Oratory Prep Basketball: A Look at the Season Ahead

Oratory Prep Basketball is gearing up for another exciting season! Let’s take a look at what the team has in store for the year ahead.

Introduction

The Oratory Prep basketball team is off to a great start this season. With a record of 9-1, the team is currently ranked first in their conference and are looking to continue their winning ways. Here is a look at the season ahead for the Oratory Prep Basketball team

The Oratory Prep basketball Program

Oratory Prep’s Basketball Program has a long and storied tradition. The team has seen success at the conference, state, and national levels, and is always looking to improve. Head Coach Charles Johnson is entering his ninth season at the helm of the program, and he has his sights set on another deep run in the postseason.

The team is led by senior guard Joe Cannizzaro, who has been a starter since his freshman year. Cannizzaro is a versatile player who can score, rebound, and defend at a high level. He will be joined in the backcourt by junior Matt McGee, who is one of the best shooters in the state. The frontcourt will be anchored by 6’8″ senior center John O’Reilly, who is a force on both ends of the floor.

The Oratory Prep Basketball Team

Oratory Preparatory School is a private, Roman Catholic all-boys preparatory school in Oratory, New Jersey, United States founded in 1895 by St. Philip Neri. The school is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Newark. The current headmaster is Peter G. Elliott. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 2002.

The basketball team at Oratory Prep is coached by Joe Wojtowicz and the team will be led by captains Charlie Nagle and Matt Garafolo. The team’s goal this season is to make it to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions

The Oratory Prep Basketball Schedule

The Oratory Prep Basketball Schedule is as follows:

January 5th vs Seton Hall Prep
January 12th @ St. Benedict’s
January 19th @ Newark Academy
January 26th vs Montclair Kimberley

February 2nd @ Delbarton
February 9th vs St. Peter’s Prep
February 16th @ Bergen Catholic
February 23rd vs Don Bosco Prep

March 1st-3rd TBD

The Oratory Prep Basketball Roster

Oratory Prep will have a new head coach this season, as Matt Santos takes over for the departing Joe Romano. Santos inherits a team that went 14-12 last season and made it to the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public B State Tournament before falling to eventual champion Morris Catholic.

The Eagles will look to seniors Anthony Reyes and Brandon Opalski to provide leadership and scoring. Reyes, a 6’6″ forward, averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game last season while Opalski, a 6’0″ guard, averaged nine points per game Other key returnees include junior guard Max Klink (seven points per game) and sophomore center Andrew Garcia (six points, six rebounds per game).

Oratory Prep will also have several new faces on the roster this season. Juniors Matt Martinelli (forward) and Tim McEvoy (guard) will look to contribute right away while freshman point guard Charlie Murray is one to watch for the future.

With several key returnees and some promising new additions, Oratory Prep will be looking to make some noise in the Non-Public B State Tournament this season.

The Oratory Prep basketball coaching Staff

Oratory Prep will have a new Head Coach this season as Eric Jakubowicz takes over for Matt McCarthy. McCarthy, who is now the Head coach at Seton Hall Prep, led the team to a 21-7 record and a spot in the NJSIAA Morris County Tournament semifinals last year.

Jakubowicz, who has been an Assistant Coach at Oratory Prep for the past four years, inherits a team that lost several Key Players to graduation, but returns a core group of experienced players who should help the team compete for another county tournament berth.

The Coaching Staff also includes new assistant coach Jamieabis Forrester and returning assistant coach Mike Lambert.

The Oratory Prep Basketball Gameplan

Oratory Prep will be looking to build on last season’s momentum as they tip off their 2019-2020 campaign. The team returns a core group of players that will be looking to make a run at the state title. head coach Kevin Conroy will be relying on his experienced squad to lead the team to victory. The following is a breakdown of the team and what to expect from them this season.

Oratory Prep will be led by senior captain Maxamillian Pinto. Pinto is a four-year varsity player who has been a starter since his freshman year. He is a versatile player that can score, rebound, and play defense Pinto has verbally committed to play Division 1 basketball at Fordham University next year.

Junior point guard Elijah Rodriguez will be running the show for Oratory Prep this season. Rodriguez is a quick guard that can penetrate and dish to his teammates or finish at the rim himself. He will be looked upon to provide leadership for the team this season.

Rounding out the starting five for Oratory Prep will be junior shooting guard Nate Johnson, senior Power Forward Joe Smith and junior center Matt McCarthy. Johnson is a sharpshooter that can provide instant offense off the bench. Smith is a physical post player that can body up with the best in the state. McCarthy is a big body that can protect the paint and block shots

The Oratory Prep basketball Keys to Success

Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, New Jersey is home to a very successful boys Basketball Program The team has won multiple State Championships and produced many Division 1 college players. This year’s team is looking to continue that success. Here are three keys to the team’s success this season:

1. Strong defense

The Oratory Prep Basketball team has always been known for its strong defense. This year is no different, as the team is returning several key Defensive Players from last year’s squad. If the team can continue to play at a high level on the defensive end of the court, it will be in good position to win a lot of games this season.

2. balanced scoring

One of the keys to Oratory Prep’s success on offense this season will be its ability to score points from multiple players. The team does not have any true “superstars”, but it does have a lot of very good players who can score points in a variety of ways. If the team can get contributions from all of its players on offense, it will be tough to stop.

3. Good team chemistry

Another key ingredient for success this season will be good team chemistry. The Oratory Prep basketball team seems to have good chemistry both on and off the court. If the players can continue to work well together and support each other, it will go a long way towards helping the team win games this year.

The Oratory Prep Basketball Predictions

It’s that time of year again. The trees are changing color, the weather is cooling off, and Oratory Prep is getting ready for another Basketball season

This year’s team is looking to build on last year’s success, when they finished with a record of 20-5 and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament head coach Johnnie Thomas has high hopes for his squad, and with good reason. The team returning includes all five starters from last season, as well as several key bench players

The team will be led by seniors Mikey D’Angelo and Alex Mitchell, who were both named to the All-State team last year. D’Angelo, a 6’2” guard, is a three-year starter and one of the best shooters in the state. He averaged 18 points per game last season and will be looked to as the team’s go-to scorer again this year. Mitchell, a 6’7” forward, is a two-time All-State selection and one of the best big men in the state. He averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game last year and will be counted on to anchor the defense again this season.

The other three starters from last season are juniors Matt Gucciardi (6’1” guard), Matt McDonald (6’4” forward), and Andrew Meyers (6’5” center). Gucciardi is a two-year starter who was named Honorable Mention All-State last year. He is a versatile player who can score inside and out and is also one of the team’s best defenders. McDonald is another versatile player who can play multiple positions He improved greatly from his sophomore to junior year and will be looked to for leadership this season. Meyers rounds out the starting lineup He is a big body who can clog up the paint on defense and is also a very good rebounder.

The bench will be key for Oratory Prep this season as well. Sophomores Liam Dougherty (6’2″ guard) and Aidan Sullivan (6’4″ forward) both saw significant playing time last season

The Oratory Prep basketball season Wrap-Up

The Oratory Prep basketball season is coming to a close, and it’s been an eventful one. With a new head coach and a young team, the season was full of ups and downs. But despite a few setbacks, the team finished with a winning record and is looking forward to next season. Here’s a look at the season that was, and what lies ahead for Oratory Prep Basketball