TRUE BLUE: Zahrion Blue dribbles upcourt for Princeton Supply in a game earlier this season in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Wednesday, former Princeton High and Rider University star Blue scored 11 points to help Princeton Supply defeat J Majeski Foundation 80-75. By virtue of the victory, Princeton Supply ended regular season action with a 7-0 record. The league playoffs will be starting on July 15 at the Community Park courts when top-seeded Princeton Supply faces eighth-seeded Jefferson Plumbing in a quarterfinal contest. In other quarterfinal action on July 15, second-seeded YSU will play seventh-seeded Majeski. On July 20, the quarters will continue with third-seeded Metrohm facing sixth-seeded NJ Path and fourth-seeded Iron Peak playing fifth-seeded Novi Wealth Partners. The semis are set for July 22 with the best-of-three championship series starting on July 27. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Zahrion Blue was held scoreless for Princeton Supply as it found itself trailing J Majeski Foundation 37-25 at halftime last Wednesday in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League.
Former Princeton High and Rider University standout Blue, though, wasn’t fazed by the shaky start in the game which was played in the Princeton High gym.
“We have some older guys in the team who know how to stay poised,” said Blue, a 6’4, 200-pound guard who starred at Lincoln University before concluding his college career at Rider in the 2022-23 season where he averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds a game. “They only had five guys so just tire them out so no way they can keep up the stamina and making every shot and not be tired. It was just keep running them and playing hard.”
Spending the last few minutes of halftime warming up by lofting some jumpers, Blue heated up in the second half, starting with draining a 3-pointer.
“That got me going, that got me warmed up,” said Blue. “I was just trying to find everybody who wasn’t here last game so they got more energy. Tobias [Prall] is a college player and Kabe [Goss] is a college player; I am trying to get those guys going because I was in the same position they are in. It is come here and dominate and then go to school and do the same thing.”
Feeling at home in the PHS gym, Blue went on to score 11 points in the second half to help Princeton Supply pull out an 80-75 win over Majeski and end the regular season with a 7-0 record.
“I actually love it; when I came in here the other day I was like, ‘Yeah man, it feels good to be back home,’” said Blue. “I was even telling the refs, I am on the board (as a 1,000 point scorer for PHS). It is a home team advantage.”
In overcoming Majeski, Princeton Supply utilized its advantage in depth.
“Even though we were missing shots, it was keep shooting, get downhill, get fouled, make free throws, and just play defense,” said Blue. “Our point guards were putting wear and tear on their point guards. We know mistakes are going to come when you are tired.”
Having previously starred for a LoyalTees squad that won three summer league titles between 2018-21, Blue has found a home this season with Princeton Supply after connecting with team manager Phil Vigliano.
“I want to instill confidence in the younger guys, play hard, score, facilitate, and just do a little bit of everything like I have been doing my whole life,” said Blue. “I still go Rider, I have 24-hour access to the gym. My college friends still hoop at Rider. I keep in shape and then come here. I actually hit Phil four games ago. LoyalTees doesn’t have a team any more. Phil had a team and Phil texted me.”
Vigliano credited Blue with giving Princeton Supply a lift. “Zahrion just joined the team three games ago, he is blending in with team,” said Vigliano. “He has really fit in, he has made a nice transition.”
Blue has formed a potent one-two punch with Troy Jones, who scored 20 in the win over Majeski.
“We have to get Troy his 20 shots, he is the alpha,” said Vigliano. “I hate to ever go into a game and to look if we had lost and he didn’t get his 20 shots. We have to give it to him and Zahrion too. It is the same thing. You have to get high volume to get the most out of them.”
Applying some defensive pressure helped Princeton Supply shoot past Majeski.
“It was make them take contested threes,” said Vigliano. “They were getting tired. If we ran them off of the line, they were going to get even more tired. They only had five guys. It is a battle of attrition at that point, wear them down and then we get that run.”
With the league playoffs starting on July 15 with top-seeded Princeton Supply facing eighth-seeded Jefferson Plumbing in a quarterfinal contest, Vigliano believes his squad can make a title run.
“We are a very good basketball team, we just start slow sometimes,” said Vigliano, who guided the team to league titles in 2023 and 2024. “I want to play better going into the playoffs and not keep doing that because that can catch up to you. The team is very hungry. We are doing it without a big — that’s the most impressive thing. We play to the style that we have. I try to push them to play hard.”
Blue, for his part, sees playoff experience as a big plus for Princeton Supply as it makes a push for another championship.
“We have some vets on the team who have won MVPs and championships here,” said Blue. “Coach Phil has won championships, I have won championships. We know what is going on in this league and what we need to do to pull the games out. I texted Troy yesterday and told him let’s get another one. It is just keep playing hard. Some of these guys don’t know what it is like to play in playoffs or in championships, so just the veteran experience hopefully gets the job done.”