Newsday's Long Island All-Decade boys basketball players: The 2010s
From left, Devonte Green, KC Ndefo, Michael O'Connell, Cheick Diallo and Andre Curbelo.
The 2010s was evidence that the shift of talent was moving to prep schools in high school basketball. Four of the top players performed at Long Island Lutheran, which was quickly becoming a national powerhouse.
One of the more notables to play for the Crusaders was 6-9 Kenton Facey, a premier shot-blocker from Jamaica who was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2013. Long Island Lutheran guard Devonte Green was a three-time All-Long Island pick and played four years for Indiana University.
And there was Cheick Diallo at Our Savior New American, who went from Mali, West Africa, to the hardwood of OSNA in Centereach. The 6-9 center was a three-time All-Long Island pick and the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2015.
Perhaps the best storyline of all was Michael O’Connell, the CHSAA Player of the Year at Chaminade, who played his senior year at a prep school in New Jersey. He went on to star at Stanford and North Carolina State, helping the Wolfpack reach the Final Four in 2024.
The coach of the decade is the Crusaders' John Buck, who figured out a way to mold the worldwide talent on his court into championship teams, winning three state Federation crowns.
The selection committee consisted of two longtime sportswriters, Gregg Sarra and Mike Candel. Sarra has covered high schools for 40 years. Candel covered high school and college sports from 1976 until his retirement in 2002.
KC Ndefo, Elmont
The talented 6-7 forward led the Spartans to the state Class A championship as a sophomore and carried Elmont to the Nassau title as a junior when his buzzer-beating shot defeated South Side. Ndefo was a two-time first-team All-Long Island choice. He transferred to Abraham Lincoln in Brooklyn as a senior. Ndefo played collegiately for St. Peter’s, where he was a three-time MAAC defensive player of the year winner. He also was named first-team All-MAAC as a junior. He won the Lefty Driesell Award as the country’s top defensive player in 2022, transferred to Seton Hall as a senior and played in the NBA G League.
Sean Braithwaite in 2019. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Sean Braithwaite, Center Moriches
The 6-6 point guard with exceptional ballhandling skills led the Red Devils to Long Island championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019 with two trips to the state semifinals. He was a two-time All-Long Island first-team pick, averaging 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He played for the University of New Haven and earned Academic Distinction (fall 2023) and Academic Honors (spring 2024) accolades on the Northeast-10 academic honor roll.
Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran
His career was a highlight reel on both ends of the floor. Curbelo was a two-time All-Long Island first-team pick and a two-time Newsday Nassau Player of the Year. He averaged 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists as a senior. Curbelo played for Illinois for a year, earning Big Ten Conference sixth man of the year and All-Freshman awards. He also played for St. John’s and Southern Mississippi.
Cheick Diallo, Our Savior New American
His basketball odyssey took him from his homeland in Mali, West Africa, to a host family in Coram and the hardwood of OSNA in Centereach. Diallo was a three-time All-Long Island pick and Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2015. The 6-9 center earned MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American game. He averaged 19 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks as a senior. Diallo played one year for Kansas before starting his NBA career and playing three seasons with the Pelicans and a year with the Suns and Pistons.
LuHi's Kenton Facey in 2013. Credit: Pat Orr
Kenton Facey, Upper Room/Long Island Lutheran
The shot-blocker of the decade also was a rim-rocker with his thunderous dunks. He was Newsday’s Long Island Player of the Year in 2013. The 6-9 center led the Crusaders to the state Federation Class AA title game and was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year after averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks as a senior. Born in Jamaica, he came to the United States in 2010 and played his first year for Upper Room. He played four years for Connecticut and then four seasons in the Spanish Pro-B League.
Devonte Green, St. Mary’s/Long Island Lutheran
An exceptional talent with a knack for putting the ball in the basket, Green led the Crusaders in scoring average for three straight seasons. The three-time All-Long Island first-team selection led the Crusaders to the state Federation Class AA final as a sophomore in 2014. He played four years for Indiana and is tied for 12th in school history with 164 made three-point field goals.
Aidan Igiehon in 2016. Credit: James Escher
Aidan Igiehon, Lawrence Woodmere Academy
The 6-10 center was a two-time All-Long Island first-team selection in 2018-19. He averaged 26 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks for the NYSAIS Class B champions in 2019 and was a force as the Tigers won three consecutive NYSAIS titles. Igiehon played for Louisville for two seasons and then for Grand Canyon and Abilene Christian.
Michael O’Connell, Chaminade
The point guard’s journey from Chaminade to Stanford to North Carolina State was loaded with memorable moments. The CHSAA Player of the Year in 2019 and Newsday All-Long Island first-team selection played three years for Stanford, making 76 starts and leading the team in assists and steals. He graduated from Stanford early and played his fourth collegiate year at N.C. State, starting the final 21 games and keying an improbable run to the NCAA Final Four in 2024. His buzzer-beating three-pointer sent the ACC Tournament semifinal game against Virginia into overtime. That shot propelled the Wolfpack to the ACC title and into the NCAA Tournament. He recently signed to play professionally in Puerto Rico.
Tavon Sledge in 2011. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Tavon Sledge, Half Hollow Hills West
Sledge was considered the most electrifying player on Long Island in 2010. The super-quick guard, who went to the basket often and was a relentless defender, was a two-time All-Long Island selection. He scored 33 points in a state final loss as a junior and was Newsday’s Suffolk Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 25 points, seven assists and three steals. He played one year for Iowa State before transferring to Iona.
Lucas Woodhouse in 2011. Credit: George A. Faella
Lucas Woodhouse, Harborfields
Woodhouse was a pass-first point guard who led Long Island with an average of 11 assists as a junior in 2011. He was a two-time first-team All-Long Island selection and was named the Long Island Player of the Year in 2012 after leading the Tornadoes to the state Class A title. He averaged 22 points as a senior. He played two seasons for Longwood University and then transferred to Stony Brook University, where he was an All-America East Conference first-team selection.
Achraf Yacoubou, Long Island Lutheran
The 6-5 guard was a selfless player who made everyone around him better. The two-time All-Long Island first-team selection was the Nassau Player of the Year in 2010, when he averaged 20 points and nine rebounds. Yacoubou played two seasons for Villanova and two seasons for St. Louis University. He played four years in the NBA's G League.
Coach: John Buck, Long Island Lutheran
Buck won three state Federation crowns in the decade and separated himself from the rest of Long Island basketball when he started recruiting some big-time talent to the private school in Brookville. Long Island Lutheran played in five state finals, winning three of them — in 2011 and 2012 in Class A and in 2019, when the Crusaders were moved into Class AA.
