Teamwork made the dream work for LI Lutheran boys basketball
Long Island Lutheran players celebrate 81-57 win against Stepinac during the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions boys’ Class AA high school basketball final on Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Latham, N.Y. Credit: Hans Pennink
Jayden Reid proudly held the maroon and white sign over his head. That sign belonged to Long Island Lutheran now, and the senior point guard flashed a winning smile under it, the words “2023 CHAMPION” taking up much of the space.
It was late March, and this great boys basketball team had done something great upstate. Long Island Lutheran won the New York State Federation Class AA championship on Shaker High’s court.
After that tournament, the Crusaders were 23-2 and moved up to second in the country in the ESPN rankings. Their 22-game winning streak and their season ended with the next game, a quarterfinal loss at GEICO Nationals in Florida.
“This team is right up there with the best I’ve coached and a lot of people are saying one of the best, if not the best, in school history,” coach John Buck said after the win over Stepinac in the Federation final. “Super proud of them.”
This success story was about more than the players’ sheer ability.
This was also about chemistry.
“It’s deeper than basketball with this team,” Reid said. “We hang out a lot. Everybody likes each other. I think that’s what helps us to translate out on the court. We’re unselfish. We play for each other. We don’t play for ourselves. We play for LuHi.”
This was also about attitude.
“The talent is obvious, but not one time in this entire year did I ever sense jealousy from one player to another,” Buck said. “That’s really special in 2023. For guys this good, going to different colleges and all that type of ranking, I enjoyed this team so much.”
Reid excelled in the Federation title game with 20 points, including his 1,000th. He added 14 assists, six steals and five rebounds. He took the assists title in the elite National Interscholastic Basketball Conference, averaging 6.1 over 12 games. He averaged 15.6 points overall through the Fed run.
Long Island Lutheran's Jayden Reid (3) moves the ball past Victor's Garrett Clar (15) during the Federation Class AA semifinal on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Latham, N.Y Credit: Hans Pennink
“He stamped his legacy on LuHi basketball history,” Buck said. “He and I have been together for four years here on varsity, so it was a special moment celebrating with him [after winning the Federation].
“Love that kid. He’s a winner.”
The D-I recruit from Westbury was one of the Big 3.
Jayden Ross, a 6-8 UConn-bound senior wing, joined the program and delivered at both ends. He scored 25 points and shot 9-for-11 in his finale.
VJ Edgecombe, a 6-4 junior shooting guard, also joined and won the scoring title in the NIBC, averaging 17.3 points.
He averaged 15.5 overall en route to that Federation crown and became the Gatorade New York and NIBC Player of the Year. Edgecombe gave an assist to his teammates.
“They’ve helped with my success throughout the year,” said Edgecombe, who has Ohio State, Kansas and many other colleges interested. “All my accomplishments are all because of them.”
LuHi’s accomplishments included a 10-2 record and a second-place finish in its first NIBC season. Buck was shooting for .500.
“And then we started rolling and we just started clicking,” he said. “Some teams, they’re special.”
