Barrons Standout to Join Metuchen’s Schiappa on Pacers Squad Next Fall
WOODBRIDGE, NJ—The GMC has a big footprint on Marywood University’s incoming freshman class next fall. On January 29th, GMC Hoops learned that Woodbridge senior forward, Nick Hilenski, will be attending Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He will be joining Metuchen hoops standout and 1,000 point scorer, Dominic Schiappa on the Pacers roster.
Hilenski, a three year varsity player for Woodbridge, played in the GMCBCA Senior All-Star Game held last week at Woodbridge High School. He contributed eight points in Team White’s 122-112 victory over Team Black. Hilenski scored 6 of those points in the second half. After playing on a Woodbridge freshmen team that won the 2019 Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tourney, Hilenski endured plenty of growing pains. The Barrons were only 6-32 overall and 2-16 in the GMC White during his first two varsity seasons.
Things changed for the better in 2021-22 as Woodbridge showed improvement under first year head coach Jonathan Toczynski. This past season, the Barrons finished 8-14 overall including a 6-8 mark in the White Division. Although the Barrons did not make the state playoffs, they won two more games than in the previous two seasons combined. Woodbridge also won three times more division games despite missing the first week of the season due to COVID, and losing its first five games.
Hilenski played a key role in the team’s improvement. He and classmate, Jake Serrano, supplied veteran leadership to a team with promising young talent. By the end of the season, the Barrons main rotation consisted of three sophomores and two freshmen. One of the ways Hilenski helped to lead was by staying out of foul trouble. After being hampered by foul woes a year ago, Hilenski managed stay on the court, and became a crucial contributor at both ends of the floor.
According to stats compiled by GMC Hoops with the Game Changer app, Hilenski played and started in all 11 of Woodbridge’s games in 2020-21. He made 20 of 54 shots taken from the floor and 5 of 14 from the line for 45 total points while also collecting 50 rebounds, 12 assists, 7 steals, and 5 blocked shots. Hilenski averaged 4.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game a year ago.
According to stats compiled at NJ.com, Hilenski made 57 total field goals including 9 three pointers, and connected on 31 foul shots for a total of 154 points. Hilenski also pulled down a team high 128 rebounds, handed out 32 assists, swiped 31 steals, and blocked 10 shots in 2021-22. He was third on the team in scoring, tied for third in total field goals made, second in assists, second in steals, and tied for second in blocks while averaging 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
During his varsity career at Woodbridge, Hilenski made 88 total field goals including 12 three pointers and 41 free throws to total 236 points, or averaged 5.1 points per game. Over the last two seasons, Hilenski compiled 178 boards, 44 assists, 38 steals, and 15 blocked shots. Playing in 32 games during that span, Hilenski averaged 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and just under 0.5 blocks per contest.
At Marywood, Hilenski will be joining a Pacers men’s basketball team looking to improve. Marywood is coached by Enrico Mastroianni, who was the first ever men’s hoops coach at D2 Georgian Court University. Mastroianni also had previous coaching stints in Division 3 at Misericordia (as an assistant coach) and Centenary College.
Former GMC standouts that have played for Mastroianni include: Timmy Brix (Monroe), Larry Lenahan (South Amboy), Keith Hughes Jr. (Woodbridge), Robbie Ashamole (St. Joseph’s), Jeff Ashamole (North Brunswick), Claude Payne (South Plainfield), Hamilton Capellan (Perth Amboy), J.D. Rodriguez (Perth Amboy and Cardinal McCarrick).
This past season, the Pacers finished only 7-18 including a 2-10 mark in the Atlantic East Conference. Five of those wins came in the first month of the season. However, six of the Pacers games were decided in overtime with five ending in defeat. In addition, nine of Marywood’s losses were decided by single digits. The 2021-22 Marywood Pacers roster was also young and inexperienced with only 3 juniors and 2 seniors.
During the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season, Marywood only played one game. The Pacers won a 66-64 victory over Cabrini in an Atlantic East contest on March 29th in Scranton. In 2019-20, the last full season before the pandemic, Marywood finished 8-19 overall including a 2-10 mark in the Atlantic East.
Three years ago, in 2018-19, the Pacers finished 17-11 overall including a 8-4 mark in the Atlantic East. Marywood reached the semifinals of the 2019 Atlantic East Tournament before losing to Marymount (71-64). The Pacers then won an opening round game in the ECAC Tourney over Medaille (89-77) before losing to top seeded Brandeis (86-77).
Congratulations Nick, and best of luck in your future endeavors.