Torrey Pines Wrap-Up: Hurley Sees the Light

By Mitch Stephens

MaxPreps.com

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Legendary St. Anthony’s boys basketball coach Bob Hurley wasn’t particularly anxious to reveal either fact.

1. His team’s 69-40 loss to Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) opening the just concluded MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines was the most lopsided of his 36-year career.

2. The Friars’ cross-country trip earlier that day was something slightly short of “Snakes on a Plane.”

“At least we got there safe,” he quipped.

That was the front end of the trip.

The backend was more what the legendary program is used to. The Friars, the defending mythical national champions who completed their fifth unbeaten season under Hurley in 2007-08, won their final three games by double digits in San Diego and flew back to Jersey City, N.J. older, wiser and with a 6-1 mark.

They also got to soak in crystal, clear skies, 65-degree weather, Wild Animal Park, and a day with former NBA standout and current Phoenix Suns GM Steve Kerr.

“It’s always a rich experience for the kids and every one involved,” Hurley said. “We wouldn’t keep coming back if it wasn’t.”

Hurley and the Friars have been flying out since the inception of the tournament in 1990 when they won their first of six National Divisions. Winning the national event isn’t a requirement by any stretch, but if  last Friday’s opening day experience repeats, don’t expect Hurley to mark the annual trip on his calendar any time soon.

First off, the Friars decided to travel the same day — the morning after Christmas — as its first game. That was a first. The 4:15 a.m. bus that was supposed to meet the team in Jersey City never showed.

Parents got called back to school, a wild full court rush to the airport ensued and by the leather skin on a basketball, the Friars all made the scheduled flight.

“Remember, it was one of the heaviest travel days of the year,” Hurley said. “All our meal plans went out the window.”

The five-hour flight to San Francisco was delayed so getting to the connecting flight was another frantic fast break.

“We had 15 minutes to get from gates 13 to 27,” Hurley said. “Once again, we’re the last 20 on the flight and not too popular.”

And again, no time for a scheduled meal.

“No snacks on board either,” Hurley said.

By 2:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ‘Jersey time) – about 15 hours since the team woke – the kids hit the hotel and a pillow. For those who can sleep anyway.

Remember, this is one of Hurley’s youngest teams ever, one that graduated six Division I players the previous season. This year’s Friars feature three sophomores and four juniors and many of its six seniors have seen little playing time.

“Last year’s team probably could have handled all the distractions,” Hurley said. “But it was probably too much to ask this group. Last year we were thinking state championship from day one. This group we’re just trying to figure out what we’re good at.”

Other than the play of 6-foot-6 Quinnipiac-bound forward Jamee Jackson, there was little good about Friday’s game. Jackson scored 19 of his team’s 22 first-half points and finished with 22 points.

Even Villanova-bound Dominic Cheek, still hobbled by tendonitis in his right leg, struggled, going scoreless in the first half before going for eight in the second. 

Afteward, Hurley wouldn’t make excuses, instead pointing to the strong play of O’Dowd (8-3), which took third place in the tournament. The Dragons are a perennial Northern California power and had played Hurley’s teams tough in two previous games in the tournament, losing two tight games.

A couple days later, Hurley noted the fatigue.

“We had no lift in our shots,” Hurley said. Even from the foul line, where Friars went 9-for-19. The much motivated Dragons — “We circled this game last summer,” admitted O’Dowd coach Doug Vierra — were relentless and grinded the Friars eventually to the ground, running off the final 14 points of the third quarter.

O’Dowd outscored St. Anthony 42-18 in the second half and the Friars managed only double-digits in the second quarter.

“Of course we were disappointed, but like I always tell the kids you’re only as good as your last game, so we bounced back and feel good we made some very good progress.”

Hurley is well known for his progress. His team’s are perennial national powers despite drawing from a student body of 235. St. Anthony is run by Felician nuns and was the subject of a best-selling book by Adrian Wojnarowski, chronicling the 2003-04 team that went unbeaten despite not a single Division I senior.

Of course, talent has flocked to the school over the years, and thanks largely to his teaching and reputation, has coached more than 100 Division I players, including NBA first-round picks Bobby Hurley Jr. (his son), Terry Dehere, Rodrick Rhodes, David Rivers and Roshown McLeod. He’s won more than 900 games and 23 state titles.

He still very much teaches team play and the basics. Asked about the state of high school game and how it has changed over the years he said:

“It’s still a great game, but it can be even a greater game,” he said. “I think we’re guilty at times of over-coaching and under teaching. There’s more athleticism than ever, but it’s still a game of skill and we can never lose sight of that.”

