RIDING HIGH: Zahrion Blue goes to the hoop this past winter for the Rider University men’s basketball team. Former Princeton High boys’ hoops star and Lincoln University standout Blue averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 30 games for the Broncs as a grad student. This summer Blue has returned for another campaign with the LoyalTees squad in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Wednesday, Blue tallied 28 points to help LoyalTees top Jefferson Plumbing 85-73. On Monday, Blue scored 28 points again as LoyalTees defeated Speed Pro 85-70 to improve to 3-1. (Photo provided courtesy of Rider University Sports Communications)

By Bill Alden

After having starred for the Princeton High boys’ basketball team and Lincoln University, Zahrion Blue earned a shot to play at the Division I level this past winter as he joined the Rider University hoops program as a grad student.

For Blue, getting the chance to play for the Broncs was special.

“I am just blessed to connect with Rider. My sister Briana actually graduated from Rider,” said Blue, a 6’4, 190-pound guard. “It is a blessing, playing Division I basketball.”

While Blue was the go-to scorer at PHS where he piled up 1,261 points and at Lincoln where he tallied 1,282 points, he realized that he would be taking a supporting role at Rider.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be the only scorer on the team,” said Blue. “I had to come off the bench and find my way to score off the bench. It was a good, hard adjustment. A cool adjustment.”

Handling that adjustment, Blue made progress, ending up averaging 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 30 games for the Broncs.

“It was just staying mentally ready, not letting me not playing get to me,” said Blue. “It is just playing that competition every day and just going hard. We went hard at each other in practice, it was competitive every day. It was just staying ready, staying in the gym, and working out.”

Blue ended the winter on a high note, starting on Senior Night against Iona on March 4 in an 80-78 loss and scoring a season-high 15 points and then getting 12 points in his second start as the Broncs fell 70-62 to St. Peter’s on March 8 in the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament.

“It felt good to start those games,” said Blue. “I came back to my regular self, it was so good.”

Last Wednesday, Blue had a good time playing for the LoyalTees squad in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Blue tallied 28 points to help LoyalTees top Jefferson Plumbing 85-73 in a game moved inside to the Princeton High gym due to inclement weather.

“I love playing in the PHS gym, it brings back good memories,” said Blue. “I am on the wall (in the list of the school’s 1,000-point scorers). This is my home, I love it. I have a lot of memories.”

With LoyalTees coming off a 59-52 loss to Princeton Supply on June 19, Blue and his teammates were fired up to get back on the winning track.

“We were pretty hungry, we let one slip last game,” said Blue. “We were turning the ball over, missing free throws. We beat ourselves — we were ready to get back out there today.”

Up 47-42 at halftime, LoyalTees found itself clinging to a 56-52 lead before it went on a 13-0 run to break open the contest.

“We had to stop them from hitting threes,” said Blue. “They hit a lot of threes, we were hitting a lot of twos. It was picking it up and just playing hard on defense. That is all it was.”

As a mainstay of a LoyalTees squad that won summer hoops titles in 2018, 2019, and 2021, Blue relishes the chance to hit the court with his buddies.

“We love playing with each other,” said Blue, of the squad which features such league stalwarts as Davon Black, Vince Anfield, Nick Davidson, and Terrance Bailey. “Everybody is unselfish, everybody is letting each other go. It is all good communication and good sportsmanship.”

Having lost in the summer league quarters last year as it went for a fourth straight league title, LoyalTees is determined to reclaim the championship this year.

“We are getting it this year,” said Blue, who scored 28 points with Darrell Johnson adding 35 as LoyalTees defeated SpeedPro 85-70 last Monday to improve to 3-1. “We let it slip away last year, we are coming for it this year.”

With Blue planning to play professionally overseas in Europe this winter, he is going to enjoy the ride this summer no matter what happens in the playoffs.

“It is cardio, getting my game better, and just having fun,” said Blue. “It is all about having fun. If you don’t have fun, you won’t like it.”