http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/high_school/2009/07/20/2009-07-20_johnnies_recruit_flashes_scoring.htmlDwight Hardy's day at the beach offered a glimpse of what he might bring to St. John's.
The incoming Red Storm recruit tallied 49 points - draining nine three-pointers - to earn MVP honors at the Hoops In The Sun All-Star Game on Sunday at Orchard Beach.
The 6-2 guard from the Bronx powered the Hoops In The Sun All-Stars to a 137-136 overtime win over the Together We Chill All-Stars, nailing a three-pointer to force overtime and dominating the extra period.
"It's a special honor to be MVP," said Hardy. "But I'm about winning championships, and I haven't done that here yet."
Hardy knows plenty about winning. In 2005, he led Kennedy HS to the PSAL title game, and two years later he starred on a loaded squad at the Patterson School, a top prep program in North Carolina. Last winter, he led Indian Hills (Iowa) CC to a 30-3 record. And he's regularly dominated the summer circuit; Hardy's H.I.T.S. team R2K advanced to last year's tournament final.
Hardy hopes his penchant for winning continues at St. John's. He's dominated games at H.I.T.S., twice eclipsing the 50-point plateau, but he just wants to fill a role with the Red Storm.
"I'm not going to try and go in there and do the same thing I do in streetball," he said. "It's a whole different me."
On Sunday, Hardy flashed a shooter's touch that St. John's should welcome. The H.I.T.S. All-Star Game isn't your typical showcase affair. The 10-year-old summer league retooled its all-star format in 2007; instead of a classic battle between two teams of tournament standouts, a team of H.I.T.S. all-stars faces a squad standouts from another tourney.
Last year, the H.I.T.S. squad fell to a team from the Watson Classic. They hoped to atone for that loss against Together We Chill this year.
The stage seemed set for that, too. T.W.C. arrived with just one substitute; former Georgetown standout Jessie Sapp led what amounted to a roster of neighborhood all-stars. The H.I.T.S. team, meanwhile, featured talents such as Hardy, Iona College standout Scott Machado and Adris DeLeon of Eastern Washington.
None of that kept the H.I.T.S. squad from falling behind, 33-17, after the first quarter.
"They came to our house and we weren't ready for them, we started playing around a little," said DeLeon, who finished with 17 points.
"They were serious."
In the second quarter, Hardy got serious, scoring at will as H.I.T.S. cut the deficit to 56-50 by halftime. He drained a three-pointer early in the third and caught fire, leading his squad to a 12-point edge entering the fourth.
T.W.C. rallied in the fourth quarter, grabbing a three-point advantage with just seconds to play.
But Hardy nailed another three to force overtime. He scored 10 straight points in the extra frame, powering H.I.T.S. to victory.
It was his latest massive scoring performance, but he can't wait to take on a different role in Fresh Meadows.
"I think I'm going to fit in good with St. John's," he said. "They need someone that can shoot the ball well."
And Hardy's never had a problem doing that.