Winning Doesnt Mean Success At STM
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Jere Quinn has won a lot of basketball games in 24 years at the St. Thomas More School in Connecticut, but he does not simply measure success by wins and losses.
Coming off back to back NEPSAC Class A titles, Quinn's 2001-2002 squad is probably a middle of the pack team in the New England prep school spectrum. Even so, he relishes the challenge of getting the most out of his squad and getting his kids scholarships at the right level.
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"There's no major, major talent on this year's team, but it's a good basketball team," Quinn said. "We have a lot of low Division I kids who play hard and are great kids. I think a lot of low and mid-majors should actively recruit these kids."
Gone are the Julian Sensleys (Iona), the Solomon Browns (Iona) and the Rob Sanders (Providence) from last year's team. Only one of this year's Chancellors, 6-8, 270 pound power forward/center Calvin Brown, has signed with a Division I school. He inked in the fall with St. Bonaventure.
One noticeable difference in this year's St. Thomas More squad is a lack of speed and athleticism in the frontcourt. With Sanders, Sensley and Manhattan freshman Kareem Grant, the Chancellors had good run/jump athletes in the frontcourt.
Brown and Aaron Johnson, a rugged 6-7, 230 pound power forward, are more "anchor" types with limited foot-speed and jumping ability. The most versatile frontcourt player is Dustin Brown of San Raphael, Calif., who can play both inside and out.
St. Thomas More's backcourt is solid, yet unspectacular when compared to recent years that have seen several players (Reggie Bryant, Gary Buchanan, etc...) sign with high major schools. Lenny Jefferson, Kevin Reed and Cilk McSweeney are some of the top players on the 2001-2002 squad.
"It's not about winning so it doesn't really matter," Quinn said. "It's about college placement, and I think by the end of the year we will do a really good job with the kids and college placement, which will make everybody happy."
The Chancellor program has made three consecutive appearances in the NEPSAC Championship game. After losing in the final in 1999, St. Thomas More claimed titles in both 2000 and 2001.
It would be an amazing accomplishment for this year's squad to repeat that feat, although Worcester, Winchendon and New Hampton appear to be the front-runners this winter.
"I've been coaching for 24 years, so it's like Baskin and Robbins -- I've had every taste in the world," Quinn quipped. "So it does not really matter to me."
"I am not afraid of these kids," he concluded. "We are going to be fine and we will surprise some people."