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.”
To LPP,
Nice blog commentary. I think you are right on the mark with your comments. Great points about Parents and their influence over their kids and trying to get scholarships as well as Trinity would have had that QB.
Wilton Greenwich and Darien also don’t have the athletes like inner cities do (Norwalk Stamford Bridgeport) that play basketball at the highest levels. Those towns are in reality when trying to compete with those schools so like you said they put their resources into other sports.
Very good commentary here.
Wow, What a firestorm this is. FULL, I think the only thing I can agre with you about is that glorifying kids at an early age is not a good thing. I think what has been missed in this heated debate is that most parents want what is best for their kids and will do and say most anything to provide, in their eyes, the best future for their kids. I’m talking about college scholarships. The reason that good male basketball players turn up at Trinity is they have a respected coach and a history of sending kids to D1 programs. If towns like Wilton, Greenwich or Darien really wanted to have a good boys basketball program then you know they have the ability to do so. You really only need 3 excellent players and 3 good players to field a good boys high school basketball team. Why don’t these towns put the same effort into youth basketball as they do for lacrosse, soccer, swimming? College scholarships! Everyone knows it it much more difficult to land a D1 scholarship in basketball so these towns put all the effort into the areas they know they can dominate. If Trinty had the best football team in the state 2 years ago, you can be certaian that the quarterback from California would have ended up at Trinty and not New Canaan.
The question I have is why give these “kids” so much publicity! It’s like the column about a 17 yr old convicted felon that the Stamford Times published that had this kid being the next Bobby Valentine but is serving 6 years in prison. It was a nice spread on the kid and an embarassment to the community at the same time.
Newspapers should realize that to “glorify” kids at a young age is a disservice to them.
2 years ago, a high school quarterback moved from California to he USA Today #1 rated team in Florida, played in 1 game for the FL team, was dissatisfied that he was the backup, so he moved to New Canaan, earned a starting job a few games into the season, won a state title, and then split before the Spring semester was 1/2 over.
That same year, one of the top quarterbacks in the state transferred to Masuk after winning a state title at New London as a freshman, for reasons that were widely viewed as football related.
Whatever name you give to that behavior, it’s clear that it is not unique to private schools. It’s part of culture we live in today.
efbeenie,
You are very naive to think that public schools do not recruit. Chew on that while you are being “done with this”.
Yankee Mike,
Send your kids there all you want, more power to you. You have a biased opinion. Beat your chest for being the champions of your class M in the FCIAC(It’s your right), still I cant understand someone whom I’d imagine is very educated can’t seem to see the difference in the schools sports programs. I’ve lived in Stamford my entire life and seen the teams that trinity puts out on the hard wood, you guys can and have brought in kids from surrounding areas while the two public high schools are taking the best of their district from the 52 sq/miles that is Stamford. The public schools are true city teams, no bringing in ringers. Like it or not that is the truth. I’m sure I’m beating a dead horse hear, so I’m done with this.
Trinity Catholic High School is a coeducational college preparatory Diocesan high school located on 26 picturesque acres in northern Stamford, Connecticut. Serving the Fairfield County, Lower Westchester County communities. It was regionalized in 1991 from St. Mary’s (Greenwich), Stamford Catholic (Stamford), and Norwalk Central Catholic (Norwalk).
So for those who are unaware of how Trinity became a “regional” school and began attracting students from out of area, it was a matter of necessity when the 3 schools (thus Trinity) combined as the other two schools closed as a result of economic difficulties.
Over the years Coach Walsh has developed many players into legitimate D1 players which also attracts players from a wider area. Last year’s basketball team won the State Championship with more heart than talent and Coach Walsh brought out the best in every player. So please, if you aren’t going to complain when the Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Stamford and Westhills beat up on TCHS in football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, soccer, baseball, softball then please stop complaining about basketball, it’s the only sport you don’t want TCHS on your schedule for.
No comment! Thanks!
Keep up the good work, Dave.
And I think Full needs a nappy. Yeesh.
Thanks Dan. I think we see at all level of sports, there really is no offseason any more.
Full you are hating big time. Dave covers all sports and mostly high school sports. So why shouldn’t this be in the papers? Dave I’m sure has wrote articles about teams/players out of season in the past. Were you upset about those?
Mustapha I can’t speak for trinity hockey’s team this year, but when I was there they won a state championship in 98. Everybody on that team was from Stamford except for 2 or 3.
David,
You and your paper should be ashamed of themselves. To put a recruiting story on the top of your sports pages is crazy !
How about covering the Opening Ceremonies of the LL Tournament where almost 20 volunteers were honored for their time and service to kids ?
Or how about a story about the 1951 Stamford All star team who were celebrating 60 years of winning a National Championship ?
You have stooped to new lows by covering a Basketball player who is transferring out of state to play basketball in CT and making it headline news !
Horrendous !!
Full
Hey Full (of it),
It’s obviously news since it generated (as of now) 27 comments here.
