HOOP DREAMS: Tyler Ennis (left) of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark goes up against Andrew Harrison (5) of Ft. Bend, Texas, during practice for today’s Jordan Brand Classic all-star game. (Neil Miller)
Tonight’s Jordan Brand Classic is a nationally televised showcase, meant to display the talents of the nation’s top 24 high school basketball players.
For St. Benedict’s Prep’s Tyler Ennis, the lone local in the contest, the game has more meaning than it does for several of the other participants because he was a McDonald’s All-American snub.
“This is the bigger game [for me],” the 6-foot-2 point guard told The Post after a workout at Basketball City on Thursday. “It’s something in the back of my mind. I’m going to go out there, showcase my talents and prove to everybody I should’ve been in the game.”
The Syracuse-bound floor general likely will be thrust into a starring role for the Orange next year now that Michael Carter-Williams has announced his intentions to bypass his final two years of college and enter the NBA Draft. It’s a challenge Ennis welcomes.
He has a resume as accomplished as any of the elite talents who will grace the Barclays Center floor tonight. A member of Canada’s U-19 National Team, he led the Gray Bees to a 30-2 record this year and a runner-up finish in the National High School Invitational.
“He is the coach on the court,” St. Benedict’s coach Mark Taylor said. “I’ve coached some great guards, Jay Williams being one of them. I’m not going to say he’s better than Jay; he’s different. Jay was a more explosive player, Tyler is probably the smoothest player I’ve coached. He’s in control, is able to slither in and out of the defense at will, get to the rim and is always able to keep his teammates involved and run the show, which is a great attribute.”
“He’s very mature, he has a great way about him. He’s a quiet leader. We’re going to miss him a lot.”
Ennis came to New Jersey three years ago from Toronto, following in the footsteps of his older brother Dylan, who played two seasons at PSAL Bronx powerhouse Wings Academy. He had visited his older brother in the summer and quickly became comfortable in the area.
“When I had a chance to come to a big school like St. Benedict’s, and get a lot of playing time, it was something I really wanted to do,” he said. “I just came here and did my job. It got me to the school I wanted to go to from the beginning.”
The transition wasn’t easy at first, Ennis said, as the only Canadian at the New Jersey prep school. It forced him to mature quickly.
“It made me grow up a little bit, become a man because I was on my own,” he said.
Ennis’ heart still belongs to Toronto, but he feels a kinship to the Metropolitan area.
“When I first came to New Jersey, everybody said I was Canadian,” he joked. “Now that I’ve stayed longer, I’m a New Jersey kid.”
Which, of course, raises the question: What region will he be representing tonight?
“I’m happy to represent New Jersey, Canada and also myself,” he said, smiling.