Pleasantville Native Brian Voelkel Shines at UVM

They would start from the bottom the monstrous hill on South Broadway at 5 a.m. The stillness of the morning was evident, but competitive juices were coursing through the veins of Pleasantville's Brian Voelkel, along with Sandro Carissimo and Jordon Bronner, also of Westchester. The three would maintain these early bird workouts throughout the year, ensuring each other that their production wouldn’t wane. The prospects of a Division-I basketball scholarship wasn’t even question, as all three were inundated with recruiting mail from programs along the eastern seaboard.

The running, lifting, one-on-ones, shooting drills would gradually become more intense, with a few laughs erupting. Bronner, Carissimo and Voelkel played at St. Theresa’s School on Beekman Avenue in Sleepy Hollow, where a gracious nun opened the gym doors for them. They played at the outdoor court across from  on Wildey Street.

As if they were on a lifeboat making it safely to shore, each player shouted out instructions for the other to follow.

It was obvious; they wanted each other to get better. The teammates weren’t trying to outclass each other—though it may have seemed it given the competitive nature in some of the one-on-ones. Ultimately, all three were trying to take their games to the next level at the same pace.

As the first period bell shot through the hallways at Iona Prep, the thoughts of playing before national audiences and making a considerable impact were interrupted. The three shifted their gaze towards subjects such as global history, pre-calculus, and classic schoolboy novels such as Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby. The kids made sure their effectiveness in the classroom mirrored their constant work outside of it. That’s what they were taught early in their lives, when it seemed basketball was second only to breathing on the depth chart of life importance.

Bronner, Carissimo, and Voelkel had been chasing considerable hoop dreams since they first enrolled in Iona Prep. This is before the trio evolved into a triumvirate of McDonald All-American nominees. They put their stamp on the Westchester County Center during the Slam Dunk Challenge three seasons ago.

In their last two years, the trio’s chemistry opened up plenty of eyes. Bronner orchestrated the offense. Carissimo buried spot-up three-pointers and fired in high-low passes. Voelkel was a maniac on the boards, manning the glass at a frenetic rate that would make even Mr. Clean envious.

The trio won a Catholic state championship their junior season. As seniors, their memorable sendoff wasn’t capped with a championship but a 25-win season left their legacies intact.

The work ethic instilled in through their collective, competitive desire to play basketball at the highest level never dwindled. Now everything is coming into fruition for the Iona Prep products. Carissimo and Voelkel start at guard and forward, respectively, at the University of Vermont. Bronner, now a sophomore, orchestrates the offensive symphony at New Hampshire for the second consecutive season.

While they darted up the steep hills in Sleepy Hollow, playing games at the court across from Wildey St. and shooting at the  until the place closed, Iona Prep's triumvirate was following a freakish passion for the game set by another promising young stallion from the Sleepy Hollow area.

Tony Taylor, the former Stepinac star and Bronner's cousin, had garnered a full Division-I scholarship to play at George Washington. Taylor, who created a potent 1-2 punch with Melquan Bolding at White Plains-based Stepinac, is authoring a stellar senior year that could potentially go down in the Colonial annals.

Taylor is averaging a team-best 16.8 points, 4.8 dimes, and 3.4 boards per game. He’s shooting the rock at a sublime 50 percent clip and hitting 63 percent from beyond the arc. Taylor opened up the season as one of the nation’s elite scorers, averaging 20.6 points through the first three games. His emergence as a creator and buckets bagger with swagger was evident GWU’s recent 86-73 triumph over Detroit.

Taylor scorched the nets to the tune of 7-for-8 shooting, burying 4-for-4 from downtown, en route to a game-high 22 points. He doled out six assists, displaying both scoring and dishing aspects as he has the past three seasons.

Taylor made his presence felt his sophomore year at GWU, as the aforementioned Iona trio kept tabs on his super steady production tree. Bronner grew up running highly-competitive games alongside with Taylor and Bronner’s older brother Trent, outside his apartment building in Sleepy Hollow.

Bronner recalls being the youngest kid by several years, short a few feet, thrown into a high-intensity man’s game. The little guy looking to prove himself amongst the big dogs, Bronner developed a toughness while his father — local grass-roots basketball pioneer Carl Bronner — provided instruction and coaching.

Witnessing Taylor’s success at George Washington the 6-foot-1 Bronner knew his own game could carve a carve similar legacy.

“Seeing my cousin succeed motivated to do well,” said Bronner, who is averaging 10.3 points and shooting the rock at a 57 percent clip.

“We come from the same area and grew up playing together and really know each other’s game. I mean, he was one of the best players in Sleepy Hollow growing up and I definitely got better by playing with him and learning from him.”

Voelkel, Carissimo, and Bronner enhanced their games by playing and learning from each other.

“Throughout high school the three of us pushed each other and felt ourselves getting better,” said Bronner, who dropped 11 points, pulled down five boards, and dished out three dimes in a tight loss to Boston College last week.

“We made workouts fun. Most people don’t see waking up at 5 a.m. fun, but we did it because we were trying to accomplish the same thing which was a Division-I scholarship. We’re best friends so it was easy to motivate and constructively criticize each other without it being taken personally. All the work was definitely worth it because we’re all in good situations and playing well. I mean, just look at what we’ve done so far.”

Voelkel, a jack-of-all trades talent who would float up as one of the best passers in the big America East ocean last year, is averaging 10.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, team-bests in both categories. With balanced scoring across the charts, Voelkel is averaging 6.5 points to supplement Matt Glass (11.5 PPG), Four McGlynn (11.2 PPG), Luke Apfield (9.5 PPG), and Ben Cranca (9.0 PPG).

Since stepping foot on the Burlington campus, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Voelkel has been a double-double waiting to happen. The Pleasantville native ripped down 14 rebounds, dished out eight assists and scored seven points during a Nov. 26 win over Siena. Those who watched the muscle-bound forward create an inside-outside tandem with Carissimo and Bronner in high school aren’t surprised.

“The first thing I noticed about him was his ability to pass,” said Section 1 hoops guru John Tessitore, now a broadcaster for Sportsrev. “He used to wow everyone with those jaw-dropping passes. He was always a pass-first player.”

Voelkel’s monster work ethic, timing, and springy vertical launched him into an elite rebounder in mid-major basketball.

“He could rebound like no other 6-foot-5 player in the area,” Tessitore explained. “He played above the rim.”

Now, Voelkel is playing well above expectations. So is his trusty combination guard and teammate since third grade.

Carissimo, a stellar student originally recruited by Davidson and other first-class programs, has added muscle to a once spindly frame. The slim sniper has emerged into a calming influence with the ball. He doled out six assists during a recent win over Old Dominion and has added on to his all-around game by crashing the boards harder.

With the exception of perennial baller breeding house Mount Vernon, few schools around the County have had three players pan out at the Division-I level.

“It probably is a rarity for three kids from the same high school to be starting as sophomores in college,” said Butch Graves, the former Yale standout and one-time NBA player who coached all three through the Westchester Hawks AAU program.

“I think it says something about the character of these kids. They chose the school that made the most sense. They didn’t chose a school based on the jersey. I think because of that their overall college experience is that much better. They all chose the right level.”

Now, each player is reaping the rewards of his decision.

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