The St. Peter’s Prep basketball team made major strides last season, fielding a very young team with little or no varsity experience.
Yet, Alex Mirabel was able to win 15 games with that roster in transition.
“In other years, I knew that we had a good chance to win in the county and make a solid runs in the states,” said Mirabel, who enters his fourth season as the Marauders’ head man. “Last year, I knew that we had a lot to accomplish. I basically wanted that team, those young guys, the chance to get as many reps [short for repetitions] as possible. There was only one way to find out how we would do and we did.”
Mirabel played those young kids and played them a lot.
“We were close in the county,” said Mirabel, who took the Marauders to the Hudson County Tournament semifinals and the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public A North tourney. “We always want to compete for the county. We just couldn’t hold the lead late in games. It was a good learning experience. We had to learn to close games out. We were still very young. A lot of kids were playing varsity for the first time.”
One of those young kids was Mark Armstrong, who was an unproven freshman a year ago, but exploded onto the scene with a game-winning shot against Hudson Catholic in his first game and just continued on from there.
Armstrong eventually went on to score more points than any other freshman in Hudson County history, averaging close to 17 points per game, earning Hudson Reporter All-Area First Team honors.
“I think this group is more talented than last year,” Mirabel said. “We have some good experienced players and we have some size.”
One of those good experienced players is the 6-foot-3 Armstrong, who is better than he was last year, just on experience alone. But Armstrong bettered himself in the off-season. He got bigger and stronger, enhancing the prospects of eventually becoming an NCAA Division I scholarship player when his high school days are through.
Incredibly, Armstrong still has three years remaining. If he stays healthy, he will make an assault on eventually becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“It’s hard to get better after what he did as a freshman,” Mirabel said. “But he had a very good summer. He’s also gained a level of maturity, because he experienced what high school basketball is all about.”
Armstrong already has some major NCAA Division I scholarship offers, including Rutgers and Seton Hall.
“He’s also a better defensive player, because he’s gotten stronger,” Mirabel said. “He just needs to have a little bit of consistency. He needs to do it every single night. Sometimes, it comes and goes. But he is a very good player already.”
Mirabel is short-selling Armstrong a little there, because he’s already a great player with a chance to become an all-time great.
Senior Will White is also back. White received some honest ribbing from some people who felt like White had been at Grand and Warren for about seven years already. But the 5-foot-11 point guard is legitimately in his fourth season of varsity ball. White, who averaged about eight points per game last season, is a solid ball handler and distributor. He is also a tenacious defender.
“He’s our leader,” Mirabel said. “He’s been through a lot already. He has been playing a long time. Our identity as a team plays with him. He’s a tough dude. We go as he goes. If he plays well, chances are we’ll play well.”
Senior forward Michael Farrell also returns. The 6-foot-6 Farrell is a solid defender and rebounder.
“He’s improved so much since last year,” Mirabel said. “He can shoot the ball. He has 3-point range. He fills the role of being an inside presence. He’s aggressive and goes and gets the ball.”
Farrell averaged about six points and six rebounds per game last year.
Gavin O’Farrell is a 6-foot-7 junior forward. Yes, the Marauders have a Farrell and an O’Farrell. It tends to get confusing.
“He’s our junkyard dog,” Mirabel said. “He does all the dirty work and more. He is tough around the basket and plays hard.”
Junior Ray Ford is a 6-foot-2 off-guard/forward who can do a lot of different things.
“He could be our No. 2 scorer,” Mirabel said. “He’s a good skilled player. He’s like our glue guy on offense. He is a good scorer and a really good shooter.”
Josh Hopson is a 6-foot-8 junior forward who is a transfer from Seton Hall Prep.
“He’s already shown a huge improvement,” Mirabel said of his newcomer, who will be able to play right away since his family moved to Jersey City. “He’s in better shape. We can dump the ball down low to him and he can finish. He’s our best offensive big man and a difference maker.”
Hopson has already received some college offers as well.
“He could be a lot like [Keith] Lumpkin [the four-time Hudson Reporter All-Area honoree who went on to have a great football career at Rutgers],” Mirabel said. “He has the potential to be like him.”
Three freshmen have a chance to see considerable action with the Marauders this year, namely 6-foot-4 forward Max Kinzler, 6-foot-4 forward Jackson Tindall and 5-foot-10 guard Zion Fowler.
Tindall is the younger brother of James Tindall, who was a standout wide receiver for the Marauders 10 years ago.
Senior Jonathan Thiele has recovered nicely from knee surgery and he should be in the mix. The 6-foot-2 Thiele is the younger brother of Brendan Thiele, the three-time Hudson Reporter All-Area selection who is now playing at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Alif Ross is a 5-foot-10 sophomore who is a solid defender and good shooter.
“He’s probably our top guy coming off the bench,” Mirabel said. “He’s going to play a lot.”
The Marauders obviously have a very deep team.
“We have the potential to be much better than we were last year,” Mirabel said. “Everyone understands what we’re trying to do. We want to develop them as men both on and off the court. We want them to get a really good chemistry together. That’s what I’ve been about. It’s hard to teach chemistry and attitude. But it’s all about winning and this team could win.”
Better yet, the Marauders should win – a lot. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com
