• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

by: Mike Anthony Dennis

January 2, 2016, Troy, New York  The Mount Vernon Knights travel from Westchester County to the State’s capital to face Green Tech High. Both teams have experienced recent success, winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championship. Mt. Vernon is one of the most recognized scholastic basketball programs in the state of New York. Mt. Vernon alumni include former NBA players the Williams brothers (Gus and Ray) and the McCray brothers (Scooter and Rodney). Gus Williams was an NBA champion with the Seattle Supersonics in 1979. Gus was also a two-time NBA All Star and All NBA First Team in 1982. His brother Ray passed away in 2013. Ray is a former first round pick of the NY Knicks. Scooter and Rodney played collegiately at the University of Louisville. Rodney won an NCAA title in 1980 and was a first round pick of the Houston Rockets in 1983. He won a title with the Chicago Bulls in 1993. Ben Gordon won an NCAA title at UConn in 2004 before becoming a lottery pick of the Chicago Bulls. Gordon was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award  winner as a rookie in 2005.

Tony Fiorentino is in his eleventh year as a regular member of the Heat TV broadcast team. Fiorentino coached Mt. Vernon to state championships in 1979 and 1981. He became an assistant at Iona College in New Rochelle before joining the Miami Heat as a scouting coordinator. He was named an assistant coach under interim head coach Alvin Gentry during the 1994-’95 season. He served as an assistant to Pat Riley during 1995-’99.
Current head coach Bob Cimmino began his career in 1994. Cimmino has won 5 Class AA titles at Mt. Vernon, the 1st in 2000, also winning back to back in 2006-’07 and 2011-’12.

Green Tech High Charter School opened its doors on August 1, 2008, as an alternative to the incumbent local public high school. Green Tech offers a safe, small, focused, and disciplined learning environment for young men to thrive.

The Eagles’ head coach is Jamil Hood Sr. Hood also serves as the Head Dean of Students and is in his sixth season as the varsity basketball coach. In 2014, the Eagles soared to heights beyond their own imaginations, winning the NYSPHAA Class AA title in coach Hood’s fourth season at the helm.  His son, Jamil Hood Jr., was a leading contributor during his senior season. He earned a scholarship to LIU-Brooklyn at the age of 17 and is currently enrolled at Dodge Community College in Kansas.

The Eagles’ enter today’s contest at 4-2 and are led by senior Dasier Lukes, a 6’4” forward and honor student averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He is joined by senior Keyshaun Miller, 6’3” forward/center averaging 8 points and 8 rebounds and junior Fuquan Ford, 6’5” averaging 8 points and 8 rebounds per game. Coach Hood prefers an uptempo offense and applying pressure on defense.

Justus Simon was featured as the Time Warner Cable News Scholar Athlete of the Week for January 19, 2015. Simon is currently enrolled at Howard University in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Simon is also a running back on their football team.

Green Tech has surpassed $4.5 million in scholarship money awarded to deserving young men.
The game is scheduled for 5:30pm at the Armory Sports and Convention Arena in Albany, NY.

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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