You can bleat on all you want about Trinity this and Trinity that, but you still haven’t addressed the fact that public schools do the very same thing. And I don’t hear you whining when the Trinity soccer and lacrosse teams win two games between them.
And gloating about a high school baseball team not doing well makes you look even smaller.
Dave,
After reading the columns etc from around the Metropolitan area about this kid coming to Trinity it really is big news. This kid will make a huge impact in helping Trinity basketball win another state and FCIAC crown. It’s too bad there isn’t a level playing field when it comes to reporting and how teams are formed in the FCIAC.
The Trinity faithful will be counting the days till they play the Dariens and New Canaans and win by 30 points going away. In the meantime, in this reader’s opinion I would rather read about the recent Seniors on either SHS or WHS baseball teams that are making a difference in the community.
I want LOCAL news about local talent not talent being shipped in so that a school can gloriously hang up banners when they are supposed to because their roster has out of staters on it. That isn’t fair as Mustapha Jones says.
I wrote in originally claiming WHO CARES ? but now after seeing how this kid has been recruited by D 1 Schools throughout the country I understand the excitement by the Trinity faithful and for those folks this is the best news they have had in a long time since their baseball team underachieved this year.
Thanks, I appreciate it. Can’t control when the news happens!
Dave,
You do a great job covering local sports and I enjoy your columns. I don’t care what time of the year this is. Keep the local sports coming!
Now Yankee Mike, your love of the green and gold has blinded you to the reality that private schools and public schools should not be in the same league. The playing field is not equal and on some levels, nor should it be.
Do you remember in the 1970′s and 80′s when basketball was ruled around here by Norwalk and Brien McMahon? Back then Stamford Catholic was nothing in basketball. What happened? They had the same coach and AD. Hmmm, let’s look at it again, they started “recruiting” or should we say “providing opportunities to disadvantaged kids”?
Hey good for them, they ARE NOT breaking any rules and like I said in a previous post, I would send my kid to that school in a heartbeat, but from a issue of equality and fairness, it’s just not equal or fair.
What about hockey? TCHS and St. Joe’s have really good programs, are they all local kids from Stamford and Trumbull? Probably not right?
Let me ask you this, why are you so opposed to a Private School league?
LOL …don’t you understand the average Joe could care less about this news story…When are you guys covering the press conference to announce him coming to Trinity Catholic ? This is NOT news David and you know it’s not news….I don’t have a child in the Stamford School System or in any of their competitors’. You turn the argument around on the person instead of explaining why this information is so important to everyone in this area on June 28th ??
Like I said when is the Press Conference and will 880 and WFAN be there to cover it ? ?
You need more story pipelines so that you don’t have to waste time on June 28th talking about a TCHS Hoops recruit.
I report the news where it happens and when it happens. Not my fault the news is not to your liking. To accuse me of a bias is the same thing as saying I’m unprofessional. I don’t take kindly to anyone who says, suggests, infers that.
and one more comment: if this were a College Signing period I could understand covering this but this is High School Basketball on June 28th 2011. It’s over the top Dave……
Dave,
In response to your last blog, the kid can’t go to those schools….I really think you drink the kool aid pal…..I really do now …it so obvious…..June 28th let’s talk about a kid coming to TCHS to play hoops…who cares ? ?
Are you the marketing department ? or the sports department ?
Again, there are more important topics to cover at this time of the year than a Bronx kid coming to TCHS to jump and play hoops.
By posting this at 12 noon after the letter of intent was signed and the registration entered in the system your true Gold and Green come out of you………
End of Story …I have made my points ….
Yankee Mike,
Obviously you are a biased fan of Trinity Hoops.
As Dave Rudy knows I am not biased for/or against anyone. Please see blog # 17….this blog basically is saying “WHO CARES?”
We all know that Trinity has brought in kids from out of STATE to play on their basketball team that is a fact and this is the NUMBER one reason why this team is HATED (or loved) by so many.
Once again, the rules are the rules but their Head Coach has done a magnificent job of developing D 1 Talent that gets scholarships. There is no denying that fact.
Please it’s SUMMER TIME….Let’s talk baseball Youth Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Softball , anything that is Summer related….
The average sports fan DOES NOT care that some kid from the Bronx is coming to Trinity to play hoops on June 28 2011 and NO THIS STORY IS NOT WARRANTED FRONT PAGE HEADLINES let alone his picture.
I think we should just ship him to the NBA right after High School…As the great Warner Wolf says “Give us a break”
Thank you.
Full
Can’t believe this is even a debate. I – all journalists – report news when it happens. The fact it is a school you don’t care for has blinded your logic. The news would be of equal value if Boswell was coming to Stamford High, Westhill, Darien, New Canaan…
What is the significance and relevance on June 28th 2011 ? Do other schools in the FCIAC have a “recruiting update” for you ? Is this deserving of Breaking News like your editors put on the first page online at 10:00 p.m shortly before my first blog. Cmon Dave even you have to admit that this is “over the top” !!!
