In case you haven’t read the opening column of this series pertaining to point guards, here is the background on what Steve Zerdelian and I are undertaking this winter, on the women’s and men’s sides, respectively. This is a selection of the 75 players that made the biggest impact on me since I saw my first D2 basketball game as a freshman at Le Moyne College in 1982. Here are the prerequisites:
- I must have seen the player in person at least once
- He must have played for a team that was competing in the East (formerly known as the New England and then the Northeast) Region at the time
- The player’s career must have been completed by 2021, so outstanding talents such as Andrew Sischo are not eligible.
Athletes qualify regardless of how many years they played in the region, and their team’s successes are not the primary factor, though in the majority of cases, individual and team greatness coincided. In short, this is a strictly talent-based list of stars who had a certain “Wow Factor” – the crème de la crème. There were far too many standout players for far too few spots, so if a particular great didn’t make the cut, it was by no means an indictment on him. It simply means that there were others who captivated my attention more. In some cases, by a razor-thin margin. These are the best of the best. So, without further ado, here are my favorite 2s– in alphabetical order:
Stefan Bonneau (C.W. Post, 2010-12) – An acrobatic transfer from Orange County Community College, this 5-10 human highlight reel averaged 31 points a game (with a broken wrist no less) in his last year of JUCO, catching the attention of high-profile programs such as St. John’s and Providence. When that avenue closed, C.W. Post swept up this Middletown, NY native, who brandished the most eye-popping vertical I’ve ever seen at this level. Bonneau had rockets in his sneakers and wowed crowds all over the East with multiple “showtime” slams a game (treat yourself to this phenomenal montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZV8o21Mz4s). Yet the dunks were just the icing on the cake for this superstar, who was an exceptional all-around talent, as evidenced by his two-year totals of 1,196 points, 237 rebounds, 157 assists and 75 steals, earning him back-to-back ECC Player of the Year trophies and leading his Pioneers to the league tourney title both seasons. As a senior, he took home MVP honors in the championship game after totaling 29 points and five assists, proving he was made for the big stage (injury was the only thing that slowed him down at the NCAA regional). Watching Bonneau play was so much fun, I often forgot I was a reporter and felt more like a starry-eyed little boy.
Matt Cahill (St. Anselm, 2002-06) – the Hawks program is loaded with greats, some of whom just missed the cut in this special series, but one no-doubter is a three-time, first-team All-NE10 stud from Bridgewater, Mass who graduated as the Hawks’ #1 all-time scorer (2,081 points – now #2). The only Hawk to record his 1,000th point in his sophomore season, Cahill was as prolific a 3-point shooter as there was (his 321 triples rank #1 in school history), as he shot a strong .414% from beyond the arc over his four years. But thanks to his strong 6-3 frame, Cahill was also a threat inside the paint, making him a true inside-outside threat (his 416 free throw makes and .825 FT% both rank #6), with his 28-point performance vs. #5 Bentley in the 2005 NE10 title game, clinching the first of two straight league crowns. Oh, and his defense was also above average, as no one blocked more shots in Hawks history, earning Cahill a spot on St. A’s Mount Rushmore of hoops legends.
Ron Christy (Teikyo-Post, 2001-04) – One of the most prolific scorers in our region’s history (#3 all-time), this uber-talented 5-10 volume shooter from Stratford, CT led the Eagles in scoring each of his three years in Waterbury, topping the nation as a sophomore (27.2 ppg) and nearly repeating the feat the following year (26.7 ppg), earning All-America honors both seasons. Like Bonneau above, Christy had mad hops, and his rim-rocking dunks helped earn him a roster spot on the Harlem Globetrotters. “post”-Post. But there was much more to Christy’s game than filling it up as he exceled in every facet. Without even suiting up for his senior season, he amassed an astounding 2,516 points (#1), 560 rebounds (#6), 330 assists (#3), 197 steals (#2), 212 threes (#2), 446 free throw makes (#1) and – yes – 71 blocked shots (#10), belying his relatively short stature. The Connecticut legend made his biggest statement in his biggest game, dropping 50 on Nyack in the 2003 CACC Tournament Championship Game, and anyone who ever saw him knew he or she was watching a very special talent.
