FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES COMMITMENT
FROM WARWICK VALLEY’S MCCARTHY

In one of the more interesting recruiting commitments of the year, SUNY Cobleskill Head Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin McCarthy announced that Warwick Valley High School star point guard Joseph McCarthy has committed to the Fighting Tiger program for the 2006-07 season. McCarthy averaged 9.4 points, 6.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game during the season garnering Warwick Valley High School Mr. Basketball Award honors in both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons and is also on the school’s academic honor roll. While SUNY Cobleskill signing a talented backcourt player from Section IX is nothing new for the Fighting Tigers this addition to the roster has some unique implications for the player and his future coaching staff.

“What can I say, ‘Joe is a very good student, an extremely savvy point guard and even though we usually carry a big roster; I don’t think I will have a problem remembering his name and I’m fairly sure, that he’ll have very little trouble remembering mine,’”, said Coach McCarthy. For the record, the Fighting Tigers top Assistant Basketball Coach is Coach McCarthy’s younger brother Joseph McCarthy and incoming freshman point guard Joseph McCarthy’s father is named Kevin McCarthy. To add to the family flavor; earlier in the recruiting period the Fighting Tigers announced that Cobleskill-Richmondville High School swingman Brennan McCarthy, Coach Kevin McCarthy’s son and Coach Joseph McCarthy’s nephew, had committed to play for the Fighting Tigers next season. It should be noted that there is no known relationship between the two McCarthy families.

For his part the incoming point guard is excited to be with the program for the upcoming campaign. “The reason why SUNY Cobleskill is a good fit for me is because I believe it is one of the few colleges I've visited that suites me academically and athletically,” said McCarthy. He will major in the Physical Education, Recreation and Sports Studies program while attending the college.

Never one to let an opportunity to comment on an upcoming season go to waist, Coach McCarthy had this to say about 2006-07 in regards to his new point guard prospect. “I can assure you that myself, my brother, Joe and his father Kevin and my son Brennan are all looking forward to working together this upcoming basketball season and beyond that; all of us being of Irish descent, we’re also all looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day in 2007.” 

Coach Kevin McCarthy will return from a year-long sabbatical in 2006-07. After leading Cobleskill to the 2005 NJCAA Division III “Elite Eight” with a program best 30-6 overall record and 11 consecutive twenty-win campaigns the Fighting Tiger mentor took a coaching sabbatical during the 2005-06 season. The Fighting Tigers closed the year with an 11-17 under the direction of Interim Coach Marc Rybczyk including a 6-12 record Mountain Valley Conference play.