By Christian Mordi / @thedribbledrop
Team: Gil St. Bernard
Ranking: 4
Record Last season: 25-4 (10-0 in conference play)
Key players: Paul Mulcahy, junior
Khalif Battle, junior
Alex Schachne, senior
Potential emerging stars: Brad Bundschuh, senior;Peter Sorber,junior
Team analysis: Gil may not be the school the private school that everyone talks about, but every year they produce one of the best products in the state.
Last year was a strong year for the program. While they lost their star senior to George Washington and Jake Betlow to Montverde, (now at St. Benedict's Prep) Gil took a step forward in 2017. They were undefeated in conference play and went toe to toe with numerous titans in the state. While the season ended on a bitter note in a loss to Roselle Catholic at the buzzer, Gil is back this year with a vengeance.
Leading the pack is Paul Mulcahy. The point forward can make a team pay from anywhere on the floor. He is a smooth ball handler, good shooter and attacks the rim with relentless aggression. Last season, “Do It All” Paul filled up the box score on a nightly basis, averaging 15 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Senior guard Alex Schachne took a huge leap forward in 2017. Schachne is a relentless on ball defender. His constant pressure forces teams out of sync offensively. The Knights also nabbed a big transfer in combo guard Khalif Battle. Battle has a silky smooth game on offense and doesn’t shy down to anyone on the defensive side of the floor.
Coach Sina is one of the best coaches in New Jersey. His team plays a very disciplined style of basketball and are very hard to beat. The sharp cuts, strong screens and good passing make this team a terror in the half court. With the right seeding, Gil has the potential go all the way this year.
Stat to know: Paul Mulcahy nabbed 2nd team All-State honors in 2017.