A Bold Return: Boys’ Basketball Has Best Season in Years
The Newman Varsity Boys’ basketball team at Marie Philip School in Framingham on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. The team lost 83-40. (Photo courtesy of Ms. Chandra Singaram)
Newman basketball has had a turbulent recent history. Past incarnations of the team have gone on to see tremendous success, the prime example of this being during the 2012-13 season, in which the Cardinals took home the title of Massachusetts Bay Independent League (MBIL) Section Champions. The team has also faced adversity, most recently withdrawing from participation in the 2020-21 competitive season. This was because practices and games would have conflicted with the split schedule from that year, in which Middle Years Program (MYP) students had classes in the morning and Diploma Program (DP) students had classes in the afternoon.
With that, initial expectations for the boys’ basketball team entering the 2021-22 season were lukewarm. “We were just sort of looking to see what we have, go from there, get better, and see if we could get some wins,” head coach and humanities teacher Mr. Gus King said. King played Division III college basketball at Grinnell College, and formerly coached basketball and taught at Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford. His first season coaching the Newman boys’ team, King carries the torch passed down from film teacher and former head coach Mr. Jeff Iwanicki.
It was apparent from the start that the season would carry its fair share of growing pains.
“The team was definitely rusty,” Mr. King said. “Having a year off, a lot of fundamentals were missing from not practicing. There were a lot of kids who were new to the sport, others who had maybe played for fun, but it was their first time on an actual high school team. Pulling together those pieces was an adversity. Jumping into the games, we were playing against teams that had been practicing together and maybe even had played last year. It took a little bit to get everyone together.”
Senior Hrithikanand Jambunathan, who is team co-captain along with fellow seniors John Gadbois and Nickson Osias, noted COVID-19 related accommodations as additional factors that the team needed to get used to. “This year we had to wear masks, we had some games postponed, and sometimes no fans were allowed at games,” he said.
Despite these setbacks, the boys’ basketball team defied expectations during the 2021-22 season by beating every team in the athletic conference twice. The Cardinals came the closest to winning the championship in years, just falling short of winning the title in an 83-40 loss against Marie Philip School on February 17th.
All challenges considered, Jambunathan described the 2021-22 season as a success. “This is one of the best teams I’ve ever been on in terms of chemistry, camaraderie, and individual success,” he said. Jambunathan also broke two school records during this season: the record for most three-pointers made in a single season, and most three-pointers made in all time, spanning four years. Both records had previously been held by Brian Gadbois ‘15, the eldest brother of current senior and co-captain John Gadbois. Jambunathan’s current record is 46 three pointers in-season, and 62 all-time. “I’m glad to just leave a part of me behind [in these records] until the next person breaks them. Just a piece of school history that I’m a part of,” Jambunathan said.
King commended the team for their growth and tenacity in overcoming challenges. “We had a great group of seniors. I was impressed by them, [as they have] known Newman basketball from right before COVID and with Mr. Iwanicki coaching. They’ve provided some great leadership,” he said. King also commended younger athletes for their promise and potential. “Aidan Farrell [‘25], a freshman, is actually our leading scorer of the season. I’m looking forward to having him around for a few more years,” King said.
In preparation for next year, King wants players to build off of the foundation set during this season. “The returning players will have known me already, know how I coach, and know the style of play that we have. Being more comfortable in that way, I’m hoping the players will use this summer to work really hard, get in shape, and work on their games,” he said.
Jambunathan advises that players “trust the process” in future seasons. “If you believe in yourself, the sky's the limit. Use me as living proof, someone who scored a grand total of 50 three-pointers in a season. That wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t believe in myself, if I didn’t believe in my teammates, if I didn’t believe in my coaches, and if I didn’t trust the process.” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the points. The records are something that I’m very proud of, but it’s not about individual achievement. It’s about growing together as a team and becoming a family. That’s something I’ve been incredibly grateful to have at Newman.”
