SHP Boasts Talented Backcourt
To Boost Rise On Statewide Scene

Perhaps Seton Hall Prep won’t always match up size-wise with a few of its high-octane opponents along the way this season, but few teams will match the backcourt prowess of the Pirates (5-2), who appear ready to compete at a very high level with increased talent at the very position its coach thrived at in high school and college.

SHP played well while dropping games to a pair of powerful schools from the Sunshine State in the Miami Holiday Invitational as the Pirate players and supporters taking the flight to Florida had a chance to enjoy some nice 80 degree temperatures for a few days as family and friends back in New Jersey continue to deal with snow, ice and frigid temperatures.

What became further evident despite setbacks to Sagemont, 59-51, Friday, Dec. 26, and Riviera Prep, 68-65, Saturday, Dec. 27, is that SHP will have the firepower – bolstered by a deep and talented backcourt – to perhaps make a deep run in this season’s NJSIAA Non-Public, North A state tournament where No. 1 ranked Bergen Catholic is currently the team to beat, along with being the favorite to repeat as champions in the Essex County Tournament.

Sterling Gibbs, the former SHP all-stater and then Texas, Seton Hall University and UConn backcourt performer, already was returning the area’s top backcourt performer from last season's 23-7 squad in junior Anthony Gonzalez, who was Sideline Chatter’s Essex County Player of the Year last winter.

Then, as a new school year commenced, he had added Immaculate Conception transfer Infinate Sincere-Amen Ra, who is just beginning to tap his immense potential as a sophomore at SHP, and a dynamic prospect from Paterson in freshman Bryce McCray.

There is additional depth in the backcourt with holdovers such as senior Collin Reese and junior Avery George, who was not able to make the Christmas holiday trip to Florida due to being under the weather.

The 3-headed vanguard of Gonzalez, Sincere-Amen Ra and McCray is giving every indication that it will be a difficult trio to deal with throughout January, February and early March.

Gibbs, who was tabbed as SHP's head hoops coach in March of 2024, may not have had very much time to try and assemble the type of roster he may had been seeking for the 2024-2025 season, but now has a deeper rotation - especially in the backcourt - including the aforementioned guards plus key veteran forwards such as the ever-productive 6-5 senior Alex Ante and the verstatile 6-4 senior Daniel Beazer.

The 5-foot-8 McCray may not be as tall as some of his opposing guards, but he is stocked with plenty of talent, quickness and skill as evidenced by a team-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers to lead the Pirates in their impressive effort despite a 68-65 setback to Riviera Prep.

The ever-present Ante had a solid ‘double-double’ with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Gonzalez was also superb with his scoring and playmaking abilities as he scored 14 points and added 10 assists.

Gonzalez scored eight of his points in the third quarter when SHP outscored the national power, 20-16, to take a 49-47 lead before eventually falling by just three points in the end.

“Tonight we showed what we’re made of,” said Gibbs. “We went toe-to-te with one of the top teams in the country with four 4-star prospects.
“I’m very proud of our players!”

Among the upcoming games in the New Year to watch for SHP are a key conference showdown with St. Benedict’s on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Frank J. Tracey Gymnasium in West Orange; and independent contests including longtime Catholic school rival St. Peter’s Prep, Thursday, Jan. 22, also at SHP; and Rutgers Prep, 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, in Somerset.

Looking around Essex it would appear that St. Benedict’s, which added a talented 6-5 forward from Bulgaria in Daniel Hinkov and a 6-9 native of Mali in Arouna Coulibaly to this season’s roster, would be the next team to watch as a potential ECT finalist.

The Gray Bees have simply reloaded their roster after bidding adieu last summer to a major national recruit in high-scoring sophomore guard Michai White who decided to transfer to prep power Brewster (NH) Academy. The year before the Newark-based Catholic school powerhouse lost SC’s 2024 Essex County Player of the Year, Chidi Nwigwe, also to the transfer route. The 6-6 Nwiegwe is currently playing his senior year at Wasatch Academy in Utah, while already receiving offers from Michigan, Georgia Tech and Illinois among others. 

Payne Tech, which dropped a 57-46 decision to defending Group 1 state champion Thrive Charter in early-season action, was a 2025 ECT runner-up and despite graduating a pair of dynamic guards in Jamir Westry and Robert Foster from last season’s squad does return the county’s most accomplished frontcourt performer in 6-5 Millersville University commit Gerald Edwell, who is a ‘double-double’ machine.

Arts, with guards Kareem Anthony and Ayyub Wilson and forward Tyshaun Boyd, and East Orange Campus, with its terrific guards Elijah Caldwell and James Roberts, are among the other teams from the Super Essex Conference’s top division, the American, to watch this season.