By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – John McCauley’s Rochester squad will look to improve on its showing when the 2019 Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Summer Hoops Festival tips off Friday.
Semifinalists a year ago, McCauley will look to returning players Tah’Jae Hill (Hilton), Kobe Long (McQuaid), Steven Mahar (Aquinas) and Kayshawn Ross (UPrep) for leadership.
“It’s really nice to have that experience,” McCauley said. “With that experience brings hunger. Those four guys who are coming back haven’t won it yet. They know the guys before them did. That’s something that they talk about. That’s something they’ve brought up in practices.”
Rochester opens the three-day tournament, modeled after the now defunct Empire State Games, against the Capital District team. A 4 PM start is scheduled at Johnson City Middle School.
Play continues on Saturday with games against Hudson Valley and Nassau.
Hill, a fourth team All-State performer and Monroe County Division I Player of the Year, finished his junior season at Hilton with 1,411 career points. The 6-foot-2 guard has received offers from Buffalo, Bryant, St. Bonaventure and Siena among others. Long scored 22.3 points per game to lead McQuaid to its second straight Section V Class AA title. The 6-foot-2 guard topped 1,000-point plateau as well during his junior year. He has an offer from King’s College.
Mahar recently committed to Syracuse University where he will play football. The 6-foot-7 forward opened the 2018-19 high school basketball season recovering an injury suffered during the Li’l Irish’s run to the New York State Class AA title. Ross is a two-year starter at UPrep who helped the Griffins to their third straight appearance in the Section V Class AA title game.
“They’re tired of getting close, of getting to the championship and losing,” McCauley added. “They want to bring home the whole thing. It’s good to have some guys who feel the same way I do.”
Seniors Kidtrell Blocker (Bishop Kearney), Na’Zea Fowlks (UPrep) and Miles Monchecourt (Bishop Kearney) will join the returning players in the Rochester lineup.
Juniors on the squad include Chase Dickens (Victor), Luke Insley (Webster Schroeder) and Connor Williams (Victor). Sophomores Kidder Lindley (Pittsford Mendon) and Miles Rose (Bishop Kearney) round out the lineup.
“We really wanted to put an emphasis on getting the best players,” McCauley noted. “We really felt that getting the best players it would be able to allow us to withstand that grind. Five, six games in a three-day span. “
Of the players on the roster, only Lindley has not seen significant time at the varsity level.
“That kid is special,” McCauley said of the Mendon guard. “He’s going to take Section V by storm the next couple years. No joking, he might be the best shooter in Section V right now. The kid is unreal. Kidder Lindley is special.”
McCauley is in his third year as head coach of the Rochester. The Aquinas head coach was an assistant under Mike Grosodonia for two years when Rochester won the BCANY title.
A 4 PM tip off is scheduled for Friday.
For the complete schedule and rosters of other teams go here.
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