"Forever Saints": an FBCB story
 

Hi again, everyone.

I'm Graham, and I've always loved stories. I enjoy telling them, hearing them, reading them, and writing them. That's why I've had so much fun on this forum, both as a reader and as a writer.

I've come back to create a story based on my favorite game, Fast Break College Basketball. That's nothing new for me; I've written up one long FBCB dynasty here, and I've started a couple shorter ones, too. Those stories never amounted to much because I became bored with them. They weren't enough different from what I did before to hold my attention for long.

This time, I'm trying something different. I've done some world-building here, inventing a corner of the college basketball universe in which my story will take place: a fictional town with a fictional college and its basketball team.

I want to create a story that remains rooted in what takes place in my FBCB game, but one that brings more of the setting to life. My "human coach" will, of course, be the main character, but we'll also meet the people who are important to him along the way. If I tell the story well, we will get to know the campus where he coaches, and the town in which he lives. You'll see stats and records and the elements that are part of most dynasty stories, but you'll read about other things, too.

I understand that this kind of story might not appeal to some of you. If you don't like Hallmark movies, scroll to the next box score or season summary. If you're like the guy I went to school with who wished Rudy had ended with the title character getting hurt, you'll definitely want to find another story.

But I'm in the mood to tell a story that at least has the potential to feel good. My main character might not end up winning many games. He might even lose his job...but that might be a compelling story, too. If I can create characters I have fun writing about--and ones you'll have fun reading about and pulling for, I'll be happy.

I hope some of you will come along for the ride. I'm excited about getting started.

I've already written quite a few of the world-setting posts, so they'll come along in fairly rapid succession.

Welcome to Elmridge
 

Our story is set in the (fictional) town of Elmridge, Pennsylvania.

Perched amid the gently rolling hills of southeastern Pennsylvania, Elmridge is a venerable small town with a rich history dating back to its founding in the early 1870s. Originally established as a stop along a key regional railroad line, Elmridge quickly grew from a modest farming settlement into a bustling hub of trade, light industry, and culture. Today, its historic charm is unmistakable, with cobblestone streets, preserved Victorian-era buildings, and a strong sense of tradition woven into daily life.

Elmridge’s roughly 12,000 residents live in a community deeply connected to its past. The town center is anchored by a broad, tree-lined Main Street paved with brick and flanked by stately 19th-century storefronts. Ornate wrought-iron balconies, gas-lit street lamps, and detailed cornices showcase the town’s Victorian heritage.

The old railroad line that founded Elmridge still serves the town via a small station, now refurbished with Victorian-era details like ironwork benches and gaslight-style lamps. Modern commuter rail connects residents to Philadelphia and beyond, balancing Elmridge’s historic ambiance with contemporary convenience.

Elmridge Creek still meanders through town, crossed by several stone arch bridges constructed during the late 19th century. These bridges remain functional and are lovingly maintained, alongside a network of narrow alleys and walking paths that echo the town’s early days.

Thomas E. Callahan and the founding of St. Michael's College
 

Thomas Edward Callahan was born in 1838, the third son of a large Irish immigrant family in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. Like many men his age, Callahan served his country in the Civil War. He enlisted with the 69th Pennsylvania Infantry, rising to the rank of captain; he was commended for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Three years after the war's end, Callahan married Margaret O'Leary, whose father owned a successful shipping and import business. Callahan trained as a lawyer and enjoyed considerable success, but he found himself increasingly drawn to his faith and community service. In the late 1870s, he left his law practice to devote his life and fortune to Catholic education and charitable work in the Philadelphia suburbs.

A man of deep humility and conviction, Callahan believed that Catholic youth needed a place that not only taught academic rigor but also instilled a sense of moral vigilance and communal responsibility—values embodied by St. Michael the Archangel. When St. Michael’s College was founded in 1888 as a small seminary, the Callahans became its most generous and influential benefactor.

Their most famous gift was the funding of the Sentinel Tower, intended as a physical and spiritual beacon to guide and protect students. Callahan's letters and speeches often referenced the tower as a symbol of “watchfulness in faith and knowledge.”

Callahan died in 1901, living long enough to see St. Michael's establish a firm footing from which it could grow.

Thomas E. Callahan's legacy remains alive as the college has grown.

• The Callahan Fund continues to support scholarships and campus maintenance.
• His personal motto, inscribed on a plaque in the tower’s base, reads: “Vigilance is the soul’s shield; knowledge, its sword.”
• Every year on Callahan Day (October 29), the college honors his memory with a lecture on ethics and leadership.
• The college chapel’s stained glass includes a panel depicting Callahan handing a lantern to a young seminarian—a symbol of passing the light of faith and learning.
• The Sentinel Tower’s lantern room is officially named the Callahan Lantern.

So, too, has the legacy of Margaret O'Leary Callahan persevered.

• She was instrumental in founding the St. Michael’s Alumnae Women’s Guild, which provided scholarships and hosted cultural events.
  
• She championed the construction of the college’s women’s dormitory and chapel annex, expanding opportunities for female students.
  
• She advocated for Catholic education for girls in the region, helping to establish feeder schools and partnerships.
  
• A stained-glass window in the college’s main chapel honors her, depicting St. Margaret of Antioch as a nod to her name and strength.
  
• After her death in 1910, the college created the Margaret O’Leary Callahan Endowment Fund for student aid and campus beautification.

St. Michael's College Today
 

In Veritate Lux

Founded not quite two decades after the town itself, St. Michael’s College grew from a small Catholic seminary into a respected liberal arts institution. Its original buildings, constructed in a blend of Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles, remain focal points of the campus. The signature chapel, with its soaring spires and intricate stained-glass windows depicting saints and local history, dates to 1897.

The college expanded gradually through the 20th century, but it retains the air of a storied institution where tradition meets scholarship. The campus quadrangles are surrounded by mature elms and maples, some planted by the college’s first students more than a century ago.

Some of the most notable campus buildings include:

Callahan Hall (Administration & Philosophy)
Named for Thomas Callahan, the college’s early benefactor. This stately stone building was the original structure on campus, completed in 1888. Its Sentinel Tower and stained-glass clerestory dominate the quad. Callahan Hall still houses the Office of the President, the Department of Philosophy, and the Callahan Seminar Room, a vaulted chamber used for senior orals and guest lectures.

O’Leary Library (Library & Archives)
Named for the family of Margaret O’Leary Callahan. A Gothic Revival structure with groin-vaulted reading halls and clerestory windows, the O’Leary Library houses the college archives, the O’Leary Rare Book Room, and the Sisters of Charity Reading Room. Students love the deep leather chairs and creaky floors.

College Chapel
Consecrated in 1897. Known for its mosaic apse of the Virgin enthroned and its resonant bell, “Immaculata.” The Chapel hosts daily Mass, weddings, vigils, and graduation. St. Michael the Archangel appears in stained glass above the high altar, sword raised in defense of truth. Other windows depict Thomas and Margaret Callahan, and other revered figures from the College's early days.

Margaret Hall (Humanities and Women’s Studies)
Originally the women’s dormitory, now home to History, Religious Studies, Women’s & Gender Studies, and the Margaret Center for Civil Discourse. Its inner courtyard is called the “Garden of Wisdom.”

St. Joseph’s Quad (Residential Life)
A four-dorm complex built in the 1980s, arranged around a grassy commons with a central statue of St. Joseph the Worker. Dorms include:
Kolbe Hall (First-year men)
Seton Hall (First-year women)
DeSales Hall (Upperclassmen)
Lourdes House (Honors housing)

Reilly Commons (Student Union & Activities)
Named after longtime coach and student advocate Fr. James Reilly, this is the beating heart of student life. Contains the campus coffee shop (The Lantern), student offices, mailroom, commuter lounge, and the WSMC campus radio station. The Great Room hosts open mics, dances, and student debates.

The Cloister Walk (Walkway and Social Space)
This elegant, columned arcade connects O’Leary Library to the chapel. Lined with ivy and lanterns, it’s a quiet study spot by day and a romantic, music-filled passage at night. Students often chalk quotes or prayers on the flagstones.

O’Shaughnessy Center for the Arts
Named for a patron who endowed the college’s visual arts program in the 1960s. Contains large studio spaces, a small recital hall, and The Nave — a contemporary gallery that features student work, faculty shows, and traveling exhibitions.

St. Margaret’s Hall of Science
A sleek brick and glass building completed in 1991, housing Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physics. Its rooftop greenhouse supports ecological research, and the east wing holds a state-of-the-art anatomy lab.

The Refectory (Dining Commons)
A high-ceilinged hall with wood trusses and stained glass. Students eat at long tables, and it’s known for its weekend brunches, Christmas formal dinner, and occasional surprise meals cooked by faculty. The Refectory balcony often hosts string quartets or student choirs.

O’Connell House (Campus Ministry & Retreat Center)
Once a faculty residence, now the home of Campus Ministry and spiritual life programs. Known for its warm hearth, soup nights, and occasionally, informal theology talks.

The Pavilion: Home of the Saints
 

St. Michael's plays their home games at The Pavilion, which opened for the 1932/33 season. The official capacity of The Pavilion is 4338 spectators, and this number is the announced attendance for every Saints home contest.

Architectural Style: Collegiate Gothic with Romanesque touches — featuring arched timber trusses, clerestory windows that flood the court with golden afternoon light, and wrought-iron lanterns suspended from vaulted wooden beams. The entire building is clad in warm sandstone with limestone accents.

Building Features:
“The Nave” Court:
The central hardwood court is affectionately called “The Nave” due to the building’s chapel-like proportions and echoed acoustics. Polished maple floorboards are laid in a chevron pattern, and the boundary lines are hand-painted in navy and gold.

Clerestory Windows:
A ring of high, stained-glass windows surrounds the upper walls of the pavilion. Each window represents a virtue — Fortitude, Temperance, Charity, Justice — and at sunset, amber light spills over the court during late practices and warm-up sessions, adding to the mystique of the building.

The Gallery:
Wooden bleachers, lovingly maintained, run up either side. The west end is home to the student section, which is invariably filled by raucuous, spirited St. Michael's men and women. At the east end, a modest organ loft is occasionally used by the pep band on feast days and homecoming.

The Saints' Hallway:
A corridor beneath the stands serves as a walk of honor, lined with portraits of all-time greats, team chaplains, and relics from the Saints' most historic games. It includes hand-lettered box scores and framed varsity letters from decades past.

Coach Reilly’s Office:
A warm, wood-paneled space tucked behind the bleachers, filled with old game balls, family photos, and the smell of coffee. No longer an active office, it retains the atmosphere created by the Saints' legendary coach, who retired in 1958.

Saints' Locker Room:
Stone-tiled floors, recently upgraded lockers, and a mural of St. Sebastian over the doorway. The locker room prayer — “Protect us in battle, Lord. Make us humble in victory and faithful in defeat” — is painted above the doorway.

Around Town
 

Let's visit the town of Elmridge, making stops at the places most important to the lives of the College community.

Neighborhoods and Surrounding Areas
Elmwood Heights: This neighborhood features elegant Victorian and Colonial Revival homes built by prosperous merchants and railroad officials during Elmridge’s boom years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many houses still boast original woodwork, stained glass, and wrap-around porches. Elmwood Heights is known for its mature tree canopy and quiet, winding streets.


Riverside District: Once home to small factories and warehouses serving the railroad, Riverside has evolved into a mixed-use area with preserved brick industrial buildings converted into lofts and art studios. The district’s narrow cobblestone streets and iron fire escapes tell stories of the town’s working-class roots.


St. Michael’s Village: Near the college, this district grew up around boarding houses and rental homes for students and faculty in the early 1900s. Many buildings retain their historic clapboard siding and simple, functional design, while local eateries and cafes offer modern comforts amid the classic architecture.


Old Town Elmridge: The oldest section of town, Old Town is a living museum of Elmridge’s origins. The 1873 Town Hall stands proudly in the square, its clock tower still chiming the hour. The district hosts an annual Founders Day celebration, complete with period costumes, horse-drawn carriage rides, and craft demonstrations.


Popular Businesses Around St. Michael’s College

1. The Elm & Ink Bookshop
A cozy, independent bookstore just a short walk from campus, Elm & Ink is a beloved hangout for St. Michael’s students and professors. The shop specializes in classic literature, philosophy, and theology, with a strong selection of both new releases and rare vintage volumes. Frequent poetry readings, book clubs, and guest lectures are hosted in its backroom. The scent of aged paper and freshly brewed coffee makes it a perfect study retreat.

2. The Cloister Café
Located in a restored 19th-century carriage house, The Cloister Café serves artisan coffee, herbal teas, and locally sourced pastries. It’s a favorite spot for morning classes, informal faculty meetings, and late-night study sessions. The café’s interior features stained glass windows and wooden beams, echoing the collegiate gothic aesthetic of St. Michael’s campus.

3. O’Malley’s Tavern
A traditional Irish pub with dark wood interiors, brass fixtures, and a roaring fireplace, O’Malley’s is the go-to place for game-day celebrations, casual dinners, and live folk music nights. Run by a family with roots in Elmridge since the 1920s, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere where alumni and locals mingle easily. Their famous shepherd’s pie and stout on tap are campus favorites.

4. The Scholar’s Nook
A stationary and academic supply store catering specifically to the needs of St. Michael’s students and faculty. It offers fine writing instruments, journals, art supplies, and a small collection of academic apparel. The owner, a retired professor, is known for personalized recommendations and a quiet reading corner stocked with classic texts.

5. The Green Elm Apothecary
This herbal shop and wellness center blends old-world remedies with modern holistic health practices. They sell locally grown herbs, tinctures, teas, and handcrafted soaps. Many students and faculty visit for stress relief products, especially during finals, and the apothecary hosts occasional workshops on herbal medicine and mindfulness.

6. Marigold & Vine Florist
A quaint flower shop near campus, known for its vintage-style arrangements and seasonal bouquets. Marigold & Vine decorates campus events, dorms, and faculty offices, often collaborating with the college for formal dances and ceremonies. The florist’s owner, a former art student, incorporates wildflowers and native plants into all designs.

7. The Scholar’s Table
A small, family-owned bistro specializing in farm-to-table fare with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Open for brunch and dinner, it’s popular for weekend meetups and post-lecture discussions. The menu changes seasonally and features hearty soups, sandwiches, and vegetarian options, with a warm, rustic ambiance.

8. Del Vecchio's
Davide Del Vecchio served his first sandwich to a St. Michael's student in 1922. His descendants still offer pizza, pasta, and sandwiches to the Saints community. A DelVecchio's hoagie is the traditional pre-game meal for Saints basketball fans.

9. Campus Threads
A clothing and gift shop offering St. Michael’s College apparel, from classic letterman jackets to cozy scarves and tote bags. They also stock vintage-inspired accessories and handmade crafts by local artisans. The shop is a must-visit for visiting families and alumni picking up memorabilia.

The story begins...


Recruiting Profile: Toby Whittaker

Full Name: Tobias Edward "Toby" Whittaker
Graduation Year: 1992
High School: St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Alexandria, VA
Position: Point Guard
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 170 lbs
College Commitment: St. Michael’s College (PA) – Class of 1996
Intended Majors: Philosophy & Political Science
Recruiting Rankings: ⭐⭐⭐ #301 nationally by FBCB Scouting Service

Toby was a three-year starters for the SSSA varsity, a team captain during his junior and senior years. Toby was known across the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) as one of the smartest and most unselfish point guards in the D.C. metro area. His command of the offense, court awareness, and leadership under pressure earned him respect from teammates and opponents alike. Though not the flashiest player on the court, he was the most dependable—running the floor like an extension of the coaching staff.

As a senior, Toby averaged 14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 7.1 APG, and maintained a 3.2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He made nearly 47% of his field goal attempts, including 41% from distance, and hit 83% of his free throws.

His basketball honors list was impressive:

• All-IAC First Team (1992)
• All-Met Honorable Mention (Washington Post)
• SSSA Athlete-Scholar of the Year (1992)
• MVP, Sleepy Thompson Tournament (December 1991)
• McNamara Award, for Leadership in Athletics & Academics

Coach's Commentary
“Toby is the rare kind of player who makes everyone around him better. He sees the floor like a coach and approaches the game—and life—with humility and integrity.”
— Coach Ned Chapman, SSSA Varsity Basketball


Toby was also a fine high school soccer player. His quickness and court vision translated well to the pitch, where he played as a box-to-box midfielder—balancing offense and defense with smart passing and stamina. During spring seasons, Toby ran the 400m and participated in the 4x400m relay for SSSA's track team. Though not a top-level sprinter–his personal best was just under 52 seconds for 400m–he was respected for his dedication and team spirit. Toby also enjoyed casual tennis matches with friends, appreciating the mental focus and hand-eye coordination tennis required.

Toby graduated in June 1992 with a 3.93 GPA, earning High Honors. Off the court, he was involved in Student Council, serving as vice president as a senior. He was an active volunteer, especially enjoying working with youth sports camps and tutoring younger students at his school. Toby was also involved with the campus ministry, attending retreats and serving as a peer leader during sophomore year. His faith was important to him, grounding his decisions and goals.

Toby’s diverse activities contributed to his reputation as a disciplined, compassionate, and intellectually curious student-athlete—qualities that made him a natural leader both on and off the court.

Toby's Freshman Season: 1992/93

Saints coach George Sarver immediately made Toby a fixture in the starting lineup. The 91/92 Saints had won the Centennial Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Toby had the unenviable task of succeeding Thomas Drury, the Saints' all-time leading scorer, and while he was not quite Drury's equal, he demonstrated his ability to adapt to the demands of college basketball.

Moving between point guard and shooting guard, Toby averaged 9.0 PPG and 2.0 APG. He proved to be a very good rebounder for a 6'2" guard, pulling in 3.2 RPG. Toby served as the team's third option behind high-scoring sophomores Rickie Parker and John Theisen.

Toby's contributions were enough to earn him a spot on the Centennial Conference's All-Freshman Team and its Freshman of the Year Award. But the Saints suffered a reversal of fortune, finishing with a 13-19 record.


Toby's Sophomore Season: 1993/94
With their young core returning, the Saints had every reason to expect a better season in 93/94. The addition of Harold Toombs, a dynamic guard from nearby York, PA, gave Saints Nation even more hope.

That hope was largely realized, as Sarver guided his team to a 18-13 mark that included a 10-4 conference record. Four Saints earned spots on the first All-Conference Team: Parker, Theisen, Toombs...and Whittaker.

Toby shifted to shooting guard to accommodate talented freshman Toombs. He averaged 9.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, and just over a steal per game. Rickie Parker was named the league POY, and Toombs its FOY.

The Saints' Achilles heel was their team defense. They allowed their opponents to score over 72 points a game and knock down 39 percent of their threes.


Toby's Junior Season: 1994/95

Coach Sarver's Saints took another step forward in 94/95.

Their season began with an upset victory in the Anaheim Invitational. The Saints entered the tourney as the seventh seed in the eight-team bracket. They defeated St. Bonaventure and East Carolina by one point each, with Toby hitting a three-pointer with five seconds remaining against the Bonnies. The Saints' four-point victory over Georgia Tech in the championship game felt comfortable by comparison.

The Saints kept winning throughout the season, posting a 12-2 conference record to win the league, and completing the triple with a Centennial Conference tournament victory that earned them a ticket to the Big Dance. Iowa ended the Saints' season in the first round, but the student body nevertheless welcomed them back to campus with a joyful celebration.

Rickie Parker ended his illustrious career by repeating as Centennial Player of the Year. His classmate, John Theisen, joined him on the all-league first team. So, too, did Toby, earning his second straight selection.

Toby established new career highs in scoring (11.1 PPG), rebounding (4.1 RPG), and assisting (3.7 APG).


Toby's Senior Season: 1995/96

Coaches who achieve success with small programs are often invited to try their luck and skills with larger ones. George Sarver's departure for Niagara in the spring of 1995, therefore, wasn't a surprise, but for Toby, it was a disappointment. The new Saints coach, Charles Toomer, depended heavily on Toby to build his relationships with his team.

There were three first team All-Centennial players on the 95/96 Saints, but this was Toby Whittaker's team. The senior captain averaged 15.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG. Toby joined juniors Harold Toombs and Sid Kobayashi on the all-conference team; it was Toby's third consecutive selection.

But there was a greater honor yet to come. Toby was named Centennial Conference Player of the Year.

The Saints went 20-12, 9-5 in league play, and earned a spot in the NIT field. They exited with a first-round loss to Wake Forest, in what was Toby's final collegiate game.



Toby finished his St. Michael's career with career totals of 1473 points (11.4 PPG), 502 rebounds (3.9 RPG), 392 assists (3.0 APG), and 142 steals (1.1 APG). He shot .872 from the free throw line (362/415) and .418 from three-point range (215/514). Durable and reliable, Toby never missed a game in his four varsity seasons, starting a total of 129 contests. The Saints' record in these games was 74-55.

Toby was not St. Michael's greatest player ever. That honor probably belongs to Jeffrey Simons, a talented center who was a first-team All American in 1989/90 and a two-time Centennial Player of the Year. Toby's teammate, Rickie Parker, was also named conference POY twice. However, it wouldn't be unreasonable to choose Toby for an all-time Saints starting five. And few players had been as widely loved and respected as Toby was by the time his career came to an end.


* I began playing this dynasty in 1960, so some history had been established before Toby entered the story.

Toby's years as an undergraduate at St. Michael's were highlighted by much more than his on-court exploits. It's time to meet someone very special, with help from my daughter, who has taken quite an interest in this story.


When Claire Dempsey first stepped onto the campus of St. Michael’s College in August of 1992, she felt a quiet certainty that she’d found someplace special. It wasn’t just the old stone buildings with ivy curling up their sides or the soft hush of the Cloister walk, but something gentler — a feeling that life might open up here in a way it hadn’t before. She arrived from Pittsford, New York, eager but a little unsure. She’d loved art for as long as she could remember and had packed her sketchbooks alongside her books, but wasn’t yet convinced she belonged among students who already seemed to know exactly what they wanted.

She met Toby Whittaker in her first-year philosophy seminar. At first, she mostly noticed his posture — attentive, upright, never showy — and then his voice, low and deliberate, when he spoke in class. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, she listened. He had a way of cutting to the heart of things. They partnered up for a class discussion on justice in The Republic, and that conversation stretched long after the bell rang. Later that week, they bumped into each other in the O’Leary Library, and ended up studying side-by-side in near silence for two hours. Somehow, it felt companionable, not awkward. That was the beginning.

Friendship came easily with Toby. They would walk the campus loop together after their classes, talking about everything — books, music, childhoods, doubts. She liked that he didn’t try to impress her. He was steady, thoughtful, a little shy, and deeply kind. He liked her drawings. He listened closely. She fell for him slowly, then all at once. Their first real date was to an art film screening on campus, followed by hot chocolate at the Cloister Café. They kissed for the first time later that night under the old stone arch by the College Chapel, just as snow began to fall.

They grew into themselves side by side. Claire dove deeper into her art history major, taking on studio classes and getting close with Professor Eleanor Vega, who pushed her to pursue her ideas more boldly. Toby juggled basketball and dual majors in philosophy and political science; in the classroom, he bonded best with Professors Peter Cavanaugh and Emily Saad. Busy as they were, they always made time for their quiet rituals: late breakfasts at the student-run café, post-practice dinners where he’d arrive still smelling faintly of the gym, or nighttime sketch walks where she’d stop to draw and he’d read nearby. She loved seeing him in his element on the court — calm under pressure, generous with the ball, always playing with integrity. She cheered so loudly his teammates started calling her their sixth man.

There were hard stretches too — during her museum internship, when she missed him more than she expected, or when he got overwhelmed juggling a full course load and team captaincy. Once, during junior year, they had a long argument about their future that left her crying in the Cloister. But the next morning, there was a note tucked into her sketchbook: "Still with you. Always." That was who he was. Not flashy, not dramatic. Just with her, through it all.

By senior year, they felt like two halves of something solid. They still had their own worlds — she was consumed with her thesis and gallery work, he was driving the team to another 20-victory season — but they shared everything. They took a class together on art and ethics, stayed up late editing each other’s papers, and once spent an entire Sunday curled up on a blanket behind the art building reading aloud to each other. The night he hit the game-winning shot against Ursinus at The Pavilion, she ran to him without thinking, past fans and confetti and cameras, straight into his arms. Later, in the quiet of the Grotto, he whispered, “This is where it all started for me.”

Graduation felt like a threshold — joyful and bittersweet. She knew even then: their story wasn’t ending. It was deepening, unfolding. Years later, when they brought their own children back to that same campus, she could still feel the girl she’d been at 18 — full of questions, unsure of herself — and she smiled, remembering how Toby had taken her hand and never let go.



Claire, about the time she and Toby met (September 1992)


Claire took this one of Toby (November 1992)


Toby's favorite photo of Claire, from the week of their first date (November 1992)

St. Michael’s College — 112th Commencement
Sunday, May 19, 1996
Cloister Lawn, Elmridge, Pennsylvania
Procession: 10:00 AM | Ceremony: 10:30 AM


🎓 Candidates for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

Claire Eleanor Margaret Dempsey
Pittsford, New York
Bachelor of Arts, Art History
Minor: Studio Art
Magna Cum Laude (3.89 GPA)

Phi Beta Kappa

Lambda Alpha (Art History Honor Society)
Margaret O’Leary Award for Excellence in the Arts (1996)
President, Art History Society
Student Art Exhibition Participant (1993–1996)
Senior Thesis: “Echoes of Light: American Impressionism and the New England Landscape”

Claire’s professors admired her keen visual sensitivity, careful writing, and the poetic insight she brought to art interpretation. Her paintings — luminous, emotionally rich — often reflected Elmridge’s natural beauty.



Tobias Edward Whittaker
Alexandria, Virginia
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy and Political Science
Minor: Religion
Magna Cum Laude (3.81 GPA)

Phi Beta Kappa

Callahan Prize for Academic Achievement in the Humanities (1995, 1996)
St. Anselm Society for Philosophical Inquiry
Men’s Varsity Basketball, Four-Year Letterman
Senior Thesis: “Justice, Virtue, and the Self: A Comparative Study of Aristotle and Rawls”

Toby was known for his quiet, thoughtful presence in seminar rooms and his ability to connect big ideas with lived experience. Professors often remarked on his clarity of thought and grace under pressure — a quality that extended from the classroom to the court.

Both Toby and Claire earned master's degrees in their chosen fields.


🎓 Toby's Graduate Education
M.A. in Philosophy
University of Chicago
1996–1998

📚 Academic Focus:
Concentration: Moral and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Classical Thought (especially Aristotle and Aquinas)

Master’s Thesis: “The Common Good and the Form of the Just Life: Recovering Civic Virtue in a Fragmented Age”

Advisors:
Dr. Charles M. Renner (Ethics and Ancient Philosophy)
Dr. Judith Levin (Philosophy of Religion)

Notable Seminars:
Aquinas and the Nature of Law
Virtue Ethics: Aristotle to Anscombe
Augustine’s Confessions and the Self
Politics and Piety in Early Modern Thought

🏛️ Additional Notes:
Served as a graduate teaching assistant in the Core Curriculum, leading undergraduate discussion sections on philosophy and civilization.

Actively involved in the Lumen Society, a graduate reading group dedicated to faith and moral reasoning in the modern world.

Attended lectures at the Divinity School and engaged in interdepartmental dialogues on ethics, theology, and public life.

🧭 Afterward:
Toby finished his master’s degree with distinction but chose not to pursue a doctorate, feeling a strong pull toward work that blended ideas with action. He returned to southeastern Pennsylvania, where he taught at a private school and coached varsity boys basketball. The mix of mentorship, leadership, and his lifelong love of the game was pointing him toward a coaching career.


🎓 Claire's Graduate Education:
M.A. in Art History
Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
1996–1998

📚 Focus & Achievements:
Concentration: American and European painting, 19th–20th centuries

Research Interests: American Impressionism, museum studies, women artists of the early modern period

Thesis Title: "Framing the Domestic: Mary Cassatt and the American Gaze"
Graduate Internship: Education & Curatorial departments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Teaching Assistant: Undergraduate Art History survey courses at NYU
Graduated with distinction, May 1998

Claire’s time in graduate school helped her hone her voice as both a scholar and creative educator. While in New York, she also maintained a part-time studio practice, showing her work in a small group exhibition in Brooklyn in 1997.

Toby's Early Career

1998–2005: William Penn Charter School, Philadelphia
In 1998, shortly after Claire completed her master’s degree, Toby accepted a position at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. There, he taught Philosophy, Religious Studies, and later helped develop a senior ethics seminar. He also served as a basketball coach, working as JV head coach for two years before taking over the head varsity position. His style combined patient mentorship with intense preparation—earning him quiet respect from players, colleagues, and parents alike.

He and Claire moved to Philadelphia together and married in June 1999 at the College Chapel at St. Michael’s.


Claire in Philadelphia (1998–2005)
Claire began work in 1998 as a Museum Educator and Program Coordinator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she focused on community engagement and K–12 education initiatives. She co-led the museum’s push to redesign interpretive materials for younger audiences and was especially active in creating programming that connected art to contemporary social issues.

Her position allowed her to continue curating and lecturing while also developing teaching materials and public events. She gave gallery talks on 19th-century European art and participated in a city-wide symposium on "Women in the Arts: Education, Legacy, and Public Life."


2001–2005: Family and Teaching Life
The Whittakers welcomed their first child, Nora, in November 2001, followed by Grace in December 2003 and Eli in September 2005. During these years, Claire adjusted her work schedule to part-time, contributing to education programs at the Woodmere Art Museum and occasionally guest lecturing at local colleges, while Toby continued to teach and coach full-time.

The couple settled into the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, where their home often hosted former students, faculty friends, and fellow young families. On weekends, Toby led pickup games at the school gym, and Claire organized book clubs and museum outings with fellow educators and parents.


2005–2007: Transition to College Coaching
In 2005, Toby accepted a position as an assistant coach at Bucknell University, seeing it as the first step toward his long-held dream of coaching at the college level. The family relocated to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where Claire consulted for the Samek Art Museum and led an after-school program focused on integrating art into STEM education.

Two years later, when the head coaching job at St. Michael’s College opened in early 2007, Toby was a finalist almost immediately.

March 15, 2007 — Elmridge, Pennsylvania

A clear, brisk late-winter morning bathed the campus of St. Michael’s College in golden light as students trickled back from spring break. The bare trees lining the Green cast long shadows on the worn brick paths, and the chapel bell had just tolled ten when the news broke: Toby Whittaker, Class of 1996, would be returning to his alma mater — not as a visiting alumnus, but as the new head coach of the St. Michael’s men’s basketball team.

The announcement came first in a press release from the college’s athletic department, posted to the college website and hand-delivered to local outlets by a smiling student intern. Within an hour, word had spread across campus and town. At the Cloister Café, baristas exchanged knowing glances, students raised to-go cups in mock toasts, and a few upperclassmen who remembered watching old VHS highlights of Whittaker’s distinguished career whooped out loud.

Toby arrived just after noon for the press conference, stepping out of a dark blue SUV with his wife Claire beside him and their three children in tow — Nora, five; Grace, three; and Eli, a toddler bundled against the chill. Toby wore a navy St. Michael’s warmup jacket under his overcoat, the gold S stitched just over his heart.

The press conference was held in the newly renovated Callahan Hall Auditorium, but it still had the warm, creaky charm of the old days. Banners commemorating past championship seasons hung behind the podium. Athletic Director Diane Lundquist opened the event, her smile proud and broad as she described Toby’s legacy — not just the points he scored or games he led, but his leadership, character, and enduring connection to St. Michael’s.
When Toby stepped up to the microphone, the room quieted like a chapel.

“This place made me,” he began, voice calm but filled with quiet emotion. “I wore this jersey with pride as a player, and I’ll coach with the same pride. My heart is here. I know what it means to play in The Pavilion, to hear our names chanted from the Reilly Commons steps, to walk across campus after a tough loss and feel the town still behind us. I want our guys to feel that. Not just for four years. For life.”

Claire watched from the front row, her hand gently resting on Nora’s shoulder, tears caught in her lashes.

After the formalities, the Whittaker family wandered the campus, hand in hand. Claire pointed out old haunts to the girls, who marveled at the stone buildings and stopped to peek at the Grotto. Eli toddled ahead of his dad, carrying–and often dropping– a mini basketball someone from the team had slipped him.

Back at the arena, Toby greeted his players, already buzzing about playing for “Coach Whit.” He gathered them around midcourt, under the old wooden arches of the clerestory-lit gym. He looked each of the young men in the eye and spoke softly and earnestly. “This place matters. Let’s make it proud.”

By sundown, the news had rippled through Elmridge. At O’Malley’s Tavern, alumni were already toasting the hire. At Campus Threads, someone placed an order for fresh “St. Michael’s Basketball” hoodies. And that evening, in the quiet of their new home on Orchard Street, in the leafy Elmwood Heights neighborhood, Claire and Toby tucked the kids into bed. Later, as Claire relaxed in a hot bath, Toby sat in his office, surrounded by boxes, writing the first plans for the 2007/08 season on a yellow legal pad.

A new chapter had begun — not just for Toby, but for the college, the team, and a community ready to believe again.

Toby Whittaker inherited a program that might have needed a boost, but one that was far from ruin.

Toby’s predecessor, Christian Huckaby, had posted a 54-44 record in his three seasons, including a 22-win campaign in 2004/05 that earned the Saints a spot in the NIT field. However, Coach Huckaby couldn’t repeat those successes, and after a 15-18 record and a middle-of-the-pack finish in the Centennial League, the board decided to look elsewhere.

Coach Huckaby, an especially talented recruiter, decided to accept a position as an assistant coach at San Diego. One member of his staff, lead scout Barton Fee, decided to retire. Huckaby’s other two assistants expressed a desire to remain at St. Michael’s, and Toby was pleased to make that happen.

Charles Campbell would be Toby’s head recruiter. He impressed Toby with his steady presence, and he had clearly earned the respect of the players. A former power forward at Massachusetts, he had a knack for developing big men.

Charles, now age 42, met his future wife, Reneé, at UMass; she was now a pediatrician with a practice in Elmridge. Charles and Reneé had three children: Charlotte (13), Malcolm (9), and Talia (4).

"Coach Campbell has an incredible feel for people — not just talent, but character, fit, and potential," said Toby. "He builds relationships that last, and recruits trust him because he’s genuine. He doesn’t oversell — he tells them what St. Michael’s is really about, and that honesty resonates.”

Toby was also pleased to retain Carl Wilson as his associate head coach. As Toby put it, "Coach Wilson sees the game two steps ahead — especially on the defensive end. "He’s got a gift for teaching guys how to anticipate, how to rotate, how to communicate. Our defensive identity starts with him. He holds our team to a high standard, and the players respect him because he’s earned it, year after year."

Coach Wilson was a Texas native, but he made his way east to play at Bowdoin and attend graduate school at Temple, where he met and fell in love with Monica James. They married a year later, and both found jobs at Elmridge High School. Monica was still a guidance counselor there.

Their son, Jalen (16), was a standout two-sport athlete in basketball and track. Daughter Tessa (13) and son Micah (7) completed their family.

Claire was settling into life in Elmridge, enrolling Nora in kindergarten and Grace in preschool at St. Aloysius School and exploring opportunities in the local arts community. She began contributing part-time to the College Chapel’s art and archives committee, helping to curate a small exhibit in the Callahan Library on the history of sacred art on campus. She also made plans to teach a seminar course in art history as an adjunct at St. Michael’s, with plans to possibly expand her academic role in the years to come.

Meanwhile, her husband’s first important action at St. Michael’s was the hiring of assistant Ari Goldberg, who would head the Saints’ scouting efforts. The 29-year-old coach was a Davidson alumnus, and he came to St. Michael’s from Richmond, where he had worked in the basketball operations office.

Coach Goldberg brought with him his wife, Lila, and their two-year-old daughter Naomi. Lila Goldberg immediately bonded with Claire over their common interest in art; Lila majored in Studio Art at Davidson and worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

"Coach Goldberg has an incredible eye for detail," Toby said. "He’s meticulous, relentless, and totally locked in — the kind of coach every program needs if they want to stay a step ahead."

The Goldbergs found a cozy, second-floor apartment in the Woodmere neighborhood, within walking distance of St. Michael’s Village and its cafés. The Campbells and Wilsons already owned homes in Elmridge. Charles and his family lived in a brick Craftsman home near the Greenway along the creek, and Carl’s home was a sunny yellow Colonial a few blocks east of Old Town, near a lovely park.

Now that his staff was situated, Toby’s focus turned to the start of the summer recruiting season.

Here’s a summary of St. Michael’s basketball history from 1960/61 until Toby’s hiring in the spring of 2007.


Success was sporadic for the Saints for the first thirty or so years of my dynasty. Despite some remarkable stability in their coaching staff–Monty Reitz held the head coaching position for ten years beginning in 1967, and the Saints had only four coaches from 1960 to 1982–the team’s prestige was the same at the end of that run as it had been at the beginning.

The first “golden age” of St. Michael’s basketball arrived in the late 1980s and continued through the middle of the next decade. This run of success coincided with the careers of Jeffrey Simons, Rickie Parker, and Toby Whittaker himself. A “mini-dynasty” in the first years of the new century raised St. Michael’s prestige as high as it’s ever been. Both those successful runs included trips to the Sweet Sixteen, the only ones in Saints history.

Toby hoped to bring stability to the program’s leadership. The coach who recruited him, George Sarver, was the only one who stayed in Elmridge for as long as four years. Any player who took a redshirt, then, was on campus longer than his coach was.


Still, the Saints were the second-most successful program in Centennial Conference history, and those 12 conference championships meant 12 trips to the NCAA tournament: more than any other team in their league. Toby, therefore, wasn’t taking the wheel of a sinking ship.

June 2007

St. Michael’s had one scholarship available to offer to a player in the transfer portal. And Toby knew exactly what kind of player he wanted.

"We’re looking for a foundational piece," Toby said. "Ideally, a true big with size, toughness, and a few years of eligibility left—someone who can anchor us inside, not just for one season, but as we build. We don’t need flash. We need a presence. A guy who wants to grow with this program and help us establish our identity." There wasn't a true center on the St. Michael's roster.

There was such a player in the portal, and to Toby’s delight, he was interested in talking to him and his staff about coming to St. Michael’s.

Brenner Turnbull was legitimately seven feet tall, with a massive, muscular frame. He’d suffered a frightening leg injury in an automobile accident the summer before his senior year at Houston High School in the Memphis suburbs, and most coaches took him off their lists. Tulsa coach Tony Hulse continued to recruit him, however, and that’s where the three-star recruit decided to sign.

Then Coach Hulse announced he was leaving for SMU. His successor at Tulsa, Henry Brisson, wasn’t impressed with Brenner, whose game was very raw, especially offensively. The big man didn’t play a single minute of the 2006/07 season. Sad and lonely, he put his name into the transfer portal without a moment’s hesitation.

Toby and his staff brought Brenner to St. Michael’s. They watched him work out and, even more importantly, spent time talking to him.

"When I came to visit St. Michael’s, it just felt right," Turnbull recalled. "Coach Whittaker and the staff were real with me from the start—they laid out the vision, showed me how I’d fit, and didn’t sugarcoat the work ahead. I respect that. Walking around campus, meeting the team, seeing the Pavilion—it felt like a place where I could settle in, grow, and make an impact. I’m ready to get to work."

Brenner Turnbull became the first recruit of Toby Whittaker’s coaching career.

"Brenner brings exactly what we needed in the frontcourt," said assistant coach Ari Goldberg, who led the scouting on the 7-footer. "He’s a presence—he changes shots, owns the glass, and anchors the defense with a kind of poise that’s hard to teach. He’s not just tall; he’s tough, smart, and committed to doing the dirty work. Brenner is also an outstanding student. We’re thrilled to have him in the program."

The night Brenner signed, Claire picked up takeout from Del Vecchio’s—Toby had joked more than once that pasta helped him think better. On the kitchen table, she laid out a simple spread: rigatoni Bolognese, garlic knots, salad, and a modest chocolate cake she and the girls had baked earlier that afternoon. Claire and the girls joined Toby in a sparkling-water toast, while Eli lifted his sippy cup.

Claire made her husband laugh when she playfully suggested that their new player's name sounded like a prestigious law firm.

The evening's celebration was nothing flashy—just warmth, relief, and a sense that something was beginning to click.

Toby and his staff had three scholarships available to award during this recruiting cycle. The signing of Brenner Turnbull made the need for a big man a little less acute, but the Saints' roster still lacked size. At least one, if not two, of the offers should go to post players. There was also a need for a tall wing; all the Saints' most important perimeter players were 6'4" or shorter.

Perhaps most importantly, Toby wanted to make sure every player he recruited was a better-than average defender. Many of the Saints paid relatively little attention to what happened when they didn't have the ball. Even assistant Carl Wilson's talents as a defensive coach couldn't transform the Saints into a team that was difficult to score against.

Toby and his staff quickly identified a player who fit the team's needs perfectly. Jamir Douglas was a 6'10" center from nearby Cheltenham, PA. He was an irrepressible rebounder and a tenacious defender. His high school coaches praised his work ethic, and he was an outstanding student. A high three-star recruit, Jamir was precisely the kind of player Toby wanted at St. Michael's.

But players like this attract attention from many programs, and Jamir was no exception. To sign Jamir, St. Michael's would have to win a recruiting battle with some of the top teams in the East. And Toby was beginning to doubt his ability to win those battles. The fact his predecessor, Christian Huckaby, was known as a consummate recruiter who punched well above his weight didn't help.


SCENE: Early evening; late September 2007
Toby is in his small office in the athletic complex at St. Michael’s. The windows are cracked open, letting in the cooling air and the muffled sounds of practice on the soccer field. Papers, scouting reports, and old game film tapes are scattered across his desk. Claire knocks lightly on the open door, holding a paper cup of coffee. She's left the kids with Eryn, the teenage girl next door, their favorite babysitter.

CLAIRE (softly):
This seat taken?

TOBY (sighing, looking up):
Only by doubt and frustration. But I’d trade those for you any day.

CLAIRE (smiling as she walks in):
Coffee with milk and too much sugar. Emergency-grade comfort.

TOBY (accepting the cup):
You’re a good woman, Dempsey. Even if you don’t always respect coffee the way it deserves.

CLAIRE:
Desperate times. What's going on?

TOBY (leaning back):
Jamir Douglas. He was supposed to visit next weekend, but now he’s going to Villanova. That’s the second reschedule in three weeks. His coach says he’s still “interested,” but I can feel it slipping. He’s the kind of player we could build around. Smart. Grounded. Big presence in the paint.

CLAIRE (sitting across from him):
Toby… recruiting’s like dating in high school. If someone keeps bailing, you eventually stop waiting by the phone.

TOBY (chuckling tiredly):
I know. I just wanted to make a statement with this first class. Prove that we’re serious. That St. Michael’s is still a place where something real can grow. He’s not just good—he’s our kind of kid.

CLAIRE (gently):
And maybe he’ll come around. Or maybe someone else will walk through that gym door who’s better for this place in ways you can’t see yet. You’re not just selling wins, Toby. You’re offering them what this college gave us.

TOBY (quietly):
I just don’t want to fall behind before I’ve even started.

CLAIRE (reaching for his hand):
Then don’t look at it as falling behind. Look at it as starting from exactly where you are. You’re building something honest. That’s going to matter more to the right kid than whatever some other school throws at them.

TOBY (after a pause):
You always do this.

CLAIRE:
What?

TOBY:
Make it feel like it’s still possible.

CLAIRE (smiling):
Because it is. Now go home soon. You’ve got a team to believe in, and a daughter who wants you to read The Penderwicks for the third night in a row.

TOBY (standing):
All right. But I’m skipping the part where the rabbit gets loose again.

CLAIRE:
Deal. But only if you admit you cried a little when it got lost last time.

TOBY (grinning):
No comment. Let’s go.

They walk out together into the cool fall night, the leaves just beginning to turn on the oaks lining the quad.

November 11, 2007

Toby was guardedly optimistic after the first, intensive week of practice.



The team’s most important players would be the “B Team,” a group of three men whose surnames shared that initial: senior David Buffington, junior Newton Bruenig, and sophomore George Bergman.

Buffington looked more like a defensive end than a forward, and like a good edge rusher, he was surprisingly athletic for his size. He’d scored almost 1400 points in his first three years at St. Michael’s, but he was a high-volume, low-percentage shooter. Toby thought he would benefit greatly from improved shot selection.

Bruenig, like Buffington before him, had been the league’s Freshman of the Year. But he suffered a horrendous slump as a sophomore, making less than a third of his shots. His underlying skills looked good, however, so Toby thought he might bounce back. Like David, Newton had been a high three-star recruit, the kind of player St. Michael's didn't often manage to sign. Newton was also a superlative student.

Bergman was the team’s small forward, in the truest sense of the word. At 6’4” and 180 pounds, he was constantly matched against much bigger players. Strangely enough, he was better at post defense than he was at guarding on the perimeter. George was the team’s best outside shooter, with a smooth, fluid stroke. Still, only 41 percent of his shots had gone in last year. That mark was awfully low for a “best shooter.”

Alan Gurrola held a small advantage over Charles Clemmons in the contest for the starting point guard position. Both were sophomores; Alan had played much more than Charles the year before. They were similar players–good ballhandlers and passers, fair defenders–but Gurrola was a hair more talented.

Redshirt senior Andrew Fajardo rounded out the starting five. It was impossible not to pull for Andrew. He had paid his dues in the program for five years, finally establishing himself in the rotation last season. That would be the ideal role for Andrew, but the Saints’ lack of true bigs forced Toby to cast him as a starter. Andrew was very strong for his size and hit the boards willingly.

The most important frontcourt reserve–indeed, the only one Toby and his staff believed would be good for more than mop-up duty–was a walk-on from Germany named Rainer Neubauer. Rainer was strong and a good rebounder, but he was probably not as tall as his listed height of 6’7”. He had trouble defending the team’s only true big man, Brenner Turnbull.

Speaking of Brenner, he was turning out to be exactly the player Toby and his staff thought they were getting. He used his big frame to its best advantage: blocking shots, rebounding, and setting rugged screens. With assistant coach Charles Campbell’s help, Brenner was also developing a better offensive repertoire. “He would start for us if he were eligible,” Campbell admitted privately.

Junior Victor Stango and freshman Randolph Querry were especially valuable squad players, because, as Toby pointed out, “they’re the best all-around defenders we have.” At the very least, Victor and Randolph would challenge the B Team in practice.

Toby knew this edition of the Saints would struggle to stop opponents from scoring. They would have to count on the B Team to pour in enough points to win, and unless they started making more of their shots, that wasn’t going to happen.

Coach Ari Goldberg’s analysis of the data they acquired at practice revealed some positive signs: Buffington was getting into better positions for scoring, and Bergman, especially, was shooting much better. Were these gains real, the kind that would show up once the games began?

Toby and his staff were about to find out.

Toby Whittaker’s office sits in the recently renovated east wing of The Pavilion, a sleek but modest athletics facility nestled between the old stone library and the newer student wellness center at St. Michael’s College. The renovation preserved the character of the original 1930s architecture—arched windows, sturdy limestone walls—but modernized everything inside, giving coaches like Toby a clean, functional space to build something new.

The office itself isn’t large, but it’s filled with quiet purpose. A wide window behind his desk lets in generous morning light and offers a view of the main quad, where students pass between classes, frisbees arc over the grass, and the college bell tower chimes the hours.

The desk is a simple dark wood slab with clean lines, often tidy but never chaotic. Binders of scouting notes, manila folders with recruit profiles, and yellow legal pads filled with ideas and sketches for practice drills are usually spread across it. His laptop is open most hours of the day, often paused on Synergy game footage or a spreadsheet of potential recruits. There’s a pencil holder full of dry-erase markers for the big whiteboard on the far wall—half of which is covered in rotating practice plans, while the other half always seems to have a quote or question scribbled on it, in Claire’s looping cursive or sometimes one of the assistants’.

The room’s personality shows in the details:

• A framed photo of Toby and Claire at the old Grotto, one of their engagement photos, next to a shot of their kids in St. Michael’s gear on a game day. There's also a self-portrait of Claire, wearing Toby's St. Michael's letter jacket. It's the companion piece to the one she drew of Toby the week he was hired.
  
  
  
• A copy of The Inner Game of Basketball and a well-thumbed Epictetus reader on the shelf behind him.
  
• A team photo from Toby’s senior year hangs above a small couch that has already become a hangout spot for players dropping by to talk—or vent.
  
• A corkboard displays handwritten notes from alumni, a couple of scouting passes from big high school tournaments, and a child’s drawing labeled Go Coach Dad! with an enthusiastic stick figure slam-dunking over a dragon.

There's also a mini-fridge in the corner stocked with sports drinks, protein bars, and the occasional emergency ginger ale. Near the door hangs a framed clipping from the St. Michael’s Sentinel, the college paper, from March 2007: “Whittaker Returns Home to Lead Saints.”

The space reflects Toby himself: thoughtful, no-frills, grounded in history, but built to move forward. It’s a place where strategy is drawn up, hard conversations are had, and hopes for a new era of Saints basketball quietly take shape.

On the evening of November 18, 2007, Frank Calderone took his seat behind the public address microphone at The Pavilion, just as he had for every Saints home game–save three–since December 1981. Revered as “The Voice of the Pavilion,” Frank was a beloved fixture on campus and in the Elmridge community. Now in his late sixties, Frank had thick silver hair, combed neatly. His brown eyes sparkled behind wire-framed glasses.

That night, he welcomed the crowd as he always did, and introduced the lineup for the visitors from Wesleyan. Then, he took a deep breath, and the sounds of his smooth baritone filled the arena.

“And now…the starting lineup…for our St. Michael’s Saints!
“At guard: a 6’0” sophomore from Brooklyn, New York…number 12, Alan Gurrola…
“Also at guard: a 6’0” sophomore from Bethesda, Maryland…number 14, Newton Breunig…
“At forward: a 6’4” junior from Pennsauken, New Jersey…number 22, George Bergman…
“At center: a 6’7” senior from Westfield, Indiana…number zero, Andrew Fajardo…
“And at forward: a 6’7” senior from East Orange, New Jersey…number 43, David Buffington."

Each player rose from the bench as Frank intoned his name, in his classic, understated style.

Then, Frank took another long, deep breath, composing himself.

“The head coach of the Saints, in his first season…from St. Michael’s Class of 1996…Toby…Whittaker.”

Frank heard his voice catch ever so slightly on the word “Whittaker.” It wasn’t enough for anyone to mistake it for a stumble, but those who knew Frank could hear the emotion bleeding through.

Frank smiled as he recalled that moment. “When I called Toby’s name that night, it was like the walls themselves remembered him. The Pavilion just roared — not the usual cheer, but something deeper, like the whole place was saying ‘welcome home.’ I’ve announced thousands of names in this building, but that one… that one gave me chills.”

Toby smiled and lifted his hand to the crowd, acknowledging their welcome home. He caught Claire’s eye–she held Eli on her lap, with Nora and Grace seated on either side of her–and smiled warmly. Claire’s eyes shone proudly with tears.

“We cheered loud for Daddy,” Grace pointed out.

“We sure did,” Claire replied.

Wesleyan led, 38-35, at the half. The Saints had trouble containing Benton Gunn, who was named very appropriately for a player who specialized in shooting. Gunn fired home three triples in the game's first 20 minutes.

Toby believed in playing man-to-man defense. It was part of the DNA of the St. Michael's program, and he liked the way it made players accountable. "You've got to lock #4 down," Toby told Newton Bruenig at halftime. Bruenig was, by far, the best on-ball defender among the starters. "Make him work for every touch."

The adjustment worked. Gunn went 1-for-5 from three-point range in the second half. Meanwhile, the B Team took over the game. Bruening and George Bergman connected from distance. Andrew Buffington sliced Wesleyan's interior defense apart.

The crowd inside the Pavilion--which Frank announced once again as 4338--roared as he delivered the result.

"And our final score: St. Michael's 85, Wesleyan 75."

As a player, Toby had always waved to the student section at the end of a home game. Without thinking, he repeated this gesture tonight, and turned to offer the crowd behind the scorer's table the same salute. He found Claire and the kids again, and his smile brightened.

As he walked along the scorer's table, he offered a handshake to the man behind the mic. "Thank you, Mr. Calderone," he said with a smile.

"You're welcome, Coach. Call me Frank."

"Yes, Mr. Calderone." Toby winked.

Then Toby and his assistants joined the fifteen players and the four student managers, standing in front of the student section. They faced the crowd, arms linked, and sang the St. Michael's Alma Mater with them.

"Forever Saints, our bonds remain,
We lift to thee our dear refrain.
We honor thee, our cherished home,
St. Michael’s pride, forever known."

And so it began.

January 11, 2008


A weak winter sun struggled to peek through leaden clouds as Saints fans at the Cloister Café commented on their favorite team's pre-conference performance.

Marty “Stats” DeAngelis, retired math teacher, tapping a printout of the team's schedule with one finger:
“Nine and six, but we should be eleven and four if we could just beat teams like Vermont and Howard. You don’t lose to a 344 RPI team at home—no excuses. Still… Notre Dame in South Bend? That’s a statement.”

Janice Merriweather, retired history teacher who never misses an early-season tournament and actually flew to Hawaii for the games, finishing her third cup of java:
“That Maui trip was worth every mile. We took Saint Louis and Villanova to the wire, then gutted out a win over Oregon State. You could see the guys bonding out there — even in the losses, there was a toughness building. And hey, the sunsets didn’t hurt.”

Tasha O’Connell, junior Political Science major, stirring her latte:
“I’m just happy we’re winning more than we’re losing. I mean, we already doubled the excitement from last year. But we’ve gotta stop dropping those games we should win, like Vermont. Some consistency would be really helpful.”

Leo “The Voice” Mancuso, popular local entertainer and big Saints fan, sipping his Americano:
“We’re gritty. You can see Toby’s man-to-man starting to click. That Amherst win was all heart, all defense. If we can keep that energy, the rest of the conference better watch out.”

Doris Greenfield, alumna, Class of ’68, wrapping her hands around her mug:
“I like that they play smart basketball. It’s not just run-and-gun. They’re working for good shots. The boys look like they’re enjoying the game again—and that makes me happy. It feels different this year. Even in the losses, there’s a structure. They defend, they move the ball. And they’re not afraid to go into a place like South Bend and win.”

Shane Palmer, freshman, plans to major in Biology, perhaps too jazzed up on coffee:
"[Newton] Bruenig and [George] Bergman are back. They're both making what, 40 percent of their threes? And [David] Buffington is playing like an Alpha. The conference better watch out. I wonder if we've ever been undefeated in the league?"

By the time the Saints entered the Centennial Conference season, Toby and his staff had finished assembling their incoming recruiting class.

As Toby had feared, they missed out on Jamir Douglas. Jamir chose the prestige of Villanova over the chance to make an immediate impact at St. Michael’s. And because Jamir was the only player among the Top 100 to show any interest in the Saints, they had to adjust their sights downward. None of the three new Saints would arrive with nearly the same degree of hype.

Still, Toby had hit all the targets he and his staff had identified: two bigs and a wing, each of whom needed to be aware of the importance of defense.

Joe Greeley was the easiest of the three to sign. Joe was Delaware’s Mr. Basketball, an All-State power forward. He was going to require seasoning, but Toby and his staff believed he could develop into a useful rotation player who would guard his man and grab some rebounds. Joe was delighted with the opportunity to play for St. Michael’s, and there was a lot to be said for a kid who wanted to be there.

Sandy Fancher came from a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He stood 6’10”, three inches taller than Greeley, and he was even more unpolished. But as Charles Campbell pointed out, he was more athletic than he seemed at first glance, and he was a hard worker. If Toby squinted hard enough, he could see Sandy developing into a rim-protecting big man.

Joe and Sandy both committed on Decision Day in November. It took two more months for the Saints to find a taker for their third offer, and his signing was quite a story.

He stood 6’7”, and he looked and moved like an athlete. He was quick enough to guard perimeter players, he was an impressive leaper, and while his motion could be smoother, a trained eye could see his potential as a shooter. But Matt Caruso had almost zero interest in playing Division I basketball.

Matt enjoyed basketball and he was good at it, but he was also an exceptionally good student. He envisioned himself at a small, selective liberal arts college that didn’t play big-time basketball. Division I coaches contacted him anyway, but Matt and his coaches quietly deflected their interest. Most scouting services dropped him from their rankings. FBCB didn’t, but they downgraded him to a three-star prospect with the caveat that he probably wouldn’t accept an offer. The son of Dr. Anthony Caruso, one of the top cardiologists on the East Coast, Matt didn't need to earn a scholarship to finance his college education.

Meanwhile, Toby was still looking for the wing he wanted to complete the Saints’ recruiting class. He lost James Marion to St. John’s. Chris Hollingshead picked Duquesne. Owen Merritt chose Muhlenberg. “I was close to putting the offer in my pocket and either saving it for the transfer portal or a 2009 player,” Toby recalled. “Then I got a call from a coach in New Jersey.” He smiled at the memory.

Frank Marinaro had met Toby at a coaching clinic four years earlier. A stocky, genial man in his mid-fifties with a booming voice and a firm handshake, Frank remembered Toby from his playing days. “I remembered reading about this kid at one of the Centennial Conference schools…a pretty good player who majored in philosophy or history or something like that, a true student-athlete. I couldn’t recall his name, but when I started talking to Toby at the clinic, I remembered who he was.”

Coach Marinaro thought St. Michael’s and their philosopher-coach might be a good fit for Matt. “I told Matt about St. Michael’s and Coach Whittaker, and I asked him if he’d mind if I reached out to them. He shrugged and said, ‘Sure.’ I figured Matt was simply being polite, but I felt like recommending him was the right thing to do.”

Matt found himself intrigued by Toby’s recruiting pitch. “I talked to Matt more about the courses he could take, the professors he could connect with, what it would be like to study and learn at St. Michael’s. That's what Matt really wanted to discuss with me,” Toby said. “Matt responded well to the atmosphere of tradition that surrounds this place. He liked standing on the court in The Pavilion, looking around and imagining what it’s like on a game night.”

St. Michael’s was the only school to recruit Matt seriously, much less offer him a scholarship. When he made his commitment on the first day of 2008, the Saints declared their recruiting season officially closed.

None of the three players were ranked nearly as high as guys like David Buffington or Newton Bruenig were when they came out of high school. Both David and Newton were among the top 200 players in their classes, high three-star recruits. Sandy Fancher, ranked #310, was the “best” of the Saints’ signees.

Still, as Ari Goldberg pointed out, “we signed the kinds of players we were looking for. We need size, and we got a 6’10” guy and a 6’7” guy who plays big. We need a tall perimeter player, and we got a 6’7” guard. We need players with good defensive instincts, and we got three guys we think we can work with.”

“Recruiting is a gamble,” Toby added. “The guys who rank the players and assign the stars know basketball, but they’re still looking at a player when he’s 17 years old and imagining what he’ll be able to do when he’s a 21-year-old senior. The top guys are easier to identify. It’s harder to evaluate the two- and three-star players with the certainty you need to be able to say ‘This player will definitely be better than that one.’ “It’s about fit, and we think our guys will fit.”

March 9, 2008


Here are Toby's thoughts about the Centennial Conference season, and the conference tournament:

When you step back and look at that run, I think the first word that comes to mind is growth. January was a turning point for us — we went on the road, we beat Hopkins in a tough environment, and then even though Franklin & Marshall got us, we didn’t let that loss linger. The guys responded with energy, put together a stretch of five straight league wins, and started to believe they could control games. That stretch — Swarthmore, Haverford, Ursinus, Muhlenberg, Dickinson — it wasn’t always pretty, but we showed toughness.

The Bucknell game was a reality check. That’s a program with tradition and talent, and we learned you can’t afford an empty possession against a team of that caliber. We had to take on Franklin & Marshall without Newton Bruenig. He tried to play with a painful rib injury, and he managed only four minutes that night. F&M got us a second time by two points, and I think that one stung — but sometimes a loss like that sharpens your focus. You saw it in how we finished: grinding out one-possession wins against Swarthmore, Muhlenberg, Dickinson. Those weren’t flukes. Those were the product of our guys deciding they weren’t going to break.

We ended conference play 12–2, and I’ll never minimize that. That’s hard to do in this league, with gyms where every night is a battle and you’re playing teams that know your playbook as well as you do. To win a tournament game, to get to the final — that’s progress for this program.

But I’ll be honest: losing to Ursinus in the title game hurts. We didn’t execute in the halfcourt, we let them dictate tempo, and we didn’t match their physicality on the glass. That’s the step we’ve still got to take. You can be proud of 22 wins, but if you want to be extra-special, you’ve got to finish those opportunities. We spent some time in the Mid Major Top 25, which felt like a well-earned reward. I think we'll be happier about that achievement once we can step back and think about it with some perspective.

So, yeah — proud of our group, proud of how far we’ve come, but we know the job isn't done. We’ve put St. Michael’s basketball back on the map. Now the challenge is to raise the standard again.”

April 4, 2028

Ursinus, who entered the Centennial tournament as its #6 seed, earned the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. To get there, the Grizzlies had to defeat the #1, #2, and #3 seeds, in order: never an easy feat.

Their season ended with a loss in the play-in game.

Toby Whittaker's Saints accepted a bid to the CBI tournament, seeded fifth in the 16-team field.


Coach Toby Whittaker’s reflection on the CBI tournament:

“You know, when I look back at that run, I feel a mix of pride and heartbreak. Beating Indiana State by 21, taking care of business at Texas-Pan American, and then pulling out that win at Idaho on their court… that’s not luck. That’s discipline, focus, and heart. Those guys left everything out on the floor, and you can’t ask for more than that. I’ll never forget the locker room after Idaho — the way they celebrated together, the smiles, the high-fives, the sense that we’d accomplished something special. That’s the stuff you carry with you.

Then we get to Colorado State. Those losses sting. Badly. They’re the kind of games you replay in your head for months. The first one at their place was a slugfest — we hung in, pushed them to the limit, but they made shots at the end and we didn’t. Coming back for the home game, trying to close it out in front of our fans, and falling short… that cuts. You want so badly to give your players that ultimate reward, and we came up just short.

But here’s the thing — I’m proud of these kids. Proud of how they carried themselves, how they represented St. Michael’s, how they supported each other through every win and every loss. You see a kid like Andrew Fajardo, a senior who maybe nobody knew before the season started, who plays every minute with everything he’s got… that’s what you coach for. That’s why you keep coming back.

So yeah, the ending stings. But I don’t want anyone to miss the bigger picture: we were 25–12. We grew as a team. We showed the country what St. Michael’s basketball is capable of. And more than that, we did it together. That’s something no scoreboard can ever take away.”


The office was quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the heater and the occasional squeak of his chair. Toby sat behind his desk, head in his hands, the Pavilion scoreboard still flashing in his mind. He could hear the final buzzer and the heartfelt response from the capacity crowd. He could feel the emotion as he and his players sang the Alma Mater with the fans for the last time until next November.

He let out a long, slow breath and leaned back, staring at the framed photo of the team from earlier in the season—smiling, sweaty, triumphant after the Idaho game. He touched the glass lightly, as if he could feel the energy of that moment.

“Damn it,” he muttered softly, not because of anger but because it still hurt. He wanted that trophy for them. For the seniors who’d given everything, for the underclassmen who’d worked their tails off, for the program. But he also felt something else—something quieter. Pride.

He thought of the little things: the way they laughed in practice, how a freshman like Randolph Querry paid his dues without complaint, the way the team huddled after wins, sweaty and exhausted but grinning. That stuff mattered. That stuff lasted.

Toby rubbed his eyes and finally smiled, just a little, shaking his head. We fell short today, he thought. But they fought. They fought harder than anyone ever expected.

He stood and walked over to the whiteboard covered in Xs and Os, traces of the game still sketched there. He tapped it gently, thinking about adjustments, what could have been done differently—but he didn’t linger on the frustration. Instead, he let himself imagine the next season: the new recruits, the returning players, the games that were still waiting.

And for the first time since the loss, he allowed himself to breathe without that tight knot in his chest. We’ll come back. We’ll come back stronger.

Toby turned off the desk lamp, letting the room fall into darkness except for the glow of the scoreboard in the corner of the large monitor in his office—still showing the final 73–61 score. He didn’t watch it. He just let it be, a reminder of what had been, and a quiet promise of what could still be.


The house was quiet except for the soft ticking of the kitchen clock. Toby hung his coat by the door and kicked off his shoes, moving almost mechanically. Claire had put the kids to bed and had settled in the living room, curled up on the couch with a mug of tea.

He sank into the armchair across from her, letting out a long sigh. “Still can’t believe it slipped away,” he muttered, staring at the carpet like it might have the answers.

Claire set her mug down and leaned forward. “I know. But you’ve got to stop replaying it in your head. You coached your heart out. You gave them everything.”

Toby rubbed his face, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not just about me, Claire. It’s the seniors… they’ve worked so hard. I wanted that for them. I wanted them to feel the glory.”

She reached over and placed her hand on his. “And they do, Toby. They feel it every day in practice, in games, in how you challenge them and believe in them. Losing doesn’t erase any of that. They know you’re proud of them—maybe more than they even know themselves.”

He looked up at her, a small, tired smile forming. “You always know what to say, huh?”

Claire shrugged playfully. “It’s a gift. Someone’s got to keep you grounded.”

Toby chuckled, the tension in his shoulders softening. “I just… I hate that they have to feel the disappointment. Makes me feel responsible.”

“You’ve done your job,” Claire said gently. “And remember… there’s a life outside basketball. You get to come home, have tea with me, love on the kids tomorrow, breathe for a minute. That counts, too. You can’t carry it all.”

He leaned back, letting himself relax for the first time that night. “Thanks,” he said quietly. “For being here. For understanding. I don’t say it enough.”

“You don’t have to,” she said with a wink. “I’ll remind you anyway.”

For a long moment, they sat together in the quiet living room, letting the weight of the season settle but also allowing the pride, love, and resilience to linger. Outside, the night was calm. Inside, Toby felt the sting of the loss soften just enough to see the bigger picture: a team that had grown, a coach who had given everything, and the life and support waiting for him at home.

George Bergman (SF): The team’s versatile wing, scoring productively and providing solid rebounding and passing while shooting efficiently from both inside and outside.

Newton Breunig (SG): The primary scoring guard, delivering high-volume points with excellent shooting percentages and contributing defensively with steals.

Alan Gurrola (PG): The floor general, facilitating the offense with strong assist numbers while chipping in points and hitting free throws at a high rate.

Andrew Fajardo (C): The defensive anchor and top rebounder, providing a presence in the paint and providing efficient inside scoring and an occasional blocked shot.

David Buffington (PF): A consistent, rock-solid inside-out scorer and rebounder, combining solid post play with occasional perimeter shooting to stretch defenses.

Rainer Neubauer (C): A key reserve big man, giving the team depth with rebounding, shot-blocking, and efficient minutes off the bench.

Charles Clemmons (PG): A backup point guard providing energy, spot scoring, and occasional three-point shooting in limited minutes.

Randolph Querry (C): A reserve center who contributed rebounding, scoring efficiently in bursts, and helped protect the rim in limited playing time.

Arthur Huntley (SF): A bench wing who offered spot scoring and occasional defensive contributions in short bursts.

Scotty Barnett (PF): A role-playing forward who provided depth, modest rebounding, and occasional points in limited minutes.

Victor Stango (SG): A reserve guard contributing very limited scoring and minutes, mostly as a situational player.

Ernie Elsam (C): A deep-rotation center who saw minimal minutes, contributing sparingly in rebounds and scoring.

Here's assistant Ari Goldberg's analysis of this data:

“Looking back at the season, we showed a lot of strengths, especially on the offensive end. We led the conference in scoring at 74.6 points per game and were efficient in shooting, ranking near the top in FG%, three-point percentage, and points per shot. Our assist numbers were also excellent, which reflected how well the team shared the ball and moved it to the right spots. In transition and half-court sets, we created good looks, and our spacing and ball movement translated into high-percentage opportunities consistently.

Defensively, we were solid in some areas but had clear weaknesses. We held opponents to 70.5 points per game, which was respectable, and our defensive rebounding matched them on average. But we almost never blocked shots and didn’t get as many steals as we’d have liked. On the boards, we were slightly out-rebounded overall, and that hurt us in a few key games against bigger or more physical teams.

One clear takeaway was our consistency against lower-tier opponents—we dominated teams ranked 200+, going 17-4, but we couldn’t get over the hump against top-100 competition, going 2-6 combined against teams ranked 1-100. That gap highlighted areas where we needed to elevate intensity and execution—on both ends of the floor—against elite competition. We got it done against our conference, but the gap between us and the big guys is real.

Free-throw shooting was above average and reliable, which helped us close games, and our turnover rate was low, so we generally took care of the ball well. Overall, the data showed we were a well-coached, efficient team with a potent offense and good fundamentals, but we needed to develop much more interior presence, generate more defensive disruption, and find ways to win the games against the stronger opponents if we wanted to take the next step.

Bottom line: Offense was elite, team cohesion and shot creation were excellent, and we limited mistakes reasonably well. Defense and rebounding against top teams need more attention, and we need to emphasize interior presence and finishing possessions. If we can shore up those areas, especially against quality opponents, this team can be not just good, but really dangerous come tournament time.”

Four of the five Saints starters earned All-Centennial honors. Newton and George were the league's second- and third-leading scorers, and David placed fifth. Alan led the league in assists.

Then, Saints Nation was delighted to learn that senior David Buffington was chosen with the #58 pick in the professional draft. He would almost certainly be given a real chance to demonstrate his ability to play in the best basketball league in the world.



Ursinus landed the best recruiting class in the program's history, headlined by Dave Knorr, a wing whom Toby and his staff took a long look at. Muhlenberg's prize recruit, Owen Merritt, turned down an offer from St. Michael's.

The offseason changed the tempo of life in the Whittaker household.

Toby loved being able to work from home more often. The spare bedroom of their lovely Arts and Crafts bungalow had been turned into an office where he and Claire had desks and bookshelves. Toby loved being able to spend time with Eli at home. He often picked Nora and Grace up at St. Aloysius, or--better yet--went with Claire to greet the girls at the end of their day.

Claire's exhibit in the Callahan Library turned out to be a huge success. She was still planning on teaching, but that had taken a back seat to her own art career. With Toby at home more often, she had time (and solitude) to sketch and paint. She also occasionally substituted for the art teacher at St. Michael's College School.

The rhythms of their family life were sweet and soothing.

Orchard Street was quiet and leafy, so the entire family enjoyed evening "journeys," which involved Toby or Claire pushing Eli in a stroller alongside Grace on her three-wheeler and Nora on her "big girl bike" with training wheels. Toby loved looking at the older houses in their neighborhood. Mornings often meant trips to Elmwood Park, where the children enjoyed the playground the most. They would linger on a blanket, enjoying fruit, Goldfish, and coffee for Toby and Claire.

Nora and Grace were learning to help their Mom and Dad in the kitchen. Pancakes and cookies were their specialties, although Grace, in particular, wore more flour than she mixed. Eli's contributions were limited to "stirring" an empty pot with a big wooden spoon.

The evenings were times for stories. Toby and Claire were both born storytellers, and the girls adored the way their parents read to them, using different voices for the characters. Nora sometimes tried to "read aloud" to Eli, who mostly wanted to snuggle in her lap. Movie Night meant blankets on the big couch, a shared bowl of popcorn, and often, a nap for Toby.

For Toby especially, this was a season of learning to switch gears—being “Dad” without a whistle, without a clipboard. He loved watching Nora start to find her voice, Grace’s boundless energy, and Eli toddling into everything. Claire, steady as always, saw the joy in these ordinary days and quietly reminded him that this, too, was what they were building a life for.

November 11, 2008


Toby Whittaker's first season was, as he told his brother one night on the phone, "like something out of a storybook." The Saints tied their program record with 25 wins and came within a victory of a tournament championship. Toby knew repeating this success would be difficult. Two key players from last year's team were gone, and the Saints would miss them.

David Buffington would be impossible to replace, man-for-man. Big Buff started every game for four years, and he finished his career as the Saints' second all-time leading scorer and a professional draft pick. "No team can plug in a replacement for a player, and a leader, like David," Toby pointed out.

His classmate Andrew Fajardo would be missed, too. Andrew paid his dues and then some, working his way from a squad player to a starter in four seasons. Usually giving up several inches and thirty pounds to his opponents, Andrew battled them night after night without complaining or tapping out.

But the Saints' cupboard was far from bare. The Centennial Conference Player of the Year and two other All-Conference selections were still on campus.

Senior Newton Bruenig was ready to make his final season his best yet. The year before, he recovered from a terrible sophomore slump to emerge as the conference's top player. For his senior season, he added a new level of defensive intensity to his skill set.

George Bergman, now a junior, was still 6'4" and still a small forward. He would never be able to fly to the rim like some wings did; instead, he filled the air with daggers from three-point range. George emerged from camp with an even more elite three-point shot, which Toby told him to use on a very regular basis.

The third returning starter was point guard Alan Gurrola. Alan was an unselfish, creative passer who took care of the ball and kept his offensive-minded teammates happy. As a sophomore, Alan had averaged a quiet eight points per game, and he might be called upon to do a bit more scoring in his third year.

The Saints' remodeled front court featured redshirt sophomore Brenner Turnbull and fourth-year junior Rainer Neubauer.

Brenner's size and rim protection were the piece that had been missing last season, which he sat out after transfering from Tulsa. The staff's efforts to help him gain more offensive savvy didn't seem to bear much fruit, however. But if the seven-footer could block shots and frustrate opposing centers, he'd more than earn his keep.

Rainer was one of the team's most popular players. Two seasons ago, he joined the team as a walk-on, and since he was 6'7", he was immediately thrust into the rotation. Last year, he played the sixth most minutes on the team and he held his own, especially against conference opposition. Could he raise his game as a junior, or had he reached his limit?

Quick, reliable Charles Clemmons would be the top backcourt reserve. The junior was, as Toby admitted, "easily one of the team's five best players," but he was stuck behind three guys who were better than he was. Charles never complained and always did what he was asked to do. Teams needed players like Charles.

The entire team was talking about the play of freshman Matt Caruso. "The kid who said he wasn't sure he wanted to play college ball came in here and worked his tail off," recalled coach Charles Campbell with a smile. "He improved every part of his game, and he won our award for conditioning." Matt's emergence created an interesting possible scenario, in which he moved into the starting lineup in Neubauer's spot. Matt would be a smallish four, but he seemed comfortable switching onto bigs.

Or, would Matt's classmate, Joe Greeley, a natural post player, be able to accelerate his learning curve and challenge for playing time? Joe seemed more ready for college ball than the team's third new freshman, Sandy Fancher. At the very least, Joe and Sandy gave Toby the ability to bring some size off the bench.

Toby's expectations for the season were measured. The three proven stars were just that, among the conference's best. But Franklin & Marshall would be good again. Muhlenberg was returning the top six players from a team that won 17 games. Ursinus was adding a strong recruiting class to the group that made the NCAA tournament.

St. Michael's AD, Diane Lundquist, wanted a conference championship. Could Toby and his staff shift the pieces around well enough to win one?

What did some of the folks at O'Malley's Tavern think about the Saints' pre-conference performance?

Danny McCloskey – 39, history professor at St. Michael’s. Animated, wide-eyed, tends to spin every win as the start of a new dynasty. A true “program optimist,” the kind of supporter who thinks this year could be the year.
“Two blowouts in Vegas and a 30-point pasting of Wake Forest? Folks better start paying attention to the Saints.”

Ethan Carver – 36, data analyst for a healthcare company, St. Michael’s alum. Cerebral, precise, keeps a notebook of advanced metrics and insists on using terms like “adjusted efficiency margin” when everyone else just wants to argue about rebounds. Slightly socially awkward but respected for always knowing the numbers.
“Look, the Vegas wins were solid, but against sub-200 RPI teams. The Wichita State loss? That’s the only data point that matters from that trip.”

Sheila Duffy – 28, nurse at Elmridge General. Smart, quick with a quip, she keeps the guys honest. A Villanova alumna, but switched allegiances after moving to Elmridge.
“I’m just glad we’re not that old East Carolina team, getting run out of the gym by the Saints. That was ugly.”

Pat O’Shaughnessy – 50, owns Campus Threads. Generous, booming laugh, always defends the team with a mix of civic pride and nostalgia. Keeps referencing old St. Michael’s squads from the ’80s.
“C’mon, ten and five in non-conference, with half those games on the road? That’s no small potatoes.”

Joe Rasmussen – 39, local lawyer. Hot-blooded, wears his Saints fandom on his sleeve. Quick to celebrate, quicker to lament. Drinks IPA and slaps the bar when things go south.
“Temple game still burns me up. You can’t give up ninety to those guys, not if you’re serious.”

Tom Larkin – 65, retired English professor and Class of ’64 alum. The group's sage, likes to lace basketball talk with literary or historical analogies.
“Every season’s a narrative. The Vegas tournament, Wake, even Villanova — that’s all exposition. The question is, does the story become a tragedy or a comedy?”

Al Carr – 70, retired head of campus security. Gruff, loyal, drinks whiskey neat, and has a knack for grounding Tom’s musings.
“Spare me the Aristotle, Tom. We beat Penn State, that’s what the papers remember.”

As the Saints played their way through their pre-conference schedule, Toby and his staff were also busy recruiting the Class of 2009. They had three scholarships to offer, and this year's focus was on the backcourt.

Alan Gurrola and Charles Clemmons were classmates, juniors now. Between them, they claimed almost all the minutes at the point. Unless Toby brought in a point guard in this year's class, the departures of Alan and Charles in spring 2010 would leave the team without a player who had ever touched the controls of the team. Toby was interested in bringing in a guard who would learn from the veterans for a year before taking over.

A player who might fit that role was just about as close as a player could be.

Jalen Wilson was a senior at Elmridge High School. A 6'0" point guard, Jalen was an exceptional all-around athlete who also starred in the sprints and jumps for the Elmridge track and field team. In the classroom, Jalen combined talent and dedication in similar ways. He maintained a very high GPA while taking a challenging course load, and his test score earned him a National Merit commendation.

On the court, Jalen combined his quickness with a rare ability to command the floor and involve his teammates. If it sounded like Jalen saw the game like a coach, there was a reason why.

Jalen was the son of Carl Wilson, Toby's associate head coach.

This reality complicated the situation on several levels. If Toby examined his credentials without the name "Jalen Wilson" attached to them, the decision was easy. Jalen was everything a St. Michael's man should be. But that separation wouldn't be possible, and that made Toby wonder what he should do.


The Whittakers’ living room – late evening, late autumn

The house is quiet, the kids long asleep upstairs. A lamp glows in the corner, and Claire sits on the couch with a book in her lap, though she hasn’t turned a page in ten minutes. Toby walks in from his office, still in sweats, a mug of tea in hand. He drops onto the armchair across from her, looking heavy with thought.

Claire: (without looking up yet)
“I know this look. It's that time of year.”

Toby: (chuckles tiredly)
“Is it that obvious?”

Claire: (finally meeting his eyes)
“It’s always obvious. You look like you’re carrying a boulder around the house. What is it this time?”

Toby: (sighs, leaning forward)
“Jalen Wilson. He’s the real deal, Claire. He’s quick, smart, sees the floor better than kids two years older. And he’s… he’s right here in Elmridge. It feels like the kind of opportunity you dream about when you’re trying to build something.”

Claire: (careful)
“But he’s Carl’s son.”

Toby: (nodding)
“Yeah. And that’s the knot in my stomach. Carl’s not just my assistant — he’s like family. We’ve built this staff together. He’s trusted me with his career. And now…I might be asking him to trust me with his son."

(He rubs his temples, struggling with it.)

Claire: (sets her book aside, gentler now)
“So what’s the worry? That Carl will feel like you’re pressuring him? Or that people outside will think you’re bending the rules for family?”

Toby:
“Both. If I recruit Jalen, I need to know it’s because he belongs here, not because of who his dad is. And if I don’t, I need to know I’m not letting fear of appearances get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Either way, it feels like someone’s going to think I mishandled it.”

Claire: (leans back, folding her arms, thinking)
“You’ve always told me recruiting is about fit, not just talent. Does Jalen fit? Not just on the court — in the locker room, in the culture you’re trying to build?”

Toby: (pauses, considering)
“Yeah. He does. He’s grounded. He listens. You know that; you know him, too. He’s got that mix of confidence and humility you don’t teach. He’d come in behind Gurrola and Clemmons at first, but by sophomore year… he could run the team.”

Claire: (soft smile)
“Then maybe you already know the answer. Just be honest with Carl. And with Jalen. If you do this the way you do everything else — straight, no shortcuts — people will see that. Eventually.”

Toby: (sits back, exhaling, almost relieved)
“Sometimes I think you should be the one running the program.”

Claire: (teasing, picking her book back up)
“I do run the program. I just let you handle the basketball part.”

(They share a quiet laugh. Toby sips his tea, the weight a little lighter, though the decision ahead still looms.)

The Wilsons’ Living Room, October 2008

The fall evening settles over Elmridge — leaves crunch outside, and the faint chill of October slips through the open window. Inside, the Wilsons’ living room glows with the lamplight, photos of Jalen in track gear and basketball jerseys crowding one wall. Toby Whittaker sits on the sofa, jacket folded beside him. Jalen is in the armchair across, shoulders a little hunched. He wears his Elmridge Track and Field quarter-zip, and a basketball rests in his lap. Carl leans in the doorway, quietly watchful.

Toby: (leaning forward, steady)
“Jalen, you know we’ve got two senior guards next year. Alan Gurrola and Charles Clemmons — they’ve carried us a long way. If you come to St. Michael’s, you’d be the freshman behind them.”

Jalen: (hesitant, eyes down on the ball)
“I get that, Coach. They’re great players. I just… I don’t wanna waste a year, sitting. I’ve worked too hard for that.”

Carl: (firm, but not harsh)
“It wouldn’t be wasted. You know that.”

Toby: (gentle, nodding)
“Your dad’s right. You wouldn’t just be sitting. You’d be pushing those two every day in practice. You could be the first guard off the bench — maybe twenty minutes a game, real minutes. And when they graduate, you’d step right into the lead role. That’s not wasting time. That’s preparing to own it.”

(Jalen nods slowly, fingers drumming the basketball. His tone is thoughtful.)

Jalen:
“I guess I worry I won’t measure up. Guys like Gurrola… he’s already all-conference. I don’t want to come in and look like I don’t belong.”

Toby: (leans in, voice steady)
“Jalen, I’ve watched you. You belong. What you don’t have yet, you’ll gain by facing Gurrola and Clemmons every day. Think about it — you’ll be tested harder in practice than you would in half the games. And when it’s your turn, you’ll be more than ready. You’ll be our guy. The offense runs through you.

Gurrola and Clemmons aren’t roadblocks — they’re a training ground. You’ll battle against two of the best guards in the conference every practice. By the time that starting job opens up, you won’t just be ready. You’ll be polished. You’ll be a leader.”

(Jalen looks up now, eyes meeting Toby’s. There’s no bravado in him, just a quiet hunger.)

Jalen: (softly)
“I want that chance. To lead. I just… wanna make sure I earn it.”

Toby: (with conviction)
“You will. And you’ll do it here, in front of the people who already believe in you. Elmridge High to St. Michael’s — that story writes itself. Kids at Orchard Park already wear your number. Imagine them watching you light up Villanova or Temple in two years’ time.

Carl: (gentle, almost proud)
“That’s the path, son. Not the easy one — the right one.”

(Jalen squeezes the ball in his hands, nodding. The idea of being the future of St. Michael’s, forged through humility and work, sits heavier now — but not unwelcome.)

Scene: The Wilsons’ kitchen – later that evening

Dinner dishes are stacked in the sink. Tessa’s retreated to her room with homework, Micah’s finally asleep, and faint beats drift down the stairs from Jalen's room. Carl sits at the kitchen table, staring into a half-empty glass of water. Monica comes in with a towel over her shoulder, wiping her hands.

Monica: (gentle but firm)
“You’ve been chewing on this all night. Just spit it out, Carl.”

Carl: (sighs, rubbing his forehead)
“Toby’s serious about recruiting Jalen. He said it outright. Wants him in the program.”

Monica: (pauses, leaning against the counter)
“And you don’t know how you feel about that.”

Carl: (grim smile)
“Try torn in twelve different directions. On one hand, it’s St. Michael’s. It’s Division I ball, it’s right here in town, and Toby’s built a system where Jalen could thrive. On the other hand…I work there. That’s my boss. My livelihood. I don’t want Jalen’s future tied up in my job performance.”

Monica: (walking over, sitting across from him)
“So you’re afraid people will think it’s nepotism.”

Carl: (nods)
“Or worse: that Jalen will think he only got the offer because of me. He deserves to know he earned it on his own. The kid’s busted his tail-- track meets, late nights at the gym. I don’t want that work cheapened by whispers.”

Monica: (softer now)
“Carl, anyone who’s watched him knows he’s the real deal. He’s not perfect; he’s still learning, still figuring out how to be a leader. But that boy belongs on a college court. And Toby’s no fool. He wouldn’t risk the program’s credibility just to throw you a favor.”

(Carl drums his fingers on the table, still uneasy.)

Carl:
“Maybe. But I also know the pressure that comes with wearing the jersey in your own hometown. He’s going to hear it from classmates, neighbors, alumni...'you're only there because of your dad.’ That’s a lot to put on a seventeen-year-old.”

Monica: (reaches across, takes his hand)
“And that’s why he needs us. To remind him he’s more than the chatter. He’s Jalen Wilson. He’s worked for this. And if he chooses St. Michael’s, it’s because he believes in what Toby’s building. Not because of us. Not because of you.”

(Carl looks at her, his expression softening. The weight lifts just a little.)

Carl: (quietly)
“You always know how to cut through the noise.”

Monica: (smiles faintly)
“It’s literally my job, darling."

(They share a laugh, the tension easing. Upstairs, footsteps creak — Jalen heading to the bathroom — and both parents fall into a silence, knowing the conversation about his future will soon be his, not just theirs.)

January 2009

The Elmridge High School gymnasium was a venerable old building, built in the late 1940s. The lobby smelled faintly of floor polish and popcorn from the concession stand. A scattering of folding chairs faced the trophy case, where state track medals and district basketball plaques gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

Jalen Wilson sat at a table in front of the case. He rested his palms on a stack of papers. Monica, an Elmridge High School counselor, stood just behind him with her hand on his shoulder. Carl, in a St. Michael’s basketball polo, stood close by with his arms around Tessa and Micah, who couldn’t stop staring at their big brother.

The Elmridge varsity boys' coach, Mark Delaney, leaned against the wall off to the side, arms folded, watching with the kind of half-smile that spoke of pride and the bittersweetness of knowing it was almost time to let go.

And off to the other side, Toby Whittaker stood quietly, trying not to take the young man's spotlight.

Jalen cleared his throat. His voice carried a mix of nerves and resolve.

“I just want to thank everyone who’s been here for me,” he said, eyes darting to Coach Delaney first. “Coach, you believed in me when I was a skinny freshman trying to run with the seniors. You taught me how to slow down and see the court. And, more importantly, you taught me how to lead from a place of humility. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

Delaney gave a short nod, lips pressed tight in a proud smile.

Jalen’s voice softened as he looked at his family.

“Mom, Dad…you guys pushed me in the right ways. Mom, you made sure I put my academics first, so I would be able to go anywhere I wanted. Dad, you’ve been both coach and father—and I know that wasn’t easy. Tessa and Micah, you've been my biggest fans. One reason why I work so hard is because I don't want to let you down. I want you to be proud of me.

"I love all of you."

Monica dabbed her eyes with a tissue, and Carl blinked fast, fighting the same.

Jalen took a deep breath. He looked down at the papers in front of him.

“I want to thank all the coaches who have been recruiting me. I've made my decision. After thinking about what kind of player and person I want to become, I’ve decided to commit to St. Michael’s College and play for Coach Whittaker and the Saints.”

Applause filled the small space—louder than the little lobby seemed capable of holding. Tessa and Micah rushed to their brother's side, hugging him around the waist.

Toby stepped forward, shaking Jalen’s hand and then pulling him into a brief hug.

“We’re proud to have you, Jalen,” Toby said. “Proud of the man you’re becoming.”

Coach Delaney walked over last. He didn’t make a big show of it—just gripped Jalen’s hand firmly, then leaned close so only he could hear:

“You’ve made the right choice, J. Go show them what we already know you can do.”

Jalen nodded, his throat too tight to answer. The crowd—his favorite teachers, his teammates and a few other friends, some neighbors—clapped again, and the Saints’ newest recruit stood a little taller in the glow of it all.

January 2009

Jalen Wilson's commitment completed St. Michael's 2009 recruiting class. Three perimeter players with different skill sets were set to join the program next fall.

The first to sign was a player Toby and his staff had been recruiting from the start of the season. Malik Jefferson was a 6'6" wing from Cardinal O'Hara High School in nearby Springfield, PA. A three-star recruit, Malik was rated #8 among small forwards in the East.

Here's what Toby said about Malik:
"Malik’s a kid who fits what we’re trying to build here. At 6’6”, 205, he already has a college-ready frame, and he knows how to use it. The first thing that jumps out is his efficiency--he’s shooting over 56% from the field, and he’s not living on easy dunks. He makes strong cuts, finishes through contact, and he rebounds his position well. Seven boards a game in high school tells me he’s not afraid to mix it up inside.

Skill-wise, there’s still work to do. His outside shot just isn’t there yet--12% from three, and the mechanics need some tightening. But the free throw stroke isn’t bad at 69%, and that gives me hope. He’s got the potential to grow into a reliable midrange and foul-line scorer. Defense is where I see real promise: he’s got length, quickness, and the motor to be disruptive on the wing. He can guard multiple spots, and with his strength, he won’t get bullied.

Turnovers are a concern--his assist-to-turnover ratio is upside down, and his handle is behind the rest of his game. But we’re not bringing him here to run the offense. He’s going to be a glue guy, an energy guy, someone who defends, rebounds, and finishes plays. If he embraces that role, he’ll get minutes early, and he could grow into a real two-way threat by the time he’s an upperclassman.

I also like the kid’s intangibles. GPA’s solid, test score shows he’s got the smarts, and from what I hear at Cardinal O’Hara, he’s coachable. Not flashy, not a stat-chaser. He competes. He’s the kind of player who can give us toughness and balance when we’ve got our scorers doing the heavy lifting.

Bottom line: Malik can be the glue that holds a program together. If he buys in, we’ve got ourselves a real Saint in him.”


The Saints' second commitment flew under the experts' radar. A 6'5" wing from Allentown, Evan Carlucci was rated at only one star, but Toby and his staff thought he was better than that.

Here's what Toby said about Evan:
"Evan’s a developmental guy, no question about it. He’s not coming in here with the physical gifts of a Malik Jefferson or the polish of a top-100 wing. But what he does have is a skill set we can grow and, just as important, the right head on his shoulders.

Offensively, Evan’s a perimeter player. His jumper’s already a real weapon. He has a nice midrange touch, and he’s knocking down 32% from three on decent volume. The free throw stroke is solid at 71%, which makes me think with reps he can push that three-point number into the 40s one day. He’s not going to create much off the bounce, and his handle’s a weak spot right now. But he doesn’t force much either--when he’s in rhythm, he can stretch the floor and make defenses honest.

Physically, he’s still catching up. At 6’5”, 200, he’s got the frame to play at this level, but he’s not explosive. Vertical and strength aren’t there yet, and defensively he struggles when matched against quicker wings. He’ll need to commit to our strength program and get comfortable with the speed of Division I. Rebounding numbers are decent--six boards a game--and that’s encouraging, because it shows he’s willing to get dirty even if he’s not an above-the-rim guy.

Turnovers worry me, especially with that 0.42 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s not a decision-maker with the ball, and we’ll need to keep him in roles where he’s catching and shooting, not putting it on the floor.

The upside with Evan is his shooting. Potential says he can become a reliable three-point specialist with enough length to hold up defensively if he buys in. Every roster needs a guy who can come off the bench, space the floor, and hit a big shot. If he embraces that role, he’ll carve out a niche here. If he doesn’t, he’ll get buried. Simple as that.

Off the court, I like him a lot. Good student—3.4 GPA, 1330 test score—and comes from a solid program at Southern Lehigh. He’s coachable, works hard, and doesn’t carry an ego. For a one-star, he’s exactly the kind of bet I like to make: if he develops, he’s a weapon; if not, he’s a good teammate who raises the floor of our practices and locker room.

Bottom line: Evan’s not going to wow anybody right away, but if he sticks to his strengths, he could end up being one of those kids who surprises you by his junior year.”


Jalen Wilson's backstory made him the most intriguing of the Saints' three signees. Jalen was much more than a courtesy recruit; Toby would have looked closely at him if he hadn't been Carl Wilson's son and a local star.

Here's what Toby said about Jalen:
"Recruiting your assistant’s kid is never simple. But the tape doesn’t lie: Jalen can play. He’s earned this, and I’d be saying the same thing if Carl weren’t on staff. The real challenge is making sure people understand he’s not here because of who his dad is, but because of what he can bring us at the point guard spot.

First thing you notice with Jalen is the quickness. He has the speed and bounce of a track and field star, because he is one. He's explosive with the ball, and he uses it well. He can push the pace, get into the lane, and create opportunities. He’s got a tremendous motor, and his leaping ability is an asset: for a 6-foot guard, nearly four rebounds a game shows he competes on the glass. He’s active, athletic, and willing to do the little things that don’t always show up in the box score.

Skill-wise, he’s a developing floor general. Ball handling and passing both grade out very well, and he’s already showing flashes of the conductor he'll become. Nearly 7.7 assists per game against 1.7 turnovers — that’s a strong ratio, especially considering how much of the offense runs through him. He reads defenses, sets up teammates, and takes care of the basketball. Defensively, he’s active and aggressive. He pressures the ball, can hound opposing guards, and has the potential to be a defensive tone-setter.

The shooting, though, is the swing skill. Free throw percentage is solid at 70%, but he’ll need to develop a more reliable jumper to keep defenses honest. He's very streaky from behind the arc, but his mechanics are good. He has room for improvement.

What I love most is his makeup. GPA 3.55, 1420 on his tests: he's smart, grounded, and disciplined. Humble, competitive, hard-working, and already invested in our program because he’s grown up in our gym and around our culture. That matters.

Role-wise, as a freshman, he’ll come off the bench, learn the pace of college basketball, and bring energy in relief of Alan Gurrola and Charles Clemmons. By sophomore year, I see him ready to run the team. Long-term, he’s a two- or three-year starter who can set tempo, run our offense, and be a leader on both ends.

Bottom line: Jalen’s not a finished product, but he’s a competitor, an athlete, and a true point guard. If he commits to improving his jumper and continues developing his game, he can be a special player for us. And the fact that he’s one of our own — Elmridge kid, son of Carl — makes this one feel even better. He’s going to wear the jersey with pride."

March 10, 2009


Carlos and Denise Alvarez lived in the house across the street from the Whittakers. Carlos, who was an IT support specialist for a hospital in Harrisburg, said he was a "casual fan" of Saints basketball. Denise graduated from St. Michael's in the Class of 2000. She was more focused on academics than on basketball as an undergrad, but she remembered the energy in The Pavilion on winter nights. Now a sixth grade math teacher at St. Michael's College School, Denise found herself circling back to the program.

The day after the Centennial Conference tournament, Denise and Carlos were shoveling snow from their sidewalk when they saw Toby walking out to put some recycling in the bin. They waved him over.

Denise: (grinning) “Well, well, Mr. Whittaker. I hope you’ve been enjoying this Saints run as much as I have. Did you see what they did to Franklin & Marshall in the final?”

Toby: (laughs) “Eighty to forty-four. That was a statement, wasn’t it? Probably the sharpest game they’ve played all year.”

Carlos: (leans on shovel) “I’ll admit, I tuned in for that one. Even I knew F&M had gotten them earlier in February. To flip it like that? Pretty impressive.”

Denise: “Oh, don’t let him fool you, Toby. He was up off the couch when George [Bergman] hit those threes. I thought he was going to knock the lamp over.”

Carlos: (smiles) “Hey, the guy’s been scoring in bunches. He and [Newton] Bruenig—they’ve been the difference, right? One of them always seems to step up when they need a bucket.”

Toby: “Exactly. Bruenig’s been the steady hand, and Bergman gives them that extra scoring punch. When you can spread the floor like that, it makes everything easier.”

Denise: “And then you look inside—Brenner Turnbull’s been a wall. Seven feet, swatting shots, cleaning the glass. He’s not flashy, but he anchors everything.”

Toby: (nodding) “That’s what is different about this year's team. Now we have a true center who can protect the rim. Our defense has gone up another level. Combine that with Bruenig and Bergman knocking shots down, and they’re tough to beat.”

Carlos: “And that’s why they finished 13–1 in the league. You could feel it building—the close win at Dickinson, then cruising at Ursinus. By the time they got back to F&M in the final, it was like the whole team was in rhythm.”

Denise: “Makes you proud, doesn’t it? They’re not just winning—they’re doing it with style. This feels like something special.”

Carlos: “Think they’ve got a shot in the tournament?”

Toby: “If they get a decent draw? Absolutely. Nobody wants to deal with a team with scorers like George and Newton. And now Matt Caruso is making teams guard him, too. Combine that with an interior presence and you have a dangerous team.”

Denise: (nodding) “I’d love to see it. I was at St. Michael’s when seasons like this were just wishful thinking. It feels different now.”

Carlos: (grins) “Well, it gives us something to talk about besides the weather. Just don’t ask me to rattle off their rebounding stats.”

Toby: (smiling back) “Don’t worry, I’ve got that part covered.”


The first building blocks of the Saints' success were already firmly in place. Newton Bruenig and George Bergman entered the season as known quantities. Toby's game plan was geared to getting as many good shots for them as possible. As a result, only one team in the country took as many three-pointers as the Saints, and no team made more.

As Toby pointed out to Carlos and Denise, Brenner Turnbull gave the Saints an interior presence they lacked the year before. After spending a season guarding future pro David Buffington in practice, Brenner immediately began asserting himself as a shot blocker and rebounder. The big sophomore wasn't much of an offensive threat--he blocked more opposing shots than he made himself--but he stopped teams from attacking the Saints rim with impunity.

Once Toby and his staff settled on the team's optimal starting five, the team took off. Rainer Neubauer got the first shot at the four spot, but he struggled to defend bigger post players and provided very little offensive impact in return.

Freshman Joe Greeley had been playing very well in a reserve role, so he got the next chance to start. Joe fared a bit better, but good teams capitalized on the fact that the Saints had, at best, two-and-a-half scoring threats. Alan Gurrola, who had provided some sneaky scoring while running the offense from the point last year, struggled with his shooting all season this time around. It became too easy for teams to throw double teams at Bergman and Bruenig and force the Saints to play to their weaknesses instead.

Matt Caruso proved to be the missing piece. Matt was badly miscast as a "power forward," with his lean 6'7" frame. He was, however, an eager defender, who used his quickness to frustrate slower big men. And Matt turned out to be an even better shooter than Toby thought he would be. If opposing defenses focused too sharply on George and Newton, Matt made them pay; he shot 47% from behind the arc on fairly high volume.

The rest, as they say, was history. The Saints entered the tournament as its #1 seed, and rolled through three opponents to win the Centennial Conference tournament. They would almost certainly have made the NCAA tournament field without this victory; their RPI stayed in the 20s all season, and they were #36 on the S-Curve. But it was much more rewarding to cap off a regular season championship year with a matching tournament victory.

March 20, 2009
NCAA Midwest Region, First Round


The Saints accepted the #9 seed in the NCAA Midwest Region. Their first game was an intriguing contest between two evenly matched teams from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The computers said eight-seed Duquesne was almost exactly as good as the Saints.

The Dukes frustrated George Bergman more thoroughly than almost any team had done all season long. But Newton Bruenig dropped in five triples, and the Saints went 14-for-17 at the line. Meanwhile, they forced Duquesne into one bad shot after another, and the Saints pulled away during the second half to earn Toby Whittaker the first NCAA tournament victory of his career.


March 22, 2009
NCAA Midwest Region, Second Round

The Saints' reward was a date with the #1 team in the nation. The Boilermakers were the reigning national champion. Their lineup was filled with Mr. Basketball winners and high school All Americans. Their coach, Peter Luna, was regarded as one of the best younger coaches in the game. The stage was set for a Hollywood-caliber upset, but this wasn't a movie.


[Locker room, after the final horn. The Saints sit in silence, sweat still on their brows, the roar of Purdue’s crowd muffled by cinderblock walls. Toby stands in front of them, voice low at first but steady.]

Toby:
“Fellas… look at that scoreboard. 80–72. Against the number one team in the country. Against a team that’s thirty-three and one. We went toe to toe with them. Don’t hang your heads. Not for a second.”

(He lets his eyes sweep across the room—Brenner Turnbull with a towel over his head, Matt Caruso staring at his shoes, Newton Bruenig and George Bergman slumped side by side.)

Toby:
“You fought like hell. We played our game. We knocked down threes, we moved the ball, we battled on the boards. Matt, you gave us eighteen on the biggest stage there is. Brenner, you gave Bogart, who was a five-star recruit--in your class--more than he could handle. Alan, Charles—you never stopped pushing the pace. Every single one of you had a hand in this.”

(He pauses, voice catching just a little, then turns toward the seniors.)

Toby:
“Now… I want to talk about three guys who won’t be putting on a Saints jersey again."

(He nods at Victor Stango first.)
“Victor—you might not have played heavy minutes, but you’ve been the soul of this locker room for five years. You kept us loose, you kept us together. There’s no stat for that, but everybody here knows what you mean to this program.”

(Then to Arthur Huntley.)
“Arthur—six minutes tonight, six points. That’s who you are. Always ready, no matter the situation. You gave your best every single practice, every single game, and you showed these younger guys what professionalism looks like.”

(And finally to Newton Bruenig.)
“Newton—you’ve been the heartbeat of this team. Every big shot, every huddle when things looked shaky—you were steady. You gave us belief when we didn’t have it ourselves.”


(He takes a breath, looking at the whole group again.)

Toby:
“Seniors, you leave here with twenty-eight wins, a conference championship, and the respect of every man in this room. You’ve raised the bar for St. Michael’s. And the rest of you—you carry it forward. This isn’t the end of something. This is the start of what we can be.”

(He steps closer, softer now.)

Toby:
“Take tonight and remember how it feels. Remember the sting, the pride, all of it. Because we’re coming back. And next time, we’re the ones moving on.”

[The room stays quiet for a beat—then Caruso claps, slowly. Others join in, until the sound fills the space. The seniors lift their heads.]

Toby Whittaker’s Analysis of #22 St. Michael’s (2008–09)

Looking back at this team’s profile, a few things jumped out immediately. It was a well-rounded, disciplined unit that knew how to play inside-out and maximize its efficiency. They averaged 75.5 points per game, which was not just high for the Centennial Conference—it was elite nationally. And the margin of +10.6 points showed they didn’t just win—they controlled games.

Offense:
They were efficient at every level. Field goal percentage (.459) and adjusted FG% (.570) both ranked at the very top, showing that they took smart shots, valued spacing, and executed well against defensive pressure. Their three-point shooting (.392) and free throw percentage (.748) also indicated confidence from distance and the line, which was critical in tight games. Their assists per game (14.6) led the conference and reflected strong ball movement and unselfishness—it wasn’t a one-man show.

Defense & Rebounding:
Defensively, they were strong in team concepts. Defensive rebounds per game (24.4) ranked sixth nationally, and combined with 4.5 blocks per game, they protected the rim effectively. The challenge had been on the offensive glass—they were slightly out-rebounded at 9.1 offensive boards vs. opponents’ 13.6—but they made up for it with perimeter pressure and forcing turnovers. Their steals (5.6 per game) indicated active hands and good anticipation.

Ball Control & Discipline:
Turnovers were low at 13.0 per game, the best in the conference. That, along with fouls per game (17.1) being among the lowest, suggested a disciplined, fundamentally sound team. They didn’t give opponents extra possessions.

Overall Assessment:
This team had balance, spacing, and efficiency. The stats confirmed what was seen on the floor: they moved the ball well, hit shots at a high rate, crashed the defensive boards, and protected the rim. Their record against different tiers (1–50: 1–3, 51–100: 2–1, 101–200: 9–2, 200+: 16–1) showed they handled weaker competition dominantly and kept pace against top-level programs.

In short: St. Michael’s wasn’t flashy, but we were fundamentally elite. Any opponent had to deal with shooters, smart ball movement, and a big man protecting the paint. Teams couldn’t rely on just one or two scorers—they would be challenged across the board. If he had to prepare a team to play them, Toby would have emphasized forcing contested shots, hitting the glass, and keeping their big men from dominating inside. Missed assignments were punished quickly. No wonder this team set a new school record for victories and made it out of the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Here's what Toby had to say about each of his 2008/09 players:

Newton Breunig (SG): “Newton carried the scoring load night in and night out, hitting nearly 42% of his threes and finishing almost 90% from the line, a true senior leader on and off the court.”

George Bergman (SF): “George was our versatile wing, mixing high-volume shooting with solid rebounding and defensive effort, always ready to take the big shot when we needed it.”

Brenner Turnbull (C): “Brenner anchored us inside, protecting the rim, cleaning up the boards, and doing the dirty work that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.”

Matt Caruso (PF/SF): “Matt gave us efficient scoring and floor spacing, hitting nearly half his threes and providing reliable minutes both inside and out.”

Joe Greeley (PF): “Joe was steady in a supporting role, contributing on the boards and hitting timely shots when the matchup suited him.”

Alan Gurrola (PG): “Alan ran our offense with poise, creating opportunities for others while keeping his own shooting percentage respectable from distance and the line.”

Charles Clemmons (PG): “Charles gave us solid backup minutes, moving the ball well and providing occasional scoring bursts in limited time.”

Rainer Neubauer (PF/C): “Rainer provided spot minutes in the post, grabbing rebounds and giving Brenner brief relief without letting our defense drop off.”

Arthur Huntley (SF): “Arthur made the most of limited minutes, hitting efficiently and contributing quietly on both ends, a dependable bench presence.”

Randolph Querry (SF): “Randolph played sparingly but could knock down a three or grab a rebound when called upon, adding depth to our wing rotation.”

Victor Stango (SG): “Victor brought energy and efficiency in short stints, hitting over 57% from the floor and giving us a spark off the bench.”

Sandy Fancher (PF/C): “Sandy’s role was extremely limited, but he showed steady fundamentals and effort in brief appearances.”

Ernie Elsam (C): “Ernie had just a cameo, but he made it count with a perfect field goal in his single appearance.”

Three Saints players richly deserved their postseason honors.

Brenner was second in the conference in rebounds and blocks per game, and would have placed second in field goal percentage if he'd taken enough shots to qualify.

George and Newton finished 1-2 in the league in scoring. Newton's career total of 2051 points ranks second in school history, 24 points shy of the record William Cecil established in 2005. Barring injury, catastrophic meltdown, or a surprise decision to turn pro this spring, George will surely break this record next season.

Only two players averaged more three-point baskets per game than George did, and Newton placed 13th.

And Toby won his first conference Coach of the Year award. :)


None of the Saints' three seniors were selected in the pro draft.


The only program to land two three-star prospects, St. Michael's pulled in the Centennial Conference's top recruiting class. Donald Harbison was the league's most highly-touted newcomer, with Malik Jefferson right behind him. However, Jalen Wilson and Stuart Drennen look like they could prove the so-called experts wrong.

November 8, 2009


Toby Whittaker knew his 2008/09 team would be an exceptionally hard act to follow. No Saints team had ever won as many games, overall or in conference play. And now, two of the three luminous stars he'd inherited when he came back to Elmridge were gone.

George Bergman, the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Year, remained. George was a senior now. It was very possible that he would become the program's all-time leading scorer before conference play began. The Saints' offense was tailored to George's shooting ability, especially from three-point range.

George was able to move to shooting guard, his natural position, this season. Beside him in the Saints' backcourt would be his classmate, Alan Gurrola. A steady, dependable playmaker, Alan would probably finish the season in second place on the Saints' list of assist leaders. Along the way, he'd pass his head coach; Toby handed out 392 helpers in his career, and Alan had 340 as the season began.

The team's other senior was also a point guard. Charles Clemmons had played the role of loyal understudy for three seasons, and he played it very well. "We don't miss a beat when Charles enters the game," Toby pointed out.

Junior Brenner Turnbull returned to his role as the team's defensive anchor. Seven feet tall and nearly 300 pounds of muscle, Brenner worked relentlessly in fall training and emerged as an even more formidable shot blocker, interior defender, and rebounder. Any points Brenner contributed were a bonus, because he kept so many opponents' points off the board.

Sophomores Joe Greeley and Matt Caruso would start at forward. Matt's ability to stretch the floor and relieve the defensive pressure faced by George and departed senior Newton Bruenig was an essential element of last year's success. Matt was developing into a classic "three-and-D" wing. Joe, fresh off a season in which he played a productive 24 minutes per game, mostly off the bench, would enter this year as an unquestioned member of the starting five. Toby counted on him to guard opposing big men and grab some rebounds.

As expected, Jalen Wilson was ready for reserve duty behind the senior guards. Jalen, the son of Saints assistant Carl Wilson, was the best defender among the group.

The top frontcourt reserves would be senior walk-on Rainer Neubauer and sophomore Sandy Fancher. Understandably, Toby hoped Sandy would prove himself ready for heavier minutes, but if he wasn't, Rainer could be counted on to keep things from falling apart.

Likewise, the staff hoped freshman Malik Jefferson could handle some real minutes at forward. Junior Randolph Querry was also available, but Malik's upside made him a more attractive option.

Toby was cautiously optimistic about his team's chances. "We have three senior guards who have seen it all," he pointed out. "I've always thought a team with that kind of leadership has the potential to win a lot of close games. Brenner is the kind of big man who forces other coaches to change their game plans, because he won't let you do what you want on the low block. Matt Caruso came out of camp looking like a veteran.

"If we play the way we're capable of playing, March will be fun again this year."

On game nights at St. Michael’s, there was no moment more anticipated than the Saints Walk.

The tradition began in 1948, when the Saints' legendary coach, Fr. James Reilly, gathered his players on the steps of Callahan Hall before a crucial late-season game against Muhlenberg. Coach Reilly spoke to them briefly, urging them to win the game "for St. Michael's...for each other." Then, the coach led them on a walk through the campus, reminding them of what, exactly, they were playing for.

The Saints Walk was already a time-honored tradition when Toby Whittaker first walked with his teammates on a chilly November night in 1992. The ritual he followed was the one Father Reilly and his players began, and the one he shared with his own players, some sixty years later.

Just before tipoff, the players and coaches gathered on the steps of Callahan Hall, the college’s stately main building. Each man was dressed in a blazer and a tie, just as Coach Reilly and his lads had been. From there, the team began its slow, deliberate walk toward The Pavilion. Toby and his assistants led the way, with the team's seniors immediately behind them.

The path wound its way through the heart of campus, steeped in both history and ritual. First came the turn past O’Leary Library, its tall windows glowing with the lamps of diligent students who pressed against the glass to catch a glimpse of the players filing by before they closed their books and made their own way to The Pavilion. Then, the team passed the College Chapel, bells sometimes tolling in salute, the sound carrying across the quad.

From there, they entered the Cloister Walk, the stone arcade where the players' footsteps were the only sound they heard. At some point in the early 1950s--nobody remembered exactly when--the students began lighting candles and placing them along the path as it wound through the Cloister. This portion of the Walk was a time of quiet contemplation.

The procession continued past the Refectory, the dining hall, where staff sometimes stepped outside in their aprons to clap and wave. By this point, the crowd had grown. Students and townspeople lined the walkway, shouting encouragement to their favorite players.

"Get it done, George."
"You got this, Alan."
"I see you, Brenner."
The reception for first-year guard Jalen Wilson, who grew up in Elmridge, was especially warm.

Onward they walked, past Reilly Commons, the student union. By this point, The crowd stood shoulder to shoulder, and chants of “S-A-I! N-T-S!” filled the cool evening air. Here, many alumni, those who still lived in or near Elmridge and those who were visiting from farther away, joined in. Undoubtedly they remembered similar moments from their own undergraduate days.

Here, too, is where Claire and the kids always took their places. She could point to the very spot where Claire Dempsey stood before her first Saints home game, watching the freshman guard who had just become her boyfriend. Whenever she could, Claire Dempsey Whittaker stood in exactly that spot.

At the end of the path stood The Pavilion. The arena was still empty. The lights from inside shone through the clerestory windows as the players walked to the west entrance. Above the doorway was a bronze plaque, engraved with Coach Reilly's words:

“For St. Michael’s. For Each Other.”

Each coach and player reached up and touched the plaque. Only then did they enter.


The Saints Walk was more than a team entrance. It was a ritual of belonging, a visible link between the school’s past and its present, and a reminder that every victory carried the weight of tradition.

The St. Michael’s Sentinel
Q&A with Coach Toby Whittaker after the Nonconference Season
January 5, 2010

Sentinel Sports: Coach, 13–2 and sitting at No. 13 in the S-Curve. How would you grade the nonconference season?

Whittaker: I’d give us a solid “B-plus.” The record looks great — you can’t argue with 13–2 — but I still see room for growth. We shot the ball really well, defended at a high level, and proved we can win in different styles of games. At the same time, we’ve had stretches where we lost focus, especially in rebounding and turnovers. Conference play will punish that if we don’t clean it up.

Sentinel Sports: George Bergman’s numbers jump off the page — almost 28 points per game. What makes him so tough?

Whittaker: George is just wired to score. He doesn’t need much space, and he’s shooting the three at an incredible clip. What people don’t always notice is that he’s stronger this year — he’s getting to the rim, getting fouled, finishing through contact. But the best thing is his unselfishness. He draws attention and still finds teammates. He’s a star who doesn’t act like one.

Sentinel Sports: Matt Caruso has been a steady No. 2 option. How important has his development been?

Whittaker: Vital. Matt gives us balance. When defenses load up on George, Matt makes them pay. He’s shooting over 46% from three, and he’s also our best wing rebounder. I trust him to guard tough matchups, and he’s become a secondary playmaker. For a sophomore, he has a remarkable ability to settle us down.

Sentinel Sports: Your frontcourt has been more defense-first. Brenner Turnbull is blocking four shots a game.

Whittaker: Brenner changes everything at the rim. Opponents think twice before attacking us. His offense is still coming along, but he spaces the floor just enough and he’s been reliable at the free-throw line. What he really gives us is an anchor — our guys can pressure on the perimeter knowing he’s behind them.

Sentinel Sports: How do you evaluate the point guard spot? Alan Gurrola’s numbers are strong, and Charles Clemmons has been efficient in fewer minutes.

Whittaker: I like where we’re at. Alan has been steady — he pushes pace, makes shots, and sets the table for George and Matt. Charles has given us a lift, especially with his shooting. I like that we can change the rhythm of the game by rotating them. And I’ll say this: Jalen Wilson, as a freshman, has been terrific in his role. He’s defending, he’s making smart passes, he’s 16-for-16 at the line. That kind of maturity from a first-year is huge.

Sentinel Sports: At 13–2, fans are starting to whisper about March. How do you keep the group grounded?

Whittaker: By reminding them we haven’t won a single conference game yet. The Centennial grind is different — the gyms are packed, the rivalries are heated, the scouting is sharp. Our margin for error shrinks. So we celebrate the nonconference success, but now it’s about starting 0–0 again and proving ourselves in league play.

Sentinel Sports: What excites you most as you enter conference play?

Whittaker: The togetherness of this group. You see it on the Saints Walk before every game — they’re connected to each other and to this campus. When you have talent plus that kind of bond, you’ve got a chance to do something special.

February 1, 2010

A busy recruiting season for Toby Whittaker and the Saints ended with four signings, including a seven-foot center and three guards.

The four newcomers were slated to replace the team's three scholarship seniors and outgoing transfer Frank Bookout, whose combination of academic indifference and a nonchalance about improving his game kept him from being more than a practice player at St. Michael's.

The first to commit was point guard Caleb Lear. Toby had this to say about Caleb:

“Caleb Lear is a point guard who really understands the game. At 6-3 and 199 pounds, he’s got the size to see over defenses and the strength to finish through contact. He averaged 7.4 assists a game at Oyster Bay [New York] and that’s the number that jumps out — he makes the players around him better, which is exactly what we want from a floor general.

He’s not going to overwhelm you with scoring — his jump shot is a work in progress — but he can manage a game, push the tempo, and control the flow, which is critical in close contests. Caleb also defends with intelligence; he’s active, he gets steals, and he reads passing lanes well. Academics? He’s qualified and focused, but what matters most is his leadership and court awareness. We think Caleb can compete for a spot in our backcourt rotation right away, especially against opponents who have big, physical guards."


The same day, Toby was excited to secure the commitment of New Jersey shooting guard Desmond Lee.

“Desmond Lee is exactly the kind of player we were looking for at the two-guard spot," Toby said. "At 6-3 and 194 pounds, he’s long, athletic, and can shoot it from anywhere on the floor. He averaged 18.4 points a game at Ocean City, showing he can score in multiple ways — off the bounce, off screens, and in transition. He’s a smart player, too: he sees the floor well, moves without the ball, and makes the right reads in pressure situations.

He’s got a smooth shot, a quick first step, and the kind of instincts that make defenses work overtime. He rebounds and defends at a high level for a wing, and his versatility allows us to put him in multiple spots without losing spacing or rhythm. He works hard in the classroom, too. Desmond has a well-rounded game; he’s the kind of player who can come in, contribute right away, and grow into a difference-maker for us at St. Michael’s.”


A month later, the Saints added more depth to their backcourt with the signing of Sean O'Reilly.

Toby remarked: “Sean O’Reilly is a Philly kid through and through, and he brings a lot of toughness and smarts to the point guard position. At 5-11 and 165 pounds, he’s not going to blow you away physically, but he’s quick, fundamentally sound, and makes the right decisions under pressure. He averaged 6.4 assists per game at Roman Catholic High, and that ability to run an offense and control tempo is exactly what we look for in a floor general.

He’s also a pest on defense — active hands, good anticipation, and solid in one-on-one situations. Shooting is a work in progress, but he’s efficient around the basket and has the kind of touch that will improve in a college system. Academics? Sean’s a solid student with a 3.25 GPA, but it’s really his basketball IQ, leadership, and competitiveness that make him a perfect fit for St. Michael’s.”


Toby and his lead recruiter, Charles Campbell, knew they needed to add one more big man to their roster. They identified Trevor McMillan as their man, but they couldn't seem to persuade Trevor and his parents to sign. Finally, Coach Campbell delivered a persuasive enough case to get the Delaware product to sign.

Here's what Toby said about Trevor: “Trevor McMillan is a rare combination of size, skill, and mobility. At seven feet tall, he’s already a matchup nightmare, with instincts and a touch around the basket that really stand out. At Sanford School, he averaged 18.5 points and nearly nine rebounds per game, showing he can score inside, run the floor, and clean the glass on both ends.

He protects the rim and alters shots, but he’s also got a very impressive shooting stroke for a big man his size. His passing and court vision are solid for a post player, and he has the potential to stretch the floor like few bigs can if he continues to develop his outside shot. Trevor's length, athleticism, and instincts that make him a player who can impact games from day one at St. Michael’s. He'll get to learn from Brenner Turnbull for a season, too.


Desmond Lee seemed like the most likely of the four to make an immediate contribution at the collegiate level. Caleb Lear and Sean O'Reilly would likely compete for playing time behind Jalen Wilson; Lear, especially, would make sure Jalen stayed on his toes. Trevor McMillan could add a new dimension to the Saints offense: a stretch big who could score at all three levels.

Next season would be the first in which Toby wouldn't be able to rely heavily on players who were already part of the St. Michael's program when he arrived. Almost all the most important minutes would be covered by players he had recruited. How successful would Toby be, now that the stars his predecessor recruited were gone?

Emily Navarro '12 was impossible to impossible to miss at a St. Michael’s basketball game. A communications major from Allentown, she became the student section's unofficial leader, rallying them with signs, chants, and relentless energy.

She organized Facebook groups for theme nights, convinced classmates to pile into cars for road trips, and once printed 200 “Beat Swarthmore” flyers on the library printer. On game nights, her routine was simple: a Diet Coke, a Saints hoodie, and a spot in the front row.

Emily’s presence helped transform The Pavilion into the most energy-filled arena in the Centennial Conference.

Emily looked back at the 2009/10 season with pride and delight.

"We came into that season buzzing, and right away it felt different. We went out to Las Vegas and won the Challenge. Three good wins in three nights, on a national stage. But the night that changed everything was November 28th at UConn. No one believed we could do it, not in Gampel, not against the #5 team in the country. But we shocked them, 89–82. I wasn't there, but I screamed so much watching on TV that I didn’t even have a voice for a week after that game. That’s when the buzz around campus exploded.

"The run through December was like living in a dream. Gonzaga at home felt like a heavyweight fight, and when we took them down, people started whispering 'Top 25.' I’ll never forget the bus ride we organized for Duke. We were so lucky to get some of the tickets they allocate to visiting fans. We expected to just soak in the atmosphere—but we walked out of Cameron with a 76–62 win. Everyone on that bus came back believing we could play with anybody.

"Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Cleveland State tripped us up, then Davidson snatched one late. Those two losses felt like a reality check, but they didn’t crush the vibe. By New Year’s, we were 12–2, and suddenly national writers were actually saying 'St. Michael’s' out loud.

"Conference play was a grind. Franklin & Marshall, Ursinus, Muhlenberg—those gyms were never easy. The loss at Muhlenberg stung, and late February at Swarthmore was even worse. I can still picture their students rushing the court after they handed us our second league loss. That was the only time I walked back to my dorm in silence.

"But the guys bounced back like they always did. Wins over Hopkins, Haverford, Ursinus—it felt like we were carrying the weight of something bigger than just one season.

"This season has been magic. St. Michael’s went from 'cute little underdog' to a program that made people nervous to play. For me, a sophomore who lived and breathed this team, it was the most unforgettable ride of my college years...so far!

"I can't wait for the conference tournament. None of us can."

March 7, 2010
Centennial Conference Tournament Final



Dan Kessler – Radio Voice of the Saints

For more than two decades, Dan Kessler had been the unmistakable sound of St. Michael’s basketball. His booming baritone and gift for pacing made him a trusted companion for Saints fans from The Pavilion to living rooms across the Delaware Valley.

Kessler grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he fell in love with Big 5 basketball listening to games on the radio late at night. After studying communications at Temple, he cut his teeth doing high school football and basketball before breaking into minor-league baseball. In 1996, he got the call from the Saints' broadcast partner — and he’s been courtside ever since.

What made Kessler special wasn’t just his voice but his feel for the moment. When a big moment happened, Dan had a knack for letting the roar of The Pavilion wash over the airwaves before he picked up the mic again.

