Posts by leveluplongisland@gmail.com

Coach Rich Rampersad started his high school career at Lehman High School in the Bronx. From there he went on to play for Berkely College. At Berkeley he received awards such as the team’s Most Improved Player and also participated in the USCAA’s Three-Point contest where he came in second place. The Knights won its conference twice in the years that he attended. After graduating Rich was an Assistant Coach for the Berkeley Knights. He is looking forward to helping players develop, improving their performance and most importantly, building confidence — both on and off the court.

Coach Anthony Davis began his basketball career at Holy Cross High School where he played 4 years. He was named CHSAA All-Diocesan Team twice and All New York City third team in his senior year. The AAU team that he played for was one of the top teams in the country playing alongside former pros God Shammgod and Ron Artest. Upon graduation he was recruited to some top D1 schools but decided to stay local attending Hofstra University where he played 4 years under now Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright. He played alongside Speedy Claxton and Norm Richardson. Afterwards he played professionally in France. Anthony still has a legendary name in the New York basketball scene and was one of the best pure scorers and long distance shooters around. He remains very involved in the game with his years of experience coaching AAU, summer camps and basketball training.

Coach Julian Kleisler started his high school basketball career at Babylon High School. He played Varsity for 3 years where he was a highly valued player known for his work ethic and high energy. After high school he continued his passion for basketball and began mentoring as an Assistant Coach for D2 NYIT.  Coach Julian’s performance helped his players and coaching staff lead NY Tech to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. He has extensive experience working with athletes in helping them further develop their skills, basketball IQ and overall love for the game. He is currently in his third year in the architecture program at NYIT and is expecting to graduate in the spring of 2024.

Coach Kevin Meilella started his basketball career at Kellenberg Memorial High School. He was 2-year starter and led his team to the playoffs both years. After high school, Kevin played at Mount Saint Mary College where he was a 3-year starter and he qualified as a 4-year Skyline Honor Roll player. In his sophomore year Kevin was named MSMC Most Improved Player. Coach Milella’s senior year was full of accomplishments finishing the season with the best record in school history, scoring his 1,000th point and becoming an ECAC champion for the first time in school history. He continued his love and passion for basketball after graduation by becoming a coach and a referee and is excited to be a part of the Level Up LI organization.

Coach Chris Montalbano started his basketball career at Division Avenue High School where he was a 2-year starter who led the team in assists. His playing career was cut short due to serious injury. As a result he focused on learning more about the game as a trainer and coach. He graduated from Hofstra University. Most recently he interned with 90.10 Basketball Training in Lawrence, Kansas. There he got to work with many college players and top high school prospects. Chris also attended TPG Scout School led by Adam Filippi, the Director of Pro Scouting for the Sacramento Kings and completed the online Scouting Program. He has also attended several online seminars with world renowned trainer Drew Hanlen.

Coach Brian Hutchinson started his basketball career at Elmont Memorial High School. He played Varsity all 4 years and received All-County and All-Long Island awards and won a conference championship in his Junior year. After high school he went on to play Division 2 basketball at Molloy College where he started as a freshman and played all 4 years. While at Molloy he earned All-Metropolitan, Preseason Player of the year, All-Conference and scored over 1,000 points in his career.

Coach Chris Coalman started his high school career at St. Mary’s for 2 years where he played major minutes and helped them get to the Catholic School Championship and Semifinals on Long Island. He transferred to LuHi as an upperclassmen and was named 1st Team All-Long Island and All-State as a senior. He capped his career scoring 1,500 points. He received a D1 scholarship to play at Robert Morris and after 2 years transferred to Adelphi University where he was a star player for the team. He is currently a Graduate Assistant there looking to achieve his Master’s Degree.

Coach Sean Smith started his basketball career at Walter G. O’Connell High School. He was a 3-year Varsity starter and racked up awards such as NYS Top 50 player, All-Long Island and was the Team MVP for 3 years. He also led his team to a Suffolk County Championship title. He went on to play for the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, a D1 Junior College. He transferred to Dowling College where he played for 3 years. After college he became a trainer for players of all ages. Last year he was the Head JV Coach at Mineola High School.