Newsday's All-Long Island boys basketball team 2021

Newsday Player of the Year: Jordan Riley, Brentwood, G, 6-4, Sr.

It didn’t take Brentwood boys basketball coach Anthony Jimenez long to understand what he had coming up the pipeline in Jordan Riley.

Jimenez remembers seeing Riley as a sixth-grader and immediately knew he was a different caliber of player.

"Coaches that put their time in, they can see an innate ability in a kid and their speed, instincts, their level of talent compared to others in their age group," Jimenez said. "I knew he was going to be a very, very special player, which is why we had him on the varsity as a freshman and he didn’t look back."

Riley, who is committed to Georgetown, continued to improve each season and averaged 31.7 points and five assists a game this year to be named Newsday’s Player of the Year.

"It was clear to see what his ability was this year and why he’s going to Georgetown," Jimenez said. "It was undeniable, it really was. He was just able to perform at such a higher level than anybody I’ve seen in a very, very long time."

Riley announced his commitment in July to play at Georgetown for NBA Hall of Famer and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. Riley, at 6-4, brings a physical and mental toughness to the Georgetown program.

"They want to have alpha dogs out there," Jimenez said, "and he’s going to fit right into that high-energy, physical type of defense that they want to play."

Riley was always at the center of the opposing team’s game plan but could rarely be slowed down. He opened the season with 42 points and eight steals against Sachem East and scored at least 26 points in six of seven games this year.

"When he was on the floor, he was making things happen," Jimenez said. "He drew so much attention that he was always able to find open guys that can finish. He played exactly the way we wanted him to play this year."  

Mekhi Beckett, Mepham, G/F, 6-4, Sr.

The versatile wing averaged 22 points and five rebounds a game and scored at least 20 points in six of eight games. Beckett was one of the most reliable scorers on Long Island and had 28 points in a win over Calhoun.

Patrick Burke, Smithtown West, F, 6-7, Soph.

This imposing force in the paint averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks for the Bulls. Burke had 18 points and 22 rebounds in a 67-56 victory over Deer Park to advance to the Suffolk Division II final.  

Pictured: Jack Garside of Kings Park, Myles Goddard of Amityville, Pat Healy of Northport.

Jack Garside, Kings Park, G, 6-2, Sr.

He is Kings Park’s all-time leading scorer with 1,178 points. He averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals a game this season. He helped Kings Park to a 61-17 record over four years. Garside also was an adept playmaker, and will play at Rochester next year.

Myles Goddard, Amityville, F, 6-5, Sr.

The athletic, versatile big man averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and three blocks a game this season. Goddard started every game since freshman year, which included a state championship in 2018 and an overall Suffolk title last year.

Pat Healy, Northport, G, 6-foot, Sr.

The four-year varsity player helped lead the Tigers to the Suffolk Division I championship and had 19 points in the 58-56 victory over Brentwood. He averaged 14.3 points per game and his constant energy helped Northport’s stout defense. He will play at Hobart.  

Pictured: Colby Jordan of Half Hollow Hills West, Jaden Kealey of Center Moriches, Isaiah Randolph of Brentwood.

Colby Jordan, Half Hollow Hills West, G, 6-1, Sr.

The athletic guard averaged 16 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists a game for the Suffolk Division III champions. Jordan contributed in all facets of the game for the undefeated Colts. He helped lead Hills West to a 59-14 record in his four varsity seasons.

Jaden Kealey, Center Moriches, F, 6-6, Sr.

The hybrid forward averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks a game this season for the Suffolk Division IV champions. Kealey had 29 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to Half Hollow Hills East, which had an undefeated season and won the Suffolk Division II crown. He also had 28 points and 18 rebounds against Malverne.

Isaiah Randolph, Brentwood, F, 6-3, Sr.

The athletic wing averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists and four steals a game. He and Jordan Riley formed a difficult tandem to defend. He had 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a win over Longwood.

Michael Warren Jr., Malverne, G/F, 6-foot, Sr.

Warren was a catalyst all over the floor for the Mules. The playmaking guard averaged 28.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists a game. He had 38 points and seven assists against a strong Center Moriches squad and was a key piece of two Nassau championship teams over five seasons.

Jared Weakly, Holy Trinity, F, 6-7, Sr.

Weakly has a tremendous presence on the floor, and he averaged 16.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks a game for the Titans. He shot 58% from the field, including 38% from beyond the arc, as Holy Trinity won the CHSAA regular-season league title.  

Coach of the Year: Andrew D’Eloia, Northport

D'Eloia guided Northport to the Suffolk Division I title and developed a strong defensive game plan in the final win over Brentwood.

ALL-LONG ISLAND SECOND TEAM

Brent Bland, Half Hollow Hills West, G, 6-2, Sr.: He averaged 18.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game for the undefeated Suffolk III champions.

Darius Coleman, St. Mary’s, G/F, 6-4, Jr.: The playmaking guard averaged 16.4 points per game, including 22 against Chaminade.

Preston Edmead, Deer Park, G, 5-8, Fr.: The quick, playmaking guard averaged 17.5 points, 6.1 assists and three steals a game. Edmead already has emerged as one of the top players on Long Island.

Jordan Evelyn, Uniondale, G/F, 6-1, Sr.: He averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals a game for the Knights. He played nearly every position on the floor and will play at John Jay College next year.

Leisaan Hibbert, Half Hollow Hills East, G, 6-1, Sr.: He averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals a game for the undefeated Suffolk II champions.

Mikell Henry, Lawrence, G, 6-0, Sr.: Henry was an all-around presence for Lawrence, averaging 24.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and seven assists a game this season.

Khalil London, St. Dominic, G, 6-1, Jr.: The dynamic scorer averaged 18.1 points per game, including 32 against St. John the Baptist. London scored at least 24 points in four games.

Luke Long, Garden City, G, 6-foot, Sr.: Long does his name justice with his range, totaling 38 three-pointers in eight games for Garden City. He averaged 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists a game this year. Long had four games with at least 30 points, including 47 in a win over New Hyde Park.

Jonathan Maldonado, Elmont, G, 6-2, Sr.: He averaged 18.4 points per game and was a lockdown defender for the Spartans, one of only three teams in Nassau to win eight games this season. He was one of the most consistent players in Nassau, scoring at least 14 points in all eight games in an undefeated season.

Chris Toscano, Carey, G, 6-3, Sr.: He averaged 19.5 points, four rebounds and five assists for the Seahawks, including 32 points in a win over Great Neck North.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.