Sacred Heart Basketball: Connecticut Legacy Meets Metro Conference Hopes
Coach Anthony Latina identifies six players with deep state roots, including sons of former UConn and Syracuse stars, as the Pioneers open a 1-0 season.
By Mia Bennett ·
Sacred Heart Pioneers head coach Anthony Latina believes his current roster holds a unique mix of talent and local history that positions the team to compete for a Metro Conference title.
The 1-0 squad includes six players with direct ties to Connecticut, creating a web of family connections that spans high school courts, major college programs, and professional leagues. Latina noted that these players possess high character and basketball intelligence, traits he has observed firsthand over years of personal and professional interaction with their families.
Junior guard Jojo Wallace, a 6-foot-3 player from New Milford High and South Kent, led the Pioneers with 21 points in the season opener against Coast Guard on Monday. Wallace is the son of John Wallace, a former Syracuse star who was a first-round draft pick of the New York Knicks and led the Orange to a national championship game appearance. Latina called Wallace a "scoring machine" after the junior finished second in the nation in scoring at the Division II level at 25 points per game during his previous season at Southern New Hampshire.
The Reilly family name represents another pillar of the roster. Samson Reilly, a 6-foot-2 junior shooting guard from Glastonbury, transferred to Sacred Heart after one season at Quinnipiac. He is the son of Luke Reilly Sr., a former Syracuse All-American and eight-year NBA player. Samson’s high school career at East Catholic included two state championships under his father’s coaching. His brother Luke Jr. plays at Florida Southern, and his uncle Joe is the head coach at Wesleyan. Latina, who played for Joe Reilly Sr. at South Catholic and was a high school teammate of Luke Sr., described Samson as an "elite, elite, elite shooter" capable of changing the game with consecutive three-pointers.
The Pikiell and Gittens families round out the group of players with deep state roots. Kevin Pikiell, a 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman guard, is the son of Steve Pikiell, a two-time UConn captain from 1986 to 1991 who now serves as the head men’s basketball coach at Rutgers University. Latina worked with Steve Pikiell for three years on the Central Connecticut coaching staff under Howie Dickenman.
Mooda Gittens, a redshirt freshman guard, is part of a family with a long-standing presence in the Sacred Heart program. His brother Dashon led the Pioneers in steals with 49 last season and ranked second in assists with 89. Their older brother Donte has been with the program since 2022, serving as director of basketball operations and as an assistant coach for the last two seasons. Their mother serves as a program director for the Hartford Boys & Girls Club.
Latina said he expects Wallace to be one of the best offensive players in the conference this season. He anticipates that Reilly, Pikiell, and Gittens will become significant impact players for the team before their careers end, supported by the experience of other transfers on the roster.
The coach emphasized that these players improve the program's culture both on and off the court. He stated that he would be shocked if all three did not become very good impact players for the Pioneers.
Next scheduled action will see the Pioneers continue their Metro Conference schedule as they seek to build on their opening victory.
The team's roster composition reflects a deliberate effort to recruit players with established backgrounds in Connecticut basketball, a strategy Latina believes will pay dividends in the coming months.
