Best Basketball Team Canterbury Ever Seen?

The season may be over, but the awards keep coming for the Saints. The Boys Varsity Basketball team have secured their championship after a season of grit that ended on a 19-game win streak. While this team and core group of players may only have one title, the record and all-team selection they’ve accumulated has been nothing short of great.

The team in the past two season posted a 21-6 record then a 25-2 record. During this, they secured the #1 seed then the #2 seed, went to back-to-back finals, and secured a championship on the second go around. It’s hard to say that they didn’t play good or even great for that matter.

This team was too good not to watch. I would even argue this team over the past two years, has had some of the most underrated talent on their roster. Starting with their core trio of Tray Alexander, ’20, Marlon Short, ’20, and Charlie Campbell, ’20.

Alexander and Short during the 2018-2019 season were able to earn an All-NEPSAC nod while Campbell got an honorable mention. This season, Alexander was able to get the nod two years in a row while Short got an honorable mention. Campbell may not have gotten one because of all the time he missed at the beginning of the season, however he lit up at the end of the season and was able to snag himself Class B Finals MVP.

The core three lost a few All-NEPSAC players in Bryan Powell, ’19, and Joe Hoch, ’19. Yet, they gained plenty more. With Sean Durugordon, ’21, Mike Iuzzolino, ’21, and Mike Graham, ’20. Both Iuzzolino and Durugordon were able to secure themselves All-NEPSAC titles as well with Graham getting an honorable mention.

The Tri-State League as well saw this team explode. We saw four Saints named to the first and second team of the Tri-State League. Durugordon and Graham were named to the first team while Alexander and Iuzzolino were named to the second team. Of the possible 10 spots, the Saints were able to take four of them.

But the awards don’t stop at the players. The Coach Brian Baudinet was voted as the NEPSAC Class B Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. And this was only his third year with the team. He’s led this team in the fiery, composed, and passionate manner he has always had. He never fails to be humble about his success and says it’s all due to his players.

However, one of the best coaches in Canterbury history wasn’t alone this season. He had the help of Trinity College graduate Ed Ogundeko. The former college forward helped refine the Saints’ game while providing what seemed to be a close friend almost. On the bench, he seemed to not only fire the team up but also keep them in check if anyone fouled out or was getting frustrated. He certainly helped plenty of the boys stay strong and toughen their game both mentally and physically.

This team was easily one of the best in school history and it’s hard to say it will stop after this season. With plenty of star players returning and possibly more recruits coming at the hands of Coach Baudinet, you can never count this team out. While Coach Baudinet will undoubtedly continue to etch his name in the history books, this team has no doubt been one of, if not the best we’ve ever seen.