Greeley Grad Honig Continuing Basketball Career at Dickinson

Adam Honig,  a 2010 Greeley graduate, is currently attending Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. While education is first and foremost, basketball is still a major part of his focus.

The 2010 Horace Greeley High graduate has entered a small-school, liberal arts environment without having the pressures or privileges of a Division-I or Division-II athlete. If he continues to work as hard as he has the past few summers, Honig sees an opportunity to carve his own legacy on the hardwood.

At Dickinson, anticipation about this year's basketball squad is slim. Honig will be without the fanfare, the storied rivalries, and the jam-packed gyms he was used to at Greeley. There will be stiff competition for playing time, but Honig will be without the hoops-crazed atmosphere that he experienced while playing for the Westchester Hawks on the AAU circuit.

And that's just fine with him.

"I know that, in order to play and make an impact here I will have to continue to work extremely hard, as the league is one of the most competitive in the country (for Division-III)," said Honig, who played three years of varsity basketball at Greeley, scoring 971 total points.

 "Everyone can play at this level, and I just have to prove myself. Of course I want to play as a freshman, but I know the only way that can happen is if I put the necessary work into it," he said. "We have a great group of guys and I want to add to that. Although I have ideas of what I want out of this in the future, I know taking it one practice at a time is the right way to approach it. If I play up to my potential, I think I'll be OK."

The past few years, the sharp shooting Honig has shared the spotlight with numerous highly-touted recruits. He plays alongside Mount Vernon's Jabarie Hinds, one of the nation's top-ranked guards, with the Hawks. At Greeley, he formed a lethal inside-outside tandem with Matt Townsend, who is continuing his career at Yale.

Honig's breakout season occurred during senior year. In a section full of 6-foot-1 guards like himself, he shed the image of shooter and became more effective off the dribble. With plyometrics and leg lifts a major off-season priority, Honig developed significant hops. He began finishing above the rim, playing end-to-end, and facilitating the fast break. He also added to his defense, an aspect of his game that had been lacking a bit in previous years. He became more aggressive, emerging as a complete player.

 "I think my defense and my ability to run a team as a whole has grown," Honig said. "Being more of a point guard in college is going to be very important for me, as I played on the wing in high school a lot. Also, being able to get above the rim was a big improvement as I worked hard in the off-seasons to get there and get that facet of my game going."

During his senior season, Honig piloted Greeley to a 15-5 overall record, one of the finest seasons in recent memory.

Honig established himself as one of Section I's elite three-point marksmen. His perimeter presence spearheaded Greeley's half-court attack. This was evident when Honig splashed six three-pointers against Pelham, outgunning everyone in the gym.

Honig again morphed into the mad bomber at Rye, draining six three-pointers as he erupted for a career-high 37 points.

"I would say that Adam was one of the best shooters I've ever coached," said Fernandes, the longtime Quakers coach.

"He's definitely in that caliber of shooters. He's one of the more consistent shooters we've had here."

Honig opened eyes when he solved Peekskill's 2-3 zone at the Red Devils' Invitational tournament. He would drop 20 points that game, as the Quakers looked to play the role of spoiler and deny the Devils their record 50th straight home win.

Now, Honig will look for that momentum to roll to the next level, where he hopes prove he belongs while keeping both Horace Greeley and Section I on the map.

"At times I thought I was overlooked and I could've played at other programs, but I am extremely happy with the decision I made of choosing Dickinson," Honig said.

"Coach (Alan) Seretti is everything I want in a coach and has the ability to push me and make me better. While recruiting me, Coach Seretti let me know that he wanted to be a powerhouse in the Centennial League and eventually make a run to the Final Four. That is exactly were my head was at, so we clicked. We have the potential, as a young team under new leadership to do great things."