Knox getting lots of talent from transfers

The transfer portal is a college thing. But The Knox School had talent flowing inbound via the transfer route for this season, too.

The Falcons have seven transfers. Three were named last month as Newsday Top 100 players, two for the second time — 6-1 senior point guard Fabian Wheatley, who came over from St. Dominic, and 6-7 junior guard/forward KJ Anderson, who moved over from Farmingdale.

Regi Pierre, a 6-5 senior forward who transferred from West Islip, is the other member of the new Big 3.

These players have made an impact for this PSAA team from St. James, which was 5-5 through Thursday’s play.

“Regi, KJ and Fabian have transformed this program dramatically,” said Navro Allen, Knox’s second-year coach. “The way that they work every day, the different level of commitment, everything is transforming the program.

“Regi was working out with us all the summer. He came to my open workouts. It was great. We do a documentary at Knox about our basketball program. KJ saw the documentary, and then he wanted to come play.

“And I coach with an AAU program called Boys2Men, and Fabian was with Boys2Men, and he just loved the way I coach. So him and his mom said they wanted to come.”

Pierre was averaging 18.3 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists through Thursday. Wheatley was averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds, and Anderson was at 16.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

“I wanted to transfer from West Islip to here because I wanted to be with coach Nav, because I knew coach Nav would push me to that next level that I need to be at,” Pierre said.

There’s formidable competition in the PSAA. But Allen said: “Our goal is to win the championship.”

Pierre said: “I think it’s realistic.”

Chaminade’s Elliott excels

It was two days before the calendar turned to 2023. Chaminade was playing at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse when it happened.

Kam Elliott fractured his hip.

“Went up, got fouled on a layup, came down awkwardly, and [it] just buckled on him underneath,” coach Dan Feeney said.

It wasn’t a good feeling at first for the then-junior reserve guard, having to sit out.

“But also it was good to be able to step back away from the game and be able to just help my teammates from a not-being-on-the-court point of view, being the best teammate that I can,” Elliott said.

He played sparingly after his return in February for the NSCHSAA champions, but has been a starter this season.

The 5-10 senior from Amityville combined for 10 three-pointers and 38 points in a split last weekend in the Gary Charles Hoop Classic at Chaminade. He was averaging 11.4 points with 22 three-pointers through Thursday, and the Flyers were 7-4.

“He put a lot of work into it this offseason,” Feeney said. “ . . . He’s grown up tremendously from the day he walked into this place as a freshman to where he is today. That’s a boy to man.”