Evan Conti
Evan Conti (born April 6, 1993) is head coach of the New York Institute of Technology Division II NCAA men's basketball team.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1993 Bayside, New York |
| Nationality | American / Israeli |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Holy Cross (Flushing, New York) |
| College | Quinnipiac (2011–2015)[1] |
| NBA draft | 2015 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2015–2018 |
| Position | Shooting guard / Point guard |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2015–2016 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva |
| 2016–2017 | Hapoel Migdal Haemek |
| 2018 | Hapoel Afula |
| As coach: | |
| 2018–2019 | NYIT (assistant) |
| 2019–present | NYIT |
High school
Conti ranks fifth all-time at Holy Cross High School[1] in Flushing, New York with 1,120 career points he also grabbed nearly 600 rebounds in his high school career for Coach Paul Gilvary's Knights. He averaged nearly 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game as a senior, earning Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) First Team recognition. The Knights had a 17–12 record that year. He was selected to the Jewish Sports Review 2010-11 Boys High School All-America Basketball Team. NYHoops.com ranked Conti as the 13th best player in New York City in March 2011.
He also played AAU for the Rising Stars. The Rising Stars came in 8th in the country at Division 1 Nationals in 2010. The Stars came in first place in their pool to earn a solid seed in the Championship bracket. Conti's Rising Stars began bracket play hot, with a couple of big wins including one over Team Georgia Elite and their two seven-footers, 61–42. The Stars unfortunately would lose in the Elite 8 to Team Nike Florida, who would lose in the National Championship to Trey Burke, Jimmy Jackson, Jared Sullinger, and the rest of All-Ohio Red (Conti and the Stars had actually faced off against All-Ohio Red twice during the year, narrowly losing both matchups). The Rising Stars would go on to play Johnny O'Bryant's Jackson Tigers from Mississippi, among other notable teams, en route to their 8th in the country ranking.
Conti's Stars also had a stellar 2010 campaign. They defeated Andre Drummond and Kris Dunn's CBC at the Garden. They defeated the famed NY Gauchos in a heated battle, too. They were well-respected heading into the Division 1 Nationals that summer, and everyone was ready to see them go far again. Somehow, the #16 in the country Rising Stars were seeded in the same pool as the #7 in the country St. Louis Gameface club, headed by B.J. Young. In a hot July gym in Orlando that saw Tom Izzo, Shaka Smart, Tom Crean, Mike Krzyzewski, John Calipari, Jim Calhoun, and Jim Boeheim courtside, the Rising Stars came out victorious to ensure first place in their pool. The Stars unfortunately found HYCP Elite in the second round of the Championship bracket, and would lose a close one to the eventual National Runner-Up. Fittingly, Conti and the Rising Stars would face-up with Tavon Sledge and Ash Yacoubou's Team Next in a National Placement game for a Top-15 ranking to end their AAU careers. Evan and the Stars would lose a close one, but had nothing to hang their heads about. Evan Conti's Rising Stars played the likes of Myles Davis, Myles Mack, and Kyle Anderson's NJ Playaz, Jabarie Hinds' Westchester Hawks, Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noels' BABC, Burke/Sullinger/Jacksons' All-Ohio Red and Drummond/Dunn's CBC (as mentioned), and many other star-studded D1/NBA players and teams. The Stars were occasionally disrespected, and they would always make their opponents pay. The Stars would defeat most of these teams, earning a great reputation around the country. They were feared everywhere they went for playing team basketball, and for winning. This Rising Stars team was one of the best AAU teams the Tri-State has ever seen.
College
In college, he played for Quinnipiac University from 2011 to 2015.[1] Conti averaged 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as senior with Quinnipiac. He scored 26 points against Niagara.[2]
Coaching career
Conti joined NYIT as an assistant coach in 2018. He became the interim head coach on February 23, 2019, coaching two games and winning his first victory over LIU Post. In May 2019, Conti was named the head coach.[2]
References
- "Evan Conti named NYIT men's basketball head coach". NYIT Bears. May 2, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.