Big East Notebook – Friars’ Geoff McDermott is Still a Quarterback

During his high school days, Geoff McDermott was known as rifle-toting Geoff McDermott.

Then a quick-strike 6-foot-6 quarterback, McDermott helped lead perennial power New Rochelle to back-to-back state championships.

He was a dual-threat who fired bullet passes to a talented receiving corps that was supplemented by standout running back Ray Rice, who resurrected an ailing program at Rutgers. McDermott, the 2005 Westchester Mr. Basketball winner, was actively pursued to play QB and tight end and basketball at a number of Division I schools – West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Rutgers, and Syracuse, to name a few.

After committing to Providence, where there’s no football team, he kissed all gridiron dreams goodbye.

Today, McDermott is still whipping passes. He’s still under the center of attention, making critical decisions and dictating the tempo of the game. Only his primary receivers are no longer sporting shoulder pads and helmets with “NR” emblazed on them. And Rice, who was actually a key cog in New Rochelle’s vaunted 2005 hoop team – one that put together a 26-2 mark that included a berth in the National Prep Top 20 rankings – now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

This season, McDermott’s go-to-guys have been Marshon Brooks, who’s suddenly blossomed (averaging 14 points and shooting a sublime 56 percent from the floor) after averaging under ten minutes per game last year, Weyinmi Efejuku, Jonathon Kale, and Jeff Xavier, the latter a Pawtucket native who started his career at Manhattan but bounced following the departure of Bobby Gonzalez.

As the point forward, McDermott shoulders the burden of playmaker. The offensive show at the Dunkin’ Donuts center is orchestrated and run by “G Mac,” who’s averaging 7.7 points, 7.7 boards, and is second on the team in assists (25) and steals (15). McDermott, however, has registered a team-high 23 turnovers despite the fact that he doesn’t dominate the ball like an archetype New York point guard. At his coaches’ urging, G Mac has been more active on the glass.

“(Assistant) coach (Pat) Skerry is always yelling at me to get rebounds,” said McDermott. “First, he told me I could be the leading rebounder in the country. Now he’s toned it down to the Big East. But if I do that, I’ll probably be leading the country, anyways.”

Considering the Big East is dripping with talent this year, McDermott is probably right. He met his coaches’ wishes during back-to-back victories over Sacred Heart and Maine, where he pulled down 13 and 14 boards, respectively.

McDermott, who underwent some sort of self-revelation last year, dished more and shot less. A deft passer who’s ballooned to 6-foot-7 and a chiseled 240 pounds, G Mac emerged into one of the Big East’s leading assist men last year, doling out 4.9 per game. He averaged 5.1 during the 2006-07 campaign.

As a pure scorer in high school, is this dish-before-swish mentality out of his old nature?

“Not at all,” said McDermott. “It comes with the territory.”

Now an elder statesman, Mr. Versatility knows he must also be Mr. Clutch this season. Against blood-rival Rhode Island Dec. 6, McDermott proved he’s ready for the challenge.

The senior calmly sank two free throws with 17.9 seconds remaining. It was the final say during the tight, down-to-the-wire in-state feud in which neither team led by over seven points.

McDermott was once again at his best during a 85-71 win over Jackson State Wednesday night. He scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and handed out five assists, including Brian McKenzie’s game-tying jumper with a swift pass. He helped Providence recover from a sloppy first half.

Football player no more, McDermott is still a quarterback at heart.

Notes

• St. John’s sophomore guard Paris Horne explored some uncharted territory this past week. Horne’s game visited a new zip code when he was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll (Dec. 15). Horne, one of the Johnnies’ many young guns who Norm Roberts sees panning out and revitalizing the program – Roberts recently stated that by recruiting eight freshman last year, he created the path that St. John’s is currently on – averaged 14.5 points, handed out 3.5 dimes, and shot a sizzling 64.7 percent from the field as the Johnnies ripped off consecutive victories. They are off to their best start, 8-1, since the 1994-95 campaign.
• Bobby Gonzalez shocked the NCAA world with Seton Hall’s early season upset of USC. Now, as the Big East slate inches closer the former Manhattan coach believes the Pirates will make some waves in what’s expected to be one of the premier conferences in the NCAA. The Big East, let’s not forget, is dripping with talented and guard play will be a major determinant of fate for several teams. The man behind the Pirates’ offensive assault this season? Jeremy Hazell. The Harlem World product averaged 19.5 points and six boards during SHU’s back-to-back wins the week of Dec. 15 and is already drawing Terry Dehere comparisons. Come tournament time, he could be a problem.