Stonehill Scouting Report

[HooperScooper]

Couple CT kids on Stonehill.

Shamir Johnson wasn't a huge UConn men's basketball fan while growing up in Waterbury, even though his godfather is E.J. Harrison, the guard who was part of the Huskies' 1999 national championship team.

Jackson Benigni, on the other hand ...

"I grew up a diehard UConn fan," the former Xavier High and Hamden Hall star from East Hampton confessed.

Jackson Benigni, Shamir Johnson helping Stonehill men's basketball's transition to Division 1

Xavier, Hamden Hall product Jackson Benigni, a 'diehard' UConn fan, and Waterbury's Shamir Johnson, 'the Mayor of Stonehill,' will be with SkyHawks for UConn's season-opener Monday night.

www.nhregister.com

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Jackson Benigni, Shamir Johnson helping Stonehill men's basketball's transition to Division 1​

 

[RichZ]

Maybe a Buick Skylark? A Skyhawk is a plane, never too old for me to learn something new - yet.

You young whippersnappers... THIS is a Sky Hawk.
One year only model, in the first year of Studebaker's Hawk series.

 

[mauconnfan]

JC was just getting started at UConn when Anthony graduated. I honestly don’t remember if Coach Calhoun recruited him, I’m sure he did because every major program in the country was in our gym on Friday nights. Booger picker was top dog in the NE back then and it was a big deal when Snake committed there.

JC was going more National by then. KO was coming in and I think he was recruiting Travis Best and KO at the same time as Anthony if my timing is correct. Smittty just left when AH was graduating from HS.

 

[karstenkibbe]

JC was just getting started at UConn when Anthony graduated. I honestly don’t remember if Coach Calhoun recruited him, I’m sure he did because every major program in the country was in our gym on Friday nights. Booger picker was top dog in the NE back then and it was a big deal when Snake committed there.

I remember being blown away by Anthony Harris’s strength and skill in high school. Westhill won the FCIAC championship his freshman and sophomores years. Then he just dominated and Danbury won it all his last two years there. Those were great days of high school hoops in Fairfield County, when Westhill, Stamford High, Danbury and occasionally Ridgefield would field rosters full of D1 and D2 talent. Fun to watch.

Sadly, Harris’s work ethic was non-existent. He arrived at University of Southern Canada overweight and out of shape and essentially sabotaged his high-major career by ending up on academic probation by end of freshman year. Despite redshirting his sophomore year, he had no interest in attending classes. So it was off to some Iowa JC, then to Hawaii, where he actually played quite well. Classic case of what could have been.

 

[formerlurker]

I remember being blown away by Anthony Harris’s strength and skill in high school. Westhill won the FCIAC championship his freshman and sophomores years. Then he just dominated and Danbury won it all his last two years there. Those were great days of high school hoops in Fairfield County, when Westhill, Stamford High, Danbury and occasionally Ridgefield would field rosters full of D1 and D2 talent. Fun to watch.

Sadly, Harris’s work ethic was non-existent. He arrived at University of Southern Canada overweight and out of shape and essentially sabotaged his high-major career by ending up on academic probation by end of freshman year. Despite redshirting his sophomore year, he had no interest in attending classes. So it was off to some Iowa JC, then to Hawaii, where he actually played quite well. Classic case of what could have been.

Yup. I know the story very well. Too much too fast for him

 

[mauconnfan]

I remember being blown away by Anthony Harris’s strength and skill in high school. Westhill won the FCIAC championship his freshman and sophomores years. Then he just dominated and Danbury won it all his last two years there. Those were great days of high school hoops in Fairfield County, when Westhill, Stamford High, Danbury and occasionally Ridgefield would field rosters full of D1 and D2 talent. Fun to watch.

Sadly, Harris’s work ethic was non-existent. He arrived at University of Southern Canada overweight and out of shape and essentially sabotaged his high-major career by ending up on academic probation by end of freshman year. Despite redshirting his sophomore year, he had no interest in attending classes. So it was off to some Iowa JC, then to Hawaii, where he actually played quite well. Classic case of what could have been.

Yep after a rather underwhelming first few years in various college levels he found his way at Hawaii finally his last year averaging 22 a game. Now that you brought up the early history I do remember that.

 

[CCSUBlue92]

The Bart Torvik "line" for the teams from CT who are playing on Monday:

Stonehill 56
UConn 88

CCSU 71
UMass 86

QU 70
URI 78

Fairfield 68
Wake Forest 76

Yale is playing a D2 school.

 

[auror]

There's no good way to handicap Stonehill. We might win by 50, we might win by 20.

 

[tennmike]

Appreciate these as always.

Not a lot of size here, even for a low-low major. Clingan has 6-8 inches on their post players. Good grief

Appreciate these as always.

