Porters pre-season practice makes hoops perfect

The Greenport High School boys basketball team will have a different look, but similar hopes for the Porters this winter.

With four of their most important players from last year’s Class C regional team having graduated, the Porters will be sporting a much younger look for this Suffolk County League VII campaign.

“We’re in a pretty different predicament, because we graduated a lot,” head coach Justin Moore said. “More than 75% of the team are first-year varsity players. So, it’s an adjustment.

“We’re very young, but we do have the talent to be competitive and good now, so I’m very happy about that. They come here and work and grow together … So, I’m excited for it. Kids are working hard, and that’s all you can really ask for.”

Last season, a formidable foursome combined for an average of 50 points for the Porters per game. Nelson Shedrick, who finished an impressive ninth in the county, led the way (21.3 points per game). Guard Kal-El Marine contributed 12.0 ppg, followed by Taiquan Brumsey (10.3) and defensive specialist Jeremiah King-Smith (6.6) on a 17-4 team that lost to Tuckahoe, 56-39, in the state regional tournament.

During the early pre-season practice, Moore reminded his team how difficult and challenging varsity basketball can be.

“For them, being such a young team, varsity is the big show,” he said. “A lot of these kids have never been there, don’t know what it looks like. It’s their first experience in it all. So that’s my job, to show them and tell them like, ‘Listen, you know, you’re in a varsity level now. You have expectations behind you … Expectation is good.’ I want us to meet our expectation, and that comes with hard work.”

And Moore has liked his players’ attitude.

“They work hard. They’re not going to back down,” he said. “I don’t think that the moment for these kids will be too big. I believe that they will be able to step up to the challenge and be competitive on a level that maybe other people think that we’re not going to be. It’s going to be a very good challenge. And I think the kids are ready for it.”

Luke Kohl, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, was confident the Porters would chart its own unique course.

“We definitely depended on them,” he said of the graduated players. “Different guys are going to have to step up. But, I don’t think it’s anything we can’t handle.”

Moore will be counting on three players to lead the way.

They are junior guard Matt Malinowski, sophomore forward Markus Kruszeski and Kohl.

“They are three players that we’re definitely relying on to be our leaders, because they have the most varsity experience,” Moore said. “All three of them are equipped for it, and I think that they will step up to the challenge of being leaders for this young team.”

As a freshman, the 5-foot-10 Kruszeski got an opportunity to log valuable varsity minutes in the second and third quarters.

“It was nice to play with the seniors,” he said. “It was nice to play at the varsity level last year, to know what I’m going to go up against this year.”

Kohl was the Porters’ sixth man last season.

“I got to watch those guys firsthand and see how they play the game,” he said. “I want to take what they did, do it my own way.”

Kruszeski agreed. “I hope that this year we get enough wins to go to the playoffs and improve our chemistry, so that next year we could be better,” he said.

Added the 6-foot Malinowski: “We definitely want to make the playoffs this year. I think a county championship would be very nice. And personally, I want to beat Southold. They’re our number one rivals, so probably the most important thing in the season.”

The Settlers and Pierson will be the Porters’ challengers for the county Class C tournament and glory.

Greenport and Southold are just eight minutes apart by car.

“Last year, we beat them three times, so I know they probably come towards us with goals of revenge,” Kohl said. “We just got to hold our own. It’s a lot different than last year, but it’s nothing we can’t do.”