Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
I went out to St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark tonight for a video project SNY.tv will be rolling out in the coming weeks on junior point guard Tyler Ennis and I’ll say this.
Any media outlet that doesn’t have the Gray Bees ranked in the Top 10 nationally needs to really take a hard look at their rankings.
Under first-year coach Mark Taylor, the “Killer Bees” are averaging 82.3 points per game and are now ranked No. 8 in the latest USA Today Super 25 Poll.
This team features at least five legit Division 1 players and improved to 17-1 after Thursday’s 89-67 dismissal of NIA Prep in which Ennis had 23 points and 8 assists, freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe added 20 and 6 and senior Kamall Richards tallied 21 and 11 boards.
St. Ben’s lone loss was to unbeaten St. Anthony — by one point, 51-50 — at the New Year’s Jump Off, and the Gray Bees led by eight late in third quarter. This team is athletic, smart, fun to watch and can play with anyone in the nation.
Here’s a brief rundown on who they have and what schools those players are committed to or considering:
Melvin Johnson, 6-3, Sr. SG – Signed with Miami
Tyler Ennis, 6-2, Jr. PG — Arizona, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Syracuse, Virginia
Isaiah Briscoe, 6-2, Fr. PG — Arizona, Baylor, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, UConn, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Cincinnati
Isaiah Watkins, 6-8, Jr. F — Arkansas, Cincinnati, Harvard, Indiana, Iowa State, New Mexico State, Penn, Temple, St. Bonaventure, Providence, Rice, Santa Clara, Lafayette
Kamall Richards, 6-6, Sr. F – Florida Atlantic, St. Peter’s, VCU, Fordham
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.