2020-2021 EKL Season Preview- St. Thomas Aquinas

<p>Team: St Thomas Aquinas</p> <p>League: EKL</p> <p>Coach Kupersmith will look to balance out great talent, youth, and some new pieces to his puzzle to get the most out of a group that could make plenty of noise in this upcoming basketball season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Top Returners</strong></em></span></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889478" first="Tank" last="Young"], 5’9 Guard, 2021: The athletic guard is a great slasher and open floor attacker of the basketball. Gets to the rim and can knock down perimeter shots if left open. His on ball defense helps separates him from the pack of guards on this team as well. Look for his senior leadership on and off the court to play a big role as well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076399" first="Will" last="Gavin"] (Pictured), 6’1 Guard/Wing, 2022: The 3 sport athlete who takes a lot of pride in playing for Aquinas will step into a much bigger role this year and he has the tools to be a huge contributor for the team. He is a long and athletic defender, while being a wing attacker on the offensive end who plays with a scorers mentality. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>X-Factor</strong></span></em></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080165" first="Will" last="Rost"], 6’3 Shooting Guard, 2023: Rost will be their top perimeter shooter this season and will keep teams around the league honest and on notice on the court. His ability to stretch the floor will widen up those driving lanes for the slashing and attacking nature of their lead guards. Rost is #6 in the class of 2023 rankings for a reason, and look for him to make a big splash this season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Contributers</strong></span></em></p> <p>AJ Antonio, 6'2 Guard, 2022: Capable of becoming a valuable scorer on offense and is able to defend multiple positions and types of players along the perimeter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Darius Mall, 5'9 Guard , 2022: Active guard guarding the ball and posses great athletic ability. Can be a really good finisher in transition and is very active on the offensive glass.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Aidan Werth, 6'5 Forward, 2022: Great size and has improved his footwork in the post over the summer. Has nice touch around the rim and can give Aquinas a much needed low post presence.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ryan Yankovich, 6'6 Forward/Center, 2022: A long player who's motor will get him plenty of playing time and love from the coaching staff. he works his tail off guarding in the post and offensive side, has great footwork and can finish bunnies inside.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>