Tested For First Time, Cardozo Passes

Mike Troll transferred to Cardozo for afternoons like these: playing in the marquee game of a major tournament with a signature team. Troll, who left LaSalle for the Oakland Gardens school this fall, wanted a chance to shine.
&#8220It's a lot different,” he said. &#8220Coming from a little school to a big school like Cardozo. There's a lot of pressure.”
But it was the kind of pressure Troll desired, the kind he lacked playing for nondescript LaSalle in the moribund CHSAA &#8220A”, the second division of the much-heralded Catholic School league.
Facing one of the teams from the top division in Archbishop Molloy, Troll, already considered the anchor of an almost completely new Cardozo team, scored a game-high 25 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter as the Judges topped Molloy, 75-62, at Baruch College in the second annual Big Apple Basketball PSAL-CHSAA Challenge Sunday afternoon.
&#8220For me, personally, it's a great win coming against a legendary coach like Jack Curran,” said Cardozo Coach Ron Naclerio.
When Djibril Coulibaly (10 points, 14 rebounds), one of many newcomers to Cardozo this year, scored off an offensive rebound to put the Judges up 29-15, it looked like a Cardozo rout in the making.
But a 15-3 run, sparked by the play of guards Rocco Rubino and the Iona-bound sharp-shooter Milan Prodanovic, cut the deficit to three, 33-30, at halftime. And when Prodanovic knocked down a pull-up jumper, the Stanners led 47-43 late in the third quarter.
But a 14-0 spurt, capped by a Troll layup set up by a Sean Crawford steal, pushed the lead back to 10 at 57-47.
Chief among the reasons Troll transferred to Cardozo (5-0) was the presence of Crawford, a transfer himself from Holy Cross before last season, only to be declared academically ineligible. For as long as they can remember, the two have been close, playing summer A.A.U. ball together.
&#8220Sean's like my best friend, my brother,” Troll said. &#8220When I first came to the school, people thought we were cousins.”
Their styles, as different as they are, couldn't be a better contrast.
&#8220We thought if we had the chance to play together, &#8220 said Troll, &#8220we would be unstoppable.”
Whereas the 6-foot Troll always seems to be in cruise control, looking to spot up for an open jumper or slow things down, Crawford is a whirling dervish with a playground handle.
Crawford never played varsity ball before this season, although he was well known in many A.A.U. circles. Thus far, he had been solid, but facing the fundamentally-sound Stanners, he was out of control and badly misfiring early on.
Still, he ended with the game's MVP, compiling a complete floor game with seven points, seven assists and four steals. As the game wore on, Crawford settled down, penetrating the Molloy defense, and blanketing Prodanovic.
&#8220This is new to him,” said Cardozo Coach Ron Naclerio. &#8220Today his shot wasn't falling but he didn't force it. He threw some beautiful passes.”