Gage Daye (Bloomfield, 2007-11) – Another sensational scorer who could take over games like few others was this 6-2 Newark, NJ native who torched the nets for a program-record 2,518 
points but also proved his versatility in other ways. The two-time CACC MVP and East Region Player of the Year also finished among Bloomfield’s best with 615 rebounds, 465 assists and 243 steals, accentuating a skill set that few could match. As a junior, the ever-confident Daye was second in the nation in scoring (26.0 ppg) and third in steals (2.7 spg) while also ranking among the elite his senior campaign in scoring (24.1 ppg - #4) and assists (5.4 apg - #24). This first-team All-American was tremendous with the rock, whether he was swishing jumpers, bulldozing his way through defenses or anticipating opponents’ passes and picking them off, Daye boasted a pro game and was a gleaming ray of sunshine in the East. (Gage Day at the Elite 8 in Springfield, MA, photo courtesy of Bloomfield College Director of Sports Information Gladstone Harris)
Al Elliott (Pace, 1998-2002) – The best player the Setters showcased since joining the region in 1997 was this quick and explosive, 6-2 shooting guard from Washington, DC who was adept at knifing through defenders in the lane or blowing by them in the open floor. One of the very last recruits in the Darrell Halloran era, Elliott was also a tremendous defender, and the primary force behind his program’s last NCAA Tournament win in 2002, when he dropped 25 points, including the clinching free throws vs. Queens. Despite an ACL injury that cut short his freshman year, the ultimate Pace-maker still assembled a wonderful all-around resume, highlighted by 1,775 points (#5 in school history), 633 rebounds (#14), 336 assists (#11), 166 steals (#9) and 163 triples (#10). Though it may be easy for some to overlook his body of work, I refuse to let such a versatile, excellent player fall through the cracks of history.
Shaun Fein (Stonehill, 1996-98) – Before he became a star guard for Georgia Tech, starting 58 of 60 games for the D1 Yellow Jackets, Fein cut his teeth in North Easton with the Chieftains, and did so with undeniable flair. Blessed with both a potent shooting touch and deceptively quick moves off the bounce, this smart, athletic, 6-3 Cape Cod native became one of only two sophomores to be named NE10 Player of the Year (the other being eventual NBA star Mario Elie of AIC in 1983). The All-American guided Stonehill to the Sweet 16 that season, with his brightest moment coming in a game vs. rival Bentley, during which he buried nine 3-pointers. Currently a player development assistant with the L.A. Clippers and recently head coach of the G-League’s Long Island Nets, Shaun Fein had the game to match his name, just missing the 1,000-point threshold in two memorable years on The Hill. And his 156 three-pointers still rank 10th in program history… a small vestige of his D2 greatness. (Shaun Fein photo courtesy Stonehill College Asst. Dir. of Athletics for Communications Doug Monson)
Tim Guers (St. Anselm, 2015-19) – For my money, the recently graduated shooting guard is the greatest player in Hawks history, which is really saying something considering the cavalcade of superstars that program has produced over the decades. A relentless, attacking, 6-3 powerhouse, the product of Langhorne, PA had no weakness to his game, as evidenced by these totals: 2,327 points (#1 in team lore), 808 rebounds (#7), 521 assists (#7), 485 free throw makes (#2), 214 triples (#9) and 56 blocked shots (#10). But as anyone who ever saw Guers play can attest, his intangibles were what truly set him apart, such as his exceptional basketball IQ, ability to anticipate like a chess player, and poise under pressure. All of these attributes made him the perfect extension of Coach Keith Dickson on the floor. The two-time All-American and two-time NE10 Player of the Year made everyone around him better, and in 2019 navigated St. A’s to its first Final Four before falling to eventual undefeated national champ Northwest Missouri State. On the short list of the region’s brightest and most accomplished stars.
