9th and 10th Grade House Basketball: Private School Sleepers

By Stephen "Mad-Dog" Barston

As the Darien YMCA house basketball season starts up this Wednesday, over 100 ninth and tenth grade players, most of which are from DHS, are excited to take the court again for a little hoops action. However, there are a few players from private schools that many of you may not know about. Here’s my list of the private school kids to look out for this year.

1.     Kevin Pendo (Georgetown): Having played with Pendo during my travel basketball years, I know exactly what he is capable of. He is a quick guard with great handles who can easily spread the wealth and knock down his fair share of mid-range jumpers. He is also a versatile defender who can match up against the opponent’s guards or big men.

2.     Henry Soule (Kentucky): Henry was on the same team as Pendo last year (the Cavaliers), and was one of the league’s most dangerous sixth men. He is a lock-down defender who has great instincts and intercepts a ton of passes. Offensively he has a knack for finding a way to get open for a three-point shot or a backdoor layup. Look for him to shine in a more important role this season.

3.     Jack Duggan (Missouri): Duggan was on the Raptors last year, and his presence down low was one of the contributing factors towards their finish near the top of the standings at the end of the regular season. His strength helps him match up against any opposing big man, and his speed allows him to score frequently on fast breaks.

4.     Julien Noujaim (UCONN): Noujaim was a beast last year in the paint, grabbing rebound after rebound and causing guards to second-guess their shots. Look for him to anchor UCONN’s starting lineup this year and continue to make his opponents stop in their tracks in the paint.

5.     Coyle Brothers (Stanford): Aidan and Brian Coyle, both students at Fairfield Prep, look like a solid combination for Stanford this year. Brian can feed his teammates with good, crisp passes and make shots when needed, and Aidan has the quickness and strength needed to protect the paint and put the ball in from deep within the post.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!