Prep Profile – St. Andrew’s

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

St. Andrew’s School has won 25 games and advanced to the NEPSAC class AA final four in back to back seasons, but with will begin a new chapter this season. 

Gone from last year’s graduated class of 2011 is over 4,000 career points, including 2,000 plus alone from current Syracuse freshman Michael Carter-Williams, and so the Saints will have to change their style of play this season in order to compete in one of America’s top non-college leagues. 

The senior class will be lead by tri-captains Cedric Kuakumensah, Kalusha Ndoumbe Ngollo, and Tom Garrick.  Kuakumensah is coming off a big summer in which he solidified his status as one of the best interior defenders and rebounders in all of New England, and made a subsequent commitment to Brown shortly afterwards. 

St. Andrew’s head coach Michael Hart is also expecting Ngollo and Garrick to step up and have tremendous seasons, both in terms of their production and leadership.  Ngollo returns for his second season in Rhode Island and should be ready to take his production to another level while Garrick has improved tremendously as well and will be looked upon to help Kuakumensah and Ngollo in the scoring colum. 

Rounding out the senior class is six-foot-six newcomer  forward Tyler Sabino, who will bring a tough competitor on both ends of the floor, and six-foot-two guard Nick Cesare, who will be counted on to make shots from behind the three-point line.
 
The junior class of 2013 has three players who are under the radar.  Newcomers Nikola Vukasavovic, a six-foot-eight big man who plays tough on the interior, and Steven Parr, who will be counted on for his outside shooting, will both contend for major minutes while guard Josh DiPietro could give the team a boost when he returns from injury. 

The program’s future lies in its underclassmen, specifically the sophomore class of 2014.  Hart says he believes each player in the class has division I potential, led by six-foot-five forward Bonzie Colson, who returns for his second season at St. Andrew’s.  Colson’s game has evolved quite a bit since last season as he has become more mobile and had some success away from the basket. 

Also adding new dimensions is Edson Dascy, a slashing swingman who has improved his consistency from the three-point line while continuing to be a menace on the defensive end.  Newcomer Henry Bolton is coming off a big fall on the AAU circuit and could be in store for a similar breakout sophomore season as the Saints’ best overall athlete. 

All in all, Hart understands expectations have changed but is nonetheless looking for to the upcoming season. 

“We don’t have the internet names but I will enjoy coaching this group this year,” the always quotable coach said.  “They are tremendous kids who play hard and want to get better. If we can control the tempo and defend then we’ll be okay.”