Home News Tribune Online 02/23/08
Rennard is Falcons’ guiding light

STAFF REPORT
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St. Joseph High School’s sophomore sensation Steve Rennard hoisted his team squarely on his shoulders and carried them to a spot in the Greater Middlesex Conference Boys Basketball Tournament final and is in the Home News Tribune’s Spotlight.

In second-round GMC match against South Brunswick, Rennard hit a jumper with 35 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra quarter, Rennard scored five of the Falcons’ nine points, willing them to a victory. He finished with 15 points. Facing third-seeded Bishop Ahr in the quarterfinals, he guided the underdog sixth-seeded Falcons to a thrilling overtime victory. He went on a personal 7-0 run to start overtime and led his team to the upset with a game-high 21 points and five assists.
In the semifinal, St. Joseph played second-seeded and defending GMCT champion Piscataway, a team that beat the Falcons handily twice during the regular season. Rennard knew that his team was counting on him, and he did not let them down.
In the much-anticipated rematch, Rennard lifted his team with a game-high 23 points. Rennard and co. took control of the game right from the tip. After quickly falling behind, the Falcons grabbed a 5-3 lead and then never even glanced in the rearview mirror, tripping up the favored Chiefs, 56-42.
“The players expect me to step up, be a leader and do what I have to do for the team to help us get through,” Rennard said of the team’s semifinal win on Tuesday. His teammates know that when facing adversity, just look over and emulate number 22. “When I see we’re not playing defense or were not hustling, then I start to hustle more and clap more and get them fired up.”
Head coach Dave Turco echoed the same sentiment.
“Through his play and passion, the kids see how important the game is to him and I think they feed off that,” Turco added of his leader.

STEVE RENNARD
School: St. Joseph
Year: Sophomore
Sport: Basketball
Position: Guard
Height/weight:6-2/165
Birthday: Sept. 26, 1991
Born in: Red Bank
Home town: Hazlet
Hobbies: Flag football
Favorite sport: Basketball
Favorite food: Baked ziti
Favorite athlete: Dwyane Wade
Favorite sports team: Miami Heat
Favorite T.V. show: South Park
Favorite subject: Math
Favorite type of music: Hip-hop
Favorite musical group: Lil’ Wayne
Favorite actor: Jim Carrey
Favorite actress: Angelina Jolie
Favorite movie: Glory Road
Favorite book: Fahrenheit 451
Favorite sports moment: Beating Piscataway in GMC semifinal
Pre game ritual: “Listen to Lil’ Wayne by myself.”
Place I would most like to visit: Caribbean
What would you like to be doing 10 years from now: Doctor or lawyer
Biggest influence: “My parents.”
Something about you nobody else knows: “I skateboard.”
Schools which are recruiting you: Princeton,UPenn, Notre Dame, SJU, Davidson,Bucknell, Lehigh, Richmond,

Steve Rennard’s High School Awards
Freshman Year 2006 – 2007

• Pre Season Tip Off Classic Top Performer – Hoop Group
• Freshman of the Year – GMC Hoops.com
• Non- Public A – Surprise Player – NJ Star Ledger
• Best of the Best – NJ State Top Freshmen #4 – NJ Star Ledger
• Honorable Mention All GMC – Home News Tribune
• Top 20 All Star – Hoop Group Eastern Invitational (week 6 @TCNJ)

Sophomore Year 2007 – 2008
*Selected Eddie Griffin Challenge – Top performer by Basketball Spotlight

*Top Performer Eddie Griffin Challenge – CAA Insider.com
Oct 2007
Steve wasn’t the most heralded player in this game but he was instrumental in New Jersey’s victory. He was a thorn in the side of the Philly defense. Steve hustled all over the court and made himself available for a couple of easy buckets. He’s also a very smooth three point shooter and buried a number of jumpers.

• Home News Tribune – Athlete of the Week – Feb 23, 2008
  “Rennard is Falcons’ guiding light”

• Best of the Best – NJ State Top Sophomores #6 – NJ Star Ledger
• GMC – All Tournament Team – Home News Tribune
• GMC – All Tournament Team – GMC Hoops.com
• All Area Third Team – Home News Tribune
• All GMC Second Team – Home News Tribune
• All-GMC (as selected by coaches) Red Division Team – Home News Tribune
• All-GMC Sophomore Team #1 player – Home News Tribune
• All-Soph/Frosh NJ State Team –Third Team – NJ Star Ledger
• Player of the Week Feb 10 – 17 – GMC Hoops.com
• Search for Excellence On and Off the Hardwood – North Star Basketball
  2010 Playmaker

NORTHSTAR BASKETBALL
LEADING THE WAY IN THE SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE HARDWOODTUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008
Steve Rennard – a 2010 playmaker!

