Boys Basketball Preview: The season of big men for Riverhead
As a towering presence on the court, Ethan Greenidge is every bit the intimidator a kid his size would appear. A 6-foot-5 forward who excels in football as a lineman, Greenidge also has another side that can get overlooked on the court.
“He’s light on his feet, and moves very well for a kid his size,” said Riverhead coach John Rossetti.
Greenidge is one of several big men the Blue Waves will rely on this season in what they hope is a bounce-back season after a rough patch last year. The Blue Waves will play the same style fans are accustomed to — heavy defensive pressure with an eye toward fastbreaks — with a twist.
The Blue Waves will look to run, but in the halfcourt Rossetti said he wants to run the offense through the big men in the post.
The Blue Waves will rely heavily on Tyrese Kerr, a power forward who can stretch the floor with his outside jumper.
John Levelle is another big man the Blue Waves will feature who is similar to Kerr, Rossetti said.
“He has a nice 15-foot jump shot,” he said.
Junior Steven Ascanio, who played JV last year, will also rotate in with the big guys.
Rossetti said he plans to keep rotating the big guys to keep them fresh. As for the guards, there are still question marks.
Ryun Moore returns from last year’s team and is just getting back into a rhythm after suffering a concussion during football season.
Rossetti said he’s looking for his guards to be able to distribute the ball into the post. Most of the offense for the guards should be generated off the defense. The key on defense, Rossetti said, will be to not overcommit to traps.
“Controlled aggression,” he said.
The Blue Waves will be challenged this year in League III, which is stacked top to bottom. Copiague and North Babylon both return strong teams. And Half Hollow Hills West returns to the league this year.
Riverhead will open the season Dec. 12 at home with a non-league game against Bellport. The league season kicks off Dec. 15 at home against Newfield.