I’ll say it again to the public school whiners…your schools recruit as well. There are a lot of examples of players out of the school’s jurisdiction that, through some special “program” or rule-bending, get to play a desired sport for a desired school. You are naive to think otherwise.
For what it’s worth, Coach Walsh hadn’t seen Boswell play. Not many have. He was the 9th man on the team. The thing is, even a 9th man on a powerhouse team like St. Patrick’s gets scholarship offers. The kid expressed interest in TCHS, who are they to turn him down?
So I’m not supposed to report a significant story because it is Trinity, basketball and June 28? Yep that would be really good journalism.
Dave Ruden,
On June 28th you are covering an Athlete who was recruited to play at Trinity Catholic High School Basketball ? Are you serious ? How about covering the local baseball scene ? I am sure there are some good stories about some “home-grown” products who just graduated and are helping disadvantaged kids ?
Then you wonder why people think the way they do sometimes about your coverage ?
The fact that this is “Breaking News” on the front page of the Advocate online is a pretty scary thought. Those Trinity lovers of hooops good for you …You get kids from out of state and win CT state titles with them!!
That is NOT hard to do …please do not change the subject around on me as I don’t have ” a horse in the field” Rather just stating facts.
Again, this is a POOR choice of journalism…..and you know I usually ssupport you etc.
Full
I believe that Trinity AND St. Joe’s should not compete in the FCIAC. By being able to pilfer the best kids from other districts is just not fair to the other teams in the league. As a parent would I prefer my child attended Trinity or St. Joe’s instead of Westhill, Norwalk High, Brien McMahon, Bassick, Harding, etc.? Heck Yeah! On a competition level, how is it fair for St. Joe’s to pluck the best kids out of Bridgeport and for Trinity to pluck the best kids out of Norwalk, Stamford and now the Bronx and expect those teams to compete on the same level? I am not opposed to those schools “recruiting”, but they should have some sort of private school league like in NYC or here in CT with the Prep school hockey programs.
Say what you will about the Public schools with better facilities and bigger budgets, but that doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have any talent to use it right?
I’m betting the reason is that, with the CHSAA re-alignment, it’s unknown how each team would fare and he probably didn’t want to to deal with the unknown. That, and the big-fish-in-a-small-pond aspect of it. Maybe he just wanted to be “the guy”.
I question why a top New York hoopster wouldn’t want to refine his skills in the New York City Catholic school league..Every game is a challenge.Quite a difference betweeen playing Christ The King vs playing at Darien High.
I wish him luck and hope it all works out for him.
Oh, elbeenie…you make yourself sound naive when you talk about recruiting. Public schools like to make their maneuvers as well if it means landing a player they need. Don’t kid yourself. Immediately one instance comes to mind where someone was placed out of their jurisdiction so that his school’s lacrosse team could have him.
Didn’t know city championships were that big of a deal.
You all don’t get it. It doesn’t matter where they belong. It matters where they are.
KLHT’s tuition is more than 3X what Trinity charges. Public schools have 5x the facilities than Trinity. Yet ONE team wins at basketball basketball so it gets everyone’s feathers ruffled.
That’s OK. I’ll keep sending my kids to TCHS while paying for YOUR kid’s schooling with my property tax. Small measure of satisfaction that the public school defenders get so crazed about this. Heh.
Trinity and St. Joe’s don’t belong in the FCIAC, they belong in the FAA with King and all the other private schools.
We do MUCH less “beating of our chests” than you do complain about it. Fact.
And, you can say anything you want, but what you want will never happen. So, deal with it. We do.
I’m talking about city championships, trinity should compete with private schools not public.
Obviously the sports that you mentioned are not as big as basketball or football, and if they can’t recruit to those sports like they do to the bigger sports than that’s their problem. They and all schools that can recruit should not be allowed to compete with a public school, end of story.
You both speak like typical private/ recruiting school followers, so what’s your point. My logic makes more sense than anything either of you 2 have just wrote. Keep bringing in outsiders and beating your chests when you win with kids from out of the area, your right that sounds really fair!
Couldn’t agree with you more Yankee Mike
Spoken like a typical public school follower. OK so you think it’s BS. Guess what? No one cares.
Do you say anything when Trinity dresses 22 kids for a football game? When they score 10 goals all season in soccer? When their one goal in lacrosse is to win ONE game? Or that they don’t have a track team or swimming team? That they can’t field more than a 2-man team for bowling?
More often than not, Trinity, like most private Catholic schools, are at a disadvantage across-the-board with every sport but basketball, but your one complaint is about basketball. Go figure.
And what about St. Joes? Is any title they win BS?
I’ve always had a problem with how the FCIAC is set up, why should trinity compete against public schools that cannot recruit players???
Any title that Trinity wins is BS a far as I’m concerned!