Ridge Basketball Trio Embark on New Path

They broke records, established a legacy and most of all, made Basking Ridge High School boys basketball relevant.

With graduation over and done with, it's time for Ridge's three best departing players – sharpshooting Andrew Madlinger (14.7 points), point guard Nick Cefalo (10.8) and versatile Christian Frisoli (12.8) – to take their talents to the next level.

Cefalo plans to attend Cheshire Academy (CT) for one year to hone his basketball skills before moving onto college. Madlinger is heading to Bowdoin College (ME) and Frisoli will attend Gettysburg College (PA).

 "They brought different qualities that made them special," said Taylor. "It made it even special as a group and they all liked each other, which is very important and one of the reasons they went very far is because they got along really well."

Madlinger, who made on average 2.5 three-pointers a game, could've taken his game practically anywhere, but chose Division III Bowdoin because of its academics and solid basketball pedigree. The Polar Bears have recorded 17 winning seasons in the last 19 years.

"Bowdoin has everything I'm looking for," said Madlinger. "It's a great academic fit and it's in one of the best D-III conferences for basketball (New England Small College Athletic Conference), which includes schools like Amherst (MA)."

Madlinger, who's planning to play in a couple of summer leagues near the Jersey Shore, is already following Bowdoin's strength and conditioning program four times a week.

Taylor believes his game translates well to the next level.

"Andrew's shot and ability to stretch the defense makes him tough to guard," said Taylor. "Andrew did a lot of the little things that people didn't realize. He was a great rebounder and he was one of our leading rebounders in the second half of the season.

"He's going to do really well in college because of his shooting range. There is always room on the court for someone that can stretch the defense to allow other players to get to the rim."

Frisoli was one of the team's best interchangeable players along with soon-to-be senior Conor Skea (8.7). Frisoli, who will be playing alongside Madlinger this summer at the Shore, credits Taylor and the entire team's belief in him for his success.

"I think a lot of it has to do with work ethic," said Frisoli of his preparation for college basketball. "The last two years I thought it could happen and with coach here, he pushed me to believe I can play in college. Our workout regimen at Ridge under (coach) Taylor is similar to what many college teams do."

Taylor cites Frisoli's versatility as a key to his pending impact at Gettysburg.

"(Christian) is a slasher and shooter," said Taylor, who will enter his fifth season as Ridge coach this winter. "He's an energy guy and emotion lifts the team and gets you going."

Cefalo was Ridge's point guard and although he will continue to play football at Cheshire, basketball will be his main priority outside of academics.  

"I'm taking this route to get more exposure," said Cefalo. "My goal is to get a scholarship to play college basketball.

"It was tough at first to go this route with my friends going off to college. But a year at prep school will help me achieve my goal and get me to where I want to be."

Cefalo was Ridge's lynchpin on defense and steering force for their high-pronged offensive attack. But it was his mental approach that made him special.

"(Nick) is your warrior and the guy you want in the foxhole with you if you go to war," said Taylor. "He's the guy who will do whatever it takes to make sure that your team is in the best position to win. The competitive spirit he brings is unbelievable."

 He's already in Connecticut practicing with Cheshire coach Dan Lee and will play for the AAU Connecticut Gold team later this summer.

"I want to improve upon every facet of my game," said Cefalo. "I need to get faster and stronger."

Collectively, they were a handful for teams in Somerset County and throughout Central New Jersey. Now individually, they will embark on a new basketball path without each other.

"All three are going to bring something special to their teams in college," said Taylor. "Their each have a different game, but they are unselfish and know how to play with other players and their strengths."