PHOTO BY BETTI BUCCO
Peabody native Josh Syska’s time at St. John’s Prep prepared him for hoops at Roger Williams.
By JOSHUA KUMMINS
An old adage in sports says, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships.” That is a statement Roger Williams junior captain Josh Syska has taken to heart over the course of his basketball career.
The guard, a Peabody native, had a strong freshman season offensively (averaging 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game), but has continued developing in a more defensive role over the last couple seasons while still chipping in close to seven points a night for the Hawks.
“Personally, I’m bringing more defense to the team,” the 6-foot-5 Syska said. “I know my offensive numbers aren’t as high as they were my freshman year, per se, but I’m definitely getting the hang of (Roger Williams head coach Michael) Tully’s coaching habits and what my role on the team is.”
Tully preaches a defensive-first style, much like Syska was used to in high school at St. John’s Prep. However, working into that role has been a transition for Syska.
“The game of basketball is a challenge,” Syska said, “but it’s definitely a challenge (to have a different role) because if a team scouts us well and they lag off with me at the three-point line, I know I can shoot, but coach is looking for a better shot further down in the shot clock.”
Syska’s role on the team may have been developed over time, but it was clear all along that he would be an outstanding leader in the program.
Tully has watched Syska’s development as a player and a person very closely, and knows that he has worked hard at accepting his role within defensive-minded systems.
“He’s in his third year now. He’s played significant minutes his freshman and sophomore years, and he’s been a starter for us this year consistently,” Tully said. “Josh is a tough kid, a very good defensive player, and he’s without question a standout as a leader on and off the court.”
Syska knows that Prep basketball coaches Sean Connolly and John Dullea have played a big role in his development, and helped him adjust to a defensive-first style he has become so accustomed to in college.
“They really brought me up well there. Their coaching habits were a lot more defense, defense, defense,” Syska said. “I’ve got to give a big shoutout to (Connolly and Dullea) and their coaching habits because they’ve really gotten me ready for college basketball.”
Tully is in his 14th season coaching on the Bristol, R.I., campus. Having a player like Syska who played for a high school program that also preaches strong defense is a huge asset to Tully’s program.
“It’s really (a big) difference in kids when they come from a program and a high school that takes pride and really works hard defensively,” Tully said. “It’s a much easier transition for a kid when they come to college when they come from a program that emphasizes that, which we try to do.”
Syska has continued to help the team in more underrated ways on the scoresheet. He scored just one three-pointer, but grabbed six rebounds and handed out four assists in the Hawks’ 53-47 victory over Wentworth.
But it is being a captain and a leader that is important to Syska. He has worked hard to make himself a better teammate while also focusing on improving his game.
“I have to be a role model for the other players, so I’ve been improving in my leadership a lot and I’ve definitely stepped up in that sense,” Syska said. “Coming in as a freshman, I felt like I could lead the team in a few years.
“Being a leader is probably my biggest role on this team, and just having the younger guys on this team look up to me, it means a lot to me.”
Names and notes
Last Tuesday, Lynn’s Erick Rosario, a freshman guard for the Pine Manor men’s basketball team, was named the Association of Division III independents men’s basketball Player of the Week. He averaged 17 points, four assists, four rebounds and 3.5 steals over two games for Pine Manor last week…Lynn’s Stephen Basden grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the Endicott men’s basketball team’s win over Western New England University…Marblehead’s Charles Seltzer finished third in the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 45.32 seconds) for Amherst College in their swim meet against Williams College on Saturday…Lynn’s Ann Marie Idusuyi led the Assumption women’s basketball team with 12 rebounds in their loss to American International College on Wednesday night…Lynnfield’s Eric Kerr and Tom Arsenault both had wins in the Bridgewater State wrestling team’s loss to Plymouth State…Marblehead’s Sara Daher finished second in the 200 backstroke and 400 individual medley in the Bates College women’s swim team’s win over Middlebury on Saturday…Lynn’s Monta Connolly scored 10 points and had five rebounds and four steals in Framingham State’s win over Bridgewater State on Saturday. Her teammate, Revere’s Tiphani Harris, added seven points and seven boards…Marblehead’s Lexie Laing had two assists in the Harvard women’s hockey team’s win over Colgate…Lynn’s Marcos Echevarria scored 16 points in the Nichols’ men’s basketball team’s win over Eastern Nazarene on Saturday…Lynn’s Uche Nwokeji had six rebounds, which tied for the team-high, in the Plymouth State men’s basketball team’s loss to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday and went 7-of-11 from the floor for 15 points during Thursday’s loss to Green Mountain…Peabody’s Andrew Bucci had a goal in the Salem State men’s hockey team’s 2-1 victory over Westfield State on Saturday.
Joshua Kummins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.
