By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
If the players from The College of New Jersey men’s basketball program hoped to use the Princeton Recreation Men’s Summer Basketball League as a springboard to success this winter, they sure went about it the right way.
Playing with the same level of unselfishness they displayed during the regular season, the TCNJ players, playing as Majeski Foundation, swept through the playoffs to claim the championship of the summer basketball league.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Jordan Glover, who scored 14 points to help Majeski to a 62-55 win over King’s Pizzarama last Friday to sweep the best-of-three championship series. “We’re trying to have a winning tradition for our team. Last year, coming short in the (NJAC) championship game, we just want to have a winning program.
“I know our coach is proud of us that we all are coming together. Our older guys — Eric Klacik, Bobby Brackett and Eric Murdock — they are our three captains and they come out and encourage is to do better every game.”
Murdock led Majeski with 19 points in the clinching victory on Friday, while Klacik added 11 points. Glover, who scored 49 points in four playoff games, was named the Foreal Wooten Playoff MVP.
As was the case during an 8-1 regular season as well as four playoff wins, Majeski had a balanced offense. Throughout the season, all 11 players on the roster made an impact on the court.
“Our brotherhood is our most important thing,” said Glover, a Lawrence resident. “We’re all friends off the court. So when you come out on the court together it is just like playing pickup at any other park. We usually hang out after practice. During practice we have a good time throughout the season. So coming out here for summer league makes it easier because of our season last year.”
TCNJ reached the championship game of the NJAC tournament a year ago. With most of the roster back, plus the return of Brackett after missing last year with an injury, the team seems primed for a big season. They will also be helped by the addition of Corey Stanford, a transfer from Catholic University who was a three-year starter at his former school and will be a senior at TCNJ.
“It’s a good culture,” said Stanford, who averaged 14.2 points a game this summer for Majeski. “The points are really spread around. I just try to make winning plays. I feel like f I fit in my points will come and the more winning plays I make the better for the team.
“I’m just trying to do my best and make winning plays. It is going to take some time for the chemistry to come but I don’t think there has been any trouble so far. As long as I keep doing the things I have been doing it should be fine.”
Majeski lost just one game this summer and feels like the competition it faced will help once the regular season rolls around.
“A lot of these guys are former college players and older guys,” Glover said. “So we feel like we have to come out every day with a chip on our shoulder and not let them push us around because they think we are young.
“Playing against older men makes us better. These are guys who get off of work every day and come out and play hard. They make us better and stronger.”
The whole roster did its part over the summer. Brackett, Murdock, Stanford, Glover, Klacik, and Kevin Johnson were all capable of scoring in double figures any night, while players like Kevin Bloodgood, Liam Byrne, Joe Montano, Nick Alaimo and Darren Pinkman all had moments when they shined as well.
“I try to come out every day and take every opportunity I have and not take it lightly,” said Glover, echoing the feeling of all of his teammates. “I was surprised when I got the MVP. I thought it was going to go to Bobby Brackett. He’s our most consistent guy especially coming off an injury. Getting this award is an honor and a humble feeling for me.
“I love TCNJ. The atmosphere is good. Our players are good. They come out and support us. Every team comes out and supports each other.”
Stanford will be a newcomer to the team once the season starts, but he’ll step in having had a successful summer with his future teammates.
“It’s a good opportunity,” Stanford said of getting to play with Majeski this summer. “A lot of other guys probably don’t get this opportunity to come in and get this feel early on. So I think it will help us in October.
“This is a good building block. It’s always nice to win in the summer. But in the grand scheme of things it is such a small part of our year. We just have to use this as a building block and take it into the season.”
King’s Pizzarama, the third-place team in the regular season, made a strong run to the finals and gave Majeski all it could handle. After falling, 62-58, in the opener, they rallied from 17 points down at halftime in the second game of the series to cut the lead to one before falling. Ryan Johnson had 14 points and Terrence Bailey added 13 in the loss.
