East Hampton Boys Basketball Is Returning Its Core, Girls Are Rebuilding

The East Hampton boys basketball team was one of the more successful East End teams in the pandemic-shortened season last February, going 4-1 and technically qualifying for the playoffs. But the Bonackers had to quarantine for 10 days after a Mattituck player tested positive for COVID — and just like that, the postseason came and went.

Two key players, Topher Cullen and Charlie Condon, have since graduated, but most of the team is returning, including four of the team’s five starters.

Leading that list is junior Luke Reese, who averaged 20 points per game last season. Jack Dickinson averaged 15 points per game and is also returning, along with Finn Byrnes, who averaged a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Hector Maldonado, a senior who started the first few games last season, will be the team’s primary ball handler.

Nick Cordone, Liam Fowkes and Mike Locasio, all sophomores who can shoot, according to head coach Dan White, are joining varsity.

“We’ve got just about everybody coming back next year, but the one thing I like about this team is that it’s smart and unselfish,” White said. “We’re not the tallest team, but I’m not too worried about that, because I know they’re going to bring it every night and they’re athletic.

“I think there will be some growing pains for those sophomores, but we’ve got a core of three guys who really played well last year, and they’re going to help them out a little bit.”

East Hampton will play in a loaded League V this season that will include Amityville, Half Hollow Hills West, Harborfields, Islip, Kings Park, Rocky Point and Sayville. Each one of those teams have all qualified for the postseason within the past year or two.

“I would not be shocked if five teams from our league made the playoffs,” White said. “I think we can absolutely be one of those teams. I don’t know too much about a few teams in the league, but one thing I do know is that Luke is going to be one of the best guards in the league. If we stay healthy, stay out of foul trouble, we’ll be in a lot of games where if we can execute late we’ll get a couple of wins.”

East Hampton begins the season with a tournament at Mattituck High School this Friday, December 3, where it play Greenport at 4:30 p.m. Its first home game is December 9 against Kings Park at 6:15 p.m.

Even though it’s a Class A school and should play in League V this season, the East Hampton girls basketball team has been placed in League VII for the next two seasons as part of a development program, where it won’t be eligible for playoffs since it’ll be playing against smaller Class B, C and D schools.

Couple that with Samantha James taking over for Krista Brooks as head coach, and it’s safe to say that the team is completely being rebuilt. James is coming over from Sag Harbor, where she was the middle school girls basketball coach, and she also helped coach the field hockey team at East Hampton with Dana Dragone this past fall.

James said that being able to play in League VII will allow her team to work on the basics and develop as a program while cutting down on travel time. The majority of the teams in the league hail from the North or South Forks.

“We will still have great competition that will help us develop as a program,” she said. “The program has had some inconsistencies over the past few years, especially due to COVID. As the new head varsity coach, I am looking to create a positive atmosphere that will get girls excited to be in the gym. Basketball has always been a passion of mine.

“Our goals are to develop skills and strategies so that we can be successful in games,” James added. “After not playing for a while, we are taking it back to the basics and having some fun with it.”

James said she sees junior Chloe Swickard handling the ball as the team’s point guard, while junior Baye Bogetti and sophomore Katie Kuneth will use their aggressiveness to attack the basket. Senior Nora Conlon and junior Caroline DiSunno are returning forwards who will add some height underneath the basket. The bench goes pretty deep, James said, with freshman Susie DiSunno and juniors Claire McGovern and Carolina Condon.

“We expect to see great things from this group this year,” James said.

The girls won’t play their first game of the season until December 16 at Southampton at 6 p.m. Their first home game won’t be until January 6, when East Hampton hosts Babylon at 6:15 p.m.