Hurley could be heard screaming at one of his players “triple threat,” an old-school term that when he catches the ball he’s in position to shoot, pass or dribble.

“It may be pie in the sky, but we need to find a way to get the bad guys out of the high school game, whether that be the agent or the sneaker guy or whomever,” he said. “I still think that 95 percent of the coaches have the players’ best interest at heart. And that’s encouraging.”

Hurley and the Friars will no doubt be encouraged when they get a trio of transfers, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier and Derrick Williams, big front-line juniors all, eligible later this month.

Expect St. Anthony to then give St. Benedict’s (Newark) and St. Patrick (Elizabeth), ranked fourth and 12th nationally, a run at the state title.

“We’ll be OK,” Hurley said. “As ugly as a loss as it was that first day it was only that, an ugly loss.”

And fortunately, no snakes.

MORE LONG VIEW BASKETBALL

Former NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf, father of senior forward Alex Schrempf, who helped Bellevue (Wash.) win the National Division title, was asked also asked about the current state of high school basketball.

Like Hurley, the vastly versatile star of four NBA teams said the physicality of the high school is off the charts. Team work and skill-sets are another matter. He watched Bellevue win four straight games and caught a few more games of the 77-team, five-division Classic.

“It seems to me that there’s less teaching of the game than when I was that age,” Detlef Schrempf said. “There’s a lot more one-on-one stuff and less play as a team. But the kids are so far more physically developed it’s almost understandable.”

The elder Schrempf did make an excellent point that the two teams in the National finals, Bellevue and Eisenhower (Rialto) were perhaps the two most unselfish teams.

“Both teams really shared the ball and were well coached,” he said. “That’s probably why they were in the finals.”

FRESHMEN WATCH

If the same teams return in 2011, make sure you catch this foursome, Torrey Pines (San Diego) 6-foot guard Joe Rahon, Chaparral (Temecula) 6-5 guard Xavier Johnson and Bishop O’Dowd 6-6 forwards Brandon Ashley and Richard Longruss.

Rahon, the brother of four-year Torrey Pines starter and now Santa Clara University freshman James Rahon, is further along than his brother coach John Olive said. The elder Rahon has definitely helped Joe progress.

“They are very close and obviously work out together,” Olive said. “Joe is ahead in just an overall feel for the game.”

Johnson is the best freshman longtime Chaparral coach Ed Coyle has ever coached. The long, lefty has guard skills and is expected to grow to 6-8 or 6-9. He made All-Tournament honors in the Major Division.

“He’s a very, very special player,” Coyle said.

O’Dowd should be a Bay Area force the next three years with bookend forwards Ashley and Longruss. Each are extremely long and poised for their age. Ashley, who scored 41 in the tournament, looks like he’ll grow to at least 6-9 with an extremely long wingspan. Longruss is stouter and looks like he has strong guard skills.

“Beyond being really physically mature, they act far beyond their years as well,” Vierra said.

5 TAKES FROM TORREY PINES

1. The five best college prospects (regardless of year) I saw (mostly the National division) were: 1. Jeremy Tyler (San Diego) – duh, best junior in the country according to some; 2. Brendan Lane (Rocklin) – totally outplayed another UCLA-bound post Anthony Stover; 3. Abdul Gaddy (Bellarmine, Wash.) – fearless and poised; 4. Darius Morris (Windward) – Michigan knows something; 5. Ashley.

2. The five most effective players I saw were: 1. Aaron Bright (Bellevue) – point guard did it all for championship team; 2. Andrew Bock (Eisenhower) — point guard did it all for runner-up squad; 3. Tyler – though his team under-achieved at 2-2, hard to argue with 132 points and 62 rebounds; 4. Lane – Averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for 3-1 Rocklin team; 5. Trevor Newquist (Torrey Pines) – Tremendous two-sport star (he actually plays soccer the same season and has a college scholarship to Santa Clara) can shoot 3-pointers, drive to the hoop, defend and dish.

3. The best game nobody saw was the 82-76 triple overtime victory by Bellarmine (Wash) over Santa Rita (Tucson, Ariz.) when Gaddy and one of the country’s best junior guards Terrell Stoglin (Santa Rita) each busted for 30 points.

4. Detlef Schrempf couldn’t have been more right on about the National finals. Though perhaps other teams were more talented, the two best teams made it to the finish. Bellevue’s 58-54 victory, though not as up-tempo or high-flying as some of the others, was the best basketball played in the National division.

5. The most intriguing player in all divisions might have been at Maranatha Christian, which won the Governor’s title. Maranatha was led by 6-7, 250-pound sophomore Chen Cai, who scored 104 points in four games. He averages 12.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.