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N.J. hoopster
is headed
to PSA
By Ron P. Coderre
Putnam Science Academy has landed its first basketball recruit for the 2013-2014, 6-foot, 4-inch guard Kyle Menard from Paramus Catholic in New Jersey will attend school as a post graduate student. The announcement was released May 10 by Director of Athletics and basketball coach Tom Espinosa.
“In bringing Kyle Menard to Putnam, we feel we’ve landed a leader who will be our floor general. This young man has a tough approach to the game and is a proven winner. He’s been described by some as a warrior. He may be the toughest player to ever grace the court in the history of basketball at the Academy,” said Espinosa.
According to Menard’s bio, he is an outstanding defender in addition to being an offensive force. He possesses a very high basketball IQ. He’s capable of shooting the ball from mid-range and three-point land. The versatile Menard plays both shooting guard as well as the point. When handling the ball he has the innate ability to take his defender to the post.
“We like everything we’ve read and seen about Kyle. Our coaching staff feels he may also be able to fill in at small forward at times if necessary. Having him on the roster gives us a good start toward assembling another competitive team for the upcoming school year,” said Espinosa.
Last year Menard averaged 18 points per game and eight rebounds per contest for Paramus Catholic a co-educational school with 1,540 students. The highlight of the season for the Paladins and Menard came in a 75-70 loss to Hackensack, after previously upsetting No. 6 Old Tappan. In the loss to Hackensack, Menard had 26 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. His effort earned him Paramus Catholic Player of the Week honors.
In coming to Putnam to join the Mustangs, Menard has already had interest from a number of mid-major NCAA Division I colleges including Quinnipiac University, Wagner and Kent State.