Eastern basketball adds another scorer
Eastern York already figured to be a YAIAA power when boys' basketball season rolled around. Thanks to a transfer, the Golden Knights are looking even stronger.
Nate Bollinger, rated a second-team Division I/II All-star by the Daily Record/Sunday News last year, has transferred to Eastern York School District and will join the Golden Knights this fall, Eastern head coach Larry Fisher confirmed Tuesday night.
"I don't know who was smiling on us, but sometimes you get that luck I suppose," Fisher said. "We've never been fortunate enough to have talented basketball players move in."
Bollinger, a versatile guard, shined last season as a junior for a 6-16 Spring Grove team. Perhaps his most notable performance was a 26-point outburst in a losing effort against Waynesboro. Fisher said Bollinger's mother is originally from the Eastern York area, and moved back there recently.
Bollinger will join an already-stacked roster that features juniors Andrew Nicholas (verbally committed to Rutgers) and Austin Tillotson. Eastern made it to the District 3 semifinals and the PIAA tournament last year, and lost only one player (forward Dalton Derr) to graduation.
"He's a scorer," Fisher said of Bollinger. "He shoots the 3 really well, so that's going to open up the cutting lanes. It's going to take some pressure off of Austin. ... We legitimately could have eight scorers."
Fisher could face tough decisions as to how he doles out playing time -- a problem, he said, he's happy to have.
The Knights coach is unsure how he will utilize Bollinger -- whether it be as a starter or an impact sub. Either option, Fisher said, is fine with the former Spring Grove standout.
"He's looking just to fit in and help out," Fisher said. "With him being a D-I All-star and averaging 15 points, you wonder how team chemistry is going to be. But right away he said he just wanted to be part of a winning team.
"Right now I would see him being on the floor quite a bit. If he's not starting he's playing as much time as anybody on the floor besides Andrew and Austin."
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In other Eastern news, Fisher said recruiting interest in point guard Tillotson has increased the past few weeks. Fisher had an hour-long conversation with a coach from Lafayette on Monday.
Other interested schools include James Madison, Bucknell and Penn.
"That's where they project him to go, in those type of leagues," Fisher said. "It's picked up quite a bit."