Boy Basketball – CBA’s Laffey Commits to Adelphi

Christian Brothers Academy senior Jack Laffey entered the Colts boys basketball program wanting, like most who put on a Colts jersey, to continue the legacy left by those who wore the uniform before him.

As Laffey and his team prepare to pursue that legacy in the form of a Shore Conference championship this upcoming season, the 6-foot-4 senior swingman followed in the footsteps of a couple of other recent Colts standouts with his announcement on Wednesday.

Laffey announced his verbal commitment to Adelphi University Wednesday morning, joining former Colts Roy Mabrey (St. Anselm) and J.P. Koury (Bentley) in the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference. Laffey said he spoke with head coach David Duke and his staff on Monday and made his decision on Monday night.

“It’s one of the top Division II conferences in the country, and J.P. Koury and Roy Mabrey are already playing in the league, so those were definitely factors in my decision,” Laffey said. “Those were two guys I used to watch play before I came to the program myself, and they were both guys I’ve tried to follow and emulate in a lot of ways.

“Overall, this was the right fit for me and I’m really looking forward to a good season this year before starting my college career.”

While Laffey has been one of the Shore Conference’s more versatile players in his two varsity seasons, his role at the next level will be on the wing in the Panthers’ four-high offense. Laffey has played every position over his two varsity seasons for the Colts, playing down low, on the wing off the ball and as a ball-handler while guarding a multitude of players on the offensive spectrum. As a junior last season, Laffey averaged 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

“I’m definitely going to be playing more on the wing this year than I have the last couple of years,” Laffey said. “I played down low when the team needed me there, but this year, size is going to be one of our strengths, so I won’t need to be down low as much. That should free me up to play on the wing on both ends.”

The Colts fell one win shy of their first Shore Conference Tournament championship since 2010 last year, losing to Point Pleasant Beach in the tournament championship game at Monmouth University. Laffey and highly-touted junior forward Pat Andree return from last year’s starting lineup, and the duo will help the Colts enter the season as a favorite to get back to the final and possibly end CBA’s five-year championship drought.

“We were really proud to put CBA back on the map by getting to that game, but I think we all remember the bitter taste that (championship) game left in our mouth,” Laffey said. “We had a great summer playing together and the focus is definitely there to get back and finish the job this year."