ZS: Which aspects of your game have grown the past few months and what's your identity on the AAU circuit this spring?
TJ: I've grown a little bit and I'm getting to the basket a lot better.
I'm continuing to work on my defense as well. My identity on New Heights, yes, is to be a leader, hit shots, control the game, and keep everyone involved.
ZS: Who is showing the most love right now Ty? Though we're cognizant that there's plenty of ball to be played, which schools are you considering?
TJ: Columbia shows me the most love.
I love the staff and the program there. Also, Rhode Island recently offered, and I will visit George Washington soon. I'm excited for that. As far as considering schools, I haven't thought that far ahead. Right now, I'm just trying to focus on getting better constantly.
ZS: How did your role increase when Matt (Ryan) went down? What role do you envision shouldering next season at Iona Prep?
TJ: my role of making shots, controlling the game, handling the ball and keeping everyone involved stayed the same. However, when Matt went down I just had to do more of it. I had to score more, make more plays, and with added defensive focus because Matt was not there to occupy defenses like he does.
ZS: Score 30 on 9-for-12 3FG or score 14 points, hand out 11 dimes, pickpocket guards all day with seven steals and create all sorts of havoc defensively. Which one and why?
TJ: I'd rather score 14, 11 dimes and great defense. Way more effective. 11 dimes is a minimum of 22 points and if I score 14 that equals more than 30 right there, even without thinking about the defensive effect, the offense is more beneficial to the team if I score 14 and hand out 11 dimes.
ZS: If you could choose your future path, how would you want it all to unfold? What kind of legacy would you want to leave and what would you want to me remembered for as a player?
TJ: I want my future path to involve me either playing basketball or coaching it. I love it; I hope to be around it forever. When my playing career is over, I want to be remembered as a competitor and a winner.
ZS: Anytime you lose a player of Matt's caliber, a key trigger man and a leader, it changes the dynamic. How did the team respond and how did the roles shift throughout?
TJ: Every single person stepped up. Of course, Tom capuano was huge, but it was Pat Flemning and Seamus Grogan who stepped up the most. They scored a little more, rebounded incredibly well and really helped the team.
ZS: Favorite players, guys who you try to emulate?
TJ: I love watching Stephen Curry play. He's an amazing talent, he is the best shooter in the NBA, creates his shot off the dribble and he is an amazing passer too. I also just love to watch Kevin Durant.
ZS: How has your offense grown in Coach Quirolo's system?
TJ: This past year Coach Vic really gave me the keys to the offense. He emphasized getting to the basket and being efficient. Over the year, I just saw myself getting to the basket against Hayes, using moves that Vic works on with all of his players.
ZS: Tell me about your (New Heights) AAU squad Ty. A lot of weapons, huh?
TJ: We just got ranked number one in the country by Five Star Basketball. We have 12 players that can all really play. We are deep, and we love each other. We want each other to succeed and that's what makes us good.
ZS: Who is helping you stabilize the backcourt?
TJ: We have a lot of good guards. Doyin Isaac from Xaverian, Gianni Ford from Boys and girls, Anthony Munson from Bedford Academy. Last but definitely not least, Baron Goodridge from Hayes. I feed off of all those guys and they all feed off of me. It's awesome playing with so many talented guards, and that's not even mentioning the wings and bigs that we have.