It’d be easy to spend two hours talking about Hurley’s many accomplishments. There are the 1,000-plus wins, the record 26 state titles and the famous alumni, including Bobby Hurley Jr., Terry Dehere and Roshown McLeod. Plus, the Friars are riding a 55-game win streak and are No. 3 in the ESPN National Poll, positioning them for a second straight national title.

But instead, the film centers on what Hurley is most proud of in his 39 years of coaching — sending all but two of his players to college, with more than 100 enrolling at Division I basketball programs.

“The authenticity of the documentary comes from the access given to the kids. You see them struggle through practice and what they deal with off the court,” Hurley said. “Every time I see it, I go through the same feelings of watching the kids play and thinking about how enjoyable it was.”

“I wish I wasn’t yelling or screaming all the time, though,” Hurley added with a laugh.

It’s this tough love that has helped produce such impressive results for Hurley on and off the court. As a former probation officer and coach of many kids who were raised on the tough streets of New Jersey, Hurley knows the importance of discipline and work ethic.

“Coach is tough, but that’s why everybody plays so hard for him,” Anderson said. “Some say he yells a lot, but it’s all because he cares. The day he stops yelling at you, that’s when you need to be concerned.”

This theme, along with a slight sense of urgency, emanates throughout “The Street Stops Here.” Despite possessing seven Division I-bound seniors — Madut Bol, Jio Fontan, Mike Rosario, Tyshawn Taylor, AJ Rogers, Alberto Estwick and Travon Woodall — the 2007-08 squad was in danger of becoming Hurley’s first class to graduate without a state crown. What’s more, a financial crisis threatened to shut down St. Anthony.

Much to Hurley’s satisfaction, this unscripted drama ended up reinforcing the message he constantly imparts upon his players. Without discipline and goals, success in sports can be hard to come by. Without academics, everything done on the court ultimately won’t matter.

“The emphasis is always on academics,” Hurley said. “We try to teach them to value their education because that will be the basis of how happy their adult lives will be.”

After watching the film last month, Hurley smiled in retrospect at the fruits of that season on the brink. But even bigger than the championships and accolades, Hurley gets the greatest joy from turning basketball players into young men ready to face life’s challenges.

“I hope people see that we really care about these kids and tough love is necessary,” Hurley says. “I’d love to be everybody’s grandfather and walk with my arm around them, but life’s not like that. You have to have goals and a work ethic so that you’re ready to deal with adversity.”

Below is coverage from the USA Today:

“The Street Stops Here,” the documentary about Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony’s run toward the 2007-2008 national high school boys basketball title is being rebroadcast on Friday (ESPNU, 8 p.m. ET).

The film details the decades long work that Bob Hurley, a Hall of Famer, has done at the school building them into a national power.

This year’s St. Anthony’s team is 19-0 and ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Super 25 boys basketball rankings.

Hurley, a former probation officer, has been the USA TODAY High School Coach of the Year three times including 2008.

Ironically the Player of the Year in 2008 was Samardo Samuels, who played for Newark (N.J.) St. Benedicts, a team coached by Hurley’s son Danny.

Bob and Danny Hurley will be joined by son and brother Bobby in a roundtable discussion after the film. Danny is now the coach at Wagner College with his brother as his assistant.

Coach Hurley

The film will be shown on ESPNU and ESPN Classic up until the 2012 Final Four is played. Among those who are shown playing for Hurley in 2007-08 are current college players Mike Rosario (Florida); Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Dominic Cheek (Villanova) and Jio Fontan (USC).

From USAToday

Several members of the 2007-08 team featured in The Street Stops Here are currently playing in the NCAA including Mike Rosario (Florida), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Jio Fontan (USC) and Dominic Cheek (Villanova).

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The ESPNU premiere will feature an exclusive post-film roundtable discussion with Bob Hurley Sr., with his sons Danny Hurley, head coach at Wagner College, and Bobby Hurley, former Duke star and assistant coach at Wagner College. The roundtable is moderated by ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams, former Duke star.

The Street Stops Here is a portrait of one of the most successful basketball coaches at any level, Bob Hurley Sr., and his career-long struggle to inspire and motivate his players. St. Anthony High School, an inner-city Catholic School in Jersey City, NJ, relies on Coach Hurley and the national following of its basketball program to keep its doors open. Even with his many championship trophies, Hurley is most proud of having sent all but two of the players he has coached throughout his 39-year career on to college. The Street Stops Here weaves together stories of teenagers fighting to get out of underprivileged neighborhoods, fundraising amidst the collapse of Wall Street and how one man uses basketball to teach life lessons.

Never before have cameras captured the St. Anthony story from the inside to this magnitude. TWM was granted unlimited and unfiltered access to Hurley’s St. Anthony basketball program and had cameras at every step of their emotional journey toward their third USA Today National Championship and Hurley’s National Coach of the Year performance. From September 2007 hrough April 2008, TWM crews captured more than 400 hours of high-definition footage of the lives of Hurley and his players both on and off the court, showing Hurley’s strong influence in transforming his young players’ lives.

The document has interviews with some of basketball’s most renowned names to offer insights as part of The Street Stops Here, including Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski; North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams; and Hall of Fame high school coaching legend, Morgan Wootten.

Mickey Drexler had seen the 60-minute story about Coach Hurley and was captivated with the story of the school and our Coach.  J Crew began their support of St Anthony High School with the donation of school uniforms.  The partnership continues to evolve, with the Development Department working with Mickey and J Crew on additional creative ways that can support the cause St Anthony High School.

This is just one instance that demonstrates that interest in the school goes beyond a monetary pledge, but involves the out-of-the-box development of creative ideas that will continue to further the cause of St. Anthony High School today and into the future.

Congratulations Officer Laraway! We’re thrilled for you!!

This year’s raffle raised almost $70,000 for the school.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!

Nearly 700 tickets were sold, making this year’s raffle the most profitable ever! Each person who sold, purchased, or processed a ticket is a winner in our book. On behalf of the students who will benefit from the proceeds, we thank you sincerely.

Officer Laraway chipped in with his friend to buy the $100 ticket. He lives in Hazlet and has been a Giants’ fan since he was 4 years old. He had a look of sheer disbelief on his face when he came to the school to shake Coach’s hand.

Congratulations Officer Laraway and thank you for all you do for our City!

Go Giants!!!!! Go Friars!!!!!!

Six of the top eight teams in the country will be in attendance, highlighted by our defending National Champions St. Anthony Friar  and includes stop-ranked Neal F. Simeon of Chicago and No. 2 Oak Hill Academy of Virginia. Coincidentally, this is the Friars second trip to Massachusetts. Their first trip included a 68-25 blow out victory over New Mission in the Shooting Touch Shootout in December.

St. Anthony star player Kyle Anderson, the 4th rated high school prospect in the country, will be joined by many other top prospects, including the #1 rated prospect Shabazz Muhammad.

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St. Anthony’s Hall of Fame and four-time high school national champion coach Bob Hurley will also be running a Coach’s Clinic, along with his strength and conditioning coach Omar Jones, on Thursday, December 29th from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is $75, and includes lunch and admission to all of the day’s games. Any coach or parent that signs up is allowed to bring their child for free.

Press Release from Shooting Touch: