The Peacocks feature a slew of players who can really fill up the basket in a fastbreak offense Kennedy dubbed ‘Run baby Run.’   Kennedy knew with his undersized team that the only way to compete would be to outrun and outscore the other team.  Going into this season there is high expectation for the Peacocks competing for a conference title as this offensive team has as much experience coming back as any team in the league.  These boys love playing this up tempo style of basketball and respect their coach immensely even if he is a bit of a tyrant.  And if you think the players liked ‘RBR’ the fans in this blue collar town just love it.  They routinely fill up the Yanitelli center to the brim (way over the 3200 capacity).  This little arena seats more than the enrollment of this diverse University so you know the locals are coming to support their Peacocks in the ‘Bubble’ as it has been dubbed.  But you might as well call it Run Baby Run because that happens in that building.    

Perhaps the defining player in this system is Junior wing Rich Rinaldi.  Rinaldi is a great wing who can really light it up.  A great outside touch and tough mind set. Rinaldi is a team leader.  Coach Kennedy is counting on another more great year from this warrior.   This Poughkeepsie kid was not destined to come to St. Pete’s as he was turned down by his hometown college at Rider.  In an ironic twist he will get a chance to make the Broncs pay for passing on him as they enter the MAAC this year and he gets to play against them twice.  And I have no doubt he will.  Rinaldi is a perfect match for Kennedy’s offense.  A 6’3 scoring machine who loves to run and gun, Kennedy is asking him to play a bit more of a leader this year and also actually play some defense.  Rinaldi won’t mind as long as he gets his shots.  BTW when this kid gets hot you better close the gym because he is going to burn the nets.   Senior Harry Laurie stepped up after transferring in from a JC and by the end of the year he was getting big minutes at the wing.  This 6’3 kid is athletic and really helps on the boards and boy do they need the help from all of their wings without any real legitimate size inside.  He passed up fellow seniors Tim Kehoe and Hank Morano on the totem pole but those two will fight for their minutes this year.  That might be tough as it seems that Kennedy only recruits wings and he has more coming up the turnpike.  Sophomore Willie Haynes is another scorer on the wing who lacked the pt this year but should get plenty more next year. Another Sophomore Shelton Gibbs is a good all-around wing who should really increase pt next season especially with his defensive skills.  These two got moved up from JV midway through the year and both showed they can contribute and are solid fits for Kennedy’s RBR offense and can help on defense as well.  They will be in the mix for some serious minutes in their second year in JCNJ.  Junior Harry (the Hat) Anderson and sophomore Willie Brown took over the starting roles on the JV after that and were superb.  The Peacocks are aptly named with all of these wings they have showing off on the court.

As good as Rinaldi was and he was good the most valuable Peacock had to be Senior Elnardo Webster.  A JC transfer (Kennedy loves bringing in Juco kids), Webster is a gifted scorer as well but can do other things almost as well.  The wiry forward led the team in rebounding and is a great leader.  Webster has a good chance of playing at the next level as guys who can score like he does on the wing are hard to come by especially when they have great all-around skills.  But he has got to put on some weight and get stronger. And he has got to become a bit more consistent. But he can light it up when he gets it going. This hometown kid is more than willing to sacrifice to play for his beloved Peacocks.  After all he went to that JC for two years just to get eligible to come back and play at home. He did not bat an eye when Kennedy asked him to go inside and do the dirty work as long as it made the team better.  Webster showed how much of a team player he is by playing most of the year out of position at the four.  At six foot five and as gangly as he is this was a difficult matchup trying to guard some of the brutes of the MAAC.  He was giving up three or four inches and 50 or 60 pounds (he goes 205 but looks thinner) on a regular basis.  Webster still hung in there and got more than his fair share of boards but it wore him down.  Webster got exhausted and missed some games near the end (the Peacocks lost every one of them) but came back and finished the season doing what he has done since he got back home to Jersey City..  Score baskets and grab rebounds.  Webster is one heck of a stud who can flat jump out of the gym and loves his Coach’s offense and the discipline this old school guy brings to a program.  And of course Kennedy makes sure his players have fun and that they can run.  Of course having a six five guy who can run the court and fire away is perfect for Kennedy’s RBR offense.  There is no way it would have worked without this supreme athlete doing what he does and Kennedy knew this.  He had other guys who could shoot and run and some who could rebound but none could do it all.  And look so dang good doing it as this smooth operator makes everything look way easier than it is!  Senior Bill Smith actually started the season in this role and can flat score but Kennedy moved him to the bench with Webster back in town.  Smith is similar to Webster in that he is more of a wing that has been asked to play inside far too often for the Peacocks.  At 6’5 (are all the Peacock big men 6’5) he has a little size and can board (nowhere near what Webster brings cleaning the glass) but his best attribute like many Peacocks is running the court and hitting mid-range jump shots.  He will still get minutes but nowhere near what he used to before Elnardo came home.  His brother Tom is also in the mix and plays the same kind of game though not quite as well.  Tommy (where’s there other brother dick) does not do Yo-Yo tricks but this senior can score too though at 6’4 is not quite the standard height of the Peacocks big men. 

