Newsday's All-Long Island boys basketball second team 2023
Clockwise, from top left: Trevor Amalfitano of Port Washington, Caleb Aurelien of St. Anthony's, Jaylen Brown of Baldwin, Marquese Dennis of Brentwood.
Trevor Amalfitano, Port Washington, G, 6-1, Jr.
Amalfitano could score inside and out and averaged 18.8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals. He helped the Vikings (17-6) reach the Nassau Class AA title game and should be part of a promising returning group next season.
Caleb Aurelien, St. Anthony’s, G, 6-3, Sr.
Aurelien was a go-to scorer and ace defender as the Friars reached the CHSAA title game. He averaged 17.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He will play basketball at Swarthmore next season.
Jaylen Brown, Baldwin, F, 6-3, Sr.
Best in the big moments, Brown made the two most critical shots in Baldwin’s run to a third straight Nassau Class AA title: the game-winning three-pointer with 10 seconds left in the semifinals against Hempstead and a go-ahead trey with under a minute left in the title game win over Port Washington. He averaged 13.1 points and five rebounds.
Marquese Dennis, Brentwood, F, 6-5, Jr.
Dennis was the leader and linchpin as Brentwood recovered from a slow start and came on to win the Long Island Class AA championship. He averaged 14.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Clockwise, from top left: Drew Feinstein of Mt. Sinai, Anthony Follett of Portledge, Mike Gitz of Commack, Hayden Morris-Gray of Comsewogue.
Drew Feinstein, Mount Sinai, G, 6-3, Sr.
Feinstein finished with 1,845 points in five varsity seasons, the last two with Mount Sinai, and contributed 24.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his final season to lead the Mustangs’ to the program’s first trip to a Suffolk final.
Anthony Follett, Portledge, G, 6-4, Sr.
Follett scored a program-record 65 points in a game vs. Martin Luther and averaged 25.7 points, to go with 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Mike Gitz, Commack, G, 6-1, Sr.
Gitz was the centerpiece player as Commack (20-4) won 14 of 15 to reach the Suffolk Class AA title game. He averaged 15.5 points, four assists and three rebounds. He will attend Hartwick in the fall.
Hayden Morris-Gray, Comsewogue, G, 6-3, Sr.
Morris-Gray made 59 threes, had games of 49 and 43 points and averaged 23.1 points, 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
Clockwise, from top left: Kazmin Pensa-Johnson of Hampton Bays, Robert Pericolosi of South Side, Leonidas Vlogianitis of Garden City, Frank Wilson of Half Hollow Hills West.
Kazmin Pensa-Johnson, Hampton Bays, G/F, 6-5, Sr.
Pensa-Johnson averaged 25.2 points — he hit 45 threes and had 20 dunks — 9.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 3.0 blocks and 2.4 steals. Coach Noah said “his ability to see the floor and understand the game is his top quality.”
Robert Pericolosi, South Side, F, 6-3, Sr.
The Cyclones were a true ensemble that captured the Long Island Class A championship, and Pericolosi stood out with his fearless play in big spots and relentless rebounding. He averaged 12.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 blocks.
Leonidas Vlogianitis, Garden City, G, 6-2, Sr.
Whether pulling up for a three or finishing the break, Vlogianitis was one of the Island’s toughest scorers to stop. He averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. He made 43 three-pointers in 20 games played.
Frank Wilson, Half Hollow Hills West, F, 6-6, Sr.
Wilson averaged 23.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 blocks and finished with 1,221 points over five seasons, including the last three with Hills West.