I love to watch and coach playmakers, and Steve Rennard is one!!! Whether it be deflecting a pass leading to a steal and a fast break, or breaking someone down off the dribble, drawing two defenders and kicking to the open man I LOVE TO WATCH AND COACH PLAYMAKERS!! Steve is a sophomore point guard who can slide over to the shooting guard spot interchangeably. While at St. Joe’s Metuchen he runs the one, getting everyone involved while putting up 15 points per game. In the summer he runs with Team NJABC and plays both the lead and shooting guard positions . . . and is effective in both. For example, in the quarterfinals of the Main Event last year in Las Vegas, he buried 4 three pointers in about 90 seconds against Houston Hoops. It was pretty spectacular. The week before that at Eastern Invitational he was selected as an all-star at the point guard position because he was driving and dishing while also burying the open jumper. Quite frankly, this kid is just a flat out great guard. Oh yeah . . . he is a lock down defender AND he has a 4.0 GPA. WOW!

I had the chance to catch up with Steve for a few minutes to find out, at mid-season, how things were going:

NB: What is your record right now at St. Joes?
SR: “We are 12-3, and we should be 14-1 . . . we really should only have one loss.”

NB: What are the strengths of your high school team?
SR: “We play great defense holding opponents to 41 ppg, and we push the ball in a transition game. That is our main offensive focus.”

NB: What areas does your high school team need to improve in?
SR: “Executing our offense . . . not just going through the motions. We get lazy sometimes and need to be sharper with our screens and cuts.”

NB: What colleges have you heard from thus far?
SR: “St. Joes, Bucknell, Florida, Rutgers, American, William & Mary, Brown, and Penn.”

NB: What level of division one do you see yourself playing someday?
SR: “I want to go as high as I can in D1. I must continue to work hard, getting bigger and stronger, and I must get better with my handle and my speed to be a high major D1 player and I am committed to getting that done – definitely!”

NB: What are plans for the summer?
SR: “A lot of big tournies with Team NJABC, attending individual and team camps such as Eastern with the Hoop Group, and a lot of time in the gym just getting better.”
POSTED BY NORTH STAR BASKETBALL AT 9:42 PM
LABELS: CLASS OF 2010, INTERVIEWS

St. Joseph HS Metuchen, NJ
High Honor Roll 4.0 – Freshmen & Sophomore Year
Varsity Basketball 2007-2008 Season – Awarded Most Valuable
The only non-senior at St. Joseph HS to receive the award

Reebok Headliner Tryout Camp, Neptune NJ June 7 – 8 2008
Invited to Reebok BreakOut Camp, June 20-22 2008 Chicago, ILL

Latest Interview with NorthStar Basketball May 21, 2008

NORTHSTAR BASKETBALL
LEADING THE WAY IN THE SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE HARDWOOD
Update on . . . Steve Rennard
Yesterday, I caught up with another member of Team New Jersey ABC’s U-16 team. Steve Rennard, a 6’2 guard from St. Joseph’s (NJ), is the team’s primary go-to shooter, and for good reason, as the sophomore shoots lights-out from long range. Rennard informed me that he is currently being recruited by UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, St. Joseph’s, Notre Dame, Richmond, Marshall, Xavier, and Bucknell. Four of those schools are in the Ivy League, and that means that half of that conference—the country’s most prestigious academically—is recruiting Steve. The reasoning is simple: Rennard is a quality ballplayer, and says that he has an “average GPA [of] 4.0.” That will certainly get you some Ivy League looks. Although Rennard says he has “not yet” received a scholarship offer, he has unofficially visited both “UPenn and Princeton.” He informed me that he “visited UPenn a while ago and watched them practice.” Steve’s visit to Princeton was more recent, and he enjoyed his time on the Tigers’ campus. Steve Rennard is the real deal when it comes to student athletes, and he will thus have a wealth of top-notch academic institutions after him as well as some quality basketball programs. A blend of the two would be a great fit for Rennard, and I will keep you informed on how Steve is handling his recruitment.
POSTED BY NORTH STAR BASKETBALL AT 8:07 PM 0 COMMENTS
LABELS: CLASS OF 2010, UPDATES