PASSING IT ON: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Adam Stewart fires a pass in action last season. Senior guard Stewart brings unselfish play and defensive intensity to the court for the Panthers. PDS is slated to tip off its 2024-25 campaign this week by hosting Allentown on December 17 and Nottingham on December 19 before playing at the Episcopal Academy (Pa.) on December 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Eugene Burroughs is hoping that the work his players on the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team put in this offseason will yield dividends this winter.

“I am really impressed with the kids’ energy and effort; their improved skill over the summer has been great,” said PDS head coach Burroughs, who guided the Panthers to a 7-16 record last season. “When you look at our team as a whole, I think it comes down to how well we play together. It is, ‘Can we mesh the individual skill and development that players have accomplished individually and can we put that together as a team and function within a structure.’”

Burroughs believes that sophomore guard Gary Jennings can develop into a star.

“We are hoping that Gary has a really solid year for us,” said Burroughs, whose squad tips off its 2024-25 campaign this week by hosting Allentown on December 17 and Nottingham on December 19 before playing at the Episcopal Academy (Pa.) on December 21. “As a freshman, he was thrown into the fire a little bit. His ability to run the team has been something that has been really noticeable. He improved offensively, shooting the ball and making plays at the rim. Physically he has gotten a little stronger which I think has helped him as basketball player.”

Senior Adam Stewart has been playing well as he looks to produce a memorable final campaign.

“Adam has been starter the last couple of years, defensively he has been tremendous,” said Burroughs, who will also be using freshmen Vincent Filis and Obakunle Egbeleye at guard.

“I think he has even taken it to another level so far this year, playing hard, being on the basketball and being a menace for the other teams. He sets the tone for us defensively. Offensively I think he is going to have a solid year. He is going to make some threes and have some drives in transition. We are looking for him to be a more consistent performer.”

Another senior, Abdoulaye Seydi, gives the Panthers versatility as he can fit in at either guard or forward.

“Abdoulaye has been doing some great things on the floor, he is making plays around the rim off of drives with penetration,” said Burroughs. “Defensively, he has been tremendous, just being active. Defensively with him and Stewart on the floor together, it is almost like having two and a half players with their ability to defend, play hard, and compete. I think you will see more from him offensively. From the scrimmages we have had, he has been getting to the basket more. We need him to make plays like that and put pressure on the defense.”

In the frontcourt, sophomore Onyx Oschwald, is primed to make a lot of plays this winter.

“Onyx was a solid player as a freshman, he has really improved from freshman year to this year,” said Burroughs. “He is a totally different player. He is making plays around the rim and is finishing lay-ups. He is driving the ball from the perimeter to the rim which is something he didn’t do a lot last year. It is great for us to see that he has grown from that perspective offensively. He is actually shooting threes now which is something he really worked hard on this summer. His overall game has just improved.”

The pair of junior Danny Rozenblat and sophomore Matthew Silverman are showing progress from the perimeter to go with their inside game.

“Danny had some great moments last year, I think his game has jumped to another level,” said Burroughs, who noted that Pennington transfer sophomore Zalin Pack and junior Collin Myat are also in the mix at forward. “He is shooting the 3-point shot on the move. He is putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket which is something he initially struggled with as a younger player. Matthew really came on in the middle of the year last season for us. He is a scrappy player, he finds a way to get to the basket. He has really improved this year, he is playing a little more confidently at the offensive end. I am looking forward to seeing progress from an outside shooting perspective.”

Looking ahead, Burroughs is confident that the Panthers can grow into something special this winter.

“If we are playing the way we are supposed to be play, I think people will be highly impressed on how athletic we are and our ability make plays defensively and offensively,” said Burroughs. “Since I have been here, I think this is the most skilled team that I have had. This group has the ability to really be a good defensive team and also rebound which will lead to some easy possessions for us and eliminate the opposing teams’ offensive put back ratio.”