(Tim Guers photo courtesy of Saint Anselm College Director of Athletic Communications Griffin Spencer)
Darian Hooker (New York Tech, 2014-15) – As good a one-year wonder as you will ever see, this 6-1 dynamo from Washington, DC modestly began his collegiate career at a JUCO in Missouri before transferring to D1 Campbell and taking a circuitous route to Old Westbury, following his girlfriend, who played volleyball at NYIT. Hooker – who led the nation in scoring at 28.3 points (763 points in 26 games) his one year as a Bear – boasted shake-and-bake NBA moves, complete with a mesmerizing hesitation dribble and killer crossover. Every day was a shooting clinic, as Hooker flaunted a wide array of floaters, bankers and step-back jays. If you dared foul him, he was good for 87% at the stripe, and he certainly had a flare for the dramatic, as underscored by his buzzer-beating fallaway at Daemen to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. And, to those who dared consider him a selfish showboat, I call to your attention his nearly five assists per game, as Hooker consistently killed double-teams with his crackerjack passing, the entire skill package meriting him a well-deserved NBA tryout.
Michael Mallory (Southern Connecticut, 2013-17) – From his very first games, in which he stole the show off the bench, Mallory proved he belonged, and was one of the region’s most prolific scorers, churning out an NE-10 record 2,515 points (#4 in regional history), including a whopping 347 threes (#2 in NE10 lore). But there was much more to the explosive 6-2 guard’s game, as he pulled down 531 rebounds (#13 at SCSU), dished out 355 assists (#5), snagged 150 steals (#5) and blocked 166 shots (#5). The Waterbury, CT product was the vital force behind the Owls’ 94-32 record and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, serving as sixth man on the Elite-8 team as a freshman and Sweet 16 club as a sophomore. Mallory’s game was a perfect complement to Southern’s free-flowing, up-and-down style, his most shining moment perhaps being his 42-point eruption in an NCAA upset of Southern New Hampshire during his final career win.
Malik Moore (American International, 1999-2002) – Four of these stellar shooting guards suited up for Division 1 schools at some point, and this native of Philadephia was one such specimen, having commenced his career at Temple. But John Chaney’s loss was Art Luptowski’s gain as the All-American garnered First Team All-NE10 recognition all three years with the Yellow Jackets, spearheading the program’s first NCAA run in 16 years dating back to the Elie era. Moore – whose business-like approach and NBA-level skills (he just missed the cut with the Seattle SuperSonics) lifted his teammates’ games exponentially – earned conference Player of the Year as a senior when he averaged 22.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 steals. Blessed with an electric first step, dynamic ball-handling skills, cat-like instincts on defense and ability to break down defenders and get to the hole, Moore made his mark in the AIC record book despite only playing three seasons, ranking sixth in scoring (1,583), 3-pointers (128 treys) and assists (377) while still bearing the gold standard for steals (191). A rare thoroughbred to grace the regional landscape!
Pat Morris (Bridgeport, 1988-92) – Though he played in the shadow of the incomparable Lambert Shell (more on him when we get to the forwards in a couple of weeks), this lean, 6-4 shooter from Rockville Centre, NY thrived playing Robin to Shell’s Batman. An iron man who started all 134 games he ever played, this sleeper star was a quiet assassin on the court, piling up 1,841 points, including 318 trifectas, while also snagging 314 rebounds, dishing out 221 assists and demonstrating sterling defense with his vast wingspan. Now in his 13th season as an assistant at Molloy, where he coached his son Jaylen Morris (a recent NBA reserve and late cut for this column), Pat’s Purple Knights teams compiled a 103-31 record. But most remarkably, they reached the regional title game every season, the Elite-8 his last three and the national championship game his final two years. He and Shell both swear that had they not blown a late lead vs. rival Sacred Heart in the 1989 New England Regional Final at Bentley their freshman years (Morris’ tying and go-ahead free throws with two seconds left were eclipsed by Tony Judkins’ miraculous buzzer-beating three while falling out of bounds), they would have won the whole shebang. Guess we’ll never know.
