Columbia HS boys basketball squad looks to jell with new head coach Deon Mingo

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — First-year head coach Deon Mingo spent a lot of time with his Columbia High School boys basketball team in the summer and fall, getting to know his players and their strengths.

Mingo acknowledges that this year’s team is vastly inexperienced and will go through a learning process. Many of the players are first-year varsity players, after having played junior varsity last year. In addition, the Cougars lost three players – Jalen Robinson, who graduated and is playing at New Jersey Institute of Technology and two who transferred to other schools – from last year’s team that reached the semifinals of the Essex County Tournament before finishing with a 19-8 overall record.

Yet Mingo is optimistic that the Cougars will become a force as the season progresses.

“This is a good situation, where guys are going to get the opportunity to play on varsity, but at the same token, it’s a new situation,” said Mingo, who replaces Eugene Robinson, Jalen’s father, who was at the helm for the past nine seasons.

The Cougars will tip off the season at home against Bloomfield on Thursday, Dec. 14, in a Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division game.

The lone returning starter is Jalen James. The 6-foot-2 senior guard-forward will be the leader of the team, after being the fourth option on the team a year ago.

“He’s one of the most talented kids I have ever coached,” said Mingo, who previously was the head coach at Newark Academy in Livingston. “He leads by example – a great student-athlete,” adding that James has a chance to play collegiately on the Division II or Division III level.

Mingo also is thrilled to have senior guard-forward Julien Leville, a transfer from St. Mary of Rutherford. Leville has varsity experience and will be a leader, along with James.

The players who have moved up from JV are 6-2 junior guard Earl Hart, 6-5 junior forward Jude Brantley and 5-10 senior guard Tyler Williams. Since May, when Mingo took over the helm, those players have been making progress.

The Cougars have three talented freshmen who will become major contributors – 5-9 point guard Zachary Alexander, who will be a starter, 6-3 forward Nate Kirby and 5-3 guard Liam Ayers. Alexander and Ayers were considering attending powerhouse Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, Mingo said.

“The future is going to be very bright with my freshman group and my junior varsity kids,” he said.

Although the players are relatively inexperienced, the Cougars are up to the challenge of achieving a successful season.

“We want to win (the Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division) title and make a run in the counties, but it’s going to be a challenge and I think it’s a challenge that we are up to, because we have the group to do it,” Mingo said. “We’re kind of inexperienced with the things that we are going to do, but with the teachings and the concepts and being able to play with each other all summer and all fall, I think it will eventually pay off as the season goes on. But this group has a chance to be special down the road.”

Here is the schedule: