Chappaqua's Adam Honig Excels on Dickinson Basketball Team

He knew that the high-level Division-III competition, coupled with the sublime work ethic of his teammates would allow his game to grow and prosper.  

The 2010 Horace Greeley graduate also knew it was a place where he could make an immediate impact on the hardwood.  

Following a strong freshman year, Honig was the lone freshman to be named All-Centennial Conference honorable mention. The conference does not hand out a Rookie of the Year award, so Honig's award is no small ribbon.

"It was a very humbling experience," said Honig, who averaged 9.5 points and dished out 42 assists.

"I didn't pay much attention to awards all season long. It was my freshman year and my main focus was to fit in and become an impact player on my team. Once the end of the season came around and the awards came out, I was very appreciative. It felt great to see my hard work pay off.

Honig, a Chappaqua native, spearheaded Dickinson's three-point assault. A dead-eye shooter who struggled to find his touch the first few games, Honig drained a team-best 34 three-pointers.  

A noticeable turning point occurred when freshman guard Brian Gerney suffered a season-ending injury. Gerney was a key piece in coach Alan Seretti's revamped recruiting class. While his classmate was relegated to the role of spectator, Honig embraced the role of supplementary scorer.  

"When Gerney went down with his knee injury, I knew I had to step up to help my team pull out some wins," explained Honig, a combination guard.  

"Coach (Seretti) basically let me know that now was the time to step up and play with full confidence. He knew what I was capable of and he pushed me every day to bring that out on and off the court.

"When Brian got hurt, I definitely felt like I had to become more of a leader in the backcourt. I had to push myself and everyone else even more."  

It was a tall order for Honig, but the 6-foot-1 shooter rose to the occasion. 

In his collegiate coming out party, Honig scorched the nets for 30 points on the strength of five three-pointers. The result was a pivotal road win against in-state foe Muhlenberg.  

"I first started to become a real starter for my team once I got more comfortable with the system and my role," said Honig.  

The Devils culminated the 2010-11 campaign with an overall record of 15-12. They recorded a 9-4 record in Centennial Conference action. The Devils garnered a berth in the conference championship, where their season culminated with a 65-55 loss to Franklin & Marshall.  

It was during the summer of Honig's junior year that he realized he could play the game at the higher plateau.  

He rapidly became a workout fiend, strengthening his legs and becoming more of an aggressive defender. His senior season, Honig upped his aerial game and was throwing down ferocious two-handed dunks. He evolved into one of the County's leaders in the three-pointers and helped steer Greeley to an appearance in the Class AA quarterfinals, were they were defeated by Mount Vernon. Honig erupted for 37 points in a game against Rye and nailed six three-pointers during a dramatic game against Pelham.  

Horace Greeley head coach Dave Fernandes had envisioned success at the next level for the incoming sophomore. 

"I actually think Adam's best basketball days are ahead of him," said Fernandes, the eccentric, longtime Quakers coach.    

"I would say that Adam was one of the best shooters I've ever coached. He's definitely in that caliber of shooters. He's one of the more consistent shooters we've had here at Greeley."