Darrin Robinson (Sacred Heart, 1989-93) – Speaking of the now D1 Pioneers, this svelte, lethal, 6-2 sharpshooter – from Bridgeport, no less – was one of the Northeast’s elite scorers, whose career 27.0 points per game average is still the gold standard, and whose 32.0 mark his senior year not only led the nation, but also tied Merrimack’s Ed Murphy in 1977 for highest in regional history. And to prove he was just as dangerous on the defensive side of things, the man dubbed Basketball Times’ Co-Player of the Year also corralled 2.9 steals per game, good for 16th in Division 2. Tenacious and dazzling off the dribble, the two-time All-American erupted for a school-record 55 points vs. Husson on December 6, 1991, recorded a mind-blowing triple-double vs. Stonehill just over a year later (39 points, 13 boards, 13 assists) and is his school’s #2 scorer (2,402 points), 3-point specialist (.434 accuracy) and swiper (217 steals). NBA scouts were regulars at Robinson’s games, and though he never played at the highest level, he rarely disappointed at ours.
Jonathan Schmidt (C.W. Post, 2005-09) – The catalyst for the greatest team C.W. Post/LIU Post ever produced, this four-time All-ECC luminary was a superb combo guard with a champion pedigree and attitude. Schmidt was an exceptional shooter, passer and defender who piloted a balanced, talented quartet of Pioneers teams to an 88-32 cumulative record. He started 118 of 119 career games and earned conference Player of the Year as a senior, when Tim Cluess’ troops reached the Elite-8 with a pristine 30-0 record. The 6-0 floor leader from nearby Centereach, NY produced school records of 1,980 points, 213 threes and 517 free throw makes. His 649 assists rank second, although they represent a league standard, and he chipped in 176 steals for good measure. One of the players who erased an 18-point, second-half comeback vs. Bentley in the 2009 regional title game, he proved to be the most vital cog for the #2-ranked Pioneers that unforgettable year. Because when the games were on the line, you were always sure of one thing: Schmidt happens!
Michael Sturns (Holy Family, 2007-08) – Like Darian Hooker at NYIT, this 6-5 athlete from Fort Worth, Texas was a one-year transfer with D1 experience who dominated the landscape and finished his season as the nation’s top scorer (26.6 ppg in this case). The Sun Belt’s Sixth man of the Year winner the previous year while playing for North Texas, Sturns compiled numbers in one North Philly winter that would translate to a respectable career for any other player: 864 points (of 1,538 total), 207 rebounds, 94 assists and 70 steals. A big, super-skilled guard with an unrelenting motor, the All-American who played for the Spurs’ D-League outfit was all about business both inside and outside the lines, and his leadership helped the Tigers to a 21-10 record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance. His regional brilliance was short-lived but highly impactful and unforgettable, highlighted by a 51-point explosion at NYIT.
Tayron Thomas (Philadelphia, 2002-06) – right across town in East Falls, a 6-2 superstar from Bristol, PA had wrapped up one of the most brilliant careers in regional history two years earlier. Quite simply, Thomas was, to my mind, the greatest all-around talent in the rich history of Rams basketball, deadly from anywhere on the floor and an underrated ability for adapting his myriad skills to a very structured, team game. The All-American – who earned a tryout with the 76ers – finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,414 points while adding 798 rebounds, 320 assists and 166 steals. His 29.0 points per game average as a senior is still a CACC record and topped all D2 players, earning him the league MVP trophy, as well as Basketball Times’ Co-National Player of the Year. His 53-point outing vs. Presbyterian (SC) early that season established a new conference scoring record that still stands. If you ever had the privilege of seeing this kid play, there was no doubting Thomas, as he is on the very short list of regional royalty.
Please feel free to offer your own opinions at chrisgranozio@gmail.com. Next week, we shift our attention to the wings / small forwards. Until then, Happy Hooping to All!