranked 12th in MaxPreps and 34th in Rivals.

"It's nice to have the bullseye off our back," said Sokolewicz. "I think some people are going to be surprised."

Rankings mean little to McLeod in the early going.

"It doesn't matter to me where we are right now," he said. "My main focus is to prepare my team to develop who we are - building character and getting my team to buy into want we want to be.

"They (the rankings) are a challenge to me, and we'll show them what we're about, and then they'll have to take notice."

Notes: McLeod feels he's learned a bit watching soccer coach Jim Wandling succeed after taking over a national caliber soccer team this fall. Wandling steered his club to a 20-2 mark and the school's 22nd straight state championship.

"Watching him going through the same things that I'm going through now makes it much easier," said McLeod. "The patience he showed, for me, was big. He did a tremendous job handling the pressure, and I've used that to become familiar with what adjustments I'll need to make day-to-day."

After Atlantic Christian on Friday, the Gray Bees remain on the road for a game against Hun next Wednesday (Dec. 15) before playing their first home game two days later (Friday, Dec. 17) against Woodson of Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. in Dalton Gym.

--By Ron Jandoli

HARRIS & GRAY MAKE IT OFFICIAL BY SIGNING LETTERS OF INTENT

Nov. 18, 2010

St. Benedict's Tyler Harris and Vaughn Gray each signed their National Letters of Intent on Thursday at The Hive.

Harris, a 6-8, 180-pound forward, made it official by singing with North Carolina State only a week after making his verbal commitment to the Wolfpack.

"I just had a great relationship with the coaches," said Harris of his future coaches at the Raleigh, N.C. university. "I just thought that everything in the school was what I was looking for and I thought it was the best fit."

Gray signed his letter - the second official day players could sign with colleges - to play for George Mason. The 6-5, 200-pound guard/wing player, gave his verbal to the university located in Fairfax, Va. last month.

"It fits all my needs. I just felt comfortable there," said Gray in an interview when he made his verbal commitment. "It (is) a great academic school and I love the area - the atmosphere." Both players signed their respective letters with family members by their side in the board room in the HAB building on Thursday afternoon.

GRAY ANNOUNCES GEORGE MASON AS HIS NEXT STOP

October 2010

St. Benedict's basketball coach Roshown McLeod announced that senior Vaughn Gray will attend George Mason University next year.

Gray, a 6-5, 200-pound guard/wing player for McLeod, gave his verbal commitment to George Mason earlier this week and will play for coach Jim Larranga beginning next fall.

"Vaughn is a tough defender with great size for his position," said McLeod. "As he becomes a better shooter, he will fall into what George Mason has had over the years."

Gray, who transferred to St. Benedict's this summer from Don Bosco Prep, visited George Mason during their "Mason Madness" at the Patriot Center last weekend in Fairfax., Va., just outside the nation's capitol. He chose GMU over Manhattan, Fordham, and Siena.

"It fits all my needs. I just felt comfortable there," said Gray. "It (is) a great academic school and I love the area - the atmosphere. I felt comfortable with coach Larranaga and it is a great opportunity for me."

Before he enrolls at George Mason, Gray will play in integral role in keeping St. Benedict's among the nation's elite as first-year coach McLeod tries to blend the talents of five new starters for the 2010-11 campaign. Gray averaged 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists last year at Don Bosco.

"Vaughn will be a leader for our young new team," said McLeod. "He will provide scoring, defensive intensity and consistency day-to-day."

MC LEOD RETURNING TO THE GARDEN STATE TO BECOME HOOP COACH AT SBP
Former NBA player expected to carry on tradition of excellence at The Hive

April 20

Roshown McLeod is coming home.

McLeod, 34, a native of Jersey City, was named Tuesday by St. Benedict's Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy as the new basketball coach for the Gray Bees.

The former NBA player, who played for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Bob Hurley Sr. at St. Anthony, will succeed Dan Hurley, who stepped down as St. Benedict's coach after nine seasons to assume the coaching duties at Wagner College.

"We had the privilege of talking to some really outstanding candidates, but I believe we have a guy in Roshown who knows what it means to be successful and who seems to have a great heart and is ready to be part of our community," said Fr. Edwin. "He's been associated with some great leaders and coaches throughout his career and I expect him to continue our tradition of helping players become quality young men."

McLeod was an assistant coach at Indiana University for the last two years and expects to make the move from Bloomington back to New Jersey by the end of the month.

"It's time to come back home," said McLeod. "I've been around the world and gotten so much out of basketball. It's now my turn to give back what I've learned through the years.

"The fact that St. Benedict's wasn't just looking for a coach is what really impressed me. They were looking for someone to teach children to become young men. I want to be able to share my experiences with them and be able to show them what their options are and guide them into the future. It was a spiritual calling."

McLeod was the 20th player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks in 1998. His NBA career, however, was curtailed due to knee and achilles injuries in 2002. He played with the Hawks (1998-01), Philadelphia (01) and Boston (01-02) while averaging 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 113 career games.

Following a four-year NBA career, McLeod became an assistant coach at Fairfield University. He also has some prep/high school experience, having coached at Woodward Academy and Therrell High School while being involved at the AAU level in Georgia before becoming an assistant at Indiana.

McLeod will now have the ability to the put to the test what he has learned from Hall of Fame coaches Bob Hurley Sr., Krzyzewski, Lenny Wilkens (Atlanta) and Larry Brown (Philadelphia).

"I have been blessed," said McLeod. "Having gone through programs like St. Anthony and Duke and playing under some of the coaches I had in the pros, I think I can draw upon all of them and pass some of their techniques onto the kids I will now be coaching."

McLeod played at St. Anthony, as did the former Gray Bees coach, Danny Hurley. He helped led the Friars to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in 1991 and '93 and was named to The Star-Ledger All-State team. He played his first two seasons of college ball at St. John's before transferring to Duke, where he was the first transfer player signed by Krzyzewski.

After posting 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 57 games at St. John's, he averaged 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in two years at Duke, leading the Blue Devils in scoring in 1997-98. He was named first team All-ACC and honorable mention All-America as a senior when, as co-captain, he averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game when Duke finished 32-4 and made it to the regional final and lost to eventual champion Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

He earned a degree in psychology from Duke.

"I expect him to be able to carry on the tradition that we started in the beginning of the century with Frank Hill and continued all the way until Hurley," said Fr. Edwin. "Roshown's been associated with some great leaders. We'll find out soon enough if he's learned his lessons well."

--By Ron Jandoli