On November 25, 2024, U of D Jesuit’s hoops team will begin their season with an away game at West Bloomfield. As always, the team has high expectations for the win column this year. The team powered to an 18-6 overall record last year, a .750 win percentage. They had a point differential of over 200 during that span.
At the heart of this team is head coach, Pat Donnelly. A former college coach and scout, Donnelly has been at the head of the UDJ program for 16 years. He’s known for his team’s swift play, his knowledge of the game, and his intensity on the sideline. In 2016, Coach Donnelly led the Cubs to a perfect 28-0 record and the Division 1 State Championship while notching the Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year award. The Cubs were among the highest ranked teams in the nation that year, second only to the Ball brothers’ legendary Chino Hills squad.
In his time at UDJ, Coach Donnelly has molded the basketball team into a statewide powerhouse that’s consistently at the top of any rankings you check. While the accolades come with lots of hype and flashiness, Donnelly’s strength lies in his player development. In his tenure, he’s sent numerous athletes on to continue their basketball career in college. These include names like Daniel Friday, Greg Eboigbodin, Ike Eke, and even 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year and Michigan State legend, Cassius Winston. Every year, Donnelly sends players to college, and the 2025 class is no exception; several seniors have already been offered roster spots at various colleges and universities.
This is no coincidence. Coach Donnelly and his staff have a tried and tested formula on how to not only improve players skill wise, but develop better chemistry between them, providing for smoother game plans and more efficient plays. This elevated style of play reinforces the skill of the players, making them better as they go. What the public sees is a hard-press, lockdown defense and upbeat, pass-first offense that crushes many of the teams it plays. However, basketball teams don’t just come this way. What the public doesn’t see is the hours and hours of practice required to turn a group of players into a basketball team, especially one as good as UDJ. I was lucky enough to sit down with Coach Donnelly for an interview and get an in-person view of where the magic happens: UDJ Varsity basketball practice.
At U of D High, classes end at 3 p.m, and by 3:01, the gym already has students shooting around on the court, team players included. After a few minutes and a few bricked three-pointers, the regulars begin to clear out, and players on the team are the only ones left, shooting around as the coaches and team managers prepare the court for practice. Then 3:30 hits. Coach’s words of “Balls on the rack. 100 down. 200 back” echoes through the gym as the chatter amongst players evaporates into silence.
The team jumps straight into an intense weave drill spanning the full length of the court to practice escaping the press after a basket is given up. Only after several minutes of perfecting this play does the team begin a dynamic stretch. After the stretch, the team works on passing and defending drills and plays, spending a predetermined amount of time on each. It doesn’t take long for players to start grabbing water, because they go hard right out of the gate. That’s the culture that’s been built in this team. The team transitions to a drill that seems a bit unorthodox: a large, 20-foot-wide loop of rope is placed under the hoop and five players are directed to stand over it in their defensive positions and grab the rope with one hand. Five more players pass the ball around the perimeter, and the Cubs on defense get pulled around, stumble, and trip as teammates opposite of them on the rope bounce and shift in different directions to guard the ball. After some poor defense and awkward shuffles, the team begins to figure it out, and soon enough they are shifting and moving to defend the ball as one body. Eventually, the rope is removed, and the team moves with the same harmony and fluidity all on their own. This drill is a perfect representation of the program here at The High. This group effort will be cornerstone to the Cubs’ success this year, as they play arguably the toughest schedule of anyone in the state.
The majority of practice consists of strategy and team drills like passing, play call, and communication, rather than skill work, like dribbling. This begins to reveal the secret to success in high school basketball. A great team is not defined by its top players, but by its mentality and chemistry, which appear to be two things Donnelly and his players have mastered. When Donnelly was asked what sets UDJ Basketball apart, he specially highlighted “Our mentality.”
The whole program works together to form a well-oiled basketball machine from top to bottom, from team manager to head coach. “Manager” may sound like a role that doesn’t mean much, but their level of involvement and preparedness is key to the team’s success. Matt English said a day as the manager can include “mopping the floor, filling the water bottles, racking balls and setting them out, setting the clock and more, all before practice even starts.” While UDJ clearly churns out extremely talented hoopers year after year, their success lies in their teamwork, evident in their practice strategies and hardworking support staff.
The varsity team has their sights set on the big stage yet again. Coach Donnelly said “I’ll be honest: I’d be disappointed if we don’t get to the Breslin Center this year.” which is neither an uncommon nor unfair standard to set for this team. “I think we have that capability and really, when you get that far, anybody’s got the ability to win it all.” Senior guard David Herron echoed this championship-oriented sentiment in an earlier interview. The team would consider this season a success if it ends with them in East Lansing holding that trophy.
The U of D Jesuit basketball team is one feared by varsity squads across Detroit and across Michigan. This reputation has been earned through experience, strategy, chemistry, and effort from every person involved with the team, from the athletics office to the manager to the head coach to the players. The players are promising an exciting season, and only time will tell if the grind they put in in the shadows will show when the lights are bright. Stay tuned for the Cubs ‘24-’25 basketball campaign.
