In his first year, John Carroll School boys basketball coach Tony Martin led the Patriots to a 15-22 record. It was the most wins for the Bel Air private school in nearly a decade.
Martin knows how to turn a team around. He has 20 years of coaching experience from clinics all the way up to Division I as an assistant with Towson University. He also has coached at Cardinal Gibbons, Mount St. Joseph and Archbishop Spalding, where he transformed a 3-17 program into one that was nationally ranked by USA Today in four seasons.
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“I do not know if we will rise that quickly here, but we want to make this a national program,” Martin said.
When Martin came to John Carroll for the 2005-06 season, the Patriots were coming off a 0-25 season. Last year, they missed the playoffs by one game, and next year they will move up to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference.
John Carroll opens the season tonight against visiting Harford Christian at 7 p.m.
“This year, I want to win a B conference championship and be the talk of the city,” freshman guard Josh Selby said.”Everybody doubts us, but think we can go about 30-10.”
Martin added three national tournaments to the schedule, including the Chick-fil-A Classic (S.C.), the Benedictine Tournament (Va.) and the Montverde Tournament (Fla.).
“I had to build a schedule that would attract the kids who would go to the A Conference teams,” Martin said.
Along with Selby, sophomore forward Isaiah Philmore is another new player who will contribute to John Carroll?s young and athletic team this season. A transfer from Kansas, Philmore is grabbing the attention of NCAA Division I colleges after being ranked in the top 20 at Reebok Camp Next last summer.
Selby is also getting national recognition. He is consensus-ranked in the top 20 among the class of 2010.
“This is going to prepare me for college,” Philmore said. “I cannot wait to get the season started.”
Said Selby: “The work is harder than I have had before. Coach Tony Martin, that is where it is at. I don?t care about the rankings. I am just focusing on how I play.”
Less-heralded players have enjoyed exposure from Martin, as well.
“Most of the schools I am looking at I have not even heard of,” senior Ryan Horka said. “The program has been great for college. Before Coach Martin took over, I was not getting recruited at all.”
