The growth of a very young lineup on New Egypt High School’s boys basketball team proved very painful, with three freshmen in the starting lineup at one point. But the entire team is returning for next season and is working hard during the offseason and summer programs as Mick Hughes prepares for his second season as head coach.
Anything is better from last season, which bottomed out from the start and took two months and 19 games before the Warriors finally got a victory that came against Princeton Day School. It finished the season dropping the next four games.
“They’ve all been in the weight room,” Hughes said. “They were very young last year and physically overmatched. A lot of guys have been dedicated to changing their bodies and getting stronger.”
Definition is needed not only in their bodies but in their skill level, which also has shown signs of what Hughes regards as vast improvement, as the team recently participated in the Princeton University team camp and plays through July in the Hoop Group Summer League in Neptune against mostly larger-enrollment schools. Hughes said Asbury Park High School is the only other NJSIAA Group I school he saw competing in Hoop Group.
“Princeton camp went well; the kids are getting a lot better,” said Hughes, who said the Warriors were 2-4 in games there, losing one in overtime. “We’ve had good numbers in the summer league, working on everything for fundamentals of shooting, passing and ballhandling. It’s the [higher] level of confidence, teamwork, sharing the ball. It’s a work in progress. Playing together since March has helped tremendously.”
But the hindrance of coaching a Group I school is the lack of depth and many players losing offseason workout time as multisport athletes.
Gino Tortoriello, the only player entering his senior year in the fall and one of the more reliable contributors last season, had limited time in spring basketball workouts because he played baseball. He’ll also miss many fall basketball workouts while playing for the football team that was 6-4 last season and reached the NJSIAA playoffs. Guard Anthony Burr, one of the freshman starters last season, played baseball in the spring and another — forward Owen Raab — plans on making New Egypt’s football roster this fall.
All three have played well enough in the summer to get serious consideration as starters when the preseason begins in November, along with guards Ryan Devine and Anthony Rinaldi, who will be juniors, and post player Quinn Kimmick, who will be a sophomore.
Hughes also is looking to enter his team in a league in Barnegat later this month that includes nine other Shore teams. It will give him added opportunity to take a look at other prospects like forwards James Sonday and Joe Quezardo, who will be juniors, along with guards Mario Reed, a rising junior who also is on the football team, and Matt Ventsey and Cody LaCava, who will be sophomores this fall.
All figure to get a serious shot at a spot in the rotation that will be deeper this year.
Hughes also is looking to fill an assistant coaching spot vacated by Paul Carezella, who has joined the Rutgers University football coaching staff. Ron Tortoriello, older brother of Gino, remains as an assistant coach.
New Egypt again will host its four-team Warrior Classic on Dec. 28 and 30 that includes Barnegat High School, Raritan High School and Steinert High School.
Hughes is getting busier as a coach as he prepares New Egypt’s boys cross-country team for its Aug. 21 preseason start. Many are training on their own on a team that returns all but lead runner Jonathan Mitchell, an All-Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division selection, and Nick Pisani from last year’s team that was 7-5 and runner-up in the division.
Griffin Hinrichsen, who will be a senior this fall, was the No. 2 runner throughout last season and has led workouts. In fact, all but one of the leading returnees will be seniors this fall, including Austin Horner, the No. 3 runner last year, and Sean Callaghan, David Midgett, Mitchell Mann and Devin Smith. Brady Manion, who will be a junior, also returns.
Horner comes off a strong outdoor track and field season, qualifying for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in the triple jump, where he finished sixth in the group meet at 42-9 and third in the section at 41-9¾. Horner also advanced out of the section meet into the group meet in the high jump, where he was fourth at 5-8, and in the long jump, where he was fifth at 19-1¾.
Hinrichsen was 10th in the 1,600 in the outdoor sectionals at 4:54.62.