Beloved by alumni and students alike, Kessler blended sharp play-by-play detail with genuine affection for the program. He was quick to share a tidbit about a player’s family in the stands, or recall a classic game from years past, giving his broadcasts both warmth and depth. Off the air, he was known as approachable and funny — a guy who might be found swapping stories with fans at the Cloister Café or O'Malley's after a game.

Kessler lived in nearby Haddonfield with his wife, Angela, and their two kids. Despite being a fixture at St. Michael’s, he still joked that his dream is to one day call a Phillies playoff run — but until then, the Saints remained his true home.

Kessler's color commentator was Ray DiPietro. Ray grew up in Scranton, and his delivery retained some of that Northeast grit. He played for St. Michael's in the late 1980s and for two seasons in Italy before beginning his broadcasting career. Humble about his own basketball accomplishments, he avoided the bragging some former players can't resist.

Ray always emphasized effort, toughness, and playing smart basketball.


Here's how Dan and Ray called the championship final on WELR (880 AM), the flagship station of St. Michael's small radio network.

Dan Kessler, at halftime:
“And that’s the horn here at The Pavilion, and Saints fans — it has not been the kind of half we’ve come to expect from St. Michael’s this season. Swarthmore heads to the locker room with a 49–39 lead over the Saints, the three-seed dictating the tempo from the jump.

The big story? Turnovers. Thirteen of them for St. Michael’s in that first half. That’s nearly a game’s worth in twenty minutes, and Swarthmore has cashed in just about every one. The Garnet are getting hands in passing lanes, doubling hard in the post, and they’ve frustrated the Saints’ ballhandlers.

Matt Caruso has done his part — 14 points on a couple of deep threes to keep the Saints in shouting distance — but George Bergman’s been bottled up, and Alan Gurrola hasn’t been able to settle the offense into its usual rhythm. On the other side, Swarthmore’s guards are playing with confidence, knocking down open looks and feeding off the Saints’ mistakes.

Now, it’s a ten-point hole, but remember — this is a veteran St. Michael’s group. They’ve been in tough spots before. The key in the second half will be valuing every possession, slowing things down, and letting their defense create opportunities. If they can string together stops and take care of the basketball, this game can swing in a hurry.

Again, your halftime score: Swarthmore 49, St. Michael’s 39. We’ll take a break here on Saints Radio, brought to you by Callahan Hall Coffee — fueling St. Michael’s since 1923. Back in a few with halftime stats and a look at what's happening in tonight's other action.”


Midway through the second half...Swarthmore 57, St. Michael's 52

Dan Kessler
“Chauvin at the elbow … pulls up for the short jumper — rejected! Brenner Turnbull gets all of it, a clean swat! But the ball caroms right back to Brack underneath … he powers up — and Neubauer erases it! Back-to-back blocks for the Saints!

The Pavilion is rocking now, listen to this place! Neubauer rips it down, outlets to Gurrola — Saints on the run, down five with 10:20 to play! Momentum turning here in the semifinal!

“Gurrola streaking up the floor … hits Bergman on the wing … George to the rim — TWO-HANDED JAM! Oh, my! George Bergman with the exclamation point, and the Saints are back within three!

What a turnaround — two blocks on one possession, and Bergman punctuates it at the other end! The Pavilion is on its feet — and suddenly this semifinal feels very different!”

Ray DiPietro:
“That’s the Saints at their best — defense fueling the break. Turnbull and Neubauer erased shots on one end, and Bergman knows exactly how to finish. That’s a four-point swing and a whole lot of momentum.”


Late in the second half...Swarthmore 85, St. Michael's 82.

Dan Kessler:
“Gurrola pulls it back out. Shot clock is off, there are 12 seconds on the game clock … Alan surveys the defense … swings it left to Caruso … five on the clock … Caruso steps back behind the arc … puts it up — IT’S GOOD! Oh, baby! Matt Caruso buries the three with three seconds left, and we are tied at 85! That's 28 points for Caruso. Looks like we're headed to overtime in the Centennial Conference final!

Ray DiPietro:
“That’s exactly why you never leave him open at the perimeter! Caruso knew the clock, knew his spacing — and he calmly delivered when it mattered most. That’s Saint basketball, Dan!”

Dan Kessler:
“You could hear the roar from The Pavilion all the way across the campus, Ray! Incredible composure under pressure. Three seconds left, and anything can happen in overtime!”


Dan Kessler:
“And we’re back underway in overtime! Saints and Garnet tied at 85. Gurrola brings it up for St. Michael’s … looking to set up the first possession … Turnbull posting up on Chauvin … good screen from Caruso … Gurrola swings it right to Bergman … he fakes, drives … tough shot — no good! But Turnbull cleans it up inside! Back out to Alan, and the Saints will set it up again.”

Ray DiPietro:
“That’s why you can’t underestimate Brenner’s presence in the paint. He erases a miss, and suddenly the Saints have momentum swinging their way already. This is a battle of wills now, Dan.”

Dan Kessler:
“Absolutely, Ray — a fresh five minutes to decide it, and the Saints have the crowd buzzing. Every possession counts!”


Dan Kessler:
“Brown brings it up for Swarthmore, Szymanski on the wing … 2:25 to go in overtime, game tied at 87 … Brown tries to thread it into Szymanski inside … and Clemmons deflects it! The ball is loose — Saints scrambling … oh, a Swarthmore player knocked it out of bounds. Saints ball!”

Ray DiPietro:
“That’s textbook St. Michael’s defense! Clemmons reading the play perfectly, timing the deflection, and forcing the turnover. That’s exactly the kind of heads-up play you need in the final minutes of overtime.”

Dan Kessler:
“Crowd is going nuts here at The Pavilion, Razor! Saints get the stop, get the possession, and they can’t ask for a better setup with just over two minutes left! But, wait a moment...Clemmons is limping. He's going to have to come out of the game. Such a tough break for a classy senior who's played so well tonight. Jalen Wilson will check in to replace Charles."

Dan Kessler:
“Gurrola brings it up for St. Michael’s, 2:15 on the clock … swings left to Bergman … resets … back to Gurrola at the top … drives, pulls up from ten feet — GOOD! Alan Gurrola knocks it down! Saints take the lead, 89–87, their first lead since the opening minutes of the game!”

Ray DiPietro:
“That’s a huge shot, Dan! Gurrola stays composed under pressure, hits the jumper, and now the Saints have the momentum swinging back their way. That defensive stop by Clemmons set this up perfectly.”

Dan Kessler:
“The Pavilion has erupted! The Saints lead for the first time since the very beginning, and every possession is going to be critical from here on out!”


Dan Kessler:
All right, Saints have the ball with 21 seconds to go, down 92–91. Normally Charles Clemmons would be out here for St. Michael’s, but he’s on the bench nursing that rolled ankle — so Coach Whittaker's going with Brenner Turnbull, Matt Caruso, George Bergman, Alan Gurrola, and Jalen Wilson.

Here we go. Alan brings it across midcourt … quickly surveys … swings right to Bergman … George dribbles, now kicks back to Gurrola … 10 seconds on the clock … Saints resetting … Brenner screens for Wilson at the top of the key … Gurrola drives … draws the defender … kick out to Wilson!

Wilson rises — shoots from the wing … GOOD! IT'S GOOD! Jalen Wilson buries the jumper with two seconds left, and the Saints lead 93–92! Incredible composure from the freshman, and his first basket of the game! What a moment!”

Ray DiPietro:
“Unbelievable, Dan! And with Clemmons sidelined, Toby had to rely on Wilson to handle the pressure — and he delivered perfectly. That’s poise and confidence in a freshman. Exactly why you have shooters and ballhandlers in those final possessions.”

Dan Kessler:
“The Pavilion has erupted! Fans on their feet, players swarming Jalen — what a finish in the Centennial Conference championship game! From 21 seconds out, that possession was pure precision. Will a freshman from right here in Elmridge become a hero tonight?

There are still 2.8 seconds on the clock. Coach Strathan called time out, so Swarthmore has time for a little more than a catch-and-shoot."

Ray DiPietro:
"You have to think they're going to get the ball into Stanley Brown's hands here. They don't need a three-pointer. Toby has to be telling them not to foul anyone, under any circumstances."

Dan Kessler:
"This is it. Swarthmore to inbound. Brenner's annoying the passer. He gets it in play, and Brown has it. He lets go from 40 feet...it HITS THE RIM and bounces away!

They've done it! The final score in the Centennial Conference championship game: in overtime--St. Michael's 93, Swarthmore 92!"

After the drama of the Centennial Conference tournament, the Saints' experience at the Big Dance was, understandably, an anticlimax.

As the #6 seed in the East Regional, St. Michael's drew an intriguing matchup with a similar program: Ivy League champion Princeton. The two programs were attractive underdogs from schools that valued academics, and their campuses were located only 50 miles or so apart.

Six-eleven matchups are often close and invite upsets, and for about thirty minutes of game time, that looked likely to happen. Once again, the Saints started slowly and had to claw their way back into the contest. This time, they made their move more quickly and more decisively, and rode 25 points from George Bergman and 6 blocks from Brenner Turnbull to a ten-point victory that was closer than the score indicated.

The victory was the Saints' 30th of the season, and it earned them an appointment with the tough Florida Gators. Florida coach James Hartle pointed out to his team that the Saints were actually the higher-ranked team, despite having a poorer tournament seed. "Show them how wrong the poll voters are," he challenged his players.

It was a bit of a cheap trick. Florida was one of the sport's elite, a 100 Prestige program that had been to the Sweet Sixteen 22 times and made it to the Final Four three times. St. Michael's, Prestige 61, had made it out of the first weekend only twice.

The game was competitive. St. Michael's twice opened up six-point leads, one in each half. But the Gators' superior depth enabled them to pull away in the game's final ten minutes. Toby couldn't ask much of Charles Clemmons, whose painfully twisted ankle had him playing at perhaps three-fourths of his usual capability. Meanwhile, Florida could bring a former five-star recruit, senior Darrick Gold, off the bench. Gold, a grown man at 6'4", 212 pounds, was too much for Jalen Wilson to handle, and even a veteran like Alan Gurrola struggled against him.

Florida led by nine points with three minutes left. Triples from George Bergman--the 537th and last of his unforgettable career--and Matt Caruso made the final score more respectable, but Toby and his players all knew they'd been outplayed.

It was time to return home, finish the semester, and begin the preparations for the next season...or for the seniors, whatever came next.

How did Toby and each of his three assistants view the 2009/10 season?

First, from assistant Ari Goldberg, the most data-oriented member of the staff:

“If you strip away the record and rankings, the efficiency numbers tell the real story. We were one of the most complete two-way teams in the country. Our adjusted field goal percentage margin (+13.4%) was No. 1 nationally, and our points-per-shot differential (+0.356) was also No. 1. That’s dominance rooted in shot quality and shot defense, not pace.

Strengths:

Defense at the rim and perimeter: Opponents shot just 37.9% overall and 35.5% from three. Combine that with 6.5 blocks per game (top 10 nationally), and you see why teams struggled to score efficiently.

Rebounding split: Our defensive rebounding margin (+5.2, 4th nationally) covered up for below-average offensive glass work. That’s a tradeoff you’ll take if your eFG% is elite.

Ball movement vs. opponents: We assisted on 15.6 baskets per game versus holding opponents to 12.4. That +3.2 assist margin (18th nationally) shows consistent offensive execution.

Free throws: Quietly a top-40 free throw team at 71.9%. And we held opponents to 62.4% at the line, which is almost as impactful as blocks in certain games.

Weaknesses:

Turnovers: 13.3 per game, only an average margin (+1.5). Against better defensive units, this kept opponents in games.

Offensive rebounding: Bottom half nationally (ranked 218th). When we missed, we didn’t extend possessions.

Steals: Only 3.9 per game (ranked 347th). This team guarded well in the halfcourt but didn’t generate much in transition through takeaways.

Overall:
We finished top 15 in RPI and efficiency margins across nearly every critical category. But the profile is clear: we won by execution, efficiency, and halfcourt defense rather than raw athletic pressure. Our ceiling against elite competition depended on hitting threes (39.3%) and avoiding turnover spikes.

If you project forward, sustaining this model means two things: (1) we need at least one high-level shot creator to reduce reliance on pure system execution, and (2) we should target a frontcourt player who can add second-chance points without compromising our defensive rebounding edge.

Bottom line: This was not a fluke 30-win season. The underlying data supports a top-15 national profile.”


Associate head coach Carl Wilson was Toby's right-hand man on the bench.

“When I look back at this year, I don’t just see thirty wins — I see the structure that held us together. We weren’t the biggest team, and we weren’t the most athletic in every matchup, but we played disciplined basketball on both ends. That’s what kept us consistent.

Defensively, our numbers tell the story. Opponents shot under 38% against us, and just 35% from three. That’s not an accident. We emphasized closeouts, help-side rotations, and keeping teams to one shot. Our defensive rebounding edge was critical — we gave ourselves extra possessions while limiting theirs.

Offensively, our spacing and ball movement were as good as I’ve seen since I’ve been here. We finished top 15 nationally in field goal percentage and three-point percentage, and that comes down to execution: guards reading screens correctly, wings lifting or drifting at the right times, bigs sealing inside to open up driving lanes. We had stretches where the ball barely touched the floor before we got a clean look.

That said, there are areas I’ll be dwelling on all offseason. Our turnover margin hurt us in certain games — when we got sloppy with our passes or rushed against pressure, that’s when we lost. And I’ll be the first to say: our offensive rebounding needs work. Too often, we were sending three back in transition instead of putting pressure on the rim.

But overall, this team bought into detail. When we beat Connecticut, it wasn’t just hot shooting — it was sticking to the plan, communicating through switches, and executing late in possessions. You don’t get wins like that without sharp X’s and O’s married to players who are willing to follow through.

For me, that’s the success of the season: the schemes worked, and the players executed them at a high level. And that’s something we can build on.”


Charles Campbell was the staff's ace recruiter. How did he view the season, through that lens?

“You want to know what makes this place special? Look at the year we just had. We didn’t just win thirty games — we did it while playing a brand of basketball every high school kid in America wants to be part of.

We played fast. We played free. Everybody had a role. Six, seven guys had games where they carried us, and nobody cared who got the credit. That’s why our shooting numbers were so good — kids weren’t out there forcing shots, they were playing in rhythm. If you can shoot it, if you can pass it, you can succeed here.

Look at who we beat. We went up to Connecticut and knocked off the No. 5 team in the country in their own gym. We won at Duke. That’s not luck — that’s proof that our guys could walk into the toughest places in college basketball and come out winners. You don’t think recruits notice that? You don’t think they want to be the next name people talk about after a game like that?

And we did it together. That’s the selling point. You come to St. Michael’s, you’re not sitting in the shadows. We develop everybody who wants to work for it. We give guys chances to grow, and if you’re ready, you’ll have a chance to shine in big moments.

So yeah, I’m proud of the 30–5 record. But what I really see is a story we can tell every kid we talk to: come here, and you’ll be part of a program that wins, that develops you, and that gives you a stage. That’s how you build a legacy.”


And, finally, Toby Whittaker's words, reflecting the team's culture, identity, and pride.

“You don’t need a degree in statistics to see what kind of team we had this year. We won thirty games because we did the little things right — night after night.

On defense, we were as solid as anybody. We contested every shot, we protected the rim, and we made teams work for everything. You hold opponents under 38% shooting over a season, that’s toughness. That’s commitment.

On offense, we shared the ball. Fifteen, sixteen assists a game — that’s guys trusting each other, moving without the ball, and making the extra pass. And when it came down to knocking down shots, we hit them. Almost 40% from three, over 70% at the line. Those numbers aren’t just stats, they’re proof of preparation.

Now, we weren’t perfect. We gave a few too many possessions away with turnovers, and we didn’t always get that second shot on the glass. That’s an area where we’ve got to grow. Against the best, every rebound, every possession matters.

But the identity of this group was clear. We were efficient, we were disciplined, and we played together. That’s how you go 30–5. That’s why we earned respect across the country. And that’s why I believe this is just the beginning for St. Michael’s.”

Here's how the Saints broadcast team, Dan Kessler and Ray DiPietro, described each of the Saints at some point during the wonderful 2009/10 season.

George Bergman (SG): “And there’s Bergman — the flamethrower — 25 points a night, deadly from deep, and the heartbeat of this St. Michael’s offense.”

Brenner Turnbull (C): “Turnbull in the middle, the big man who makes life miserable at the rim with nearly four blocks a game.”

Matt Caruso (SF): “Here’s Caruso, smooth operator on the wing, fifty percent shooter, and a steadying presence the Saints lean on.”

Alan Gurrola (PG): “Gurrola, the floor general — top-notch distributor, sneaky good shooter, and the guy who keeps everyone organized.”

Joe Greeley (PF): “And don’t forget Greeley — not flashy, but the grinder who rebounds, defends, and does all the dirty work.”

Charles Clemmons (PG): “Senior Clemmons off the bench, a change-of-pace guard who brings speed, energy, and just enough outside punch.”

Rainer Neubauer (PF): “Neubauer checking in — rugged, physical forward, always ready to defend and bang down low.”

Jalen Wilson (SG): “And here’s the coach’s son, Jalen Wilson — earned every minute with efficient shooting and a smart, team-first game.”

Sandy Fancher (C): “Fancher in the paint, still raw, but gives them size, hustle, and some boards when they need a breather for Turnbull.”

Malik Jefferson (SF): “Jefferson, the young spark — instant offense in short bursts and a glimpse of future firepower.”

Ernie Elsam (C): “Elsam, the reserve big, brings a body inside and can finish around the rim in spot minutes.”

John Markel (PF): “Markel, not a regular in the rotation, but a tough kid who’ll scrap for rebounds when called upon.”

Evan Carlucci (SG): “Carlucci, deep bench guard, a shooter who can step in and knock one down if left open.”

Randolph Querry (SF): “And there’s Querry — the junior with little run this year, but a guy who's always worn the Navy and Gold well.”