Zach Alexander calls for the ball during action against Bloomfield.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School boys basketball team has demonstrated a strong commitment this summer, much to head coach Deon Mingo’s delight.
The Cougars have been working out in open-gym sessions five days a week.
“It’s been great,” said Mingo, who enters his second year at the helm this upcoming winter. “These guys have been in the gym five days a week. They are all making sacrifices to get Columbia basketball where it needs to be.”
CHS participated in a showcase at Fairleigh Dickinson University in May.
The Cougars will take part in another showcase at Weequahic High School in Newark, hosted by NJ Legacy, Sunday to Tuesday, July 28-30. Teams will play two games a day. Some of the teams in the showcase are Montclair Immaculate Conception, Christian Brothers Academy, Jackson Memorial, Montclair, Piscataway and Weequahic, said Mingo.
In the showcase, the Cougars hope to “get their feet wet, get on a roll and build some camaraderie with each other,” Mingo said.
The Cougars return a strong nucleus, only losing three seniors to graduation, as they look to improve on last year’s 12-13 record.
“We have a nice mixture of some older guys and some rising young guys,” said Mingo, whose team went 7-5 in the Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division, which is also known as the “B” division of the conference.
The returning seniors are captains Earl Hart, Jerry Browne and Jude Brantley, who are all guards-forwards. Brantley has good size at 6-foot-5. During the workouts, they have shown tremendous leadership, Mingo said.
The returning sophomores are point guard Zach Alexander, forward Nate Kirkby and guard Liam Ayers. Alexander started 24 games as a freshman, Mingo said. Alexander and Hart made the honorable mention on the All–SEC-–Liberty Division, as voted by the divisional coaches.
Kirby and Ayers also saw some varsity time.
Mingo is excited about 6-7 sophomore center Orlandis Lawful, who played on the freshman and junior varsity teams last season. Lawful has improved tremendously, Mingo said.
This fall, the Cougars will compete in a league in Paterson, hosted by NJ Legacy.
Notes – Two of the three graduated seniors will continue their basketball careers on the collegiate level. Jalen James will play at Middlesex County College and Julien Leveille will play at NCAA Division III Pennsylvania College of Technology, in Williamsport, Pa. The other graduated senior, 6-7 center Jared Carlucci, will play baseball at Rutgers University as a pitcher on an athletic scholarship.
James made the first team, and Leveille and Carlucci made the second team last year on the All-SEC–Liberty Division.
Photos Courtesy of Rocco Ungaro (action shots) and Deon Mingo (team photo).
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