Our head coaches played college basketball, have coached at the high school level or have the experience to teach fundamentals.
ABOUT HBA
HBA AAU is a basketball program for boys and girls, that focuses on development by teaching fundamentals, skills, footwork and team play needed to succeed in basketball.
Skill development is THE MOST IMPORTANT foundation for success. We believe that it doesn’t matter what types of plays you run, how high your kids can jump. If your players don’t have fundamentals like taking care of the ball, shooting form, footwork, spacing, control of the game, balance and have the will to play defense they will not succeed in high school.
We require that our head coaches have either played college basketball, have coached at the high school level or have gained the experience in our program to teach the right fundamentals.
HBA COACHES
GEORGE MERCADO – HBA Director & Coach
Coach George is a dedicated leader in youth sports, with over 20 years of coaching experience and more than 800 wins across AAU basketball. He has guided teams to championships at every level and is known for his commitment to teaching the fundamentals of the game and promoting a team-first approach. As the founder and director of HBA Basketball, Coach George has created a program rooted in player development, character building, and competitive excellence. A former four-year varsity letter winner and collegiate starter, he brings both playing and coaching experience to his leadership.
SHYQUAN GIBBS – HBA Coach
Coach Shy was a 4 year letter winner at St Anthony’s High School playing for hall of fame coach Bob Hurley. Coach Shy, ranked among the top 25 New Jersey players in the Class of 2016 by NJHoops.com, led St. Anthony’s (26-0) to be ranked No.1 Boys High School basketball team in New Jersey and fourth-best in the nation, according to USA Today. …as a junior, he helped the Friars to a 28-2 record and sixth consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public, North B Championship. Coach Shy was also the Valedictorian at St Anthony’s for his class and earned a basketball scholarship to NJIT where he played point guard for 4 years. Coach Shy has coached with HBA since 2018.
MO BENDARY – HBA Coach
Coach Mo is a 2015 graduate of St. Anthony High School. He was coached at St. Anthony by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley. Coach Mo earned a basketball scholarship to NJIT where he played for 4 years. Coach Mo has coached with HBA since 2018.
• 2017-18 (JR): Named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court
• 2017-18 (JR): Named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll
• 2017-18 (JR): Nominated for ASUN All-Academic Team
• 2016-17 (SO): Nominated for ASUN All-Academic Team
RAY MONTILUS– HBA Coach
Coach Ray attended Pope John High School where he won a State Championship in 2015. Coach Ray Was a High School McDonald's All-American nominee, named to the All-County First Team. He played college basketball at Pace University
MATT WALKER – HBA Coach
Coach Matt is a dedicated basketball coach with extensive experience developing student-athletes at the youth, middle school, and high school levels. He currently serves as the Boys Freshman Head Coach and a Varsity/JV Assistant Coach at Delaware Valley Regional High School.
Coach Matt has coached boys and girls at every level from kindergarten through eighth grade. This broad experience allows him to teach age-appropriate skills, reinforce proper habits, and build a strong foundation that translates to high school competition. His coaching approach prioritizes skill development, defensive effort, team concepts, and understanding the game, while also fostering confidence and leadership in young athletes.
A former collegiate football player at Widener University, Coach Matt brings a disciplined, competitive mindset to the basketball court and values preparation, work ethic, and team culture. Coach Matt believes basketball is about more than wins and losses — it is an opportunity to teach responsibility, resilience, and teamwork with a focus on academics.
NADIR ALSTON– HBA Coach
Coach Nadir Was a 4 year starter at Bloomfield Tech, he played JUCO collegiately and professionally in Denmark. Coach Nadir also coached youth in Denmark before joining HBA.
TARA WUORINEN – HBA Coach
Coach Tara was a member of the 1998 TOC State Championship Team that finished 32-0. Coach Tara played at Ramapo College where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball team. During her collegiate career, Tara was selected to the NJAC 1st Team All-Conference, All-Metro Team, and Co-Betty Logan Female Athlete of the Year. Coach Tara was inducted into the Ramapo College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 where she ranks third for women and ninth all-time in scoring for Ramapo.
JULIUS DAVID SR – HBA Coach
Coach Julius has 20+ years of high school and college basketball coaching experience. Coach Julius was the boys varsity coach at Kearny and Perth Amboy High Schools, as well as an assistant at Immaculate Conception and St. Anthony’s High School where he was the freshman coach under HOF Coach Bob Hurley. Coach Julius coached at the collegiate level as an assistant at Felician University where they won the 2022 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Coach Julius was a 4 year varsity letter winner in high school and 4 year starter in college. Coach Julius has coached for HBA since it’s inception.