“Do It All” Paul Mulcahy was sensational his sophomore year. While many expected Gil St. Bernards to drop off the map due to the losses of 2016 NJ Freshmen of the year Jake Betlow to Montverde (and now St. Benedict's Prep,) and Adam Mitola to George Washington, Gil took steps forward in 2017. One of the major reasons Gil was able to take such large steps forward despite the loss of so many key pieces was due to the stellar play of Mulcahy.
Paul may not be the biggest, fastest or strongest, but he has one of the best foundations in the NJ. Paul has an extremely high basketball IQ and keeps teams honest by using all players and sections of the floor each game.
It's only right that we paid homage by selecting Mulcahy as a diarist for us this year. Check back throughout the season as Paul gives us an insider look at the life of a star student athlete playing basketball on the highest level in New Jersey.
As told to Christian Mordi / @thedribbledrop on Instagram and Twitter
Hey guys,
A week or so ago played Roselle Catholic at home during an early season invitational. The stands were full and they were turning people away. It was a packed house. A lot of my friends from school, my family and friends from Bayonne came. It was cool. It was a lot of hype around that game due to the way we lost against them in the state tournament.
It was a tough game.They ran a bit of box and one against me to try to slow me down. I’ve seen that a lot this year, especially in the county games. A lot of triangle and two and box and one. It’s good for me to see that early and learn how to play against it. I try not to press it. I focus on getting my teammates involved. We lost but I think we played pretty hard. We learned a lot from that one.
Next up was the Playaz New Years Jumpoff Tournament. It was a really good tournament across the board. The turnout was amazing. I got to see a lot of cool people. Shoutouts to Myles Powell and Kyle Anderson as I got to chop it up with them for a bit. I looked up before the game started and saw Dajuan Wagner was there also. That was pretty cool. A couple schools came to see me as well which was cool.
We had a pretty good game against Camden for the most part. We got a little sluggish near the end, but overall I was happy with how they played. Camden was tough and scrappy across the board. I was pleased with the poise we played with across the board.
Last week we played Rutgers Prep. We normally see them twice a year. I would consider them a rival as we are normally two of the best teams in the county. Playing games at their place is different. They have a gym that feels like the fans are right on top of you during the game. It was a lot of hype around them and the game this year. We showed up, performed at a high level and came away with the win.
I’m very pleased with my teammates. We have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Will Soucie has played really well. He had 19 last game against Rutgers Prep. John has been hitting shots and has found his groove. Everyone has stepped up and performed at a high level so far. It’s been a team effort all year. I’m proud of the guys.
Right now I’m flirting with a triple double for the year. I would love to average that this year, if not at least get one this year. In regards to assists, I take pride in setting my teammates up in good position to score. Rebounds are all about hustle and how bad you want it.
On another note, I’m learning to play the piano on my spare time. I’m working up to playing "Still Dre" by Dr. Dre. I’m going to lock that in (laughs).
Also, I wanted to talk a bit about “HeadBandHighlights.” I’ve been wearing a headband since like 1st grade. In every sport I always wore a headband. When I was younger people would be able to spot me out of the bunch due to the head band I wore. It was my thing. It was something my dad used to have me do when I was younger, but now I embrace it. It’s pretty big at my school and in my town. Everyone has their own thing and that’s mine. I think it’s something that could pick up steam as the season progresses. It’s not for everybody. Only a few people can pull it off: the real ones.
'Til next time,
Paul