Girls’ Basketball

Program Overview

For nearly 30 years, the Poly Girls’ Basketball team has been a paragon of success under New York State Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Junsch ’71, P’94, ’95. During that time, the Blue Devils have collected 14 Ivy Prep League championships, six NYSAIS championships, and 500 overall wins. Among its top players, Chinyere Vann ’96, who holds the girls’ team  single-game record of 55 points, went on to star at Fordham University, and our all-time leading scorer Shanniah Wright ’18 joined the program at Georgetown University. Coach Junsch teaches unselfish team play, high basketball IQ, and a focus on fundamentals.

Can’t make it courtside? Families and friends can stream Blue Devil basketball action via Locallive.tv and On-Demand video.  

Girls’ Basketball Coaches

A member of the Poly Class of 1971, where he was a three-sport captain, Junsch returned after graduating from Springfield College to spend the duration of his professional career at his alma mater. His initial forays into coaching lacrosse and soccer gave way to head coaching positions of both boys’ and girls’ basketball. He also remains the school’s resident martial arts expert as a 10th-degree black belt in jiu jitsu. Over more than four decades on the sidelines, Junsch has guided Poly girls’ and boys’ basketball to 18 Ivy Prep League and 6 NYSAIS championships and compiled more than 700 wins across both programs. His accomplishments have led to Private School Coach of the Year honors from the New York Post, the Daily News, and New York Newsday, as well as induction into the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Hall of Fame.  “I believe that success is not determined by where my players are now, but where they will be 10 years after college,” he says. Coach Junsch’s players have gone on to compete at the Division I, II, and III level including Georgetown, Fordham, Bucknell, Colgate, Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bentley, and Franklin & Marshall.

Career Highlights

• Over 700 career wins in boys’ and girls’ Poly Prep Basketball
• Poly Thomas Cullen MVP Award Winner
• Two-Sport College Athlete Basketball and Football 
• 3x New York Post Private School Coach of the Year
• 3x Daily News Private School Coach of the Year
• 3x New York Newsday Private School Coach of the Year
• 2010 New York Old Timers Hall of Fame inductee
• 2017 Basketball Coaches Association of New York Hall of Fame

Basketball Facilities

Poly’s basketball players practice and compete in the Legacy Gymnasium. Learn more about Poly Prep’s Facilities.