Jason Boswell (Photo: Star Ledger)
The Trinity Catholic boys basketball team received a little unexpected help for its state title defense.
Jason Boswell, a 6-foot-6 junior swingman who had been playing for St. Patrick High School in New Jersey, registered last week to attend Trinity.
Mike Walsh, the Crusaders’ coach, said Boswell, who lives in the Bronx, was looking to switch schools after St. Patrick’s coach, Kevin Boyle, resigned to take a position next season in Florida.
“We are very happy to have him,” Walsh said. “I’ve never seen the kid play, but I’ve read a lot about him.”
Boswell averaged 2.8 points per game for the Celtics, who finished with a 26-1 record. The lone loss was to state power St. Anthony’s in the New Jersey state playoffs.
Boswell was also buried behind McDonald’s All-American Michael Gilchrist, considered by many the best player in the state and among the best in the country, who is headed to Kentucky. Boswell is projected to be a dominant player in the FCIAC, with the ability to play multiple positions.
Boswell got a tour of Trinity during the spring and shadowed classes for a day.
“I heard the team won states and it is not too far from home,” Boswell said this afternoon in a telephone interview. “I knew about Tevin Baskin and how he did well there, and Coach Walsh told me about Torey Thomas and Rashamel Jones and how they went on to do good things,” added Boswell, referring to two Trinity alumni who went on to play, respectively, at Holy Cross and UConn. “It was a hard decision to leave St. Patrick, but I think this is best for me and my family.”
Boswell’s father, Orville, said his son already has offers from Miami, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Dayton and Seton Hall, and is being recruited by Syracuse and Villanova, as well as several Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
“Trinity offers a great academic situation as well as a basketball situation,” said Orville, who was on the Trinity campus today dropping off paperwork. “We like the close proximity to where we live and we wanted a private school. And Coach Walsh is phenomenal.”
Boswell had been commuting nearly two hours each way to St. Patrick, which is located in Elizabeth, N.J.
Walsh said he has no idea where Boswell, who is playing AAU ball for the Long Island Lightning, will fit into a lineup for a Trinity team that finished 18-9 and made a surprising run to the CIAC Class M title.
The Crusaders, except for guard Jonathan Boykin, have their entire lineup back, including guards Schadrac Casimir and Brandon Wheeler, and a frontcourt of Tyler Walston, Aaron Spence and Chukwu Pascal Chidiebere, the 7-foot-1 Nigerian who has been working hard in the offseason and hopes to make a greater impact as a sophomore.
Boswell said he has already met with Casimir and Wheeler.
“They told me how much they like the school, and how diverse and fun it is,” Boswell said.
Walsh said it is premature to start figuring out where Boswell will fit into the lineup.
“It’s hard for me to say because I haven’t even seen him play,” Walsh said. “He seems like a really nice kid and we’re glad he chose Trinity.”
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