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Published on 08/03/1998 All articles from this issue

Carey takes his game to the Pro-Am league

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By Pete Borello

Town Crier Staff Writer

Senque Carey admits he was nervous at the start of the San Francisco Pro-Am Basketball League season.

After all, this wasn't high school anymore.

The men's summer league was a far cry from St. Francis High, where Carey was twice named Central Coast Section player of the year.

Playing in the Pro-Am meant sharing the Kezar Pavilion floor with many of the Bay Area's top college players and pros.

But it didn't take Carey long to fit in - or break out.

The league's up-tempo style clearly agreed with him. In fact, he thrived in it.

When the 10-week regular season concluded in late July, Carey was the Pro-Am's top scorer at 31 points per game.

"It's rare for a high school player to even start in this league," said Carey, a member of the Bay Raiders. "So it was nice to get a chance to show off my skills."

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Carey was among the biggest point guards in the eight-team Pro-Am. He took advantage of his size by posting up on the smaller guards in the league.

"I probably got half my points every game by going inside," Carey said.

He did more than score, though.

Carey also averaged 7 assists, 1.5 steals and 7 rebounds per contest.

"I hope to carry this over to college," said Carey, who's heading to the University of Washington this fall on a basketball scholarship. "It was a real confidence builder."

However, the summer didn't start that way for Carey.

He played only two minutes in the season opener as a back-up to USF's LyRyan Russell on the San Francisco City team. Carey was traded to the Bay Raiders a few days later.

And what did San Francisco get for him?

"Probably nothing," Carey joked.

Regardless, the Bay Raiders received a lot from Carey.

Playing alongside the likes of Stanford standout Arthur Lee and former Golden State Warrior Del Demps, the team boasted one of the better backcourts in the league.

Carey's best performance happened to come against his old San Francisco team. Matched up against Russell, he poured in 39 points and handed out nine assists.

Putting up such numbers against top-flight competition should prove beneficial to Carey in the long run, according to St. Francis basketball coach Steve Filios.

"Just playing with the guys who are at the level he's going to be competing at next season is a real plus," said Filios, who coached Carey the last four years.

Looking back on the Pro-Am season, Carey has one regret.

"I wish we'd won more games," he said.

The Bay Raiders went 4-6 and missed the playoffs.

The Pro-Am may be over for Carey, but that doesn't mean he's taking a break from basketball.

Carey is currently training with some of the Bay Area's best, including NBA All-Star Gary Payton.

But will Carey take any time out to relax before leaving for Washington next month?

"I can't do that - coach Filios taught me better than that," Carey said. "If you relax, someone gains on you."