Dobbs Ferry Boys Basketball Preview: Eagles Ready with Veteran Talent

For Dobbs Ferry, there is no Santo Provenzano on the court this season.

There are no individual superstars who will drop 30 points a night. Dobbs has no electrifying dunker whose heroics will assure you that every seat in the stands of the Eagles gym will be spoken for.

What this year's Dobbs Ferry Eagles squad does possess, however, is a potent nucleus of veterans who can rack up points in a variety of ways.

Relative balance in the scorebook should be key for a deep Eagles team dripping with potential. Seven-year head coach Scott Patrillo—who coached a similar team of veteran players two seasons ago—will look for the Eagles to distribute the wealth on offense and play a mix of man-to-man and zone defense.

The Eagles lost just two starters to June 2010 graduation last season. With a slew of long range shooters, conditioned athletes and post-up players, the Eagles have a versatile attack.

One key player is Denzel Hasell, who led Dobbs in scoring last season. Boasting a one-on-one game as well as a sweet touch from beyond the arc, Hasell will once again handle the chore of scoring the rock. The senior captain has a penchant for snaking along the baseline, taking the ball to the tin, and converting an array of reverse layups.

Helping Hasell shoulder the scoring mantle will be junior off guard Eddie Ritch. Ritch is another three-point shooter and arguably the Eagles' best on the ball defender.

The Eagles have an all-around scorer in three-year veteran David Muoser. At 6-foot-4, he poses a formidable threat—shooting from mid-range or spreading the floor with his perimeter game.

The senior captain is also a presence in the running game, as the Eagles will employ a souped-up offense.

"We're definitely going to run a fast-paced game," said junior forward John Scaperrotta, who led the Eagles in rebounds and blocked shots last season.

"Dobbs has never really played a down tempo style or a slow down game. Every game, we're looking to make it a track meet."

Triggering that uptempo style will be 5-foot-9 senior point guard Eddie Fanning. Fanning is an innate, dish-first lead guard who will set the table for a versatile group of shooters and interior scorers.

In addition to facilitating a strong attack, Fanning will create open looks at the basket and feed teammates on backdoor cuts.

Danny Crowe, a 6-foot-2 forward/center, should pound the boards and capitalize on open looks in the front court.

"We pretty much run an open set on offense, where everybody can play anywhere," said Scaperrotta, who will play in tonight's home opener despite a recently sprained ankle.

The Eagles have augmented their bench depth with athletic juniors Spencer Avalos (a 5-foot-10 guard)  and Darien Bica (6-foot-1 forward) as fire plugs. Avalos and Bica are both hustle players who score off putbacks and crash the boards.

The Eagles also have some size on their bench in 6-foot-5 junior Evan Miscovin.  Miscovin has the size and wing span to block, manipulate, influence, and alter the trajectory of shots in the paint. Miscovin is still raw offensively and taking infant steps.

"It's definitely not fun trying to shoot over him," explained Scaperrotta.

While the leadership aspect should come from seniors Hasell, Muoser and Fanning, the Eagles are a junior-laden club.

They've all been playing together since the CYO level, starting in the third grade. The result as been pure chemistry and a good feel for the game over the years.

"We're returning most of the core back and our chemistry is through the roof," opined Scaperrotta.

"We just know each other so well from playing together so long. We love playing together. We're all interchangeable and can play various positions. We feed off of each other's style."

Seeing his first varsity minutes with the Eagles is 6-foot-1 freshman Eric Paschalle, who has made a name for himself as a shooter. Paschalle has plenty of high-level experience on the AAU circuit, albeit he must get adjusted to playing with the big dogs on the varsity level. The first year guard/forward should compete for meaningful minutes.

Dobbs Ferry opens the 2010-11 season tonight at .

While it may not be a marquee matchup or a showdown, Dobbs/Irvington is a geographical rivalry steeped in tradition and always an evenly-matched affair.