Keydren Clark stopped by a recent Rice practice and his former teammates were eager to hear what the St. Peter’s star had to say.
“We all know that we haven’t won a city title yet, so when he came in and started talking about what it takes to win one, you have to listen,” said Edgar Sosa.
The guard may be headed to play for Rick Pitino at Louisville, but Sosa still felt compelled to learn from Clark, who has become an offensive star at St. Peter’s. It’s not often when a Big East-bound player heeds the advice of one who is at a MAAC school, but Clark has a high school championship ring and Sosa does not.
That could change this year.
Head coach Mo Hicks, who consistently has some of the best talent in the CHSAA – if not the country – has three superb seniors. In addition to Sosa, there’s 6-8 Curtis Kelly, who is bound for UConn, and unsigned 6-2 Kashif Pratt. Although Pratt isn’t of the caliber of Sosa and Kelly, recruiting expert Tom Konchalski said that he is better than most other teams’ No. 1 options.
None of that will matter, however, if the Raiders again fail to win the city title this season.
“We’ve come close every year that I’ve been here,” Kelly said. “Xaverian killed my dream the last two years. They had the seniors. This year, we do.”
And they are relying on that experience to give them their first title since 2002. While that doesn’t sound like much of a drought, it is at the Harlem school.
“I can’t imagine leaving here without a ring,” Kelly said. “No matter what I do at UConn or anywhere else, it won’t change the fact that I didn’t win here.”
The relative lack of success has gotten the three top seniors talking. They are contemplating each getting a tattoo – something along the lines of “three-headed monster.”
That could help the trio’s camaraderie, but it likely won’t win them any games – particularly in March, when the nation’s top league becomes even tougher.
Without a victory at Fordham in the city title game, Sosa insists he won’t leave the school pleased.
“There’s a lot of pressure on us,” Sosa said. “But I want that. Next year, I’ll be in the Big East and there’s nothing but pressure there. This is a great chance to get used to it and learn how to win with it.”
Hicks has liked what he’s seen from his team so far.
“Every year, it seems like the team that wins has great senior leadership,” Hicks said. “I can see the change in them already. They understand what they have to do more.”
It was the maturity of seniors Levance Fields and Saiquon Stone that put Xaverian over the top a year ago. Kelly was in the stands at the Clippers’ state championship game in Glens Falls and is envisioning himself there at season’s end.
“Heart always beats talent,” Kelly said. “This year, we have both. We can’t lose again.”