June 29, 2016

With Brackett Back in Action After Achilles Injury, Majeski Jumps Out to 4-0 Start in Summer Hoops

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BACK AT IT: Bobby Brackett, right, looks to get around a defender in recent action in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Monday, -Brackett scored a game-high 16 points as Majeski Foundation, The College of New Jersey entry in the league, topped Dr. Palmer 65-47 and improved to 4-0.  Brackett, a star forward at TCNJ, is back in action after having been sidelined since last summer due to a torn achilles tendon. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Last year, Bobby Brackett was on the sidelines when The College of New Jersey entry in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League advanced to the semis.

The 6’6, 225-pound Brackett tore an achilles tendon in June and was out of action all summer and through the winter. Using a scooter to get around, Brackett still made his way to the Community Park courts to cheer on his TCNJ buddies.

After a lengthy rehab, Brackett was able to get back on the court with his teammates this spring.

“I finally started to play pick up in March so I am still just getting into shape and getting into the groove playing with these guys again,” said Brackett. “It is fun, I missed it.”

Last Monday, Brackett didn’t waste any time getting into the groove as the TCNJ squad, playing as the Majeski Foundation entry in the summer league, jumped out to a 33-18 halftime lead over Dr. Palmer.

Pounding the glass and swooping to the hoop, Brackett looked to be his old self as he tallied 10 points by intermission.

“I was way too excited for summer league; usually it is just a nice thing to stay in shape but this is my comeback,” asserted Brackett. “I am very excited to be back out here, we are playing really well together.”

Majeski kept having fun as it pulled way to a 65-47 win over Dr. Palmer, improving to 4-0 in the process.

“We just played hard; we have fresh legs,” said Brackett, reflecting on the victory which saw him score a game-high 16 points.

“We didn’t make shots at first so we said we are just going to start running and we pressured them on defense. We eventually started making shots and they started missing shots so it all worked out tonight.”

In Brackett’s view, Majeski has the talent and chemistry to make a title run this summer.

“Our goal is definitely to win it this year; if we don’t win it this year we would be pretty upset with ourselves,” said Brackett, who helped Sneakers Plus advance to the summer league title series in the summer of 2013, where it fell to Ivy Inn.

“We made it to NJAC championships last winter so we figure we should make it far in the summer league. Right now we don’t want to lose a game, hopefully we can keep that going. We always have a good group coming here. We are used to playing with each other all year so it translates over to the summer league when the other teams aren’t used to playing with each other as much. They are piecing it together and we are already meshed together so we get to skip a step.”

For Brackett, being back in the fray this summer is a big step for him as he looks forward to his third campaign with TCNJ.

“I am just getting back into the groove of things and next winter, I want to be 100 percent and ready to go,” said Brackett, who has averaged 14.4 points and 12.3 rebounds a game in his first two seasons at TCNJ.

“This is a great league, it is very competitive. It is a great transition phase for me; it has worked out nicely.”

Being in the summer league helps make the TCNJ squad tighter on and off the court.

“We have been doing this the past three or four years; Skye (former Princeton High and TCNJ standout Skye Ettin) started it because he played here for years,” noted Brackett, a Lawrenceville native who starred for Lawrence High before heading to college.

“We just continued in the league since he left. We love coming out there. We have guys drive an hour just to come out here and play with us so it means a lot to us. We just like playing and hanging out together.”