Long-time teammates Hartnel Haye, Tyshon Judge plan to continue partnership in college

They’ve been classmates since grammar school.

They’ve been teammates since seventh grade.

They’ve played the co-starring role in the resurgence of the Paul VI High School basketball program, powering the Eagles to a 25-4 record this past season.

And now Hartnel Haye and Tyshon Judge plan to continue their partnership in college.

“The chance to continue to play together is amazing,” Judge said. “It seems like we’ve been together forever.”

Judge, a senior guard, and Haye, a senior swingman, have both committed to attend Holy Family University on a basketball scholarship.

Holy Family is an NCAA Division II program in Northeast Philadelphia that competes in the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference with programs such as Jefferson (formerly Philadelphia University), University of the Sciences, Chestnut Hill, and Caldwell.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid and started playing basketball,” Haye said of earning a scholarship.

The 6-foot-7 Haye led Paul VI in scoring this season with an 18.2 average. He also averaged seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

The 6-2 Judge averaged 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Haye finished his career with 1,046 points, Judge finished his with 1,053 points.

The duo was so closely linked during their time at Paul VI that they both reached the 1,000-point plateau in the same game, in a Feb. 21 win over Cherry Hill East.

Paul VI coach Tony Devlin calls Haye and Judge “a good story” because the athletes played in a tournament at Paul VI as eighth graders, enrolled in the school, and helped to guide the program back to South Jersey prominence.

Haye and Judge both attended Sacred Heart grammar school in Camden. They started playing together as seventh graders for the Catholic Partnership School team.

“He knows what I’m going to do on the court, and I know what he’s going to do on the court,” Haye said.

Holy Family, which is coached by R.C. Kehoe, offered Haye a scholarship in mid-February. The school offered Judge a scholarship after Paul VI beat Red Bank Catholic on March 2 in the semifinals of the Non-Public South A tournament.

“I was shocked,” said Judge, who plans to major in sports marketing. “I was so excited I was at a loss for words.”

Holy Family was 14-13 last season, including a 10-9 mark in the CACC. In 2016, the Tigers won 26 games, captured the conference title, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II East Regional tournament.

Judge committed to Holy Family shortly after receiving the offer. Haye committed Saturday after earning Most Valuable Player honors at the North-South Senior All-Star Game at Rider University.

“It’s a great spot for me,” said Haye, who plans to major in business. “They push the ball, play a style similar to Paul VI.

“And it will be nice to have ‘Ty’ there with me.”