My feature on Michael Gilchrist is now up on Rivals.com. You can read it here.
The Celtics were the hands-down favorites to win the Tournament of Champions before the 6-foot-7 Gilchrist broke his foot in practice. With a nucleus of North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland (pictured), junior guard Kyrie Irving and George Mason-bound forward Paris Bennett, to say nothing of role players like Kevin Boyle Jr., Dean Kowalski and Chase Plummer, the Celtics still have more than enough talent to get it done, but they are a little more vulnerable now.
Top-seeded St. Patrick (22-2) will meet fifth-seeded Linden (13-11) in the Union County semifinals, but that game was moved to Thursday at 7:30 at The Dunn Center from tonight because Kevin Boyle’s older brother, Neil, passed away from cancer Sunday and the wake is tonight.
“It’s one thing if he’s not coaching the game but then his son’s not playing,” said Linden coach Phil Colicchio, who worked with his AD, Steve Yesinko, to get the game moved. “He doesn’t need to be thinking about basketball at a time like this.”