Duffy a Key Cog in Blue Devil Basketball Machine
After a rocky start, the Huntington boys’ basketball team went on a late season run, propelling the squad into the playoffs where they nearly upset heavily favored John Glenn. Smack in the middle of the Blue Devils’ ascent was junior guard Matt Duffy, who fit in perfectly with teammates that were equally focused on winning.
Duffy got his start in the sport as a third grader, playing in St. Hugh’s basketball program intramural divisions for several years before advancing to the travel team play in the sixth and seventh grades. The following year he moved to the St. Patrick’s travel team and then on to the program at J. Taylor Finley Middle School, where he was a co-captain as an eighth grader.
By the time he reached Huntington High School, Duffy was still considered small, especially for a sport that puts a premium on height. Disappointment ensued when he was cut during JV tryouts as a freshman, but he used the experience as a motivational tool, vowing to prove he belonged on the squad.
All through that long winter he practiced his ball handling skills in his basement while watching the New York Knicks and college games on television. Then, all of a sudden he started to grow – and grow. By the time tryouts rolled around the following November, he was seven inches taller. But, even before then, he was showing off his improved abilities at open courts to new varsity head coach Michael Schmitz.
Duffy made the JV team, beginning the season as a backup guard before assuming the role of point guard and earning a spot in the starting lineup. It was a breakout year for the basketball fanatic as he lit up gyms for 19 three-pointers and averaged eight points per game for a team that finished 12-2 in league play. Then JV coach and current varsity assistant Tim Madden credited Duffy with possessing many tools, including great court vision, an ability to create shots for others and on-court leadership that proved crucial to the team’s success.
This past season Duffy came into his own on the varsity, again showing a knack for knocking down three-pointers, including a bomb that tied the Huntington-John Glenn playoff game at 57 points apiece with less than a minute remaining.
Duffy’s game has climbed several notches after making the hard decision to focus exclusively on basketball. More and more he has been paying the price demanded of an athlete that wants to be the best he can possibly be. “Matt shot the ball very well this year,” Madden said. “He is very dangerous outside the three-point arc.”
Preparation for the 2007-08 season began for Duffy when he joined with his Huntington teammates and participated in a summer league program based in Babylon. The experience Duffy gained there proved crucial to letting him size up where he stood with others his age. He also attended the National Point Guard Camp at East Stroudsburg Univ. in Pennsylvania and a fall pre-season camp at LuHi in Brookville.
One of Duffy’s goals was accomplished when the Blue Devils qualified for the 2008 Suffolk playoffs. But, now that the season is over, he’s setting his sights on continuing to improve all aspects of his game and having a bang-up year as a senior next winter.
Duffy’s future aspirations include playing at the college level. He’s started contacting college coaches through introductory e-mails in the hope of sparking interest. He plans to pursue a sports-related curriculum leading to a career in that field.
Duffy’s been rooting on the Knicks this winter, although there hasn’t really been much to cheer about considering that team’s season-long struggles. He’s also a fan of the Mets and the Cowboys, and hopes to one day watch that team at home in Dallas.
When all is said and done, Duffy is just a regular teenager. He loves to eat, hang out with his friends and listen to music. One of his favorite classes at Huntington High School is Forensics, a course that’s just a little bit outside the box with a mystery aspect that has captured his interest.
As the Huntington basketball program regroups and readies itself for the future, expect Duffy to be in the middle of the coaching staff’s plans to get the Blue Devils much deeper into the playoffs next winter.
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