Return of the Coreys
If they were a boy band, they might be called "The Corey Trio."
Instead, they are three New Jersey basketball stars who share the same first name and will be reunited Wednesday night.
Corey Chandler and Rutgers (8-11, 0-6 Big East) will try to pick up their first Big East win of the season against No. 18 Villanova and guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes in a game that will be telecast on ESPNU.
"I have a lot of friends in the area," said Fisher, a Bronx native who led St. Patrick of Elizabeth to back-to-back Tournament of Champions crowns and is now second to sensational sophomore Scottie Reynolds in scoring (11.7 ppg) and assists (2.9). "I think it's going to be a good night."
Villanova (13-3, 3-2) actually has four players with New Jersey ties in Fisher, Stokes (St. Benedict's), sophomore center Casiem Drummond (Bloomfield Tech) and junior Frank Tchuisi (St. Benedict's).
Yet the three Coreys share a special bond that goes beyond their common name. They played with and against one another in numerous AAU tournaments and all-star games. Two summers ago, they all competed in Sonny Vaccaro’s final ABCD Camp at Fairleigh Dickinson.
“I’m looking forward to playing against him,” the 6-5 Stokes said of Chandler. “He’s a real a close friend of me and Fisher, so I’m looking forward to that."
The 6-1 Fisher played the point at St. Patrick under Kevin Boyle, but has recently come off the bench to play both point and shooting guard. He scored 15 points off the bench in the Wildcats' win Saturday at Syracuse.
“Corey Fisher has brought a level of basketball intelligence and vision on the floor that’s been incredible,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said in a phone interview. “I think some of our guys are still learning how to catch his passes. He sees everything. He’s also got a great ability to score. It’s very unique to find somebody that can truly do both of those things and excel at both of those things.”
Stokes, who chose Villanova, over UConn, Florida, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Seton Hall, has averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds off the bench, and Wright said he has been pleased with his defense on a variety of players, from strong, powerful ones like Draelon Burns of DePaul, to more athletic, slashers like Jonny Flynn of Syracuse.
“He’s giving us great strong defense at the second guard position,” Wright said. “He’s been struggling with his shot. I know that’s going to come. He’s really rebounding from the guard position and he’s starting to defend really well.”
Stokes said his biggest adjustment to the college level has been lifting weights, yet he has dropped six pounds and decreased his body fat from 12 percent to six. He said he also has a 3.25 GPA and made the Dean’s List first semester.
While Fisher and Stokes opted to leave the state for college, Chandler stayed home and is hoping to lead a resurgence under second-year head coach Fred Hill, a former Associate Head Coach under Wright at Villanova. Despite battling a foot injury that kept him in a walking boot earlier this season, the 6-2 Chandler is Rutgers’ second-leading scorer at 12.1 points per game while averaging 3.2 rebounds. Earlier this season, he put up a team-high 23 points on then-No. 1 North Carolina.
“I haven’t really been watching but I heard he’s having a great season,” Stokes said. “I’m happy for him.”
Added Wright: “You can see that he’s a superstar in the making. He can get himself a shot anytime he wants. He can score a lot of different ways. He shoots in the lane. He’s great in the open floor. You can just tell he’s going to be a great one.”
(Photos courtesy Villanova, Slam Magazine)
Why all the hate mongering still permitted on your blog Adam? Where's all the love?
Posted by: SHUtin | January 22, 2008 at 10:34 PM
i cant believe the two better coreys picked nova over rutgers. fred hill is a nj legend and if he wants a kid, he will get him....someone should have told the nova coreys that fred owns jersey...
Posted by: gardenstategreat | January 23, 2008 at 09:51 AM
SHUtin, for a guy who dislikes this blog so much, you sure spend a lot of time on it. Please start your own blog so you can spew your nonsense there, and leave this blog for those of us who want to be informed. There are tons of guys who go to to this blog several times a day to get all the info we could possibly want from a guy who really does his homework.Your negative commentary, and that of the other multi alias guys is infantile and does nothing to contribute to this process.
Posted by: Horatio2 | January 23, 2008 at 11:11 AM
FIRE FRED HILL!!
Posted by: essexknight | January 23, 2008 at 03:47 PM
FRED HILL IS A GENIUS--he landed the best Corey in America.
Posted by: RUrising | January 23, 2008 at 09:21 PM
Good point SHUtin. Fred Hill did outrecruit THE Nova for the best player named Corey, and THE Nova also got stuck with the butt ugliest Coreys in America.
Posted by: SHUtin | January 24, 2008 at 02:06 PM
Good point SHUtin. Fred Hill did outrecruit THE Nova for the best player named Corey, and THE Nova also got stuck with the butt ugliest Coreys in America.
Posted by: SHUtin | January 24, 2008 at 02:07 PM
WOW, ZAG's photo of Cory Fisher is so ugly I don't know where my head is at and I'm babbling to myself. Zags, please do not publish anymore photos of THE Nova Coreys again. Thank you sir.
Posted by: SHUtin | January 24, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Calm down SHUtin, sure THE Nova Coreys are ugly, but no need to keep harping on it. But maybe the Corey Feldman dude is as ugly as THE Nova Coreys, maybe not, but he is heavier.
Posted by: ShuPid | January 24, 2008 at 04:23 PM