Scholastic Roundup: Brooklyn trio dominates St. John’s Red Storm

March 8, 2021 Andy Furman

Julian Champagnie (2) and Posh Alexander (0) are burning up the St. John’s basketball team. Photo courtesy of St. John’s Athletic Department

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St. John’s University may be located in Queens — but it’ll be a Brooklyn trio of Julian Champagnie, Rasheem Dunn and Posh Alexander that could lead them to the post-season in basketball.

Champagnie, a 6-8, 220-pound soph was an all-Big East selection as a freshman and could very well be the league’s MVP when all is said and done this season. He was at the top of the Big East in scoring this season at 20 points-per-game.

He averaged 17.2 points-per-game as a senior at Bishop Loughlin, while leading the Lions to a 23-4 record.

Posh Alexander, a 6-foot freshman starred at Our Saviour of Lutheran. As a senior he dropped 60 points against Word of God Academy on 24-of-40 shooting with eight assists and seven rebounds.

Rasheed Dunn, 6-2, 190-pound senior was team leader in assists last season. He also led the Red Storm in both free throws made (103) and free throws attempted (134).

Dunn starred at Thomas Jefferson High alongside Shamorie Ponds, as the childhood friends led the Orange Wave to its first PSAL title since 1954 and won the New York State Class AA Federation Title.

He was named the Co-MVP of the PSAL championship game at Madison Square Garden after scoring 23 points in a 29-point rout of Abraham Lincoln.

St. John’s was 14-10 with two regular season games remaining on their schedule before the Big East Tournament, which is tentatively set March 10-13 at Madison Square Garden.

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Thirty years ago, then St. Francis College of Pennsylvania – now University –located in Loretto, Pa., made the NCAA basketball tournament.

It was the first – and only – appearance for the Red Flash who were coached at the time by Jim Baron.

Barron, a grad of St. John’s Prep, lettered in basketball for four years (1973-77) at St. Bonaventure University and helped the Bonnies win the 1977 National Invitation Tournament as a senior.

In 1977, Baron began his coaching career as an assistant at Aquinas Institute in Rochester, N.Y. The following year, Baron became an assistant coach at NCAA Division III University of Rochester. Baron moved up to Division I as an assistant for Loyola College in Maryland for the 1979-80 season. In 1980, he returned to his alma mater as assistant coach for St. Bonaventure.

From 1981-1987, Baron was an assistant coach at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps. Baron helped Notre Dame make the NCAA Tournaments of 1985, 1986 and 1987 and rank in the season-end top 25 polls in 1986 and 1987.

Baron first became a head coach in 1987 at St. Francis in Loretto. His teams showed improvement each of his first four seasons, culminating in an appearance in the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

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Sad to report the loss of longtime St. Francis of Brooklyn supporter Frank Silvestri. He was 89 and a fixture within the Terriers’ athletics community for the past 70 years.

“We want to send our deepest condolences to the entire Silvestri family during this difficult time. Frank was a dedicated supporter of St. Francis College and a true Franciscan that committed much of his time promoting our athletics programs,” said Director of Athletics Irma Garcia in a prepared statement.

Silvestri was a grad of New Utrecht High School. He attended St. Francis College when it was located on Butler Street from 1949-53.

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Fred Moskowitz, the long-time basketball coach at Grady High School recently passed … Moskowitz coached Rolando Blackman who was the ninth-pick in the 1981 NBA draft.

After Grady, Blackman attended Kansas State, had his jersey retired and was named all-Big Eight Conference and elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Blackman was the pick of the Dallas Mavericks and finished his career with the New York Knicks. He was a four-time All Star and averaged 18 points-per-game during his career which spanned from 1981-97.

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Long-time PSAL basketball official Alan (Oogie) Eganthal is reading the Brooklyn Eagle at his Lake Worth, Fla. home while recuperating from a double-knee transplant.

Eganthal served as executive director for the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach Community College.

Andy Furman may be reached at [email protected].