The Poly Prep Boys’ Varsity Basketball team is on an extraordinary run this season, remaining
undefeated, while two senior players, Connor Igoe and Karim Camara, have reached the
milestone of 1,000 career points. Their individual achievements, combined with the team’s
undefeated record, have set the tone for this season and, once again, established Poly as a
dominant force in the Ivy Prep League.
On December 13, in a game against Horace Mann, Camara reached a major career milestone by
scoring his 1,000th point, joining Igoe, who had hit the milestone earlier last February. “I’ve
been a varsity starter for four years, so all the work I’ve put in every day in practice is paying off.
It feels really good,” said Camara.
Three Poly Prep players reached the 1,000th point milestone in the past four years, including
Igoe and Camara. The third, Phillip Lawrence, reached the mark on March 28, 2023, during the
New York State Federation B Championship. According to Poly Prep Athletics’ Instagram Page,
Lawrence “surpassed 1,000 points despite a COVID-canceled sophomore season.”
Head Coach Edgar De La Rosa has solidified himself in the world of New York Basketball. De
La Rosa played basketball at St. Francis College and was inducted into the St. Francis College
Hall of Fame. Since then, he’s had over 30 years of coaching experience. De La Rosa became the
head coach of Poly in 2020 and has undoubtedly led the team to great success, including multiple
championships. The team won the NYSAIS title in 2022 and 2023 and secured their fourth
consecutive NYSAIS B Championship in 2024. Under his leadership, Poly Basketball has
developed a strong track record of sending athletes to NCAA Division I, II, and III programs
while also contributing to a legacy of professional players such as Joakim Noah ’03 and Charlie
Marquardt ’13.
This year, the team powered through its perfect season with commanding victories such as a 74-
31 win over Stuyvesant and a 60-39 defeat of Riverdale. Although, not every game was an easy
win. On December 11, Poly faced Dalton in an away game that stretched into double overtime
before claiming a 73-66 victory.
“Dalton is probably one of the better teams in our league,” said De La Rosa. “Their familiarity
with our plays and players, and they are a team that has some experienced players, so that helped
them compete against us,” he explained. “They got out to a quick start, which gave them
confidence.”
Poly tightened its defense as the game progressed, ultimately outlasting Dalton. “We defended
better, especially in the overtime quarters,” said De La Rosa.
Camara highlighted the team’s composure in challenging situations. “I’ll just say it’s our
experience. We have a lot of guys on the team who have experience playing close games,” he

said. “We stay calm under pressure and have the confidence every game that, no matter how
close it is, we’re going to come out with a win.”
Despite a strong performance from one of Dalton’s best guards, Poly held on and maintained
their undefeated record.
As the season progresses, the team’s chemistry and consistency will continue to drive its
undefeated run this season. “Our team, the core group, hasn’t changed much. We have most of
the same guys we had last year. The culture has been the same for the last two to three years,”
said Camara.
One notable difference this season is the starting lineup, which is made up entirely of seniors. De
La Rosa explained how this change has reshaped the team’s dynamic. “We do have some players
who, in the past, didn’t play as big of a role and are now being asked to play a bigger role,” said
De La Rosa.
Senior Nico James, one of the team’s starting five, emphasized how the group’s familiarity
solidified their chemistry on the court. “The starters this year happen to be seniors, and I think
that we’ve all been playing together for a while and have gained a lot of chemistry because of
that,” said James.
De La Rosa’s focus on defense continues to drive the team’s success. “Our coach emphasizes the
defensive end,” said James. “We aim to hold every team to less than 10 points per quarter
throughout the season.
After a hard-earned victory against Hackley in front of a packed crowd on Poly’s Oasis Night,
the team looks to continue their success and reclaim the NYSAIS title.
With two record-breaking players and a perfect season so far, the Blue Devils aren’t just playing
to win—they’re playing to make history.