South Brunswick’s Ugarte Earns Player of the Week Honors for Week Two
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Entering the 2016-17 season, some might have thought that the South Brunswick Vikings boys basketball team would take a step back with the graduation of Eric Savage, who is now playing at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
In addition to losing Savage, the Vikes also lost three point specialist Danesh Thirukumaran, Sean Nally, and Isaiah Franklin from last year’s team that reached the GMCT Final for the first time since 1993. However, this year’s edition of the SBHS varsity boys basketball team is senior laden with a ton of veteran talent coming up from a JV program that reached the finals of the East Brunswick/GMC Tournament in each of the past two years including the title in 2015.
Leading this year’s group though is four year varsity player, Mike Ugarte, who was the second option on the Vikings last year behind Savage. This year, Ugarte is the main man, and he has embraced the responsibility of carrying this team. Over the holidays, Ugarte averaged 19.5 points per game in two lopsided wins over 9th ranked North Brunswick (62-40) and New Brunswick (70-45) in the Brunswick Classic.
As a result, GMC Hoops recognizes Ugarte as the Player of the Week for Week Two of the 2016-17 boys basketball season. Ugarte, who fired in 26 points including four threes in a 70-45 victory at Monroe on December 20th, pumped in 22 points in the win over North Brunswick, and then added 17 more in the victory over New Brunswick. South Brunswick is now 5-0 on the season with four of those wins by an average of 22.7 points per game.
Through the first five games this season, Ugarte is averaging 17.8 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all of South Brunswick’s contests including two where he scored over 20 points. He has collected 25 field goals, 9 threes, and 12 free throws on the season for a total of 89 points. For his career, Ugarte has 700 points, and is one of the top active scorers in the GMC this season.
A year ago as a junior, Ugarte played in all 27 of South Brunswick’s games, and helped Savage guide the Vikings to a 22-5 season. Ugarte made 72 field goals, 45 three pointers, and 56 free throws for 335 points, or a 12.4 points per game average. He scored in double figures in 19 of South Brunsiwck’s contests including a season high of 25 points in a win over Old Bridge in the 2016 GMCT Quarterfinals. Congratulations Mike, and best of luck the rest of the way.
Other players getting consideration for Week Two Player of the Week Honors were:
- Woodbridge’s Harry Rutkowski, who averaged 18 points per game in three wins by the Barrons in the LeGrand-Haley Holiday Jubilee
- Letrell West of St. Joseph’s, who averaged 18.3 points per game in the Neptune Holiday Tourney won by the Falcons over Seton Hall Prep
- Ryan O’Leary of Sayreville, who averaged 18.7 ppg during the Bombers run in the Albert E. Martin Buc Classic in Red Bank
- Old Bridge’s Kyle Parris, who averaged 19.3 ppg in Old Bridge’s three games at the Matawan Huskies Classic
- D’Ondre Dent of Piscataway, who averaged 17 points per game for the Chiefs in the Morris Knolls Tourney
- Timothy Christian’s Robert Saydee, who averaged 19.5 ppg as the Tigers won the Eastern Christian Holiday Tourney
- Carteret’s Jemar Jordan, who earned All Tourney Team honors at the Matawan Huskies Classic by averaging 15.3 points per game.
- South River’s Derrick Whitaker averaged 22.5 points per game including 29 against Keansburgs over the holidays in the Shore-Middlesex Holiday Tournament. Whitaker already has 640 points for his career.