July 26, 2010
Young Hawks ready to take flight
Sophomore point guard Kavon Stewart and Hudson Catholic have big goals for 2011.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
JERSEY CITY – Whether it was at Paterson Catholic or on the AAU circuit with the Playaz Basketball Club, Reggie Cameron and Kavon Stewart have been practically inseparable on the court. So when it came time for the talented sophomores to find a new school after Paterson Catholic closed in May, it was no surprise to see them stay together.
Cameron and Stewart will remain teammates for the foreseeable future as they continue their high school careers at Hudson Catholic.
“We’re really used to be around each other all year playing basketball,” Cameron said. “Wherever I chose to go, I wanted Kavon to be there with me.”
“(Having Reggie) helped me a lot,” said Stewart about the adjustment of changing schools. “That’s someone that I’ve played with for a very long time and came along with me. It made me feel a little bit comfortable.”
On a loaded Paterson Catholic squad which included St. Anthony transfers Kyle Anderson and Myles Mack along Division 1 prospects Fuquan Edwin, Jayon James and Derrick Randall, playing time was limited for Cameron and Stewart. Despite that relative lack of experience on the varsity level, both have emerged as two of the state’s premier prospects in the Class of 2013.
Cameron, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward, averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season. Cameron may be the Hawks’ tallest player on the roster, but he has the offensive game of a guard, using his outside shooting ability to create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses.
“Reggie’s a 6-foot-7 wing forward who’s got NBA range on his shot right now,” said Hudson Catholic head coach Nick Mariniello.
“I think that I can knock down shots consistently because I use my height to my advantage,” said Cameron, who connected on 16 3-pointers a year ago.
At 5-foot-10, Stewart is a prototypical point guard in Mariniello’s system which often features two or three point guards on the court at the same time.
Stewart’s speed will allow the Hawks to play an up-tempo offense, but what has impressed Mariniello the most is his ability and willingness to pass the ball and create scoring opportunities for others.
“That’s my main approach to the game,” Stewart said. “Get my teammates involved in the game.”
“He’s a true point guard because he thinks assists first,” Mariniello said. “And he can get to the goal and score.”
Cameron and Stewart join an exciting young core at Hudson Catholic. The Hawks return their entire roster from a season ago. Point guard Travis Flagg and guard/forward Rakwan Kelly headline the group of returning starters from last year and give Hudson Catholic a quartet of future Division 1 players in the sophomore class in Mariniello’s opinion.
Senior Danny Limming and junior Michael Alford and Marc Wilson have also impressed in summer league action. Even before the additions of Stewart and Cameron, Mariniello expected the team to be much improved from last season’s 12-win performance.
“We have a really good core of kids in the program,” Mariniello said. “We’ve gotten better in a very, very short period of time, but we’ve been working very, very hard.”
With such a sophomore-heavy roster, Mariniello admitted that this season’s goals are about more than just wins and losses. But with the talent already in place, it’s hard for these Hawks not to think about the immense potential that could lie ahead for this group.
“We’re going to grow,” Stewart said. “We’re young and I’m looking forward to us having a great season. By our junior and senior seasons we should be one of the top teams in the country.”
