Street loves role on new-look Wolverines

By Ryan Nagelhout Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Mon Dec 20, 2010, 11:10 PM EST

NIAGARA FALLS — If you ask Jordan Street, everything is different about this year’s Niagara Falls boys basketball team.

And by different, he means better.

The senior guard says life for the Wolverines (4-0, 1-0 NFL) is much better after a summer full of hard work and a coaching change.

“The staff is way better than last year,” Street said bluntly. 

The Wolverines are firing on all cylinders for first-year coach Sal Constantino this season after a disappointing finish to last year with a loss against Clarence in the Class AA quarterfinals. 

Constantino took over for Giulio Colangelo this fall, and Street said even a change in game day attire has helped the team.

“(Sal’s) really pushing us to do things like wear appropriate clothes on game days,” Street said. “It’s a positive note.”

Street’s play on the court has improved this year as well. He played a key role for the Wolverines in knocking off last year’s Class AA champion Jamestown in the Cataract City Classic to start the season and scored 18 in a 77-58 romp over Canisius on Saturday.

“He’s really working hard,” Constantino said. “He’s running the floor, scrambling around the basket. I think that shows a lot and again I think he feeds off the other guys’ energy.”

With the height advantage the Wolverines have inside against most teams, Constantino said Street is a valuable cog in the offensive wheel.

“We’ve made concerted efforts to run our offense inside-out,” Constantino said. “Which means get the ball inside first, give him some buckets, then when they close down on them get the ball outside and get some jump shots. Jordan’s been a big key to that. He’s a very good passer for a big kid.”

Street said he worked hard in the offseason to get stronger and a bit trimmer, and Constantino said the team’s improved work ethic has translated into the classroom as well.

“I don’t even have to talk about last year because that has nothing to do with what we’re doing this year,” Constantino said. “But (Street’s) done a terrific job in the classroom. He’s done a great job in school and he’s worked his tail off for us and that’s why he’s scoring so much now.”

While Street has stood out early for the Wolverines, Constantino stressed that each player simply needs to fill a role on the team, something Street says never really happened last season.

“Last year, we didn’t really have a team,” Street said. “We didn’t have role players and everyone knowing their roles. I think with this team everybody knows their role and we all come together as a team.”

Constantino said he knows his players are working hard when his bigs are diving for loose balls as Street did despite having a sizable lead against Grand Island last Friday.

“When you see the 6-foot-5 guy diving on the floor, it makes everybody want to get on the floor,” Constantino said. “I’m really confident he’s going to have a really good year.”

With a Niagara Frontier League matchup against Kenmore West on tap at 6:30 p.m. today in the Wolvearena, Street said the formula for success is pretty simple.

“We’ll just come to play,” Street said. “We just play hard every night.”

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