Coach Doran encouraged by progress Dukes made.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
The York boys basketball team got plenty of work in during its permitted 25 contact days this summer.
While York did not go to an out-of-town team camp this season, it was plenty busy on the shootout circuit. York played in shootout events at UIC, Ridgewood and Riverside-Brookfield. The Dukes also played games at Leyden and once again competed in the Riverside-Brookfield summer league.
“We had a good summer,” said York coach Vince Doran. “I thought we really improved from the beginning of June to the end of the month. We really got better. Some of the teams that we saw who beat us early, we came back and were either competitive with them or beat them the second time around. We got better from beginning to end and that’s always a good sign.”
Doran said the team was excited to see Nick Kosich and Michael Pedote back in camp in various forms of activity. Both are coming off knee injuries.
“I liked the way the guys worked,” he said. “Nick was healthy by the end of June coming off his knee surgery. Michael Pedote was no-contact during the summer, but he’s also coming off a knee injury. Those two guys will be key contributors and it’s good to have them back. Nick is back already and hopefully Michael will be back by the fall all the way. Nick was able to have contact the last few weeks of June.”
Doran saw progress occur on both sides of the ball. “We focused more this summer on developing our offensive skills,” he said. “We did a lot of shooting and we got much better. That’s an area that has improved a lot for us. We’re getting a lot more comfortable offensively. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of June. If we do that, we are going to be in good shape. I thought we also got better defensively. We’re a little more comfortable with guys playing certain spots, especially with some guys not having varsity experience. They got that experience here in June and that is going to pay off for us when the season begins.”
Doran also liked the efforts of senior veteran Angelo Martucci. “Angelo played very well this summer,” said Doran. “He will be a key contributor along with Nick and Mike. Erik Cohn and Sam Walsh also are back and they will really help us as well. Both of them continue to improve.”
Doran was impressed with the play of two young players in Nate Shockey, a sophomore, and freshman Jeff Grace—both played with the varsity during the summer.
“I thought our two youngest players improved quite a bit,” he said. “Both are really talented players who will be able to help us. We know we have a great nucleus coming back and a couple new faces who will be contributors. We’re looking forward to an exciting season, for sure.”
Doran noted York’s signature Jack Tosh Holiday Classic tournament, which has 32 teams, will welcome new entrant Andrew out of Tinley Park. Andrew replaces De La Salle, which is going to play in California over the holidays.
