When the doors at Lawrence Woodmere Academy closed, it opened up an opportunity at Baldwin for Dylan Cudjoe to return to its boys’ basketball program. Coupled with his cousin Gabriel Phillips, the Bruins were going to have arguably the best big man tandem on Long Island.
But then Cudjoe, a starter on the 2023 county championship team, tore his ACL in the summer. Five weeks later, Phillips suffered the same injury when competing in the Alzheimer’s All-Star Basketball Classic. Both are out for the season.
As devastating as that is, it doesn’t temper the expectations this winter.
“It just might take a little longer to figure out what I’m going to do, but our goal is to win the county championship for the sixth straight year, 11th total, but it’s going to take time,” head coach Darius Burton said. “I’ve got new faces. We’re young. I kept four sophomores, and we’ve got a big gap to fill in the middle, but we’ll figure it out.”
Back from a team that went 18-8 last season, winning the Nassau and Long Island Class A titles before losing to Tappan Zee in the New York State Southeast Regional Final, is Ethan Sainsbury, a four-year varsity player and two-year captain, who returns to run the point.
Junior Mical Saint Jean could be poised for a breakout season after what Burton described as “an unbelievable summer” for the three-level scorer.
They’re joined by fellow returnees Isaiah Lett, a senior who is probably the most athletic on the team, as well as senior speedster Jordan Williams and senior Amir Karl-Otto, who will be part of a center-by-committee setup, which includes 6-foot-7 transfer Devon Williams and 6-foot-4 Matt Pierre Louis, a sophomore up from the junior varsity.
CJ Okogeri, whose sister Chinaya is on the Baldwin girls basketball team, is a forward who glides down the court and can shoot the 3-pointer. Other contributors will be AJ Nelson, a transfer from Long Island Lutheran, improved junior guard Karan Punj, and senior Rian Gittens, a 3-point threat.
The Baldwin girls basketball team graduated six seniors who played starring roles in a 24-2 season capped by a third New York State title in program history when the Bruins defeated Aquinas Institute in the Class AA final.
But that doesn’t mean this year’s squad lacks experience.
Alyssa Polonia was the lone junior starter a year ago and scored 18 points in the state final. The five-year varsity player and Assumption commit is going to handle the ball more than ever, while also being tasked with being a lockdown defender.
Sophomore Malia Robinson is in her fourth year on varsity and will take over the point guard duties from Payton Dulin, who is now a freshman at George Washington. She and junior Chinaya Okogeri, who was also called up to varsity as a seventh grader, were the first two guards off the bench last year.
Ajeya Nicholas, a 6-foot junior forward in her third year on varsity, brings great athleticism and has expanded her range to beyond the 3-point arc. She’s joined by seniors Leah Williams, a four-year varsity player, and Akua Bonsu, a force around the basket who Baldwin coach Tom Catapano describes as a “rebounding machine and a really tough defender.”
A year ago, Catapano utilized 10 players in most games, which he said was a key reason why Baldwin won a state title. He’s hoping to replicate that this year with Tori Brown, a 5-foot-9 athletic sophomore guard, and junior guards McKenzie Hart and Liz Hill, who were all called up from the junior varsity for the playoffs last year, as well as Nia Nesmith, a junior forward who is a utility player who rebounds and plays solid defense.
“I think we’re very balanced,” Catapano said. “I think we’re going to play five players who could all score in double figures. I think that’s going to be the strength, all of our starters really could go off on any given night, and I think we’re going to be hard to guard because of that.”
Dec. 11: @ Academy Charter, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 15: Port Washington, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 18: Herricks, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 7: @ Westbury, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 10: @ Oceanside, 1:00 p.m.
Jan. 13: @ V.S. Central, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 15: @ East Meadow, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 23: Academy Charter, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 26: @ Port Washington, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 29: @ Herricks, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 4: Westbury, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 7: Oceanside, 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 10: V.S. Central, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 13: East Meadow, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 9: @ Hicksville, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 15: @ Port Washington, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 18: @ Herricks, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 6: @ Uniondale, 5:45 p.m.
Jan. 10: Syosset, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 12: @ East Meadow, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 23: @ Farmingdale, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 26: Freeport, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 29: Massapequa, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 4: Westbury, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 6: Oceanside, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 10: @ V.S. Central, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 13: Plainview, 5:00 p.m.
