Compiled by Paul Gotham
Counting down to tipoff and previewing the incoming freshmen of the Patriot League with a look at the first-year players of the Lafayette Leopards. The Leopards finished 11-20 (6-12/ PL) in 2013-14 and lost to Boston U in the conference quarter-finals.
Fran O’Hanlon and his staff welcome two freshmen to campus: Matt Klinewski and Eric Stafford.
Matt Klinewski Fr. F 6-8, 232 Voorhees, NJ/ Eastern Regional
Selected as Co-Captain of the 2014 Olympic Conference American Division Championship team…2014 McDonald’s All-American Game Nominee…Named South Jersey Player of the Year by both the Philadelphia Inquirer and CityOfBasketballLove.com…Named to First-Team All-South Jersey by five publications (Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Post, Star-Ledger, CityOfBasketballLove.com, Al J. Carino Basketball Club of SJ)…NJ Hoops named him Fourth-Team All-State, First-Team All-Camden, and First-Team All-Leader…Named to First-Team Group four and Third-Team all senior by Star-Ledger…Was First-Team All-Olympic Conference American Division…Won Bob Elder Award for South Jersey Boys Scoring Champion by Al J. Carino Basketball Club of SJ…Was third all-time in scoring and all-time leading rebounder at Eastern Regional High School (1576 points)…Selected to play in the New Jersey All Star North-South Basketball Classic by the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association…Selected to play in the 37th Annual South Jersey All-Star Game by the Al J. Carino Basketball Club of SJ…Won Most Valuable Player at both the Bishop Eustace Tri-State Showcase and the Shoot Down Cancer Classic…NJ Hoops named him NJ Hooper of the day three times (12/27/13, 1/28/14, 2/9/14)…Was Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 15, 2014 by the Al J. Carino Basketball Club of SJ…Scored 717 points on the season averaging 24.7 points per game making him South Jersey’s leading scorer…Played two seasons of soccer…Graduated with honors…Won Camden County Association of School Administrator Award…Was student representative to the Board – Eastern Camden County Regional Board of Education.
What they’re saying about Matt Klinewski – Jay Gomes/ NJHoops.com: “Hard worker. Great motor. Plays extremely hard. Posts up well with good hands. The kind of kid who coaches well because he plays so hard.”
Steve Keller/ National Recruiting Report: “Big kid. Works hard inside. Does a lot of stuff, and he’s physical inside. He’ll be good for Lafayette.”
Allen Rubin/ Hoop Scoop: “He’s the South Jersey Player of the Year. This kid is an old-fashioned, blue collar, in the paint power forward. Nobody plays harder than him, nobody. He’s not athletic, but he uses his body, gives up his body to score inside and rebound. He can pop out to fifteen feet. He gets to the foul line a lot and just wants to play hard.”
Eric Stafford Fr. G 6-5, 153 Pitman, NJ/ Pitman
Four-year starter and Tri-County Champion…Two-year captain…Two-time South Jersey Champion…2014 State Champion…Named First-Team Tri-County…Named 2nd-team All-South Jersey…Was a 1,000-point scorer…Played baseball for two years winning the South Jersey Championship in 2013…Played golf for four years with a career scoring average of 39…Won the Tri-County Scholar-Athlete Award…was South Jersey Coaches Association Scholar Athlete for the Tri-County Conference…Member of National Honor Society.
What they’re saying about Eric Stafford – Jay Gomes/ NJHoops.com: “Good size. Good skill set, he’s the son of a coach. Shoots the ball well. Knows how to play team ball. Plays within the system. Can make shots and handle a little bit. Can play a few different positions for them – the one, two or three. A solid pickup.”
Steve Keller/ National Recruiting Report: “He’s a wing who can really shoot. He’s a little thin but knows how to play. He can handle and make jump shots.”
Allen Rubin/ Hoop Scoop: “He is a very good two-guard. He needs strength, but just plays very smart. His team won a state championship in group one in the state of Jersey. He’s a good shooter, puts it on the floor, a very good passer. Once he gets stronger, he’ll be a definite factor.
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