The post position is handled by Senior Pete O’Dea.  O’Dea is undersized but makes up for it with determination and flair.  O’Dea is also rugged and strong and has got quick feet for a six five big man.  Kennedy would not play him if he could not move around the court a little bit.  Still, at six five, no matter how hard this kid worked he was just not big enough to keep up with the big boys of the MAAC.  O’Dea just was not in the same ‘league’ as Ruland or Young or Smits.  Especially vertically.  It is hard to compete with guys when you are giving up five or six inches (or in the case of Smits almost a foot) but man did he try?  The post position may have been the weakest part of this team but not for a lack of effort.  O’Dea is a hard working big man who can score a little and hits the boards but he is not in the same league as some of the big guys in the MAAC.  Coach Kennedy realized this and tried several different options trying to find the right answer and some size. Junior Bob Fazio is also undersized but has a great motor and can score and basically split time playing down low on the wing with Webster (enter Emmanuel Lewis).  Like O’Dea though he had a hard time defending other big men.  But this 6’5 (yep) kid does dirty work while still being able to get out on the perimeter and run.  Yes, this front line does go 6’5 across the board with the sixth man also, you guessed it, 6’5.  No wonder Tom Smith looks so small out there! Lol   Fellow seniors Ed Strong is also 6’4 and a true banger and behemoth Tom Schwester goes a mighty 6’6 (might want to recheck that tape measure for him).  Schwester might have a chance at finally getting on the court for more then just mop-up duty and not because he has an extra inch of height.  He can score and defend and like O’Dea is a true post.  One guy on the returning roster with some size is sophomore Alex Roberts.  This kid goes 6’9 (by far the biggest guy on this roster) and though he barely played on the JV last year he will get a shot because as we all know size matters.  Ask anyone with a X chromosome! 

Point guard will be a platoon once again as juniors Ted Martiniuk and Ken Slappy return for their third year in Jersey City.  Martiniuk is the starter and is one of those modern day scoring point guards who can also pass.  At 6’2 he can hit long-range shots or go to the hoop and is an adequate assist guy but does not run the break as well as Slappy.  Slappy goes 6’3 and is adept at getting the ball to the right guy especially in transition and might have the edge for now.  Sophomore Phil Jamison is pass first point guard who can defend and run and beat out some tough competition to start on the JV.  He is in the mix for minutes as is junior Kevin Boyle and sophomore Kevin Bannon who are not quite as quick but are natural leaders and really know this game. 

The Saint Peter’s Peacocks are hoping to win a few more games this year than they did last year.  That will be easier said than done especially in the Metro Atlantic Conference.  Long time Coach Don Kennedy is leaving it all on the line in perhaps his last go round in Jersey City.  He is for sure coming back one more time with his patented offense and wants to get his team back to the big time and perhaps another great ‘run’ in this Jersey town’s favorite tourney, the NIT.  As they say in these parts if they can do it there (MSG) you can do it anywhere so watch out if this team ever gets an invite to the Big Dance.  They do have a group of crazy offensive scorers who can light it up and give the crowds of Jersey City a thrill.  Still, they do need to learn to play some D and grab some more boards (and maybe guard a rim) if they are going to get back to the postseason again anytime soon.   Coach Kennedy knows he will have to replace some of his main thoroughbreds that made ‘Run Baby Run’ go. But not this year as he is going to go the gate with the guys who got him here no matter how small this lineup is.  The Peacocks do still have plenty of firepower and a potential superstar that fits this style of play to an R.  Sure Saint Peter’s may have a hard time getting back to their glory days of upsetting the big dogs of the country at MSG in the NIT but one thing is for sure these Peacocks will continue to spread their feathers and fly up and down the court and give the fans from Jersey City the offensive firepower they love to see.  But will they save Kennedy’s job?