Not a lot of size here, even for a low-low major. Clingan has 6-8 inches on their post players. Good grief

Clingan makes the rest of the UConn team look small. He may be still growing.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

There's no good way to handicap Stonehill. We might win by 50, we might win by 20.

It's the uncertainty that makes it #concerning for me.

 

[tennmike]

Appreciate these as always.

Not a lot of size here, even for a low-low major. Clingan has 6-8 inches on their post players. Good grief

Appreciate these as always.

Not a lot of size here, even for a low-low major. Clingan has 6-8 inches on their post players. Good grief

Clingan makes the rest of the UConn team look small. He may be still growing.

 

[CCSU97]

I remember being blown away by Anthony Harris’s strength and skill in high school. Westhill won the FCIAC championship his freshman and sophomores years. Then he just dominated and Danbury won it all his last two years there. Those were great days of high school hoops in Fairfield County, when Westhill, Stamford High, Danbury and occasionally Ridgefield would field rosters full of D1 and D2 talent. Fun to watch.

Sadly, Harris’s work ethic was non-existent. He arrived at University of Southern Canada overweight and out of shape and essentially sabotaged his high-major career by ending up on academic probation by end of freshman year. Despite redshirting his sophomore year, he had no interest in attending classes. So it was off to some Iowa JC, then to Hawaii, where he actually played quite well. Classic case of what could have been.

Those were some awesome years in the FCIAC. When I was a Frosh at Stamford, I remember when the Hatters came to town or rivalry games with Westhill. The packed gyms rivaled the Big East atmospheres at that time. Unfortunately, most of the players from that era/teams didn't have their act together off the court and didn't get to the next level (D-I).

As you point out Harris wasn't able to get it done at 'Cuse and wound up at Hawaii.

CT HS POY Dexter Bennet (Westhill) was one of CCSU's prized recruits, until he robbed a Subway at gunpoint in Stamford days before classes started.

Stamford High was unable to break through the Danbury and Westhill domination of FCIAC titles, but did win the CIAC LL championship in 1992. Hank Moss wound up with a very solid career at D-II Southern Connecticut. Tremaine Byrd went to Boston U. and transferred to Morgan State. However, few other All-State or all-FCIAC players from SHS couldn't even stay eligible at SCSU.

 

[Psolo12]

Clearly favorites in the Big East based on this

I got UConn at -27.5

 

[alexd]

JC was going more National by then. KO was coming in and I think he was recruiting Travis Best and KO at the same time as Anthony if my timing is correct. Smittty just left when AH was graduating from HS.

I seem to remember some quotes that JC was after Ollie & Best, Brunson and Brian Fair and the first to commit at each guard spot would get it.

 

[RedStickHusky]

My bad, wonder why it was discontinued it was quite unique looking.

I think they just renamed it - the Deathtrap...

 

[karstenkibbe]

Those were some awesome years in the FCIAC. When I was a Frosh at Stamford, I remember when the Hatters came to town or rivalry games with Westhill. The packed gyms rivaled the Big East atmospheres at that time. Unfortunately, most of the players from that era/teams didn't have their act together off the court and didn't get to the next level (D-I).

As you point out Harris wasn't able to get it done at 'Cuse and wound up at Hawaii.

CT HS POY Dexter Bennet (Westhill) was one of CCSU's prized recruits, until he robbed a Subway at gunpoint in Stamford days before classes started.

Stamford High was unable to break through the Danbury and Westhill domination of FCIAC titles, but did win the CIAC LL championship in 1992. Hank Moss wound up with a very solid career at D-II Southern Connecticut. Tremaine Byrd went to Boston U. and transferred to Morgan State. However, few other All-State or all-FCIAC players from SHS couldn't even stay eligible at SCSU.

Spot on. Dexter Bennett was a great talent and I remember the Subway robbery and then the gas station robbery in Banksville. Your fellow Black Knight Rodney Spann couldn’t get his act together either. He and his son, both now based in Bridgeport, have serious criminal records. Job Casimir was a great guard… then robbed a bank in Glenbrook. Schadrac was the bright spot in that family… had a strong college career at Iona and FGCU. Stamford has such a long history of basketball successes, as well as wasted talent and potential.

 

[CCSU97]

Spot on. Dexter Bennett was a great talent and I remember the Subway robbery and then the gas station robbery in Banksville. Your fellow Black Knight Rodney Spann couldn’t get his act together either. He and his son, both now based in Bridgeport, have serious criminal records. Job Casimir was a great guard… then robbed a bank in Glenbrook. Schadrac was the bright spot in that family… had a strong college career at Iona and FGCU. Stamford has such a long history of basketball successes, as well as wasted talent and potential.

Couldn't agree more. It reads like A Stamford Tale ...