Brookdale facing great expectations
Jersey Blues
reached national finals
for first time
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

FARRAH MAFFAI staff Kelvin DeLosAngeles is among the players returning to Brookdale’s men’s basketball team as the Jersey Blues enter the season looking to build on last season’s success.

It’s a new year at Brookdale, but the effects of last year’s trip to the national championships are still having an impact.

Head coach Paul Cisek has five players returning from the 29-5 squad that made the school’s first trip to Division III National Junior College Athletic Association national championships, where the Blues finished fourth in the nation. That success made for a very good recruiting season. Cisek has a number of talented freshmen who are ready to make an impact now.

"We should be OK," said Cisek. "We’re real young. The negative about young teams is that you want to see who will be the leaders.

"Last year, we had a core group that had been together for two years," he added. "We have to be cautious not to expect too much. We had an experienced team last year. "

Another direct result of last year’s national tournament appearance is the national recognition that came with it. In the pre-season national rankings, the Jersey Blues were No. 4.

"We’re very optimistic," noted Cisek. "Are we the No. 4 team in the country? No. We have to earn that spot."

All-Region center Miguel Rodriquez is the centerpiece of the 2003-04 Jersey Blues. The 6-foot-6 pivotman from Passaic is unlike any player the Blues have had under Cisek. He’s an athletic big-man who has an impact on both ends of the floor. He led the nation in rebounding last year, averaging 15.5 per game. Add to that his shot-blocking ability, and the Blues have control of the paint.

That control carries over to the offense, where he scores in double figures. With the addition of more big men to take the rebounding load off him this year, Cisek said, teams will see a more complete player.

"Miguel is bigger and stronger this year," said Cisek. "He’s our backbone. What he brings to the table is, number one, rebounding, and number two, because we are a bigger team this year, you’ll see the finesse part of his game. He’s added a 10- to 14-foot jumper."

Rodriquez is one of the five veterans returning from last year’s national championship tournament team. Kelvin DeLosAngeles, Joe Leone, Nick Aldiero and Andrew Sigrist are the other returning sophomores who each made contributions during 2002-03.

"They are a pretty nice nucleus to build around," said Cisek.

DeLosAngeles, out of Perth Amboy, was the team’s sixth man last year. He could easily have been a starter, and this year, the 6-foot-3 guard will do just that.

Leone, from Middletown North, is a 6-foot-4 forward who was the second player off the bench and figured prominently in the team’s rotation. Howell grad Aldiero was the backup point guard and knows the system, while Sigrist, out of Manasquan, came on strong at the end of the season.

By themselves, this quintet would be solid, but when the newcomers are added, the Blues become a very strong team.

Among the large freshman glass, Red Bank Regional grad Devin Davis, New Brunswick’s Jamal Jenkins and Neptune’s Jerome Hubbard are the top recruits.

Hubbard is a 6-foot-2 point guard who can shoot the three, pass and penetrate. He’s an outstanding ball handler as well. He has the complete game, according to Cisek, and will be in the starting lineup.

Jenkins will be starting as well. The 6-foot-4 forward runs the floor well and is one of the reasons Brookdale’s top strength this year will be rebounding.

Other key freshmen are Dennys Gomez, a guard out of Perth Amboy; Paul Butler, an athletic guard/forward out of Passaic; and Troy Robin, a versatile, 6-foot-4 center/forward, who adds to the team’s rebounding.

Rounding out the Blues are Anthony Liguori (Bloomfield Tech), Kevin Schuster (Neptune) and Jamal Slappy (Paterson Catholic).

There’s a lot for Cisek and assistant coach Charlie Hawthorne to like about this year’s Jersey Blues.

"Our strengths are: number one, rebounding," Cisek explained. "Number two, we’re an athletic team. We have speed, and our big players are quick and agile. We’ll be pressing and trapping teams. Number three, they pick up things very quickly."

There’s one other important plus — depth. Cisek has more overall talent than ever.

"I will go 10 or 11 deep," said Cisek. "I used to go seven or eight deep. We can have a big line-up of [tall players]. I can also go small and pressure teams."

The Jersey Blues got their campaign off impressively on Dec. 2, when they beat Atlantic Cape, 93-76. Cisek played everyone on his roster in the romp. Rodriquez showed off his new offensive repertoire, leading the way with 24 points. Hubbard’s debut saw him netting 21 and sinking six threes.

Brookdale will be hosting the Brookdale Tournament this weekend. On Saturday, the Jersey Blues will take on Hostos (Bronxville, N.Y.) at 1 p.m., followed at 3 p.m. with the TCI-Essex tilt. On Sunday, the losers will play the consolation game at 1 p.m., followed by the championship game at 3 p.m.

On Tuesday, the Blues will host Burlington in a Garden State Athletic Conference and Region XIX game.

Like last season, BCC will travel to Florida over the holidays to test themselves against junior college powers from the Sunshine State. The Jersey Blues did it last year, and playing against high-caliber competition helped set them up for their championship run later in the season.