St. Thomas More School Profile
When you scroll down the St. Thomas More roster the names don’t jump out at you like they do at some of the other NEPSAC Class A schools. With the exception of 6’8 junior small forward Devin Ebanks (pictured above) and possibly 6’3 post-graduate shooting guard Justin Sofman, who is committed to Rutgers, even the most passionate high school basketball fans will probably have never heard of too many of these names. That makes this group about par for the course with teams of recent memory. Last year’s Chancellors team had one high-major recruit in 6’8 power forward Antonio Pena who now attends Villanova and yet Jere Quinn’s group was right at the top of the conference standings throughout the course of the year and advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament before dropping a two point double overtime decision to Winchendon. Well this year should be no different as another cast of tough, hard-working, and relatively skilled players sets to once again prove that a team is more than the sum of their individual parts.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the Coach Jere Quinn’s roster is its outside shooting. 6’6 post-graduate shooting guard Steven Brown and Justin Sofman are both lights out when left open and 6’3 post-graduate guard Aaron Hall, 6’7 post-graduate forward Matt Morgan, 6’7 post-graduate power forward Ethan Robinson, 6’0 post-graduate Drew Zito, and Devin Ebanks are all good shooters from behind the arc when their feet are set.
Brown, in addition to being a tremendous shooter with a quick release, has great size for the two guard spot (6’6) and is a strong passer who can also pull up off the dribble. Hall is a physically strong and athletically gifted player who can score with his shot or off the bounce. Both players should be recruited by the most competitive low-major programs as well as mid-majors.
Matt Morgan, a late addition to the STM team, is a very skilled small forward who can score in a variety of ways but needs to learn to mix it up near the basket. Matt has already committed to St. Bonaventure.
Ethan Robinson and Drew Zito are the only local Connecticut players on the roster. Robinson is a very skilled big man who should get a chance to play at a division I program while Zito is trying to transition from shooting guard to point guard in hopes of landing a division II scholarship by the end of the year.
Devin Ebanks is a naturally gifted athlete who has great length and agility. He gets in the lane and creates for himself and others in addition to being able to make shots. Although he is already ranked as one of the top national prospects in the class of 2008 his game is still raw and he will benefit greatly by the discipline and guidance of Coach Quinn.
6’1 post-graduate point guard Marquis Jones and 6’8 post-graduate power forward Jamarkus Holt are two players on the roster who are mid-major level prospects. Jones committed to Rhode Island last year but was forced to repeat his post-graduate year to make the grade academically. All indications are that he intends to honor his commitment to URI for this upcoming year. Holt is a long left handed player who presents immediate mismatch problems for opposing defenses. He can score on the perimeter by pulling up off the dribble and will also score on the block with a variety of unconventional twists and turns to get his shot off.
6’8 senior power forward Redmond Parker is a tough and athletic player who is very fluid when attacking off the dribble from inside 12 feet. He has a variety of moves in the lane that he utilizes to avoid defenders and finishes well above the rim. Parker would be a steal for any low-major program.
6’0 senior point guard Tyvon Williams is lightning quick and incredibly fast with the ball from baseline to baseline. His poor shot selection leads many to believe he can’t shoot while that isn’t necessarily the case. If he can reign in his game a little bit he is another potential division I prospect.
The roster is completed with two players who were not in action today in 6’1 post-graduate point guard Dylan Drake and 6’3 post-graduate forward Lamont “Tory” Stapleton.
Most fans don’t recognize these names now and they might not remember them a year from now either. They might just go down as another St. Thomas More team who won a lot of games and all went on to have productive college careers. The chancellors wouldn’t have it any other way.
Drew Zito
Justin Sofman
Ethan Robinson
Redmond Parker
Tyvon Williams
Steven Brown
Aaron Hall
Devin Ebanks
Matt Morgan
Dylan Drake
Marquis Jones