The Mount Vernon High School gym was a flurry of activity on Monday night, as some of the top basketball players in the area took to the court to participate in some spirited summer hoops action. But these standouts—most of them opponents during the school year—are working towards a common goal this week, as they will be representing the Hudson Valley in the annual Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Summer Hoops Festival in Johnson City this weekend.
Hudson Valley head coach Tyrone Carver—who helms the Mamaroneck varsity squad during the winter season—has just four practice sessions to prepare this squad of stars for this weekend’s grueling tournament, a task he said is made easier due to the abundance of talent on his roster. Earlier this summer, the Hudson Valley squad tried out roughly 50 hopefuls, whittling that group down to 12 players who will be making the trip to the annual showcase of New York’s best.
The roster includes notable Section I talents including Dylan Colon, Elijah Morris and Tavien Tyler, who led Mount Vernon to a New York State title in March, as well as other local stars like Mamaroneck’s Aidan Roy and Rye’s Sebastian Medina.
Medina admitted that while the talent level at the tryout was impressive, he knew he had a chance to earn a spot on the team.
“Whenever I try out, I’m always pretty confident,” Medina said. “I just thought it was a great opportunity to represent the area and Rye and play against some of the best players around.”
Roy, who emerged as one of Section I’s most dominant backcourt players last winter, said that playing alongside so many skilled players will mean that players who are used to operating with the ball in their hands will need to find other ways to contribute in order to make the Hudson Valley squad successful.
“Thinking about my sophomore year, when I was playing with guys like [Charlie] Randall and a point guard like Ryan McIntyre, it taught me how to play off the ball,” said Roy. “Section I has a lot of talent and I think there’s going to be a lot of competition, a lot of guys bringing energy.”
Carver acknowledged that while some players might be playing unfamiliar roles, he has confidence that each player on the roster has the ability—and the mental toughness–to adapt to his team philosophy.
“Our guard play is a strength; you can be the stud from your school and that’s all well and good, but coming together as a team, you have to sacrifice and do what’s in the best interest of the team,” said Carver. “We want them to be who they are, because that’s what makes them great, but at the same time, the ability to play unselfishly is a crucial part for us to be successful.”
The BCANY Summer Hoops Festival will kick off on Friday, Aug. 5, and continue through through Sunday afternoon. Carver said although his team has the talent to compete with the best from around New York State, they will need everyone to pitch in if the team hopes to come away with a title.
“These kids are used to this, playing travel, playing AAU,” he said. “But we’re going to need to rely on depth, we’re going to need to get contributions from everyone; we can’t just rely on five or six guys to carry us the whole way.”
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