There’s no place like home.
St. Francis men’s basketball coach Glenn Braica knows that better than anyone, and he’s used the famous line to influence his recruiting philosophy — New York City first, everywhere else second. The Terriers coach knows there is plenty of basketball talent in his own backyard and Braica has made it a priority to keep that talent in Brooklyn since taking over the program in 2010.
“We’re not big on getting guys from other parts of the country,” Braica said. “We do have a few, but we always feel that the foundation of our team should be New York City kids.”
This season, Braica and the Terriers boast six New York City players — including three with Brooklyn roots — and the squad is hoping that Gotham grit helps spark things from the get-go.
And it won’t be an easy start for St. Francis. The Terriers open the season with road games against North Carolina State, the University of Virginia, and Providence. It’s a big test for St. Francis, particularly when the team’s frontcourt has just 75 collective minutes of Division-I experience to its name.
“Our weakness is our frontcourt, because we don’t have much of one,” Braica said. “But I think they’re talented, so when they figure out how hard they’ve got to play and they pick up some stuff, we’ve got a chance to be very good.”
St. Francis isn’t going into the season assuming it will start 0–3, but the Terriers know there aren’t many people outside the team’s locker room who expect much from the squad.
That is where the group’s New York attitude comes into play. St. Francis has a bit of a chip on its collective shoulder, and the Terriers squad is ready to prove a few people wrong.
“Guys talk about it being mid-major, but we compete just as hard and play just as hard,” said senior guard Yunus Hopkinson. “Guys are trying to get after each other, and I really think it’s just basketball. It’s guys trying to win games, same as anywhere.”
Hopkinson — who grew up in the city before attending Lee Academy in Maine — is expected to be one of the Terriers’ leaders on the court, part of a strong core of guards. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Jefferson alum Rasheem Dunn and former Boys & Girls standout Gianni Ford, both of whom will see substantial minutes as freshmen.
“We may actually play four [guards] at times,” Braica said. “I think that’s a strength. Our perimeter is a strength.”
It’s going to take a few games for St. Francis to hit its stride, and Braica is the first to admit the early-season bumps in the road have been a bit frustrating, but the coach knows what his squad is capable of. This team wants to represent New York, and Braica is confident anything can happen this season.
“Two years ago, we won 23 games and the regular-season title, and we started 3–8,” he said. “That’s just the reality at this level, but this team has upsides. It’s just going to take some time.”
