I've seen the future, and it is Long Island Lutheran. The Brookville private school that owns four state Federation boys basketball titles -- but none since 1997 -- has a young lineup with a promising future. All five starters in Monday night's 66-53 win over Westbury were either juniors or sophomores.

Stephen Shamar, a 6-6, 215-pound sophomore from Westbury, (PICTURED) could be a dominator in the future. But what really makes the Crusaders go are junior guards Jeriel Henriquez (Harlem) and Matt Rooney (Setauket). They are good ball handlers, decision makers and complete scorers. They will be one of the best backcourts in the state next season.

But enough of next year. LuHigh, under first-year coach Brian Carey, has a legitimate chance to reach Glens Falls and the state Federation final four this March. The independent school pulled out of the IPPSAL after a one-year run so it could play a more competitive schedule. That should show dividends down the stretch.

After all, the main challengers for that berth in Glens Falls are IPPSAL frontrunners Upper Room and two-time state champ Lawrence Woodmere Academy. The winner of the Association of Independent Schools Class A tournament in February moves on. It could very well be LuHigh.

But if not, bank on the Crusaders making a serious run at the state Federation Class A title in 2008.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Two well-known and equally well-traveled coaches landed at new jobs this season. And in each case, the stop is the fourth of their respective careers.

Dom Savino was most recently the boys basketball coach at Sachem, and when the district expanded, Sachem North. Now he's taken over at Riverhead. Savino has also coached at Center Moriches and Rocky Point. All those stops make him the most widely traveled head boys basketball coach on the Island perhaps ever, but at least since 1967, as far back as statistician George Davila has records.

But wait, Savino wasn't the only coach to jump to another program this off-season. Brian Carey has run the summer program at Long Island Lutheran for more than a decade, helping to develop the talent that made LuHigh a force. Ronn Hall and most recently, Chris Persoo, were the beneficiaries.

No longer. Carey jumped from King Park, where he transformed the Kingsmen into a playoff factor, to finally take the head job at LuHigh. Carey also coached at Commack and Half Hollow Hills East. So this is his fourth stop as well.

In Carey's case, he knew what he was getting into. And after a few down seasons, the fortunes of LuHigh might be looking up. Savino, on the other hand, stepped into a tough spot. The word in Riverhead is that former coach Jerry Weismann, a good man and veteran coach, did not go quietly.

In each case, the changes at the top promise to have a ripple effect through the entire hoops community. We'll be watching closely to see what impact Savino and Carey have at new schools. And I'll start the clock now to see how long these guys can resist moving on to yet another challenge.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)