Here's what makes Delaware Hayes' Adam Vincenzo Dispatch boys basketball Coach of the Year
Delaware Hayes boys basketball coach Adam Vincenzo admits it took him a few days to recover from his team’s 54-53 loss to Cleveland St. Ignatius in a Division I state semifinal March 23 at University of Dayton Arena.
However, once Vincenzo reflected on the season, he focused on the accomplishments.
The Pacers captured their first regional title, clinching their first trip to the state tournament. They finished 27-2, with their other loss coming to OCC-Capital rival Westerville South, 73-65, on Dec. 22.
“It’s definitely something to look back and smile on,” said Vincenzo, who has been named Dispatch All-Metro Coach of the Year. “(It was) a tough loss in the semifinal, but we definitely accomplished a lot of great things for our program, our school and our community. ... (Coaching in the state tournament) was everything I thought it would be. It was pretty special.”
Delaware, which won the OCC-Capital championship at 13-1, earned its first district title since 1986 by beating Walnut Ridge 90-76 on March 9. A week later, the Pacers locked up the regional championship with a 74-56 win over Olentangy Orange.
Orange had eliminated Delaware a year earlier, beating the Pacers 54-39 in a district final.
Vincenzo, who graduated from St. Clairsville in 2005 and Wheeling Jesuit in 2009, is 83-39 in five seasons at Delaware. He served as an assistant under Jordan Blackburn for three years before taking over the program.
“Coach was a big part of this,” senior guard Jake Lowman said. “He trusts us, and that’s all you can ask for from a coach. Just letting us influence the game as much as we can and not just having him take complete control, that’s really great. He does a lot of things for us.”
Along with Lowman, the Pacers lose standout senior forward Jesse Burris to graduation. Burris, who was first-team all-state and all-district, will play at Ohio University.
“We felt like we could have had a shot (at the state title),” Vincenzo said. “St. Ignatius went and took care of business against Centerville (the next day, winning 66-56). Who knows what could have happened, but just to have that opportunity would have been pretty special.”
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Delaware should be led next season by 6-foot-7 junior forward Landon Vanderwarker, who was second-team all-district and third-team all-state. He was second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points to 15.7 for Burris, and led in rebounding at 7.6 per game.
Sophomore Jeremiah Russell (9.9 points) and junior Carter Piatt-Brown (7.0 points) should be other key returnees.
“We bring back seven of our top nine players next year,” Vincenzo said. “We have high expectations to continue keeping us on the map. We’re going to work really hard at having another memorable season next year.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware's Adam Vincenzo is Dispatch boys basketball Coach of the Year
