CSI/McCown isn’t known for athletics. Before recently, the new school’s only winning program was wrestling.
Quamaine Tomlin, a gifted and versatile 6-foot-6 forward, has helped to change that, leading the Dragons to a 7-1 start – their best beginning in program history. His arrival two years ago was fortunate for the school, which is made up of two entities – the College of Staten Island High School and Gaynor McCown.
To get into the school, students need to be chosen from a lottery. Unhappy following his freshman year at Moore Catholic, Tomlin opted to transfer and CSI/McCown was at the top of his list because of its top academics. There was a shortage in the sophomore class and he was accepted.
“We got very lucky,” CSI/McCown coach Ray Palma said of Tomlin, who reached 1,000 points for his career in Wednesday’s 54-51 loss to Susan Wagner.
The program has changed since Tomlin arrived, going from one league victory the year before he got there to five last season. He’s improved each season, averaging 12 points and 12 rebounds as a sophomore, 18 points and 12 rebounds as a junior, and 15 points and 12 rebounds thus far this year. He got the year off to a roaring start, scoring 22 points in a season-opening 69-55 win over Catholic Class AA foe Monsignor Farrell.
His points are somewhat down, but that’s because others around him – such as junior guard Brandon O’Keefe, junior guard Joseph Ojo and senior wing Chris Frank – have improved. Moreover, Tomlin has become a better passer, able to read defenses and beat double teams when they gave him problems in the past.
“We work hard all the time, through all the seasons,” he said. “I feel like we can beat anyone.”
Tomlin credits part of his improvement to his summer with the New York Gauchos playing along the city’s top prospects like Christ the King’s Omar Calhoun, a UConn commit, and Cardinal Hayes forward Amadou Sidibe, who is headed to Fairfield.
“Playing with top players made me want to push myself to get better, to be where they are,” he said.
Currently, the Dragons are tied with McKee/Staten Island Tech for second place – the top two teams on the Island qualify for the PSAL Class AA playoffs – just a game behind powerhouse Curtis, which hosts CSI/McCown Friday night in St. George.
“Curtis is the cream of the crop on Staten Island; they always are,” said Palma, a former junior varsity coach at Curtis. “But I’m excited. It’s the kind of game you circle on your calendar. We have a team that can certainly be competitive and have a to win. My kids don’t have an ounce of fear in them. We’re expecting to win and the coaches feel the same way.”
College coaches have begun to notice. Division I schools Monmouth, St. Peter’s and St. Francis College have expressed significant interest, along with quality Division II programs Adelphi and the College of St. Rose.
As the wins have piled up, the attitude towards the team has blossomed. Virtually the entire school attends home games. The team is treated like mini-celebrities.
“It shows our other programs despite difficulties and low enrollment, good things can happen,” Palma said. “The kids from both schools are feeding off our success.”
It all started with Tomlin’s decision to try to start something at CSI/McCown instead of joining a more established program. He’s gotten better at the little-known school, on the court and in the classroom, and the basketball has reaped the rewards.
“He’s a huge part of our success, certainly the most dominant player we have,” Palma, in his fourth season, said. “He’s the big guy – guards are a dime a dozen, but the big guys are hard to find.”