Youthful Glen Cove missing playoffs

The 2019-20 Glen Cove Big Red boys’ basketball team is young. Those have been the words spoken about them all season long. Those are the words that were written in every preview back in November. Those are the words head coach Peter Falen has uttered repeatedly throughout.

But despite its youth, he remains adamant that this group’s character will breed success in the future.

“This group still comes in and is practicing hard right now,” said Falen. “We’re changing a few things on the fly on defense, and we are still adding things offensively.”

Although the attitude to improve is there, Glen Cove definitely has gone through some growing pains this season. The Big Red has dropped its last four straight after managing back-to-back league wins in mid-January. The four teams that North Shore lost to were Hewlett, Roslyn, Jericho and South Side. Those four squads sit atop the Conference A3 rankings. Glen Cove now sits at 3-7 in-conference, officially eliminated from playoff contention, with only two league games left to play.

“The best we can do now is 5-7, and that is what we’re aiming for,” Falen said. “The kids have put forth an effort, we just weren’t able to compete. Now, we’re playing for pride. The guys are playing for the name on the front of their shirt.”

The Big Red’s penultimate game will be at home against Division Avenue for it’s senior night on Jan. 6, before traveling to Roosevelt on Jan. 10 to close out the year.

One of Falen’s major focuses has been preaching defensive efficiency. In Glen Cove’s recent four-game losing streak, it has only given up less than 70 points once. Hewlett’s Brett Karkus was able to fill up the stat sheet with 29 points. 18 of those points came from beyond the arc. Hewlett’s Ryan Weiss nailed four three-pointers and totaled 26 points. The outside shooting proficiency of Hewlett is just one defensive weakness Glen Cove has had. With a shortage of larger inside presences, Glen Cove has had to overcome being the smaller team all year long. In its 82-56 loss to South Side, the Big Red allowed multiple Cyclones players to collect double-doubles in points and rebounds.

“In the offseason, we have to go into the weight room and be religious in there,” Falen said. “We’ve got to have guys that are playing basketball all year long. We can’t just pick up a basketball in the winter and be successful.”
Falen added that he would try to put his team in a spring or summer league.

Assuming his return, junior Michael Battle would be the lone senior to start for Falen next season. Falen has placed his trust into Battle. “He puts 100% into every play, I never have to tell him to hustle,” Falen said.

Battle and Londell Wheeler led the Big Red in scoring this year. “Londell had a great first full season on varsity as a ninth grader,” Falen said. “He needs to develop more of an outside shot, to avoid running into the paint with the big guys all the time, but he did a good job playing against the elite guards in this league.”

Falen added that freshman Melton Foster, one of Glen Cove’s tallest players, needs to put in more work to add to his solid outside shot and athletic ability.