Two basketball players at Seton Hall University of South Orange, New Jersey have known each other for a long time and have similar back grounds. No, they are not from New Jersey, nor did they play at the same schools.
Both cagers reside in Brooklyn and tossed ‘em up at Brooklyn high schools, came from championship programs, and were standout players on the court thrilling the fans, and at the same time, trying to move on to another and higher level. Besides concentrating on their game, they also put emphasis on the academics.
More of a scorer, Khadeen Carrington became the all-time leading point maker at Bishop Loughlin High School, a member of the Catholic High Schools Athletic Association, by tallying 2196 points in four years. Every time, the team gave him the ball to put in the hoop, he seemed to find a way to successfully make the shot. And most of the time, he made it so easy. He became the ‘go to’ player on offense. In the process, Carrington led the CHSAA Class AA scoring leaders for two straight winters.
A 6’3’, guard who was born in Trinidad, Carrington, is the son of Reynold Carrington, who coaches professional soccer in Trinidad and Tobago after playing the latter sport on professional and international levels.
When the first regular season game opens up against Dartmouth on Nov. 13, he should be one of the starters, but at press time in the pre-season and exhibition games, and coaches do not like to say who the starters will be.
Also from Brooklyn, but a product from the Public Schools Athletic League, Lincoln also produced championship teams and many professional players in the National Basketball Association, including Stephan Marbury. One is now showing signs of greatness; he is also a guard – Isaiah Whitehead. He was so good as a freshman last year.
Whitehead holds one claim to fame, helping to lead Lincoln to the 2013 PSAL city-wide Class AA championship. After the season he turned last year as a starter and should be one of the starters once again. He, too, was an all-city player while in high school.
Whitehead averaged 3.5 assists as a teammate of Carrington and earned some honors at Seton Hall. He made the Big East College Conference All-Rookie team as a frosh at Seton Hall.
During the off season last spring and summer, Whitehead, a 6’4” guard worked hard trying to improve his game.
“Playing in Brooklyn, I knew Carrington all my life,” Whitehead said on Big East Conference Media Day at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA Brooklyn Nets.
Whitehead credits his success to his coaches and his father, Mark, who tells him to keep his composure on the court, to play the best that he can both on offense and defense and to be involved with his teammates.
Seton Hall Coach Kevin Willard, whose team posted a 16-15 overall record squad last winter, has high hopes to go far this time and improve on its record with the two Brooklyn sophomores leading the way.
